Anything for you.

Her

Three. 

“Margo? It’s Cassie, I need help.” 

God all mighty, where was she? 

“Cassie? Where are you?” I asked in a clearly worried tone. 

“I can see a club. There’s people everywhere. These guys were following me... and they tried to, to grab m- me.” 

She was sobbing down the line. Damn it, I knew she didn’t have anywhere to go. Luckily, I was already in town with friends, in a club, though it was hard to hear her on the line due to the music blasting. 

“Cassie! Can you see any names? Anywhere to tell me where you are?” 

“I see a su-“ The line cut off. God damn it! I grabbed my purse and ran to the exit. She could be anywhere in the city, there’s clubs all around. I tried to think of where she might be. From the cafe there was only three ways she could have gone. Left headed back towards the orphanage, right headed towards the park and straight headed towards the river. I tracked back down the streets, running in my heals wasn’t the easiest of things. And the stupidly short dress I simply wore to piss off my ex, wasn’t much help either.  

“Margo? Where are you going?” I heard Steven shouting down from the club entrance. Damn I’d forgot about them going to notice I’d left. 

“I need to help a friend!” I prayed he wasn’t following. He was part of our pack and know of Cassandra, due to my brother having pretty much the whole pack on watch for her. God Steven just stay at the club please. With the clicking of my heals I didn’t even hear him catching up to me. 

“Who? What’s happened.” 

For f**k sake...

“Steven if I tell you, you’re bound to tell. So, I’m sorry but I need you to go back to the club.” With my brother being the Alpha, Steven would go running straight to him about this, which I couldn’t have happening. 

“Margo, I want to help! Who’s your friend? Are they hurt?” 

God I hope not...

“Steve, please. My brother will kill me if-“

“Margo!” His eyes were wide with shock. He knew. He knew exactly who my friend was. “You didn’t...”

“She needed help! She needs help! I have to find her!” 

I shot off once again, in search for my brothers mate. From what I could see, she wasn’t down the main strip of clubs, which meant there was only one other place. I turned the corner only to collide straight into another body. Thank god Steven didn’t leave and caught me before I fell otherwise I would have took a hefty hit against the concrete. When I reopen my eyes I’m pulled into a surprised attack hug by the one and only Cassandra! 

“Jesus Cassie! What the hell happened?!” I almost yelled. Her face was soaked with fresh tears, and I could hear a group yelling not far down the street she’d came from. 

“Hey, come back! Have some fun with us!” I heard. My inner wolf was growling furiously at the mere thought of such disgusting beasts trying to harm an innocent girl walking alone. What a rotten city this place could be. 

“Come here and say that again you piece of s**t!” I shouted back murderously, but heard no reply. Dickheads. Cassandra looked petrified, shaking in terror. God she may have been older than me but she was so much smaller. Even without my heals on I still stood a good 3 inches taller than her. Though she was beautiful, as my brother had spoke so frequently about. Her platinum blonde hair, her almost freakishly green eyes. A hint of freckles over her nose. She was cute. I do approve so far. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I didn’t know where else to go!” She cried out, pulling me into another deep embrace. As outgoing as I was, physically touching wasn’t quite a favourite of mine, though due to the situation at hand I allowed it, giving her comfort. 

“Come on. You’re coming with me.” I took her hand and pulled her back up the street. Just from the mere touch I could tell she was freezing. It was cold, but my inner wolf always kept my comfortably warm in the cooler weather. I wonder why she was so cold? Why was her wolf not heating her up? 

“Where are we going?” 

“Well, Steven will have to run back into the club and grab my bag-“ I gave a nod to Steve and off he went, “And then we’re going back to my place. You can spend the night with me before figuring out your next move. Is that okay?” 

Cassandra seemed stunned. Her eyes were wide and mouth in a tiny o shape. Within seconds though, I saw more tears form, and I was back into her arms once more. 

“Oh, Margo, thank you so much! I promise I’ll be out of your hair by morning! I just didn’t know where to go. It got dark so quick and I don’t know the city and-“

I raised a hand to silence her, which worked in an instant. If she was to be my brothers mate, and potentially the next Luna of our clan, I was always going to be there to help her whenever she needed it.   

“Cassie, it’s the least I can do for you. You need a helping hand, and I’m hear to give it. Just... you just can’t be seen. You’ll have to stay quiet in my room incase anyone knows you’re there, okay? My brother will kill me if he knows I’ve got someone over again.” 

She looked at me funny, an eyebrow raised in confusion. No, not confusion, more like worry. What was she so wor- oh god. 

“Nooo! No, not that way! Well I mean, yeah I swing both ways but no! I’m just helping you, I’m not trying to get you in my bed or anything!” I couldn’t help but laugh. Now that I thought about it, my words could have been said better. With that, she seemed to relax a bit as we walked back towards the club I’d came from. We met Steven outside and he gave me my belongings back. Thankfully everything was still there, or every single person in that club would have been personally searched by myself. 

I called for my driver to come collect us and in just a few moments we were in the warmth of my Rover. Cassandra huddled up, wrapping her coat tight around her. I couldn’t help but notice the scar again, wondering how she’d got it. It looked like a burn, but I couldn’t be sure. 

The car stopped and I quickly noticed we’d arrive back at my home. I could see some lights were still on, the front living room and Harrison’s bedroom, but Graham’s bedroom light was turned off. That didn’t mean he was asleep though. He sometimes stayed up on his laptop working, or he could have been the one in the living room. Damn this was going to be a lot harder than I thought. 

We climbed out of the car and Conrad, my driver, parked the car in the garage for me, telling me he’d leave the keys in their usual space. Now was the tricky part - getting Cassandra in without anyone seeing or hearing. And even worse, smelling. My brother will already know her scent, so keeping him well away from my room was going to be difficult. 

I opened the front door, had a quick glance around but for ushering Cassandra through too. She got the hint to stay quiet as a mouse. We’d took our shoes off before entering. The staircase was directly in front of us, but both open rooms were either side, and anyone in them would be able to see her as soon as I closed the door. I gave her a sign to say ‘stay there’ before peaking round the archway to see who was in our living room. 

Just Charlotte, our housekeeper, tidying away the mess I’m assuming my younger brother left for her. So inconsiderate. With another sign I signalled for Cassie to follow me up the stairs, quickly and silently before we were on the landing. I had to pass Gray’s room to get to mine, and though his light was off, I couldn’t hear his usually snoring. 

“Run, that door on the end is mine. Make sure you keep the light off til I get there!” And with that, Cassandra tiptoed past 3 doors before getting to mine as I slowly followed a few seconds later. 

“Margo?” Oh no. Graham. He’s awake. I shewed her into my room making sure the door was closed again before quickly turning to see my brother opening his door. 

“Hm, out again... But back so early?” 

“Yeah, pretty s**t tonight. No action, all bores.” I shrugged, not that I would know. I was on my fourth drink went Cassandra rang, good job it takes a while for me to get drunk! 

“At least tell me you brought your car home this time?” 

“Yes Gray. It’s in the garage, Conrad brought me home.” I touched his shoulder in a ‘don’t worry’ sense. “Now I’m going to get changed for bed.” 

I turned hoping like hell he’d just close his door and go to sleep, but no, not Graham. 

“Where’d you go earlier?”   Please, gods and goddesses don’t let him know I saw Cassandra. 

“Shopping. Where’d you think this number came from?”  I twirled in the short black lace dress I knew he definitely did not approve of. It was basically lingerie. But it was sexy, and tonight I needed that. Honestly I was hoping to get completely out of it and go back to someone else’s place, but I knew Cassandra would call, so I didn’t get my hopes up. Though I definitely needed to blow off some steam soon. 

“Do you want my opinion on that dress?” 

“No, I don’t need anyone’s opinions but my own thank you, and I love it.” I knew I had him there. He loved it when I didn’t care about other people’s opinions of me. I was myself and nothing else. I loved what I loved and nothing could change that, not opinions, bullying, even Graham’s input. Though sometimes I did listen to my big brother, most I took no notice, but he wasn’t offended. He knew me, he knew my personality, he knew who I was. 

“You know I’m your biggest fan.” With a quick fist bump, we headed back to our rooms. Thank god! I fully expected him to have smelt her by now!

                           ***********************

All night I tossed and turned. I felt like I couldn’t get comfortable, like I couldn’t settle. Something was off. The rain was bouncing off of the windows furiously, another thing knocking my slumber away. I traced back in my brain anything that could be irritating me without even knowing. The meeting this morning maybe? We had a few pack members caught fighting, but they’re young boys, the Blue Moon Alpha understood, telling his boys off just as I had mine. It was just a typical young wolf trait, nothing to worry about. Maybe it was knowing Cassandra was out there? Alone, probably afraid. God I shouldn’t have started thinking. I got out of bed, clearly my body wasn’t going to submit to sleep any time soon. I sat at my desk, debating doing some work on my laptop, but decided against it. The bright light would definitely not help. Maybe a quick snack would settle me. I was slightly hungry. Thinking about it, I remembered I’d skipped dinner due to the video call meeting I had with Mark, my Beta. 

I heard an oh so recognisable quiet laugh come from Margo’s room. God damn it, I’d told her not to bring her one night stands back to our house! Should I go kick them out? She’d really hate me if I walked in on anything more than PG. She’d probably hate me for just going into her room at night anyway. I supposed I’d just have to catch her sneaking them out in the morning, like I usually do. 

Walking into the kitchen, Charlotte, our house keeper was stood placing dishes in the dishwasher. Looking at the clock on the wall it read 2:25am, what was she still doing up? 

“Can’t sleep?” I asked her, making her jump with surprise, she mustn’t have heard me enter. 

“Oh! Mr Anderson, my apologies I didn’t hear you. I’ll give you some space.” She went to leave immediately before I held up my hand, stopping her in her tracks. I wish people wouldn’t be so afraid of me. 

“No, no. Honestly Charlotte, I’m just grabbing something to eat, continue what you were doing.” 

Cautiously, Charlotte went back to the dishwasher. She wasn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last to act so timid and apprehensive around me. My fathers reputation had definitely tainted my own, though I thought I was nothing like him personally. As an Alpha, my father was cruel, always looking down on the help and treating our warriors like his personal army to fight anyone for any reason. I was nothing like that. I grew up with the said ‘help’, they were like family to me. The pack was my family, and I treated them as such, but for some reason, they always expected the worst of me. It was like they only saw my father when they looked at me. 

I was yanked from my thoughts suddenly. What was that smell? Sweet, like honey, with a hint of something else. Lavender maybe? God it was delicious! I followed the scent, leading me back up the stairs I’d not long came down from. Looking left and right, sniffing out the glorious aroma, I headed down the hallway. It was getting stronger and stronger with each step I took. 

The bathroom door opened and it hit me like a bullet. 

Her. 

Mate.

My Cassandra.