Kara

Her eyes flew open at the voice and she felt the mind stirring within hers. Carefully she separated them with her mental barriers and crawled out of bed. Her body began shivering as she left the warmth and crossed the room. Her boots waited by the door into the hall and she glanced back at the bedroom.

Kara!

Her eyes narrowed as she felt him stirring more from his deep sleep and she slid out of his chambers. Holding her breath, she saw Zeke heading her way and she slid into her boots. Her hands laced them up just as Zeke reached her and she carefully met his gaze.

"You can't meet with him."

"If he comes here I won't be able to stop Joseph."

Zeke raked a hand through his black hair and growled "This is dangerous. If Joseph catches anything from speaking with him you know he'll kill him."

"I know but I imagine Damon just found out about their parents' involvement."

She walked down the stairs and heard him growl. Her barriers were pressed against as Joseph became more alert and she bit down on her own strength. Taking a calming breath, she met the approaching black wolf in the clearing. Sweeping their coverage, she noted all the sentinels on watch and leveled her gaze with Damon.

"What do you want?"

He step shifted out of his wolf form and stood a few feet away. She let him loom over her and appear intimidating for himself.

"Why have you been taking blood from my parents?"

"They volunteered."

He didn't hold back the low growl and her eyes narrowed. She felt the power building and threatening to overtake her barriers. Carefully she put some space between them and tried glancing away from him to keep his image out of her mind.

"My father has kept us protected my whole life. Why would he risk our safety to give you blood?"

"For your brother."

Damon's growl deepened as he let the wolf take over and he snapped his jaws in frustration.

"They offered. You need to go."

I want to see him for my own eyes

"He's detained."

Show me Kara!

Her vision blurred for a few seconds and she felt the brokenness overwhelm her again. She shook her head, trying to keep control and kept her focus off Damon.

"You need to leave Damon."

His snarl was louder than normal and she closed her eyes as the volume adjusted itself. The pain was blinding as her vision enhanced with two minds merging and she felt him trying to make her look at the threat.

"Damon, I cannot protect you. Go."

Take me to Joseph!

She closed her eyes again and felt her head turn to focus on Damon. It felt like he was shielding her behind him and she couldn't stop him from staring at his brother through her. Damon held her gaze and watched as it shifted to black.

He released his wolf form and reached for her shoulder. She caught his wrist and he felt her grip threatening to crush the bone.

"Kara, let go!"

Joseph ripped away from her and she released Damon as she dropped to her knees. When only her soul remained she felt empty and took a deep breath.

"Run."

"Kara, what is going on?"

Her head snapped up and she growled "I said go."

Damon stepped back a few feet and felt the large wave of power heading for them. She turned to face it and remained in front of him as the black wolf moved slowly into the clearing. He was looking past her at Damon and she tried reaching for him.

Joseph

His black gaze left his brother and focused on her. She could feel the pain rippling through him and tried to soothe him.

"Who is that Kara?"

"My mate."

Damon stepped closer to her and Joseph released a warning growl. The sound echoed in the clearing and Damon came to a stop. Two black wolves ran into the clearing from the ruins and she watched them stare at the man behind her.

"Who are they?"

"His back up."

Damon took in the stares and watched as the back two wolves slowly shifted. He blinked as he held their gaze and felt like he was staring at older versions of himself. Zeke carefully reached for Joseph's left shoulder and watched the head snap his direction.

"He means her no threat."

Joseph looked back at Damon and lowered himself onto the ground. Kara approached him and knelt next to him.

"Damon is your brother."

He leveled her with his black gaze and she let him see the day she was led to his parents and the altercations with Damon. His growl echoed until her hand settled on his head and slid along his spine. Her touch helped take the edge off the pain enough to keep his mind coherent and she sat down against his side.

"I've been getting aid from your parents to help you heal and Damon is taking it personally."

He stared back at the young man and lowered his head onto her knee. She could feel his stength quickly vanishing again and looked up at Zeke.

"We need to get him back into bed. His strength is almost gone."

Zeke glanced over at Damon and waved Ace to join him. They knelt around Joseph slowly and she slid her hand along his head.

Let's get you back to bed

I don't trust him

Neither do I but you need to be in bed

Kara looked up at the two brothers and nodded once. When their touch could be felt he released his form and allowed them to help him onto his feet. Kara rose to her feet as they headed home and looked back at Damon. His gaze was transfixed on the three men walking away from him and she cleared her throat.

"Next time I tell you to leave I mean it."

"He was going to kill me."

"Only if I had said so."

Damon studied her for a minute and shifted back into his wolf form. Kara watched him walk away in silence and let out a sigh. Her body was sore from her mental battle with Joseph and craved a long soaking in the hot springs. She turned towards home and stopped. Glancing over her shoulder one more time, she saw Naomi and Maximus sitting at the edge of the clearing.

Damon was lingering behind them and Naomi approached her. Kara knelt in front of the shewolf and let her sniff her hand.

Joseph's pain was blinding

"He will heal in time."

Our blood isn't going to help him anymore than it has in sustaining him

Kara let out a sigh and felt the presence barely settling into the back of her mind. She wanted to shield him from the conversation with Naomi but knew hiding him from them would only make it harder on him.

"Naomi, I'm not alone."

The shewolf leveled her with hazel eyes similar to hers and nodded. Maximus moved up to her side and looked up at Kara.

"It will take you to bring him back from death's door."

"I can't take that risk."

Maximus nudged Naomi to head back and said "It will work."

Kara watched the wolves disappear once more and felt the silence release all the tension surrounding her. The sentinels were distant once more and she could feel Joseph slipping to sleep. His guards were barely registering and she took a deep breath. She was going to need to hunt later with Mikhail and possibly her mate. Since his arrival home he hadn't taken any food but she hasn't felt up to forcing him.

Today was the first day he was out of bed and it had drained him too quickly. Closing her eyes, she rose to her feet once more and walked back home. Her hunt would wait until after she checked on their son and took a quick dip to loosen her muscles.