Four Months Later

I sat in the summer sun on the porch, a book in my lap as I read the words carefully. It was an adventure romance novel. The heroine, Avaline, was cast aside from her lord lover, Antoine, and as a result she became bitter and ran away. Only to be captured by pirates who she then defeated and stole their ship. It was exciting and I was having a hard time fighting the urge to flip to the back to see if she got together with the pirate captain in the end. He was a true. True he was a terrible asshole in the beginning but Avaline kicked his ass seven ways to Sunday and stole his ship in return to his dickish behaviour.

I chuckled lightly at the remembrance of how she threw him beaten and bruised onto a deserted island with his first mate as she waved at him with the hat she stolen from his head during their sword fight.

Any man worth his salt knows better than to treat a lady as such, you cad. Now you are left without a ship and the lady for your boorish behaviour. If you ever get off of this island, Ryder. Be sure to get some lessons from a true gentleman and you might get the ship back.

What about the she-devil who stole it?

That, my dear Ryder, is one lady no man can have.

I smiled and shook my head, turning back to the book. Currently, Antoine was trying to win her back after seeing her at a ball, not knowing that she and Ryder were going to rob the party goers at the stroke of midnight. Her life was filled with adventure and romance and I almost envied her. Almost because Ryder was no Bennett. The thought of him filled my chest with happiness and love. Four months we had been together and despite some set-backs and blow ups I was beyond happy with him by my side.

It had taken a month before my emotions had settled enough for me to feel remotely normal and I had been thankful for it. I wasn't sure if I could handle more bipolar moments like I had been experiencing during the first month of our bonding. I was quick to anger, quick to cry, I became oppressively happy at the drop of a hat and the only time I felt remotely stable was when Bennett wrapped me in his arms and rubbed my back. The world faded away and it made me realize that the claiming didn't affect him as it did me. I knew it would have bred a bit of resentment but the guilt he had over it was enough to make me push it away.

I wasn't sure how long he would hold onto his guilt for but even now could see a flash of it in his brilliantly blue eyes and it always made me wince. He didn't need to be guilty, not about the claiming. I had forgiven Luka, my wolf too. After we had gotten control over our emotions we realized everyone had just tried to help and that the situation was just a consequence to that.

I frowned and tucked my bookmark into the book, knowing I was too distracted to continue reading. Bennett was running patrols and Alpha Linton was coming for a visit. It had been nearly half a year since I had last seen him and the visit had me more than excited. Bennett, on the other hand, not so much. I knew he was jealous of me being around other unmated males he didn't know but I also knew how hard he tried to push his possessive nature away so I could be with my friends. So when he got tired and snappy with them or became a touch possessive with me, I let him. I would lean towards him, touch him, let him and his wolf know that despite everything surrounding me, that I was his and he was mine. We had made a vow that we would take on this life together and I would remind him of that ever single chance I got. I was invested in us just as much as he was, if not even more so.

I set the book in my lap and looked towards the trees, enjoying the small breeze that blew across the sweat on the back of my neck. The days were almost oppressively warm and I found myself spending more and more time outside. My pale skin had acquired a slight tan from the constant exposure to the sunlight and my hair had lightened, the rays bleaching it just a fraction. Bennett was very fond of pressing his face into my hair and inhaling before telling me the strands smell of honey and sunshine. I let out a content sigh and relaxed further into the rocking chair Bennett had placed on the porch for me. I didn't ask him why he had done so but I appreciated the gesture. It had quickly become my favourite place to relax.

"Davin says Alpha Linton just pulled onto the road." Bailey's voice was sweet and soft. I tapped my lap with a smile and she giggled before climbing into the chair with me, throwing her legs over mine. I leaned my head against her shoulder, the smile still firmly on my face. Bailey had progressed quicker than anyone had thought she would and I knew it had to do with Davin. Even I had progressed much quicker with Bennett around, much slower than Bailey but it was a start. It seemed having a mate made the process much more streamline.

Amber had started writing a medical thesis for the shifter medical community about mental and emotional trauma and how to most effectively treat it. Shifters, much like the mundanes, didn't really have the facilities or programs in place to deal with serious mental or emotional trauma and in most cases, didn't have the knowledge to. We healed so easy physically that we almost tended to forget that our mind was a completely different matter and I was pretty sure nearly all of the shifters that ever existed had some sort of mental issue at one point or another.

Despite that, Amber still needed more people to test her theories on. She needed control groups and variables to figure out a good baseline. She was currently using my first two years as a control baseline because after bonding with Bennett my progress increased, slowly but it was still an increase. However she wasn't sure if the mate bond was helping or if it was just based on a person by person basis.

"You know you are my best friend right?" Bailey said it softly and I hummed in acknowledgement. "I'm serious, Mari." She was glaring at me and I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at my mouth.

"I know, Bailey. You are my best friend too. Now why are you bringing it up?" I opened my eyes to look at her and she gave me a sweet smile before throwing her arm around my shoulder and kissing my cheek.

"No reason. I just wanted to remind you." She giggled as I rolled my eyes. Her hand slipped down and snatched the book from my lap. "Ooooh. She-Devil, is it as hot as the cover suggests?" She looked at me innocently and I snatched the book from her before lightly tapping her on the head with it.

"It's just as hot as the cover makes it out to be. Ryder and Avaline are a serious power couple, I'll have you know." I lifted my chin, her attempts to embarrass me failing miserably. There was nothing wrong with reading romance novels. Bailey tilted her head giving me a look that was far too innocent.

"I know. I've read it and in the end she gets knocked up and they take down the Southern Trading Company before heading to stop slavery in Africa." At her words my mouth dropped open in shock. She spoiled the ending.

"Bailey! You-you've ruined it!" I stared at her and she simple laughed loudly before bolting off of the chair. I followed her, ready to beat her over the head with the book she just ruined. Never in a million years would I have thought she would spoil a book ending for me. That was just cruel. I wasn't fast enough and she was already in the house. That was something else we had learned in the four short months she had been at the house. Bailey was incredibly fast. I sat down on the porch stairs, silently fuming as I clutched the book in my hand. I had really enjoyed it too.

I stared at the cover. It had a handsome dark haired man holding a nearly half naked fiery red haired woman on some rocks by the ocean. I stared at it darkly. It was ruined.

"Hey, what did that book ever do to you, Mari?" At the booming voice I snapped my head up, my foul mood forgotten as I took in the red haired man I called Uncle Bruce.

"Uncle Bruce!" I jumped to my feet and laughed as I ran towards him. He picked me up and spun me around. His hazel eyes twinkled as he set me down, holding onto my shoulders gently.

"Six months it much too long. Remind me to come back out sooner next time." He gave me a crooked grin that I returned with a smile of my own, even as he ruffled my hair.

"Its okay, uncle. You are an Alpha, you are allowed to be busy." I reached up and smoothed my hair down and tucked it behind my ears.

"Should never been too busy for friends and family. So where is that snake in the grass, Jace?" He winked at me and I gestured to the tree line. Uncle Bruce's gaze zeroed in on my hand before he grabbed my wrist and looked at my palm with bulging eyes. "Who do I have to castrate?" His roared it out but I simply laughed and shook my head at his dramatically playful words.

"I found my mate. It is only natural that we claim the bond." I watched as he pointed from my hand to my face almost in accusation.

"And where was I during this? Why was I not given a courtesy call to tell me that my favourite girl in the whole world had found her mate and got claimed?" Despite the angry face he had on, his eyes were twinkling and I couldn't help but smile at him. He chuckled and hugged me tightly. "I'm happy for you, Mari. Who is the lucky guy? Does he have a title? Power? Respect? We all know how much you wanted to be Queen of the Shifters." He winked at me and I laughed loudly at his words. Queen of the Shifters indeed.

"He's a pack warrior. Bennett Aldridge." I looked up at the burly man and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion before looking over his shoulder.

"Lace, I want you to find out all there is to know on this... Bennett Aldridge." He said it slowly, his face pinched as if he tasted something sour. I lightly slapped his shoulder before looking around him. A small and rather delicate looking female with empty black eyes was the only person he could have been talking to. She was wearing a black tank top and black cargo pants with combat boots. Her entire form showed a still wariness.

"Don't do that. He's just being crazy and over-protective." I smiled at her, despite how her entire aura wanted to make me shiver. She was powerful, I knew she was just from looking at her but nothing hung off of her. She was as normal as me and Bailey and it didn't sit right with me. She was hiding something and it put me and my wolf on edge.

"Lace isn't much of a talker. I found her about five months ago. Had gotten herself in a tight spot with some bad people so I helped her out." He sounded proud and I blinked before nodding. That would explain some of why she was with him.

"I owe him my life." Her voice was soft and even. I looked at her but her eyes were still empty. I felt mine go wide as she suddenly stared at me. It was as if I were looking into death itself. She stared at me intently before she moved so quickly I jumped in alarm. She stood by my side but slightly behind, as if guarding me.

"Lace, don't do this right now." Bruce groaned as if exasperated.

"I must protect your weakest side. That was a part of our agreement." Her tone was still soft but I could clearly hear the hard steel that ran through it. The softness seemed to be just how her voice sounded, the hardness seemed to be more natural to her attitude.

"But Maricella?" He gestured to me and I looked over my shoulder at the woman who seemed to be a few inches taller than me. My eyes were drawn from her face to the side of her neck where a thick scar slashed down the side of it to her shoulder. I felt my eyes widen as I took it in.

"She is your weakest side." At her voice I yanked my eyes away from the scar only to realize that she was covered in them. There were thick ugly scars on her arms but in between them were swirling patterns of raised skin. A faint glimmer of beauty behind what appeared to be cruelty.

"Really? That little detai-"

"Major detail, Alpha."

"Why are you so irritating, Lace?" He groaned it out and I looked at him, tearing my eyes from Lace's scars. He was pinching his nose in irritation.

"I'm starting the facts, Alpha." The more I listened to her voice the more it made me aware that she was hiding something. It felt like Ezekiel in wolf form after I had seen him in human form. As if her power was muted somehow.

"So?"

"The fact you find the truth irritating is completely irrelevant to the situation at hand." At her words I nearly choked. Uncle Bruce never took disrespect well. He didn't seem angry at her words just irritated. "While you remain here, I shall be by your weakest side. When we leave I shall return to your previously discussed weakest side. This is how the agreement works." I frowned in confusion and he rubbed his temples.

"I should have left you to the wolves. You give me a headache." He gritted the words out and rubbed at his temples once more before pinching the bridge of his nose, exhaling loudly.

"Perhaps but you have created this mess and now we must deal with it as it is." Lace's voice never wavered, never rose, never lowered. It was almost eerie how monotone it seemed to be.

"Maricella, this is Lace. Lace, this is Maricella. Ignore her disrespectful tone. I can't get her to stop because if I tried she would annihilate me." He sounded serious and I stared at him in shock. "I've seen her take down bigger males than me, Mari. She's small but don't underestimate her." I looked between her and Uncle Bruce and she tilted her head.

"I've killed people for less, Alpha. You are safe with me, little wolf." With that she went back to staring forwards. I shivered but nodded. As much as she made me wary I was pretty sure she was telling the truth.

"Sorry about that, Mari. Lace does what she wants." He let out a sigh before wrapping me in a hug once more.

"It's okay. I'm sure she will join in on the endless fun we have." I rolled my eyes at the words and Uncle Bruce laughed.

"Such dry humor. I'm going to find Jace." He kissed my temple before striding off, leaving me with the strange female whose name matched her appearance but not her attitude.

"You hide your power, don't you?" I turned around and looked at her. She narrowed her eyes at me as if studying me. I felt cold under her gaze.

"Yes." The word came out clipped and cold and I swallowed before nodding. I felt a bit better knowing what it was that she was hiding. It relaxed my wolf as well, only a fraction though. We weren't exactly comfortable being around a wolf as powerful as her, even as muted as her power was.

"That's a good strategy." I looked at her and her narrowed gaze went slightly amused. At least that is what I believed it was, her mouth twitched slightly but her eyes remained empty.

"It is." It was strange how soft and melodic her voice was but how hard it was at the same time. Like silk over a knife's edge. Soft but underneath it all was cold, sharp metal.

"How many people fall for it?" I shifted on my feet and she crossed her arms over her chest. My eyes were once again drawn to the strange swirling scars on her arms. They were a stark contrast to the thicker scars. I wondered what she had gone through to get them before I shoved the thought away. It did me no good to wish to learnt eh suffering of other while still trying to deal with my own. I knew I would only compare them and minimize my own.

"All of them. Alpha included." She tilted her head again and I was reminded of the wolves. I took a subtle inhale through my nose. There was a faint scent of wild to her but nothing extreme enough to remove her entire scent.

"Okay. I won't say anything." I watched as her eyes widened slightly. I would have thought surprise but the rest of her face didn't move so i couldn't accurately gauge what she was feeling.

"Why, little wolf?" There was a darker undertone to her voice and I shrugged slightly.

"It's not my place to say anything about you, Lace. Your business is yours." I clasped my hands behind my back and rocked back and forth on my bare feet. She made me feel a bit off balance. I didn't entirely know how to act around her.

"You are a smart one. How easier this world would be if everyone lived like you." At her words I simply smiled before moving back to the house.

I picked up my book and sat down again. "I'm sorry you are stuck babysitting me." I set the book on my lap as I watched her.

She moved up the stairs, the boots clunking on the wooden boards. "It is my duty." She jumped onto the porch railing gracefully, leaning against one of the columns and sitting down on the thin wood. I was faintly impressed. I knew if I tried that I would end up with a mouthful of dirt or a face full of porch floor.

"You can do whatever you want. There is food in the kitchen, books in living room. We have cable and movies as well. Just make yourself at home." I looked out towards Bruce's fancy SUV. I never understood his fascination for newer and bigger vehicles. Older ones worked just fine. Our jeeps were old but they ran perfect on most days.

"I will not let you leave my sight." There was an edge of finality to her voice and I nodded.

"Okay. Fair warning. I am boring." I raised the book, giving it a small shake and she said nothing in return. A thick silence fell and I glanced over at her. "What are the scars? The swirling ones?" I couldn't help myself, wolves were curious creatures by nature and I wasn't an exception.

"Proof that I am still alive." Her tone made it seem like the end of the discussion and I didn't want to pry more. I looked over to the trees and sighed. Bennett still had another hour of patrolling to complete before he could come back. "Little wolf, there is an evil in this world. Humans and shifters that prey on the weak, like you. Do not trust anyone or you will end up like me." Her words were cold and I shivered as I looked at her. Her expression was harsh and I nodded. "I like pain, little wolf. I do not care for my own life. Do not become like me. Keep that innocent and naive spark in your eyes. Do not let anyone snuff it out." It was like her words were a warning and I swallowed before nodding again. She was a strange shifter, a very strange shifter, but I liked that she trusted me enough to tell me what she had.

"Okay, Lace." I pursed my lips at her name. "Did you know the name Lace is an Irish name meaning Warrior?" I had been helping Angie pick baby names. She and Seamus found out three months ago that she was pregnant and she was ecstatic. The entire pack was excited at the news. It would be the first birth in our pack's history. It wasn't a very long history but it was still significant for us.

"I did not." She said it curtly and I looked at her carefully.

"It suits you." I looked her over. The delicate nature of the name suited her appearance but the meaning of it suited her attitude. "You are a capable warrior, I'm sure."

"You do not have any idea, little wolf, of what I am capable of." Another warning from the strange shifter Uncle Bruce had saved.

"I don't plan on finding out. I don't do violence or blood." I shrugged and she let out a cold chuckle.

"Good. Stay in your bubble of protection." She sounded pleased and I stared at her, bravely meeting her cold gaze even though i wanted ntohing to do but hunch under it.

"I was an Omega, Lace. I know what it means to be beaten down and abused. I know how cruel this world can be to people like me. I am not deluded or innocent to the world that surrounds me. I just don't like it or wish to see it." My words must have surprised her slightly because she frowned darkly. "I have had that innocent little spark snuffed out of my eyes as a child. The spark you see now is hope and love but never innocent or naivety."

"It seems I have underestimated you, little wolf. I apologize." Lace stared at me, her gaze flashing with something for a brief moment. "We are more alike than I thought. It is strange how two similarities can end so differently." She said it casually, as if remarking on the weather but I understood what she was saying.

"It is strange, Lace, but no two people are the same." I let out a sigh before standing and moving towards her. I held out the book. "Take it. It might amuse you or work for starting a fire." I waved it slightly before she flicked her gaze from it to me before slowly reaching out and taking it in a pale, dainty looking hand but I could see the callouses on her finger tips and the faint scars she had on it. The inside of her arm had the faint outlines of the word Mori in almost a block like letters. I shook my head trying to look everywhere but her scars.

"Romance is useless." She said it slowly as she looked at me and I shrugged.

"It is more like an adventure with an undertone of romance. It's not very often a mundane female beats up a pirate captain, steals his ship and starts a life of crime after a male breaks her heart." I watched as something flashed in her black eyes.

She nodded slowly. "Thank you, little wolf." She set the book in her lap, covering it with her hands. I didn't want anything to do with the book after Bailey spoiled the ending and Lace looked like she could use the offer of friendship or even just the gesture of a gift. I smiled at her with a nod before going and sitting in my rocking chair. I stared at the far tips of the mountains as I pulled my feet onto the chair and let out a happy sigh.

"Do you trust your mate?" Her voice was almost colder than previous and I nodded.

"With my life." I turned my head and her black eyes were nearly piercing through me. I shivered slightly, unable to stop the reaction.

"Foolishness, little wolf." The words were icy and her eyed turned hard and sharp like shards of obsidian.

"Why do you say that?" Her gaze made me uncomfortable and I nearly sighed with relief when she looked the other way.

"Matings only end in betrayal." There was a flare of fiery rage in her voice. It was the first time since she had arrived that her voice showed emotion but just as quickly as it was there, it was gone.

"Some do, others don't because some people find it easy to cast others off and others find they can't." I shrugged slightly, eyeing her warily. "There are good people in this world and there are bad. Sometimes, when the world seems endlessly tainted by the bad, you just need to look for the light of the good because it will always be there." I frowned slightly before looking towards the trees. Jace and Bruce were laughing loudly as they came from the treeline. Despite the previous four months, I hadn't been able to stop my fearful reaction to Uncle Jace. It had lessened but it was still there.

Almost, as if sensing his presence, Amber was on the porch, moving to stand beside me. Her warm hand reached out, holding my shoulder gently. I leaned my head against her arm, craving the comfort that came from her touch. Our bond had strengthened considerably, falling just under our skins. She knew when I was distressed or scared, an instinct in her driving her to protect us. She squeezed my shoulder in reassurance as Uncle Jace and Bruce reached the stairs.

"Lace, I know you are wanting to stay and watch Maricella but could you please, for several minutes, come with Alpha Lawrence and I? We are discussing certain things." The way he said it made Lace slowly get to her feet with a nod. I noticed the book was still firmly held in her hand as she threw me a glance, looking between Amber and I before she headed inside.

"Who is that?" Amber said it sharply, her sense kicking into high gear at the unknown threat.

"Lace. She's Uncle Bruce's guard." I left it at that before smiling up at her, her blue eyes softened as she brushed her knuckles down my cheek. I felt the ever familiar tensing in my stomach when she looked at me. Guilt was eating away at my insides. I felt like I was betraying her. Every little thing I had learned about her I had quietly told my father, trying to give him an edge if he were to ever come for her. I wanted him to be happy and the only thing that seemed to do that was his bond with Amber.

True I made him happy but when he spoke of Amber I could tell how it lifted him up, how it smoothed over everything in his life and he felt right. There was a lightness in him that came with the thought of his mate and as much as I loved helping him the guilt of betraying Amber ate away at me. I just wanted them both to be happy and proud. The feeling was grating and irritating. The bond demanded I make my parents proud of the future they created, despite the fact neither of them helped in creating me, in the biological sense.

I pushed everything away and held my smile on my face. She squeezed my shoulder once more before moving over to the railing and leaning on it, a small, sad smile crossed her face. I could never discern what she was thinking. She was never easy to read when she didn't want to be. It had to do with her past, one she never really opened up to me but one I could sense. The hurt and broken could always sense when they were in similar company. I looked out towards the mountains again.

"The view is always nice." I said it off-handedly and Amber sighed, the smile growing wider.

"It is, isn't it?" She let out another sigh, a peaceful sound that made me relax. I closed my eyes, snuggling into the warm beam of sunshine I found myself in. I liked our small territory, it was never busy and was nearly always quiet. Except for when we had a newcomer cross our borders, then again I was always kept away from them. Bailey and I would be held captive in the study by our mates. Not that we minded, any excuse to spend time with each other and our mates we took but too much of it usually had me crawling up the walls with boredom, much to Bennett and Davin's amusement.

I could hear the sharp groaning of the steps before a familiar and wonderful masculine scent filled the air around me. I found a smile on my face before my eyes opened. A bouquet of flowers was in my vision and I made a surprised sound at the beautiful wildflowers. I reached out and took them from Bennett, a happy smile on my face as I looked them over. He must have freshly picked them because some of them still had roots with dirt on them. The sweetness of the gesture had me blushing crimson with a warmth spreading through my entire body as Bennett kissed the corner of my mouth. I wanted to melt into a puddle of mushy goo. Bennett's sweet little gestures made me melt from the inside out.

"What the hell, Bennett? Why are you giving her shit naked?" Davin's voice was obnoxiously high pitched and Bennett's low growl of warning made my cousin make a sound of anger. "Well excuse me but you are prancing around naked!" He hissed the words out and I turned my head to look at them. Bennett was pulling on a pair of shorts and I felt a rush of liquid heat go through my at his muscled form.

"Davin, he gave me a bouquet of flowers, not his penis." At my words both men froze and Amber snorted, trying to hold back laughter.

"I bet you would like that, Mari!" Angie's voice came from the open window above the porch and I glowered up at the roof of the porch, trying to ignore the burning in my face. I glanced over at Bennett and he simply smirked at me and I felt a wave of heat hit me from the mate bond. I gave him a warning look and he simply winked at me.

"You guys are disgusting." Davin made a face.

"Oh shut up, Davin! You are just mad cause you ain't gettin' any!" Angie sang the words and I smirked slightly. After she discovered her pregnancy she took great fun in tormenting everyone but Bailey and I. I truly believed she got off on knowing they couldn't really retaliate without Seamus flipping out.

"And your emotional pregnancy hormones are getting on my nerves..." He muttered it under his breath and I could hear a sharp inhale from the window.

"Seamus! Davin is being an asshole!" The tone in her voice made me think of a child tattling on their sibling.

Davin gritted his teeth and pinched his nose. "This house is going to shit." He muttered it under his breath and punched Bennett's arm. "I'm going to take over for patrol before Angie convinces Seamus to try and kick my ass. He's like an overprotective dog with a meaty leg bone when it comes to her." Bennett nodded in acknowledgement before moving towards me. I felt my heart turn over in my chest as he stood in front of me. Heat radiated off of him and I would have found it uncomfortable in the summer sun but it simply made a liquid fire run through my veins and pool in my lower stomach.

We hadn't completed the claiming. He had promised me he wasn't going to take any decision from me and at the moment I was still too messed up to have an intimate form of relationship. I knew Bennett wanted it and on some level I did too but my brain wouldn't let me. There was too much going on and I knew there would be a time when there wasn't and I was glad that Bennett would wait for me to reach that point.

I stared at his chest, my eyes taking in the familiar lines of the tattoo above his heart. His memorial for me. The lines were crisp and the colours brilliant. I had traced every line on the tattoo and the feeling it brought me was one of satisfaction and an intense happiness. There were no words on the tattoo but the fact that I knew it was for me was enough.

Bennett said nothing as he gently picked me up out of the chair and took my spot, settling me back in his lap. I leaned against him as he slowly started to rock us back and forth. I nuzzled his skin and sighed happily before closing my eyes. "How was your day?" He sounded genuinely curious, as he did every time he asked me something. He was attentive and thoughtful. He never pressured or raised his voice to me.

"The same as every other day." I reached up and touched his neck, moving closer to him. I loved feeling his skin sliding along mine. The fire burned hotly in my veins and I enjoyed it, letting it sink deep into me.

"Luka phoned again. He says its time for me to help him with his pack. He requested you come as well." His words were low and I mulled it over. I would be out of my safety zone and that always brought issues but the thought of going somewhere else, somewhere new, was highly alluring. Besides it was to visit Luka and I knew he would never let anything happen to Bennett or I.

"That sounds nice. How long?" I opened my eyes and watched his pulse dance under his skin as I brushed his slightly sweaty skin with my thumb. I resisted the urge to bury my face into his neck and inhale his heady scent.

"He said a week at most." Bennett had no qualms and his nose brushed the skin of my neck as he inhaled deeply. Shivers moved through me as his arms tightened on me slightly, his large, warm hands gripping me tightly.

"Okay. It will be nice to get away for a little bit." I titled my head allowing him more access to my neck. His lips trailed across my skin, leaving goosebumps as I looked out towards the forest. He hummed and agreement, the sound vibrating my skin, leaving little shock waves of pleasure in its wake. I bit the inside of my bottom lip as I watched the treeline. I froze as I watched several figures leaving the safety of the trees. Bennett stiffened in response to me, a low growl escaping him as he snapped his head to the people leaving the forest. He tightened his grip on me before he stood up, gently moving me towards Amber.

"Get her to the study and get Jace." His voice was low and Amber nodded quickly before wrapping her arms around me, moving me towards the door.

"Amber June Blanche. I've come for you." At the familiar timbre of the loud voice both Amber and I stiffened. I looked over my shoulder and tears filled my eyes when I saw my father standing tall, his chin lifted and his brown eyes hard. Amber turned around, I could feel her sudden anger, her inability to escape riling up her wolf into a frenzy. "I have come for what is rightfully mine. If I cannot take you, I will take your rejection so I can find another." His words were like hard steel and I moved closer to Bennett, reaching out and touching the bare skin of his back. He pulled me to his side tightly and I looked over the group of people. Their eyes were all downcast, their skin pale, and their frames nearly skeletal. I inhaled sharply at the sight of them. Omegas.

"I have already told you, Andrew Lawrence. I cannot be with an Alpha." Despite the slight waver to her voice Amber's tone was just as cold and hard as my father's. The bond between me and them twisted slightly. It was uncomfortable and I didn't really want to know what would happen if they broke their mate bond.

"Could you be with the brother of one?" At his words a thick silence fell and I could feel Amber's confusion. I glanced at her pale face before looking at my father who took several steps forward, holding out his hands. "I come to you with no pack, no territory and no title. I come to you as I stand. Nothing more, nothing less. You said you couldn't be with an Alpha so I am no longer an Alpha." Amber inhaled sharply and my mouth dropped open. In all of the conversations I had with my father he never mentioned that.

"Why?" The hardness in her voice had faded to vulnerability. She wasn't sure how to process what had happened and my father swallowed.

"Because I would give up everything for just a chance to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my mate, my life, my future. You are a mother to my child and I would do everything in my power to be with you." He said it softly and I realized Amber had climbed over the railing to move closer to him.

"You gave it up?" Her voice sounded so fragile that I wanted to wrap my arms around her and my father nodded.

"I gave up everything I had for a chance to be with you. Amber June Blanche, will you have me or will you reject me?" He stared at her, his brown eyes taking her in as if she were his lifeline in a stormy ocean.

"You aren't an Alpha?" Her voice trembled as her body did as she took a few shay steps towards him, her arms wrapped around herself tightly.

"No." He shook his head and she moved closer.

"Will you ever hurt me?" The words twisted at my heart and I made a sound in my throat as I leaned forward, the urge to wrap her in my arms was growing. Bennett held me tight to his side, as if sensing my urge to move to her.

"As long as I live and breathe I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and loved. I would never harm you, I couldn't even fathom it." He took another step and I watched as Amber's form continued to shake. She looked on the verge of breaking or bolting and I didn't know which it would be. With a muffled sob she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. My father looked stunned for a moment before he wrapped his arms tightly around her, smoothing down her honey blonde hair and whispering in her ear.

I felt tears in my eyes at the rather intimate and private display. A blush coated my cheeks. They were my parents, I didn't want to see them kiss and make up, no matter how sweet the scene was. I pressed my face to Bennett's side and he let out a chuckle. "I take it this means Alpha Lawrence will be living here with Alpha Lawrence." At his words I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my mouth. It would be confusing but I knew it would settle eventually. I glanced at them and my father had let Amber go, wiping at her tears, a loving smile on his face as he placed kisses all over her face. I glanced to the Omegas that stood behind him. I counted six and I swallowed. They were forgotten ones, just like the rest of us.

I stepped closer to the railing and I watched as Uncle Jace came from the backyard, Uncle Bruce following him. Lace glanced at me before her eyes shifted to Bennett. She gave a sharp nod as if satisfied with my mate or the safety he provided before she looked back at her Alpha. Uncle Jace clapped my father on the back before turning to the cowering group of Omegas. He glanced at me before shaking his head. "Need a bigger fucking pack house." He muttered it more to himself than anyone else and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. Bennett moved closer, pressing his lips to my shoulder. I shivered at the action, heat spiraling through my veins. "My niece, Maricella, will come help you." He gestured for me and Bennett gently lifted me over the railing, setting me on the ground.

I walked over and looked at the rag tag group of Omegas. My father reached out and grasped my shoulder before kissing the top of my head. I leaned into the contact before I focused on the scared shifters in front of me. "Welcome to Oblitus, forgotten ones. You can stay or you can choose to leave but know we are all here to make sure you get better." I could feel Bennett moving behind me and I let out a sigh as they all looked at their feet.

"We should know." Bailey was suddenly by my side and she grabbed my hand, smiling at me before looking at the group. They would become better, we all would. I watched as their eyes snapped up to look at us. Their eyes shining dully with a faint form of hope. "After all, we were Omegas too."