"Lofgren? Vin, what are you even saying?" Blue asked, quietly this time, his voice a gentle prodding as Blue wrapped himself around his mate's arm, both in an effort to settle his fiery temper and to keep him close, away from the new wolf. His eyes drifted down to Eivind's leg as the older male stood, favoring his good side, and suddenly it felt as if a mist had lifted from his mind, allowing him to see precisely what was happening. It was the reason Eivind's leg was injured to begin with; he had smelled Lofgren's scent on him, or at the very least the markings of Lofgren's pack, and it had thrust his instinct to protect and avenge Blue into overdrive. He lifted his head, taking a long look at Stellan, his gray eyes narrowed as he searched the wolf's face, but no. He wasn't one of them. He wasn't even one of the few who had seen what was happening to Blue and, while not participating in his torture, did nothing to stop it. Blue had never seen this wolf before in his life. Perhaps he was a member of Lofgren's pack, and that certainly was cause for wariness, but beyond that Blue held no ill will toward the stranger.<br/><br/>"Vin, stop, please," Blue whispered, not wanting to say much more with Stellan still within earshot. He let out an exasperated groan as Sig berated Eivind, though he understood why the little wolf was frustrated. It seemed like no matter what he attempted to do to bring a little normalcy to their lives, Eivind always found some way to ruin it. This point was reiterated when Sig screamed back to him about Daniel and the disastrous evening at the night club. Sig had initially made it seem as though he had simply grown bored of Daniel, but Blue wouldn't have been surprised if the human had decided to distance himself after seeing the company Sig kept. The realization made him feel guilty, and worse, it made him feel slightly ashamed of his mate's behavior. Eivind was a wolf, but even other wolves were constantly pointing out how Eivind's behavior was out of control. A part of him selfishly adored his lover's ferocity but not at the expense of his friend's happiness.<br/><br/>Blue was relieved when Sig volunteered himself and Stellan to step outside, away from Eivind and his desire to tear out Stellan's throat. Once the front door had closed, Blue assisted Eivind to the couch, easing the raging wolf down onto the cushions and looking down at him, a frown on his pretty face. "Vin..." he started, unsure of how to proceed. He bit his lower lip, chewed on it absentmindedly before beginning again. "Vin, I understand why you're upset, but... I've never seen that wolf before. He may be part of Lofgren's pack, but he's not one of the ones who hurt me. He's not even one of the ones who just sat back and ignored what was happening to me. He wasn't there at all. I remember every single one of those bastards' faces. If he were one of them, I'd know. It's... it's possible he doesn't even know anything about me."<br/><br/>Though Blue never thought he'd be defending a member of Lofgren's pack, he didn't want a fight to break out between the two males over something the stranger wasn't even aware of. He leaned down, taking Eivind's face into his hands and pressing a gentle kiss to the wolf's lips. "You can slaughter every single one of those monsters if you want. They deserve it. But this one... he didn't do anything to me. I promise."<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">x - x - x - x - x<br/>​</div>"I've never seen him before in my life," Stellan countered, his heavy boots falling hard on the wooden porch as he and Sig stepped out of Eivind's cabin. The large wolf snorted in mild amusement at Sig's mention of the "big alpha." He brought up a hand and scratched at his beard. "You mean Lofgren. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if your friend had a problem with him. He's a dick. And that's me being generous. Not a lot of wolves like Lofgren very much and with good reason. Lofgren woulda had to piss him off pretty badly for his hatred to extend to all members of his pack, though. I haven't seen Lofgren or the pack in months. I'm actually a little surprised he scented me. Your friend's nose is pretty damn impressive."<br/><br/>Sig reassured him that Eivind was okay. Sometimes. He was obviously upset. Stellan stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Sig's waist and pulling the little wolf close. "Hey now, don't worry about it. From what I've seen, all alphas have a bit of a fuckin' screw loose. And that boy of his is pretty. If I had a mate that looked that good, I might be a bit of a psycho, too." Fingers gently lifted Sig's chin, and the bulky male leaned down, kissing him softly on the lips, testing. Sig had a sharp, almost herby taste to him. Like mint, maybe. Refreshing. He pulled away when he heard the front door open, and the human stepped outside, arms crossed over his narrow chest.<br/><br/>"Sig, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, jerking his head away from the parked truck and Stellan's bike. His eyes briefly traveled over Stellan, mouth twisted into a grimace. "I'm sorry about my mate," he offered, though he didn't approach the new wolf.<br/><br/>Once Sig had stepped aside, Blue heaved a gigantic sigh, feet shifting uncomfortably in the dirt. "Look, I need to tell you something. I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't think it was relevant, but after, well, everything, I feel like you should know. That wolf you brought home? He's part of Lofgren's pack. That's the big alpha that Eivind has the issue with, y'know? Well... a few months ago, before Eivind and I met, I was unknowingly wandering through Lofgren's territory. Long story short, I had run away from my stellar parents, whom you met, and ended up on his land. Lofgren found me. He stalked me, attacked me, and abducted me. Kept me hostage for a little over a month."<br/><br/><i>Deep breaths. Keep breathing.</i>"During... during the time I was held hostage, I was repeatedly raped and tortured. Not just by Lofgren. By most of the male members of the pack. I was... I was gang raped. Passed around like a sex doll for them to use when they were horny, or just bored. Lofgren was the worst, though. He was the one who gave me the holding scar on my shoulder. There was another wolf, Garlan. He is the one who injured my ribs. He attacked me. Almost killed me. Eivind and some of his pack mates heard about what was going on and came to, well, to kill me. To get rid of me, because my existence was considered a threat. Eivind was sent to come find me... and he did. When he saw me, he knew I was his mate instantly.<br/><br/>"That's why, when you first met us, we hadn't had sex yet. Every time Eivind tried, I freaked out, because of what I'd been through. It's why Eivind went after that wolf and got himself stuck in the mountainside. Whomever it was he was chasing, the wolf was a part of Lofgren's pack. This is why Eivind is so.... protective. Because when he found me, I was broken and dying because of what they've done to me. Half of our relationship has just been Eivind trying to keep me alive and safe from the entire world, really."<br/><br/>Another long sigh, but most of the weight had lifted from Blue's chest. "This wolf of yours, he may be part of Lofgren's pack, but I've never seen him before. He's not one of the ones who hurt me, but Eivind assumed he was because of his smell." He tossed a quick glance at Stellan, whispering over his shoulder. "I don't mind him staying if you think he can be trusted. He seems okay, but Eivind's still gonna be on edge. What do you think? Is he all right?"