All my thoughts circle into some sort of insane melodrama right out of Selene''s favorite TV show, and I slap my hands against my face, rubbing hard against my cheeks, as though I can push the tears right back into my eyes.

"Sorry," I say, as Lucas rests a worried hand against my back, stroking me like you would pet a puppy. It''s cute. He doesn''t seem to know what to do with me, while I''m just grateful that he''s trying.

Once I''m sure my tears are gone, I smile up at him. "I''m just frazzled."

"You''ve been through a lot. Did I upset you when I took the phone call?"

"No!" The word bursts from me in horror. Does he think I''m that kind of person, who gets upset when he has to do important things instead of watching me sit in a hospital bed? "Not at all."

He blows out a breath in what I''m sure is massive relief. No one wants a mate that high maintenance. "Are you upset that I have to leave?"

I cringe. "It isn''t that." I just came to some insane levels of assumptions. "Why... do you have to go?"

"Ah." Now he looks uncomfortable, and takes a seat on my bed, grabbing my hand.

Oh, God. This can''t be good.

"Once we were safe, Kellan—my beta—led a force of my men into the heart of the Blackwood pack." I must not look devastated enough, because he clarifies, "In an act of war."

Since he seems to want some sort of input from me, I nod to show that I''m following.

"Unfortunately, in the chaos, your family and Alpha Renard escaped, but the territory is under our control."

I nod again.

"We took over your pack," he says, as if I''m not understanding.

"I heard you." I tilt my head. "I don''t care what happens to them." Too bad all the important people escaped.

His eyes meet mine, unwavering. "At the Gala, I''d been under the impression you were working with your family—with the alpha of your pack."

So that''s why he looked at me with such intense hatred.

"After the Gala, I looked into you. It took us a long time to get someone into the pack to get the information, but I heard that you were wolfless and not treated well because of it."

There''s regret all over his face, and his thumb rubs over the back of my hand, over and over, in silent contrition.

"I''m so sorry, Ava. If I had just kept my head out of my ass, I would have brought you back with me that night. You would have been safe. I was so focused on how I felt about your alpha that I didn''t stop to think that I should have trusted in my fated mate."

I look down, guilt stabbing into me with even more fervor.

"The past is the past," I murmur, shoving aside memories of the deep pain that ached in my chest every day for months.

"Yes," he agrees, with such relief that tears come to my eyes. I hope he''s as fervent about this once I get the words out.

"So... I was going into heat, and some rogues found me. They kidnapped me off the street, calling me an omega."

Lucas leans forward, taking in a deep whiff of my scent with a frown. "Omega? A true omega? You''ve never smelled like one. In fact, aside from smelling like all the wolves you surround yourself with, you never smelled much like a shifter at all... Something I should have recognized earlier."

I shrug. "Apparently, I smell like one when I''m in heat."

He nods, accepting this without comment. Being wolfless means nothing makes sense. "How did you get away?"

"I was in the car with them, and the local pack ran us off the road. I had a few injuries and was brought to their pack hospital."

"Wait, the local pack—Aspen?" He stiffens, suspicion finally dawning.

I squeeze his hand. "They had no idea who I was. I only gave them my first name. But, I went into a severe heat. It was affecting everyone around me."

He doesn''t withdraw his hand, but it goes slack, his face expressionless and he begins to truly process my words. His eyes go for my neck, but everything is covered beneath bandages.