The last thing Lenora knew before consciousness let go of her was otherworldly hands grabbing her. Then, she knew no more.

It was none other than Drogo, the Supreme Alpha Wolf, who caught Lenora as she fainted. He held onto her to keep her from falling to the floor. With great tenderness, he easily lifted her into his arms, cradling her snugly against his chest.

“Oh, the poor dear,” Phaedra, Drogo’s True Mate and the Benevolent Alpha Wolf said, compassion evident in every word. “She got through to Tyrone but at personal risk to her health. It was right that we came to aid her.”

“How could we not come, my love? Tyrone put the Mark of Protection on her, and she personally asked for my aid. We will do for her all we are meant to do. Tyrone and Aurora must do the rest.”

“Oh, darling, if only we could–”

“I know, beloved, but we can intervene only so far. Only until there is absolutely no choice can we extend our power to the fullest.” He looked down at the woman he cradled in his arms and shook his head sadly. “I know how hard this is, love. Seeing our great-grandson and his Pack in such torment grieves me. Lenora is the true soulmate of Tyrone, so she is a vital part of his Pack. I would like nothing more than to return this beautiful, noble woman to her rightful place myself, but that is not what is meant to happen. We must adhere to the Watcher’s plan.” Drogo studied Lenora with a loving but critical eye. She had been weakened almost past the point of endurance. As Drogo placed a tender kiss on the forehead of his great-grandson’s True Soulmate, he realized how strong Lenora truly was. She was surviving on sheer will and the deepest desire of her heart to reunite with her family. //You are his greatest treasure, dear Lenora, and I see why. You make Ariadne so proud, Phaedra and me as well.// Although Lenora had lost consciousness, he knew she could still sense his message and wanted it to comfort her.

Phaedra sighed heavily, then looked at the pitiful surroundings, her face contorting in disgust. “It is a wonder Lenora has kept her mind after being locked away in such a place as this. She is resilient…and brave,” she said, having picked up on her mate’s thoughts and telepathic message to Lenora.

“That she is, my Phaedra.” Drogo placed another fatherly kiss on Lenora’s brow, then slowly walked over to the pathetic bed to lay her down.

In true motherly fashion, Phaedra fussed over Lenora’s prone form. Bending over her, she brushed away a few strands of hair from Lenora’s still face, kissed her forehead, and held her cool, limp hand in her warm one. “You will get through this, child. We will do what we can to help you. Tyrone and Aurora will find you, and your mate will take you away from this abominable place. Do not lose heart, dear one. All will be well.”

“We must revive her from her faint,” Drogo said, taking Phaedra’s hand, then Lenora’s free one with his other hand. “Are you ready, my love?”

“I am, my moon and stars,” Phaedra whispered, using her very special term of endearment for her husband during times of great affection. Her heart glowed like warm sunshine at the sense of overwhelming love for her mate flowing over her. This always happened when she helped him with such tasks as they were doing now.

Phaedra, still holding Lenora’s other hand, completed the connection needed to bring Lenora back to consciousness and strengthen her. With magic that only the Supreme Alpha Pair possessed, they reached out for Lenora and waited for it to interlock with her own magic.

Multicolored lights swirled over their joined hands and flowed up Lenora’s arms and into her chest. The sound of an ethereal choir filled the tiny, dingy cell, swelling in volume and intensity as the swirling light grew brighter. It seemed that time stood still but only five minutes passed before the intensity of the magic began to wane.

As the light and ethereal choir grew fainter and faded, Lenora stirred. A soft groan escaped her, and her eyelids began to flutter. Phaedra and Drogo continued to keep the circle connected, and Phaedra gently squeezed Lenora’s hand. “It’s all right, Lenora. We are here to help,” she whispered into Lenora’s ear.

Lenora’s eyes slowly opened and then blinked. She gazed at them for a moment before uttering a surprised, “Oh!”

“Be at peace, dear one. We came to you at hearing your plea for help. Do not fret,” Drogo said, giving her a tender smile.

“I am both honored that ye heard and came to me but ashamed that ye are seeing me in such a weakened state. I am trying to endure, but it’s so hard. The sorrow sometimes overwhelms me.” Lenora looked from one to the other, mustering a weak smile.

“There is no reason to feel shame, Lenora. You have been greatly wronged and are in a situation that would have driven most people insane by now.” Phaedra gently disengaged her hand from her mate’s and rested it on Lenora’s forehead. “The sorrow is great and real, I know, sweetheart. It will come to an end in due course. It is now known that you are alive, and your mate will stop at nothing to find and rescue you. Hold onto that, and it will help sustain you.”

Lenora heaved a sigh and blinked at the sting of tears. “I want more than anything to try to reach my Tyrone again, but I am afraid of the toll it takes. For something that was just such a part of me, of us, to be so difficult and draining grieves me so. The binding spells that weaken me make me feel so empty. A part of me is missing when I cannot feel him with me.” A tear escaped from each eye and rolled down her temples.

As Phaedra tenderly wiped Lenora’s tears, Drogo squeezed her hand. “This will soon be behind you, dear Lenora. Your strength and stamina have been bolstered by the magic we sent to you, and Neil Hughes’s treatments are steadily helping. You should wait a day or two before attempting to contact Tyrone again, however. If you do that, you will not feel so weakened afterward. Keep the attempts short and share only what you need to. The rest can comer later once you are reunited,” Drogo instructed.

Lenora slowly swung her feet to the floor and stood up. She wanted to stand tall in their presence, not languish flat on her back like some weak pansy ass. “How can I ever repay ye for your kindness? I am humbled that ye came to my aid. I will never forget what ye have done for me.”

The Alpha pair smiled warmly, and Drogo took Lenora’s hand, turning it over to reveal the mark Tyrone had put on her palm. “Not only do you wear this mark which allows you to easily invoke my protection and care, but you have proven yourself worthy of our attention due to your goodness, kind heart, and compassion you show others. You love our great grandson unconditionally and without question, and that gets high marks in our book. It is your right to call upon us at any time, and we will do what we can to aid you.”

Lenora felt warmed and totally flummoxed by such high praise from such powerful entities. “Ye have given me more than I deserve, Great Sir. I am forever blessed to have gained such favor. Is there anything I can do while I am stuck in here to please ye?”

Drogo and Phaedra shared a look, each reading the other’s mind and thinking the same thing. “Just make the most of your time. It will be hard, I know, but if you can find it in your heart to continue to try to help the man with the thunderstruck mind, that would serve a good purpose. Plus, please keep reminding Valerie that she is loved and needed. Perhaps your kindness and caring can help to heal them both,” Phaedra said.

“Och! Poor, sick Allen. I wanted no part of it when Clayton demanded I pretend to care about his brother. Ah, but the thing is, I do care about what happens to him, poor man. If I can get him to trust me, really trust me, perhaps I can get him back on his meds. Valerie found the list of his medications and got it to Neil so he could try to precure them. I will do what I can for him, but I am no expert in this field, and he has me on such a high pedestal thinking I can permanently make his voices retreat. I fear I may do more damage than good.”

Phaedra patted Lenora’s shoulder sympathetically. “Any help you an offer is better than nothing. Nobody in his life has ever shown him decency or compassion.”

“Och, the poor man. My heart truly breaks for him.” She sighed heavily. “I will do my best with Valerie, too. If only she would come clean to Tyrone or someone else in the family. She has been carrying around so much pain.”

“Valerie has a lot of soul-searching and confessions to make before she can come to terms with her actions and feelings. It is only right that she is trying to help remedy this situation. The choices she makes, one way or the other, will have a big impact on the family,” Drogo replied.

“I pray she makes the right ones.” Again, Lenora looked from one Wolf to the other. “May I ask a favor? Ye have done so much for me already, but I feel I must ask.”

“Of course, my dear. Do not be afraid to ask,” Drogo said.

The Alpha Pair had been so kind and gentle to her, so personable and caring. However, if she was going to ask them to grant her a favor, especially the large one that was no on her mind, it was best to do it in the formal, respectful way that Tyrone had taught her. She took a deep breath to gather herself, her eyes widening slightly in surprise when both Drogo and Phaedra kept their hold on her to steady her. She bowed to the Pair, touched the hand that bore Drogo’s mark to her forehead, then to her heart. Next, she lovingly caressed her wedding ring, blessing the deities that she had the presence of mind to spell it so nobody could remove it from her finger against her will. At least she had that piece of her beloved Tyrone with her. Lowering her head and folding her hands, she began. “It is with great humbleness and need that I beseech your blessing and care. I, Lenora Margaret Catherine Landgraab, ask for your favor in my need. I am beholden to ye already for showing me such love and understanding. I ask this favor from the depths of my being.” She lifted her head to finally look at the Pair, who were still holding onto her around her waist, one on either side of her. “This unworthy woman asks that you remind Tyrone and my wee ones of my love. Reinforce to them that I am alive and want to return to them with all my heart. Help ease their hearts of the pain they are feeling. To know they are grieving for me is a dagger to my soul. Also, please remind the extended family of how much I love them. My Grandda…och, he must be beside himself. Remind him of the special love I hold deeply for him.” Lenora’s voice caught, remembering, while trapped in her body, how grief-stricken and heartbroken her Grandda and Mathilda had been. Swallowing hard, she continued. “Och, and Carson! Poor lamb. He needs a special dose of TLC.”

When she was done, she bowed again, noticing that the Pair had switched their protective hold to her arms. Tears came to her eyes, and a sob racked her slender frame. Even though she was formally asking for their help and showing them the deep respect they deserved, they still showed their concern for her, steadying her the entire time she sought their favor.

“Oh, Lenora, come here.” Phaedra’s voice was soft and gentle. She pulled Lenora into her arms, holding her tight. As Phaedra held her and rubbed her back, Drogo laid his large hand on her heaving shoulder and curled his other arm around his mate.

“We give you our word and our promise that we are watching over Tyrone and the Pack. He has told the children of your contact, and they do know that you are alive, yet missing. Aurora has already had visions of your return. They know you love them. Tyrone reminds the children of that every day. Knowing you are alive is helping them regain strength instead of mourning your death that never was. Your grandfather will be all right. He and Mathilda share so much love for one another, and that helps bolster them. Carson…” Drogo trailed off and looked at his mate.

Phaedra smiled softly and continued where her mate left off. “Carson will be all right, too. That young man is destined for something quite special, and he will thrive. Not to mention, he will be absolutely thrilled when you return. Your children will lavish such love upon you that your heart will be full to overflowing. The bond you share with your mate will be even stronger, and you will soon feel his presence within you once again. Take courage and keep that faith, Lenora.”

When Lenora felt composed, she spoke softly and cast her eyes downward to look at her shoes. “I am sorry for losing it like that.” Color flooded her cheeks. “What must ye think of me?”

“No apologies needed, dear one,” Drogo said and patted her shoulder. “Just know that we, along with Ariadne, are watching over you. We must leave you now, but know that we are only a breath away should you need us again.”

Lenora watched as they disappeared in a shimmer of golden light, She looked at the spot where they once stood, mouth slightly agape, feeling like the experience had been a dream but knowing it was real. Lenora stayed like that for a few moments before shaking her head in bewilderment. True to their word, she started to feel stronger than she had in a very long time. Warmth flowed through her, which she relished after having been chilled for so long. Her color improved dramatically, and she felt the return of some of her magic. “I will get through this and be a much stronger person for it. I will not let this break me,” she whispered into the silence. Closing her eyes, she placed the hand carrying Drogo’s mark over her heart, Tyrone’s beloved face swimming into her mind’s eye. //I love ye, Wolfman. I am all right, more so than I have been in a long while. Try not to worry. Just know how much I love ye, sweetheart.//

Lenora gasped, staggered to the chair, and fell into it when she felt wave after wave of Tyrone’s love cascade over her. I’m feeling his heart. Och, I’m feeling his heart once again. Lenora didn’t know how long the sensation would last before the binding spells inhibited it again. She just hoped they were weakening and that the unconditional and abiding love she shared with her Tyrone would somehow permanently destroy them eventually.

Author’s Note: Poses used in this chapter are the I’m Dizzy pose pack by Bee. Thank you, Bee, for sharing your talents so freely with us. 🙂