CHAPTER 1

Robert was out for a run when he got the mind link.

'Alpha there's an unfamiliar scent on the eastern border.'

The human town.

'Alright Derek, heading that way now' Robert responded.

The Blackstone Pack backs into the human town, with only a few miles separating the borders. It's rare for humans to be stumbling into Pack lands, but not impossible.

When Robert reached the eastern border he shifted back into his human form. The scent wasn't strong and definitely human.

Pushing his way through the bushes he emerged in the clearing, hearing the shouts of what sounded like a young girl.

Striding forward, he pushed through the group of patrol warriors to find a small girl. A small girl covered in cuts, bruises and blood. A small girl screaming hysterically as she stared wide-eyed at the group around her.

'Leave, I'll handle this' he said, the command resonated through the mind link and the patrol scattered to continue their rounds.

Robert stayed standing at least five feet away from the girl. The young human could be no more than ten years old. She sat on the forest floor, arms wrapped around herself protectively as she sobbed quietly.

The blood was everywhere.

Crouching down, he attempted to make himself less threatening. 'Hi, my name is Rob. Are you okay?'

He tried to make his voice calm and quiet but it still seemed to startle the small human.

'Alright sweetie, I'm gonna come a bit closer okay? We really need to get you to a doctor.'

The only response was louder sobs and the occasional scream.

'Honey, can you get the doctor to the packhouse please'

'What's wrong, are you hurt'

'No honey I'm fine, there's a young girl here covered in blood, I'm trying to get her back to the house but she's going to need medical help'

'Okay, okay good, well not good but- oh you know what I mean! Doctor Henry is here and waiting, and Jaxon is extremely stressed so I'd bring her in through the kitchen'

As he was mind linking, he continued to edge closer, He could hear her crying and screaming but couldn't hang around. She needs medical attention.

'Listen, sweetie, I know you're scared but we need to get you help, so I'm going to pick you up, okay?'

Robert scooped her up as gently as possible, trying not to jiggle her as he began jogging back to the house. She cried and screamed the entire run home.

A pack member opened the door as he approached, bowing his head as Robert entered the house. He made quick work of laying the young girl down on the sofa in the living room.

As the girl continued to scream, doctor Henry entered.

'Alpha, Luna said you found her?' As he approached cautiously.

'Yes patrol found her, she's human.' Robert informed, stepping back to let Henry work.

'Let me through!'

'Damn it Jaxon just wait here a minute, she is upset so she doesn't need you to frighten her.' Elle, Robert's mate, scolded gently.

'Mum, I want to help!' He insisted, as he ducked under her arm and appeared in the room.

'Robert your son is already as demanding as you.' She grumbled as she came to stand beside her mate and son.

The young girl screamed as Henry went to put a stethoscope against her chest. Jaxon leapt forward, growling quietly as he put himself between the doctor and the girl.

'Jax, come away and let Henry work.' Elle insisted but Jaxon stood firm.

Ignoring his mum, Jaxon turned to the young girl as she lay curled up on the sofa. She sobbed as Jaxon took a cloth from by the sofa and began to clean off her hands. The blood stained the rag but Jaxon knew it wasn't hers, he could just tell.

'You don't need to cry, I won't let anyone hurt you.' Jax mumbled as he put the cloth down. 'I'm gonna sit next to you, and doctor Henry is gonna look at us both, okay?'

Elle and Robert looked on as their son sat beside the little girl, looking across at her as the doctor put the stethoscope to his chest. The little girl peeked across at Jax, to which in response he gave a little grin.

'See, it's not so bad' he encouraged.

Elle turned to look up at her mate, 'he's going to be an exceptional Alpha.'

Robert just smiled slightly but continued to watch his son. Henry had pulled the stethoscope back and was looking to now try again with the young girl. Jaxon slid over a little more, 'you need to sit up,' he whispered.

The little girl looked up at Jaxon, before pushing up off the sofa into a sitting position. She moved slowly and slid across the seat to sit next to him. She mimicked his position, legs crossed and hands on her knees but as Henry moved to listen to her chest she began to cry again.

'You don't need to cry, he just wants to listen to your heartbeat,' Jaxon informed her as she watched Henry with caution.

The little girl shook her head again, glancing around the room nervously.

'How about he does me again, you can watch to see what's gonna happen and then he'll do yours?' Jaxon suggested again.

The girl looked at him, before nodding slightly. So Doctor Henry repeated the process again, he pressed the stethoscope to Jaxon's chest and waited a few moments before moving it around a bit.

So when it came to the girls turn, she followed the doctor's movements but still as he approached she cried. Jaxon reached across, holding onto her small hand as Henry pressed the end against her chest and began to listen.

The girl looked across at Jaxon, her eyes wide and glassy with tears but she held strong as she kept her gaze on Jaxon. He smiled and said things like 'it's okay' and 'he's only listening' in an attempt to make her feel better.

However, Robert could see that it wasn't the words or the looks that were reassuring this young human. It was his son's hand in hers. She held onto him tightly as Henry was listening to her chest and she didn't let go once he'd finished.

They continued this throughout the whole examination. Henry would do whatever it was on Jaxon first, before doing the same test on the young girl.

Even Elle could see that her son was different. He sat quietly, holding onto this small girls hand as she had her checkups and not once did her son look over at her or his father. His priorities had changed, at just 12 years old her sons biggest focus had changed from his parents, friends and school, to this young girl.