"Gosh, I don't know what I'd do in a hostage situation." I murmured as we listened to the latest update on a dramatic hostage situation at a bank on the radio.

"Obviously you'd sit tight and wait for me and D to rescue you." Ethan puffed out his chest with a grin, eyes still on the road.

I snorted, "I meant if I had taken hostages. I don't think killing one an hour is going to put any urgency behind what I need. Surely every ten minutes would be more effective?"

He glanced sideways at me, "Has anyone ever told you what a weirdo you are?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"You and my brother, frequently!" I laughed, "Eyes on the road!"

"Ooooo you scared Synny" He chuckled wiggling the steering wheel so we swerved.

"Not funny douchebag," my eyes widened as he over corrrected the latest turn and the car plowed off the side of the road.

It stopped, hard, into the barrier but nothing else inside it did. The ikea flat packs were balanced just at the right angle to slam into the back of my headrest at sixty miles an hour. It wasn't in slow motion like it was in the movies. It happened brutally fast and my head slammed into the dash with a sickening crunch. We were still moving and I was distantly aware of the rolling motion as we tumbled down the hillside. Finally we stopped with a metallic groan. I tried to turn my head to see Ethan but white hot pain burst through me and everything went black.

I wasn't sure how long it had been when I began to come to again.

Every part of my body hurt, protesting at even the movement of my eyelids fluttering open.

Something thick and sticky coated my lashes and I was dimly aware that was probably my blood.

Again I tried to turn my head, gritting my teeth against the expected pain. It didn't help, the pain in my head and neck too intense.

I couldn't think about that. "Ethan?" I tried to call out to him but my voice was barely a croak.

"Ethan?" I tried again.

I heard a moan and my heart soared with relief, he was alive. My entire focus on him I realised that I couldn't feel the pain burning through me only moments before.

As soon as I thought of it, my focus sprang back and the pain return. I whimpered, closing my eyes against it.

I focused on pulling my attention up through my body and retreating into the corner of my mind.

The pain couldn't get me there. In the momentary reprieve I nearly missed the movement beside me. Turning my head slowly using the mangled headrest as support, I came face to face with Ethan. He looked as bad as I felt. Streaks of blood smeared his face and a large piece of metal that looked like it was once part of the door stuck out of his abdomen. He groaned again and my fingers reached for him desperately. "Ethan?"

His eyes fluttered open and I nearly screamed. His beautiful chocolate eyes were swirling orange and gold. I had never seen anything like it.

Was this a sign of a traumatic brain injury or something?

"Phone?" He croaked.

Yes, phone. My fingers fumbled on my lap, slipping in the pool of blood I hadn't realised was there. I grasped the phone and raised it shakily.

My fingers trembling with the effort as I tried to type in 999.

"No." Ethan growled, snatching it from me.

My hand dropped and I could only blink as I gazed at him. His eyes were flashing back and forth between chocolate and gold in a mesmerising way as he dialed.

"It's Ethan." He said quickly as they picked up on the other end, "We've been an accident. Syn's with me, I'm in Glynn territory." He flinched as he moved and his face screwed up in pain. "It's bad."

There was a long pause before he gave a grim smile, "I can hang on."

It was only after he had hung up that he finally made eye contact with me. He didn't speak, just watched me.

"Ethan?" I asked in a small voice, "Is help coming?"

His eyes softened, settling back to their familiar colour again, "Yeah, they're coming."

"Who?" I asked, trying to keep him talking.

"Help. Someone who owes me a favour."

I tried to feel reassured by the knowledge but my body was desperately trying to get my attention. My hands inched down me, feeling for injuries. Both my legs were trapped between the chair and the dashboard, oozing blood but it was slowing now.

I felt a wave of dizziness that reminded me it was probably slowly because there wasn't an awful lot of it left. "Ethan, I'm scared." I whispered.

"Breathe. It won't be much longer, I think I can hear them now." He soothed.

My ears strained for a sound but only the sound of trees rustling followed.

I closed my eyes, we were going to die here.

"Hey!" Ethan snapped, his sharp voice dragging me back to the car as I drifted off in my mind.

"Hold on ok Syndal?" His voice softened as our eyes connected.

I tried to open my mouth to respond but my sluggish body didn't want to follow the basic command. Darkness tugged at the corners of my vision.

Then I heard it. Footsteps. Voices.

"Over here." Ethan called.

The footsteps moved closer and a small round face appeared at the window. Or at least the place where a window would have been if the door was still attached.

"Oh Ethan." The girl giggled, "What have you done? Such a human thing a car crash."

Her finger trailed down his arm and he grimaced before turning his head away from me so he faced her.

"You here to help or mock me Mel?" He sighed.

She mirrored his dramatic sigh, "If I must."

Then with strength that belied her slender body she lifted him from the car, passing him to a stony faced man who lurked in the shadows behind them.

"And Syndal." Ethan called out.

Mel gave another girlish giggle, "Oh she wasn't part of the deal my sweet. Besides, she's just a human and she has nearly gone anyway."

Her critical eye dismissed me quickly and I had to agree with her, despite her odd choice of wording, I knew I was fading fast. My hold on consciousness slipping and the darkness beckoning me becoming ever more appealing.

I wasnt afraid of death but I did wonder how Dylan would deal with the news. It had been us against the world for so long now but he was strong, I had to believe he would be okay.

"You have to help her. I know you can." Ethan shouted, struggling in the man's arms.

"I don't have to do anything. I am here as a favour to the pack, nothing more." Mel's voice had taken on a hard edge.

"She's as good as pack." He protested, desperation colouring his usually calm voice.

"You are boring me now. Sleep." At her snapped command Ethan went limp.

I was too weak to respond or call out, yet I was able to recognise the oddness of the statements. She walked out of view without a backwards glance. Her disinterest in me so complete I didn't even warrant a goodbye or word of comfort in my final moments.

I blinked in the silence that followed. So this was it?

I closed my eyes and let out a rattling breath. All I hoped now was that it would be swift. I hurt more than I ever had in my life and I just wanted it to be over.

"Why did the wolf care so much for you little mouse?" A male voice startled me back to reality and I struggled to open my eyes. A tall man peered at me through the gap Ethan had left through. Curious hazel eyes set in a handsome square face caught my attention but even his GQ good looks couldn't hold my consciousness long. My eyes drifted shut again.

"Just leave her. It's not pride business." A hushed second voice offered.

This time my eyes refused the command to open but I heard the low moan of pain escape me. Why wouldn't it just end?

“He said she mattered to the pack. Having them in our debt would be no bad thing.” The first man said thoughtfully.

Pack? What on earth was he on about?

I coughed painfully and felt the spray of blood rather than saw it. “Looks like it’s too late anyway.” The second voice sounded almost sorry.

“You don’t know until you try.” The first voice chuckled and then I felt a pressure on my wrist, my skin splitting under teeth?

I tried to pull back, tried to scream but hands clasped my arm tightly as the pressure built. Then the hands and pressure were gone and everything felt still for a moment.

Then it came. Intense sharp pain, like a thousand needles piercing my insides. I thought I was unable to scream but I was wrong. The sound rang in my ears and my body spasmed against the pain. There was no relief even when I finally snapped my eyes open. Two men watched me patiently, waiting for something.

I forced myself to stop screaming and looked at my arm. Sure enough, I had been bitten, the area around it already turning purple and black. The skin rippling with my spasms.

I couldn’t take this. I wanted to beg the strangers to make it stop, to kill me if they had to but I had a feeling that even if I could get the words out, they were unlikely to oblige. Instead I retreated from the pain as I had before, moving into that back corner of my mind where nothing could reach me.

Eventually my body stilled, my eyes closed and oblivion claimed me.