~~

Artem

~~

I heard Star yell out to me. She had called my name.

“ARTEM!” She had called me for help, she had made certain that I could hear her voice this time and she called out to me.

I took off running then. Following the quickly fading echoes and the faint traces of her scent. That nasty smelling relative of hers was wrapped around her as they had tried to take her away.

I heard the sound of a scuffle. Someone was trying to get her again.

“Shut up!” A woman’s voice answered Star’s yell for me. Following that shout I heard something that made my wolf furious. I heard Star’s voice issue a sound of pain.

It was only a whimper, but that meant they were already hurting her.

“Huh, looks like you do feel the pain after all.” There was laughter in the woman’s voice as she said those words.

I had rounded the corner of the maintenance hallway then, catching sight of the two of them. A tall, strong looking woman with nasty pale yellow hair and yellow eyes had her hand fisted in Star’s beautiful hair. With that grip the woman had pulled Star’s head back very far, painfully far.

It was clear the woman was intending to hit Star, she was aiming to hurt my mate. I would never let that happen, not again. She was going to stop and she was going to pay.

I saw the intent in the woman’s eyes as she glared down at Star. She was too focused on her task that she didn’t notice me coming at her. When I growled, low and menacingly, it caught her completely by surprise.

The ugly woman snapped her head up to look at me, anger filling her gaze as she narrowed her eyes at me.

“Who the fuck are you?” She snapped at me.

“Your whole family needs to socialize more. Or, better yet, do us all a favor and don’t. But to answer your question, I am the Alpha of the Hidden Paw.”

“Fuck you, the Alpha of this pack is not some piece of shit like you, he’s a strong and fierce man.”

“A strong and fierce man that I killed. Now, kindly take your hands off that girl, or I will take your hands off you.” She didn’t seem to comprehend what I was saying, she just stared at me with confusion and disdain.

“You did not kill Jesiah, you couldn’t have.”

I was tired of her words, and I was more tired of her touching my mate. I reached forward, gripping the wrist of the hand that was twisted in Star’s hair. I gripped that wrist hard, with a deadly amount of strength. I heard and felt the bones snapping immediately. Her howl of pain was not needed to confirm that I had just crushed every bone in her wrist.

I heard the sound of pounding footsteps coming up behind me, the scent told me it was Kent. He was actually less than a minute behind when I had arrived, but it had felt like a lot longer. But I was glad he was here, I needed him to watch over this piece of filth while I looked over my girl.

After having her wrist crushed, the putrid piece of scum that tried to claim a familial bond with my mate had let go of Star’s hair. Her hand no longer had any feeling left in it to maintain a grip like that.

There were tears in the woman’s eyes and a grimace on her face, still though, I could see the anger and hatred burning inside of her.

“You’ll pay for this.” She growled at me.

“No, bitch, you’re the one that’s going to pay. You are going to pay for touching what’s mine.” I saw the shock register in her eyes then, the genuine surprise that was caused by me referring to Star as mine.

“You’re lying.”

“Haven’t we been over this already you imbecile, I’m not lying to you. I have not reason to lie to you.”

“This can’t be. When my Howard finds out he is going-.”

“I don’t fucking care what you think he is going to do. He won’t have her, ever.”

“She belongs to him. You will see. She is his and no one else can have her. Just you wait. You’ll see.”

I was beyond done listening to her inane babble. I struck out, hard and fast, with my right hand, hitting her with such tremendous force that she fell straight to the floor.

“Kent, take her back to the house for me.”

“Inside?” He asked me and I knew exactly what he had meant. He was asking if I wanted her locked up inside or outside. This was going to get messy and I didn’t want to clean afterwards.

“Outside.” I grinned down at her, thinking of how she was going to pay for what she had done.

Kent fisted his hand in her hair, just like she had done to Star. When his grip was set he started dragging the woman down that hallway. He would be taking care of her really well until I got there. He hated people like her just as much as I did.

We could still hear the sound of the struggle, the woman kicking, but thankfully not screaming, as she was dragged from the side entrance of the mall. Kent would make sure that no one saw the two of them as he stuffed her in the back of his car, but not before knocking her unconscious.

I didn’t care about them anymore though. It was time for me to check on Star, to see if she was ok.

The whole ordeal only lasted a few minutes, but still, I knew it could be devastating to the progress Star had been making.

During the struggle Star had been knocked to her knees and she was looking up at me with scared, tear filled eyes. I moved slowly as I went toward her.

“Are you alright?” I asked her, worry and sorrow filling my voice.

As soon as I was close enough Star threw her arms around my neck.

“Artem.” She cried my name as she buried her face against my chest. I could feel the tears soaking through almost immediately.

“Shh. Shh. Shh.” I was rubbing soothing circles onto her back as I shushed her. She was shaking as I held her, as she cried against me.

I sat then, all the way down on the floor, pulling her into my lap as I did so. I rocked side to side, still making calming noises for a few moments.

“It’s OK, Star, it’s OK. I’m here, I will always be there for you. I promised you didn’t I? You will never have to go back to them ever again.

“I was so scared, Artem. I thought I was going to go back to my family, back to Uncle Howard.”

“I won’t let that happen. I promise I will always come to save you.” I was hugging her tight, holding her close, helping her to calm down just as much as myself. “You’re safe now, you’re safe.”

“I’m sorry, Artem, I’m so sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” I was confused now.

“For being weak, for needing you to save me again.”

“I will save you ten million times if I have to. That’s what you mean to me. I will always come for you.”

“Really?” She seemed to need another confirmation and I would gladly give it.

“Really. I will save you forever, and even beyond that. I love you Star.”

“Artem.” She cried my name then, but it didn’t sound like a bad cry. She sounded relieved to hear what I had said.

“Come on.” I said as I stood with her in my arms. “Let’s go home.”

“What about Chay?” She was still worried about others.

“I will have her meet us at the car.”

“OK.”

“I will take you out the side door over here, so people don’t see me carrying you.” I knew that would most likely embarrass her and make her feel worse.

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it Star.”

I carried her out the door and to the car. Chay was already waiting there in the driver’s seat. Kent must have contacted her already.

“Get in and let’s go.” She yelled out the window.

I wasn’t feeling up to arguing with her at all, and there was no reason to anyway. I simply opened the back door of the Jeep and sat with Star on my lap.

“Let’s go.” I told her firmly.

“No need to tell me, I was already going.” With those words spoken she shifted the car into gear and off we went.