I was pacing, back and forth. The house was quiet. Too fucking quiet. I hated it. Yah, I was given 'visitation' with Maeve but I wanted her and Menza home. I just hated the fact I knew they couldn't come back. Stenton had put so many Commands on me it was difficult to function. If I leaned too far to certain thoughts or tried to say certain things, they would choke me, make my body freeze, make me overly aware that the Commands were underneath my skin and my body was nothing but meat.

I knew Ariel, Stenton's female, was sympathetic and she tried to comfort me whenever she brought Maeve over to visit with me, but there wasn't anything she could do. Besides, it wasn't like she actually cared about it. Stenton had her in such a tight grip that she could barely think for herself and if she tried, he made sure she knew to never do it again.

I adjusted my quilt around my shoulders. My back had healed from the lashes but I was pushing my luck. I told Stenton I still didn't feel healed enough to train the males. He hadn't liked it but there wasn't much he could do. I sat on the couch as my wolf bared his teeth. He wanted to continue pacing. We felt locked up, chained, trapped in our own skin. He wanted freedom and I couldn't help him, I couldn't even help myself at this point.

I let my fingers trace the stitching on the quilt. Menza had done such a wonderful job on it and I couldn't even tell her how much I loved it. I couldn't even say anything nice, not even neutral. Every time I tried, and I tried so fucking hard when I was alone, all that came out when I tried to say her name was bitch. I could wiggle around it by saying her or she but only so many times before the word bitch came out. The inability to even speak how I wanted, was draining. I didn't know what to do, I truly didn't.

Jason knew, I knew he knew, but what could either of us do to ensure that the Commands were taken off. Stenton had his eyes on me too much for me to be able to trick him like Jason had. I was stuck and what was worse was I believed Jason knew it as well. There was a reason everything he offered were things he could do. We both knew I was fucked.

There was a heavy knocking on the door that I ignored as I traced each honeycomb shaped piece that had been sewn together. Menza really did a beautiful job. I loved the quilt. When things got too hard for me, I wrapped myself in it and I could pretend, just for a moment, that things were okay, that my females were okay. It was getting harder to pretend now though. Reality had a horrible way of creating cracks in wishes and hopes. They weren't okay. Chrissie was dead, Menza was almost there, and Maeve was essentially held hostage.

The knocking continued and I felt a mental shove from Jason. Open the door, dumbass, we have a problem. At the words I closed my eyes and sighed.

I got off the couch, leaving the quilt, and shuffled to the door, frowning as I opened it. There was a whole group of males there. Mike and Jason were at the forefront and everyone looked agitated and pissed. "What happened?" I looked around, this wasn't good. Something happened and the fact there was so many males around meant it was bad.

"We caught Stenton in the woods putting hands on your female." Mike started and I froze, staring at him. Stenton had been putting hands on my female? As in fucking Menza? As in the female who was still healing from what that fucker ordered? That female?

"He fucking what?" It came out snapped and a growl started to rattle my chest and all the males started speaking all at once, their voices growing louder and louder as they all agreed and started telling me what they all saw. I could barely hear them, a heavy ringing in my ears drowned him out. Stenton had Commanded me to not touch him or Getts but rightfully challenging him for putting his hands on my female was something he couldn't stop. At least I hoped he couldn't

I bared my teeth and took several steps forward before Jason pushed against my chest, keeping me from going any further. "Don't." It was a low growl and I found a snarl growing in my throat. This was a chance I could take Stenton to task for what he did and not get punished for it. I didn't want to let that pass me by. "Think of your little one." It was a low said warning and I closed my eyes, trying to breathe. I knew he was telling the truth but I didn't like it.

I wanted to take Stenton to task. I wanted to bury my teeth in his throat. I wanted to force him down as a reminder to never touch my females again. But I did understand that I was stuck. He had access to Maeve, in fact he had taken her and was holding her specifically so I would stay in line. As much as I wished and hoped and prayed to Mene that I could do something, I couldn't risk Maeve. I couldn't even risk Menza. Yah a challenge would throw Stenton to the bottom of the female hierarchy but he still had all the power and I was still under his Commands.

"He said he was bringing her here so we took over as a group. Don't worry, my female was with me so there wasn't harm to her honour." Mike spoke, as if trying to reassure me and I opened y eyes, flicking my gaze to Jason's and he gave a small nod, just a tiny one. He understood, he knew some of what I was feeling.

He thumped my chest as he stepped back, giving me space now that I wasn't hell bent on going after Stenton. It was hard, every fibre of my being and that of my wolf wanted me to go after him. It felt unnatural allowing that, to let it slide, I really didn't want to but I also wasn't stupid. I couldn't put my sweet girl in harm's way and that was the reason Stenton took her from me.

"Here, see? We brought you home." Mike's female's voice was soft and I watched as the males cleared a path. Menza looked... fragile. Dana was holding her hand, her other hand hovering. It was clear Menza had been crying and I hated seeing her like that.

A vitriol crawled up in my throat, an unnatural, vicious urge to snap at her, and I swallowed hard. I flicked my gaze to Jason and he was already staring at me intently. I gave the smallest shake to my head. That Command was strong, this was the first time I had been around her and within a minute I felt the Command clawing at me, trying to fulfill itself. I couldn't have her around me.

"Take the bitch away." The moment the words came out, I immediately pinched my lips closed and closed my eyes. "Fuck." I hissed it underneath my breath as the immediate anger shoved at me from the males.

"What the fuck?" Someone said it and I let out a breath, putting my hands on my hips. I wasn't risking opening my mouth to defend myself. I couldn't risk saying anything worse about Menza, she didn't deserve that. Everyone else started shouting angrily and I rubbed at my temples.

"Hey, hey. Hey!" Jason shouted it and when I opened my eyes he was gesturing with his hands. "Emotions are running high, maybe he just needs a break. Some time to work this all out. A lot of emotions running high." His voice was practically a snap and he glanced at me. "That's what you meant, right? You wanted her somewhere else so you can work this through in your head?" I immediately nodded and Jason gestured. "There we are. Maybe she can come stay with me-"

Go fuck yourself. I couldn't help the snarl that came with it as I shoved the words at him. He was a single male, I wasn't about to allow Menza to be underneath his roof. Jason raised an eyebrow as he flicked his gaze towards me.

"Yah, no." Mike blurted it out quickly. "Sorry, Jason, not calling your honour into question but no. You don't have a female, she can't stay with you." I was glad Mike vocalized it because I didn't trust myself to. I was done speaking, especially when Menza was around. She didn't need to hear Stenton's words coming out of my mouth.

"She could stay with us." His female's voice was soft and I glanced over at her. Menza looked so fucking hurt that I wanted to gut myself for it. She looked bewildered, shocked, and just... hurt. I had caused that. It didn't matter that they were Stenton's words, his orders, they came out of my fucking mouth. To make it fucking worse, I couldn't even apologize for it. I couldn't tell her that I didn't mean them, that I didn't think that. I had to keep my mouth shut because I knew if I tried to say anything else, all that would come out was Stenton's words.

"Yah, she could. Brochan?" Mike was staring at me and I had to look away from Menza. It hurt, looking at her hurt knowing that I was the cause for that sorrowful look in those brown eyes of her.

I gave a small nod and there was some angry murmurs from the males and Jason lifted his hands. "Guys, this is a super personal issue. We can group up later but maybe we need to give them some space." He gestured at the males again, almost as if shooing them away.

I watched as they looked between each other before one looked at me. "Deal with this shit, Brochan. Stenton doesn't have that right, if you put up with this, then he will think it's okay to do to everyone else." He pointed at me sharply and I understood what he was saying. How I reacted to this would have consequences on the pack and I understood that. However I had to think of the safety of my Maeve, and even Menza in this case. Stenton had shown he wasn't above punishing her to get at me. Too much of that had happened already.

They turned and left and I could still feel their animosity as one in the back turned, "Do what's right for the pack, Brochan!" The warning was clear as they headed for the trees. I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced at Jason but he just shrugged. He knew there were limits for me, probably knew better than anyone else, I also knew he wasn't going to risk his niece just to help me with that.

I crossed my arms over my chest and dug my nails into my arm. I needed that slight bite into my skin to keep me focused. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Menza, the shame curdled my stomach at the fact the hurt in her eyes, I put there. I was horrible, absolutely horrendous. I should have been stronger than a few Commands, a few words, but I wasn't and I needed to own up to that.

"Okay, so she's good to go to our place?" Mike spoke carefully and I nodded again. I wasn't about to give myself leave to speak. "You going to pack her up?" I nodded again as I looked at him and he gave me back one and turned to his female and Menza. "Alright, Brochan is going to get her stuff. After that let's get her back to our place before Stenton finds out and tries to stop us." That I could agree with, I glanced at Menza and she looked so damn fragile and dainty. Far smaller than she should have been. I hated that. I tasted bile on my tongue and I glanced down and realized that she didn't have any shoes.

I moved back into the house and grabbed Menza's coat from the closet and her boots. I came back outside and moved straight to her. I couldn't say what I wanted but I could still do things. I set the boots in front of her and shook out her coat before putting it over her shoulders, tugging it closed around her. The urge to spew the vile shit that Stenton Commanded me with was growing worse and I swallowed against it.

"Be good." It came out gruff, sharp, but I couldn't control it. I hated it. I hated myself for it. She didn't deserve that, she didn't deserve any of it.

"Okay." It came out of her small, barely a whisper, and I hated myself for that too.

I turned away and headed back up and into the house. I needed to get Menza packed. I was aware of Jason following me so I didn't close the door. I went to my bedroom and pulled out my suitcase for Menza's things. I hesitated before I went into her room. It still smelled like her and I paused slightly, taking it in for a moment. This was for her own good, I knew that. Until the Commands were taken off of me, I couldn't be around her, it wasn't safe.

I emptied her dress, carefully folding each bit of her clothes and setting them carefully into the suitcase. "I'll try to smooth things over." Jason's voice was low and I nodded.

"Please do. I can't... say... what I want." I couldn't say anything that I wanted, especially surrounding Menza. I set the last skirt down in the suitcase, smoothing my hands over the fabric. I grimaced. "Not much else I can do." There wasn't, there wasn't anything I could do to fix this. Stenton needed to remove the Commands from me but I knew he wouldn't do it. It suited him to have me chained and gagged. I had a feeling I would be stuck like this for a long fucking while.

I stood up straight and glanced at him. "Just... take care..." I couldn't say it but as I looked at him he nodded as if he understood.

"I will. We will need eyes on her constantly. I'll tell Mike to keep her at home so she can heal more." He stuck his hands into his pockets and I nodded. I gathered the suitcase and headed for the bathroom. I carefully put her hair care things into the suitcase and then zipped it up. I grabbed the handle and then came out, holding it for Jason to take.

"This is it." I couldn't reference Menza directly. That Command was still tight around my throat, the vitriol was lingering on the back of my tongue like a bitter, sour slug.

"Got it. I'll make sure she gets it." He took it and I nodded as I watched him walk away.

Mike and his female would make sure Menza was safe. Jason too.

It would be okay.