"Micheal." At the hushed whisper and the slight shake I was given, I was pulled out of sleep. I gave a small groan and rolled on the bed slightly. I cracked open my eyes and my mum looked at me a bit concerned, her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry to wake you."

I blinked a few more times before I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?" My voice was thick with sleep and I felt exhausted. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep for but I felt a little disorientated with everything. It didn't help that the lights were on but I was getting pretty much used to it, however it did make gauging time more difficult when I woke up.

"It's eight in morning." My mum grimaced slightly before letting out a heavy sigh that had me concerned and perking up. "I would have let you both sleep but Greg is here." At that I jolted heavily, I was not expecting that.

"Greg? Like Greg Greg? As in Catherine's little brother Greg?" I blinked, sitting up a bit more as my mum nodded, pinching her lips together. Lilith gave a small grumble and I turned to her, gently covering her with her blanket and smoothing it over her. She settled down, a faint smile on her face as she seemed to huddle further into the blanket. I glanced back at my mum and she was moving back over to the bed before handing me a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie.

"I'll be outside, get yourself dressed and then we can deal with...this." My mum gave me a rather strange look, as if she felt everything was a bit surreal and I didn't blame her for that. I felt like there was a touch of surreality to everything for me as well. I didn't understand why Greg would be here and I didn't particularly get why he was showing a change of opinion in regards to me. Everyone had said some really cruel shit to me and even though my family had gotten me through it and I was able to not let it hurt me as it had before, it was still painful to hear.

I got out of bed, pulling on my sweatpants and tugging on the hoodie. Lilith gave another grumble, rolling over into my spot and I looked down at her before bending down and kissing her cheek gently. She murmured nonsense, wrinkling her nose in her sleep and I found myself smiling as I brushed her hair back from her face and kissing her cheek once more. That faint smile returned and I couldn't help but kiss her cheek a third time. I tucked her back into the blanket, placing a pillow in her reach, watching as she grasped it, pulling it tight to her chest before burying her face into it.

I kind of wanted to crawl back into bed with her. I didn't want to rehash anything with Greg. I didn't want another session of being shamed and hated for something I couldn't control. I knew if I stayed in bed with Lilith I wouldn't have to deal with any of that shit but I also knew that my mum wouldn't have woken me up if it wasn't important. I hesitated for a moment before giving a sigh and leaving the room. My mum was pacing outside of my bedroom, chewing on her thumbnail.

I closed the door gently behind me and she looked at me her eyes wide. "I don't want to drag you back into that negativity but it's just him and he says he's here to apologize and your therapist thinks that it might help alleviate your guilt to have an apology." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Your dad and I will be with you. If things look like they are going to turn south we will be right with you but it's up to you. If you want to go back to bed you can, we aren't going to pressure you into this." She reached out, grasping my arm gently as she gave it a small squeeze.

I gave another sigh. If Greg had come all this way to apologize then I couldn't exactly tell him no. "Let's just get it over with." I headed for the foyer, my mum following behind me. I spotted my dad, he was standing near the door, nearly glaring at the thinner male that stood beside the door. My heart lurched in my chest as he glanced up, staring at me. I moved towards him, trying hard to not let my hands shake with my sudden anxiety.

He nodded at me. "Hey, Micheal." A heavy silence fell as I stared at him and after what felt like forever he finally looked away. "I brought you some things." He hastily bent down, grabbing a box that had been sitting on the floor next to his feet. He picked it up, shuffling his feet as he held it out for me.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Why are you here?" It came out harsh but I couldn't be bothered, I honestly couldn't. I had a fucked up couple of days and I didn't need to add to it.

He grimaced before taking a step forward, holding out the box further. "Can you just take it? It's a bit heavy." I wanted to tell him no but my mum took it for me. Once it was gone from his hands he ran a hand through his hair. "I heard what happened and I'm sorry." He ran his hand through his hair again. "Look I said some fucked up shit after Catherine died. I loved her so much and I felt like someone needed to be blamed for it, so I blamed you, as did everyone else in my family." I turned my face away from him, clenching my jaw tightly. "It wasn't right, Micheal. That wasn't your fault. Nothing about it had been your fault. It was an accident. I want you to know that." I was actually surprised by that but it made a rather dark feeling rise up in my.

"Why didn't you tell me that last week when you were here? Why let everyone else jump all over me like they did?" He had stood there, hanging back and saying nothing while Don, Bea, and Chuck had dragged me for everything like they had after Catherine had died.

"I-" He paused before he swallowed. "Your new female threw me a bit. It threw us all a bit and I'm sorry for everything that happened." My mum inhaled sharply, the box landing on the floor with a bang. I glanced over at her but she was staring at Greg with a nearly unreadable look on her face.

"You didn't." My mum breathed the words out and I watched as my dad shifted on his feet, turning his gaze to Greg as a heavy rumble escaped his chest. The younger male stared at the floor, a rather shameful look on her face. "Tell me you didn't." Greg grimaced before he glanced up at my mum. Confusion started t roll through me as I looked between all of them. There was something that I wasn't privy too, there was a piece of information that I was missing.

"It wasn't me. It wasn't! I spent days trying to talk them out of it! I tried!" There was a frantic edge to his voice and he held out his hands and my mum's chest rumbled. "I couldn't stop them, I tried. I did." He looked almost stricken as his gaze fell back to the floor.

"You better tell Chuck and Don that they need to stay out of my way when we get back to Invigilo because I will kill them." The words came out viciously from my dad and I looked between them all.

"Back up. What is going on?" The anger was swirling around so thickly that it made it almost hard to breathe. The rage that was radiating off of my parents was almost enough to choke me.

"Before we got back into contact with you an Old Way Alpha came to the pack looking for something. Most of us ignored him but he handed out pamphlets. He was looking for a female, Jane let us know her name was Lilith." The moment the words escaped from my mum's mouth I felt all the blood drain from my face before it rushed back in with a heavy and heated anger.

"Are you telling me they told Adam that Lilith was here?" The words were ripped from me on a wave of heated rage. I stared at Greg and he gave a single nod and I snarled, whirling on my feet as I stalked back and forth. "Did you understand what would have happened to her? He was going to abuse her, torture her, kill her. Her death would have been on your hands!" The anger was nearly all consuming. They had told Adam where she was. "If you have a problem with me, you take it up with me. You don't fucking touch Lilith!" No one could place her in any danger and not risk my wrath. People could hurt me all they wanted but the moment they tried to hurt her instead, we had a problem and not a small one.

"It wasn't me! I tried to stop them, Micheal. I tried to tell them to leave it, to give it up! I told them no, told them to leave it alone." Greg's voice pitched upwards again as he jerked his hands outwards. "I didn't want anything to happen to anyone, I know how Old Way males are and your female is messed up. I don't know how but if he did that then there was no way I wanted her to end up with him again." He closed his mouth with a snap as his eyes darted to beside me and his face paled.

I turned and Lilith shuffled towards me, her blanket wrapped around her, and her hair all over. All low growls stopped, leaving the foyer suddenly quiet. "Hi, Greg." She gave him a smile before moving towards the box. She sat down on the floor, pulling it towards herself. "Going to Enforcer training?" She glanced at him and his gaze flicked from me to her and then back again before he stared at me as if unsure of what to do. I gestured for him to reply, to answer her.

"Yes." His voice cracked slightly as his face went bright red. "I-I'm so-"

"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't you." She waved him off as she pulled open the box. She gave a happy chirp before pulling out a knitted blanket that had my heart jumping in my throat. I found myself beside Lilith, sitting on the floor as she held out the baby blanket towards me. I took it with shaking hands. It was Bethany's baby blanket. I looked at the pastel colours and the stroked the fabric. She had loved the blanket. I found the corner that was a little mangled and my heart turned over in my chest as I touched it. She had chewed on that corner whenever she was upset. "She was so pretty." Lilith breathed it out and I tore my gaze from the blanket only to see a picture of Catherine holding Bethany in her hands. My breath hitched in my chest as I looked at it. I remembered that moment. Bethany and her had been laughing so hard.

"She was." I pressed my hand against her lower back, needing the contact with her to keep myself together. I reached out, touching the edge of the photo before looking up at Greg. "They are going to be pissed at you for this." I hadn't been allowed to have anything of Catherine's or Bethany's after their deaths so I knew for a fact that they would be beyond angry at him for giving me anything.

"It's yours and they don't know I am here so they won't know." He gave a small shrug as he said it. "They think I am on my way to basic so I going to I need to get out of here and get back to the airport. I need to make my connection flight to get there on time." He shuffled on his feet before he glanced between my parents as if terrified they would attack him. "I'm gunna go." He slowly moved backward and Lilith looked up at him.

"Thanks, Greg. Be safe." She gave him a small smile and a wave before turning back to the box. He looked a little confused but gave her a small wave back before he slipped out of the front door, closing it behind him gently. Lilith adjusted her blanket over her shoulders before she pulled the box closer to me. "It was nice of him to bring you these. We should put them in our room so we can have Bethany and Catherine with us in our den." Lilith looked up at me and I felt a curious melting deep in my chest as I met her earnest gaze. I bent over, giving her a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth that had her giving a giggle as she touched the spot, the tops of her cheeks turning red.

I gently placed the baby blanket back in the box. "Why don't you do that? You can decorate our den however you want." I rubbed her back and she wiggled, grinning up at me as she gathered the box into her arms.

She kissed my cheek rather hastily before she got to her feet, scurrying towards our bedroom. "I'm happy!" The words echoed down the hall towards me and I let out a sigh, watching her. No male deserved her, not even me. She was just too sweet and caring and no one deserved that much of it.

"You know I wanted to be angry with him but Lilith has a way of changing how you see things." My mum let out a frustrated sigh that was echoed in my dad as I got to my feet. I couldn't argue with them there. The moment Lilith was fine with Greg, so was I because if she was okay with him then there was no reason to be upset. I was still upset and angry without a doubt, but not at Greg, not anymore.

"I think we should extend our stay for a full two weeks until we cool off, Nat." My dad said it low and I watched as my mum nodded. There was some thudding from the floor above us as I could feel Luka's anger pressing down on me from the pack link.

After a few moments he came thudding down the stairs, throwing on a shirt with Ezekiel close behind him. "We've got that fucker inbound!" His voice boomed out into the foyer as he hit the main floor. "Can I have one day where I don't have idiots showing up at my door?" He hissed it out, a low growl rumbling his chest.

"Who is coming?" I stiffened, unable to help myself at Luka's agitation and anger. It radiated off of him and into the pack link. Ezekiel stiffened, his hackles raised down his back as he reacted to it.

"Adam's sexist ass of a brother. Hunters have pulled onto the territory so he will be here shortly and I don't want him in the house." Luka nearly vibrated and I found a growl rumbling in my own chest. I didn't really understand what was going on and my mum grasped my arm. I glanced at her but she seemed to simply be attempting to comfort me. "Lilith needs to trade off the dominance for her family." Luka glanced at me and my wolf thrashed inside me. We didn't want anything of Adam to touch Lilith. She didn't need to deal with any of that shit, not anymore.

He headed outside and I looked at my mum. "Can you get Lilith?" If she was needed then I had no choice but I knew right now I needed to stand beside Luka as his Beta. My mum nodded, heading towards my bedroom, and my dad grasped my shoulder before heading out the front door as well. I followed after him, unable to stop the rumbles that were building in my chest. I didn't know the male but I knew for a fact I wouldn't like him and I knew I wouldn't like him being anywhere close to Lilith.

I moved to stand beside Luka in front of the driveway and my dad stepped up beside me as Ezekiel gave out a heavy warning growl as I picked up on the sound of tires on gravel. My lip curled up, not being able to stop the action even if I wanted too. It wasn't long before Shey came outside, stepping in beside Luka and Ezekiel. Benji walked out from the path to the village right as the vehicles came into view. He placed himself beside Ezekiel and I shifted on my feet.

The vehicles stopped, one of the Hunter trucks had a trailer attached to the back. I glanced at it for only a second before my gaze was drawn to the lead Hunter vehicle as an officer stepped out. "Alpha Luka, Alpha Shey." He bowed his head at the two of them and Luka shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest to show his displeasure. The door opened behind us and I was acutely aware of Lilith approaching. She moved slightly between me and Luka but still behind me, leaning against my back with a small sigh.

A large male that radiated with agitation and brutality slammed the door to his fancy SUV as he stalked towards us. I could see the family resemblance and I bared my teeth. Luka shifted on his feet, leaning towards the male with a heavy growl rumbling his chest. "Where is the bitch?" At the vitriol within his words I stiffened. The hunter held up his hand and the male shoved it away as he continued to stalk towards us. "Tell me where the cunt is and we can get this shit done with!" The Hunter grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Don't start, Alpha Steve." The words were a hiss and the male yanked his arm out of the grasp.

"Fucking hunter prick." He spat on the ground in front of the Hunter, his entire form vibrating. "I followed this pathetic little exchange. I want it done with so get the bitch out here so I can get what I came for." I bared my teeth, a snarl ripping from my throat as I took a step towards him. Luka and my dad each grabbed an arm, holding me from moving any closer. The other male looked towards me with a sneer. "Let me guess you are the piece of shit who took the cunt." Another snarl was ripped from me as I strained against the grips holding me back. My wolf thrashed and I felt my bones ache and crack as he tried to push through so we could kill the male for his words.

"That is enough, Alpha Steve!" The Hunter grabbed his arm around, yanking him around as he pointed at him.

Steve smacked his hand away. "That bitch killed my brother. I will say whatever the fuck I want about her." He hissed the words out and the Hunter let out a low rumble in return to it.

"Why is he here?" Lilith asked it gently and I pulled back from the anger. It was hard but for her I had to do it. She picked at my shirt and I glanced down at her right as the large male gave a heavy snarl.

"Give me my power!" He took a heavy step towards us and Luka and I both stepped in front of Lilith, giving a snarl that was echoed down the line. Ezekiel pulled out of the formation, pacing between us and the male, growling as he did so with his hackles raised down his back.

"You are this close to being arrested, Alpha Steve." The Hunter held up his fingers, showing a tiny gap between them. "We came here to facilitate an exchange and because of your attitude. You are going to provide the first step to it." The hunter narrowed his eyes at Steve. "You don't get to ask her for anything until she gets what she asked for. Now go." There seemed to be no room for argument and Steve snarled before whirling around, heading straight for the SUV.

A thick silence fell and I watched as he yanked open the back door to the SUV and pulled a male out. He was thin and his hair was greying slightly. He adjusted his glasses on his face right before Steve shoved him, making him stumble forward. His shoulders were hunched and he looked morose and miserable. I tried to see how he was related to Lilith but I couldn't really see much resemblance. Steve shoved him again, baring his teeth as the male pushed his glasses up his nose again.

Lilith pushed between me and Luka, her arm wrapping around my waist. I glanced down at her and she looked at the new male before looking up at me. "Who is that?" She whispered it to me and I glanced to the male right as he seemed to spot Lilith. His face brightened and he smiled. I was almost struck by how similar their smiles were, he even had faint dimples in the same spot Lilith's were.

"Is this all your family?" It was just him, there was no one else. It almost made me sad to think she had no one but him.

Lilith tilted her head, her eyes on the male as she slowly pulled away from me. I went to grab her, to keep her away from the aggressive male that loomed over the thin male but my dad grabbed my arm, giving me a firm shake of his head. I didn't want to listen but I forced myself to stand where I was, to not reach out to her and bring her back. She approached the male, her head tilting as she seemed to study him. If he looked confused or upset by her oddity, he didn't show it.

She drew fairly close before she inhaled and stiffened before inhaling again. I watched her shoulders relax before she jumped at the male, throwing her arms around him. "Daddy!" He caught her, wrapping her tightly in his arms as he kissed the side of her head.

He closed his eyes tightly as he held her, swaying side to side as her feet dangled over the ground. "I've missed you, peanut." His voice cracked slightly as an almost pained expression crossed his face.

"I did what was asked of me. Now give me my power." A heavy rumble escaped Steve and I bared my teeth at him.

Lilith's father set her down, letting her go as he did so at the abrupt interruption. "Can you give them some fucking time? Your family has taken away so much from her. Let her have this and keep your fucking mouth shut." I started towards him and Luka and my dad grabbed my arms once again, keeping me from approaching more.

"Keep your mouth shut, whelp. This doesn't concern you despite the fact I want to finish what my brother started and gut you properly!" He took several heavy and dominating steps towards me that had me bristling.

"Alpha Steve! That is enough! Mi-ki, provide incentive for him to behave." The hunter shifted on his feet as the witch behind him grinned, moving towards the Old Way male.

"I release all power taken from Alpha Adam to his heir Alpha Steve." The words were abrupt as they came from Lilith and Steve staggered as the dominance swirled around him. "You can leave now." She turned on her heels as she headed back towards me with a faint smile on her face.

Steve seemed to get his balance back as he pointed at Lilith rather aggressively. "You don't get to order me-"

"I said leave!" She whirled around, a snarl erupting from her throat as she launched towards him. I followed suit, grabbing her around the waist, making sure she couldn't fulfill the action. She screamed wordlessly, clawing at the air between her and Steve. I braced myself for when she would turn that ferality against me like she had previous.

"You're fucking crazy, you bitch!" Alpha Steve scrambled backwards, bolting for his SUV. Lilith continued struggling and screeching until he jumped into the vehicle.

The moment he was in the cab, she stilled before she giggled, looking up at me as the SUV peeled away, spitting gravel. "He's a scaredy cat." At the words I gave a relieved laugh before I leaned down and nuzzled her cheek, kissing it gently.

She turned in my arms with another giggle. "Yes he is." I pressed my face into her neck, hiding my smile at the fact she had caused such a large male to scramble away from her. So much for the Old Way cockiness. I turned back to her father with a smile. I held out my hand towards him. "Hello, I'm Micheal Davis, Lilith's mate." He seemed hesitant before he walked towards me and took it, giving it a shake.

"Aaron Baker, Lilith's father. I'm sorry to not have met you under better circumstances." He let my hand go and glanced towards Lilith with a faint form of sad longing.

I tightened my grasp on Lilith. "Do you want to show him around?" She looked up at me before glancing at her father with a frown.

"Who is that?" She looked at me once more and I felt my heart sink in my chest. I felt sad for her and for him, so incredibly sad. Adam had taken so much away from them both.