Page 25 of Emerald

"Natasha," I repeated, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "That's a beautiful name. Can you tell me what happened, Natasha? How did you end up here, at our gates?"

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, her lower lip trembling. “Piotr. He has killed my father, and told me I was to marry him now so he could become head of the family. And he..he..”

My blood ran cold, a sickening understanding dawning. "Natasha. Did he touch you?”

Natasha shook her head. “He tried but my aunt intervened. She stopped him and told me to run.” Natasha looked at Seamus. “Please. Please we have to save my aunt. They’ll kill her.”

Beside me, Seamus growled. I understood the feeling. Fifteen years old. Still a fucking child, and all for a position. A title. Fuck, the aunt must have balls of steel.

"You were right to come here," I told Natasha, gently pushing to my feet and bringing her with me. She swayed on unsteady legs, glancing uncertainly between myself and Seamus.

"The Emerald Queen... she’ll help my aunt wont she?" she asked tremulously, fresh fear flashing in her haunted eyes. "Please, I can’t leave her there.”

"Hush now, lass," Seamus cut in, his voice low and soothing. He took a careful step forward. "We’ll help where we can. And you’re safe here. No one will touch you here. Cara'll rip the balls off any man who tries, and I'll be first in line to help her."

Natasha blinked rapidly, her lips parting in surprise. I couldn't blame her. Seamus was a hard man to read at the best of times, but the gentle, careful way he was addressing her now, it was a side of him I'd never glimpsed before.

A door opened behind us, the click of heels on concrete snapping me out of my reverie. I turned to see Cara striding towards us. She took in the scene with a single sweeping glance, her eyes lingering on Natasha's battered face, on the way she huddled into my side like a frightened child.

"Who hurt this girl?" she asked, her voice steely calm even as her eyes flashed with a familiar, barely-restrained fury. "Finn? Seamus? Someone want to fill me in?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Natasha beat me to it. She pulled away from me and stumbled towards Cara, fresh tears streaking her bruised cheeks.

"Please," she whispered brokenly, sinking to her knees at Cara's feet. "Please, I beg you... help my aunt. I'll do anything, be anything you want. Just please don’t leave her to that man.”

Cara's face softened, her eyes gleaming with a fierce, protective light that I knew all too well. She crouched down, her hands coming up to frame Natasha's face.

"Of course honey," she breathed, her thumb stroking over a livid bruise. "Get a room prepared for her," Cara said briskly, already guiding Natasha towards the compound. "And call the doctor. I want her injuries tended to immediately."

She helped Natasha to her feet, wrapping an arm around the shaking girl's shoulders. Her gaze found mine over Natasha's bowed head. We had been here before, Cara and I. Seen the scars men leave behind who saw softness as weakness and innocence as an invitation.

"We'll need to send a message. They have killed Anatoly, and Natasha was going to be made marry the fucker who did it. Her aunt saved her," I added, falling into step beside them.

"We'll send the message," I said evenly, holding Seamus's gaze until he gave a tight, jerky nod. "Natasha stays with us, for as long as she needs. And we go after the aunt now."

Cara agreed as she looked down at Natasha. "You’re one of us now. We protect our own.”

Natasha looked up at her, hope overtaking the pain and fear in her eyes. "You... you would do that? For me? But you don't even know me..."

Cara smiled, a small, sad thing that made my heart clench. "I don't have to, sweetie. I've been where you are. I've survived what you survived. And I'll be damned if I let anyone else endure that kind of hell, not when I have the power to stop it."

Cara stopped. “Get everyone together. We save the aunt and bring her back here.”

Cara was right. We protected our own. And now we prepare for war.