Hannah had endured three weeks under the watchful eyes of the pack since the revelation of her werewolf heritage had come to light. Fears for her safety and the security of the hospital had led to two moves during this time.

The first was into the pack house, one of the biggest buildings in the entire Blackridge territory. Marcus had given her the tour - her new self-appointed guardian. He, out of all of them, had acted with the least suspicion about her once the truth surrounding her scent was revealed, and he was happy to relieve Issac as often as possible to spend time with her.

Unfortunately, she suspected his decision had as much to do with finding out more about her as it had a genuine friendliness. But it was nice to spend time in the company of someone who didn't involuntarily flinch every time she came too close.

Although the hospital had been a later addition to the pack house, its spaciousness and open concept matched the rest of the building seamlessly. If she didn't know any better, she wouldn't have believed they were built decades apart.

Outside, the house had retained its rustic charm and fitted in perfectly with the village aesthetic - a vision of pack life a hundred years ago when the first of these houses must have been built.

But inside, the crisp lines and modern interior spoke of an extensive and very expensive series of renovations. Marcus had smiled at her interest, and answered her questions with an enthusiasm she hadn't been expecting. Not many outsiders had a chance to explore the heart of their pack, and he was openly delighted; explaining as much as he could about the architecture and history of the village.

She learned from him that the pack house had burned down during the uprising that saw Avery Hunter, Blake's father, take over as Alpha of the Blackridge pack. He'd rebuilt it from the ground up, recreating the original exterior but taking the opportunity to make massive changes inside.

The result was truly breath-taking; all oak wood and chrome with glass balconies and partitions surrounded by modern fixtures and fittings. There wasn't a corner of the main floor where you couldn't see the central kitchen to some extent, and the ceilings seemed impossibly high thanks to the mezzanine balcony that ran around the second story.

The pack house was noisy and crowded. Full of teenage hormones and warriors in training. The ground floor was mostly communal, centralised by the huge kitchen and dining room with rooms leading off to a games room, library, TV room and gym. There were two upper and one lower floor as well, all dedicated to private rooms for each of the residents.

Once they gained their wolves, a certain amount of training was necessary to learn both control and responsibility. Marcus explained wryly that it was easier to house all of the older teenagers under one roof - better to keep an eye on them.

As beautiful as the building was, she couldn't relax when she ventured onto the main floor of the house. Eyes followed her wherever she went; not hostile, just watching. Overall, the adolescent wolves regarded Hannah with a mixture of suspicion and fascination and she knew they struggled to hide their unease around her scent.

She spent most of her time in her room for those first few days. Her feet were still healing and walking anywhere further than the bathroom was still something of a trial. Luckily her meals were brought up to her by one of the many Omegas each day, probably under Blake's orders. Try as she might, she couldn't persuade any of them to talk to her, but she made sure to let them know how grateful she was, much to their surprise.

She wasn't particularly lonely. Jenni still visited, though not as often now, as her duties kept her busy most days and Issac was finally opening up to her a little. He had proven himself quite the talker once he got over her strange scent and he flirted gently with her whenever he was watching over her. She let him, knowing it wasn't serious- she was observant enough to realise that flirting appeared to be his primary source of communication with females.

The only person she missed was the Alpha. He'd been avoiding her as much as possible, only visiting to keep her updated on their search for her family - which had been depressingly unproductive - and then dashing off again as quickly as he could manage it.

As she slowly began to recover from her injuries, she was able to better explore the village and surrounding area. Blake made sure she was still accompanied by either Marcus or Issac wherever she went. It saddened her to realise that she didn't know whether this was to protect her, or keep an eye on her.

The village was rustic and charming. A long wide street ran right through the centre, the original road leading up to the enormous pack house at the end and stretching all the way down to the main road- the only road running through their territory that hooked up to the main highways on the other side of the borders.

The original houses were easy to spot as they all sat along this street; large homes with spacious front gardens- most of them gated in some way. The Beta's house was amongst them, but many of the wide drives held numerous cars and there seemed to be more occupants in almost all of them.

"There are," Marcus explained when she mused about it out loud. "Most of these buildings have been converted into communal houses or social buildings." He nodded towards one of the nearest.

"That house is for the warriors. The one next door is where several of the nurses and hospital workers live - the ones that don't have families yet, anyway. A couple are empty. We keep them for important guests visiting from other packs."

"Who lives in that one?" she asked, gesturing to a particularly large house whose garden seemed to be overrun with small children. They were playing some kind of rowdy tag, shrieking and laughing as they dodged their pursuers and dashed back and forth across the grass.

He chuckled. "That's our day-care centre. Most of the parents work, either within the territory or out amongst the human towns. We offer free day-care for the little ones that aren't old enough for the pack school yet."

She looked surprised by that. "You have a school too?"

"Of course!"

Narrow lanes ran off from the main street periodically and these too were lined with houses, smaller living spaces designed for the families and newly mated couples. Pretty little cottages and slightly newer cabin-style dwellings. Most backed onto the vast forest that surrounded the village, hiding it from view. Only the people looking for this quaint little settlement were likely to know it was there at all.

"How do you keep the humans out?"

Marcus ran a hand through his hair. "The short answer is, we don't. Not entirely."

As she was to discover, housing such a large pack all in one place would have been an impossible task. Because of this, two more villages lay within the territorial lines, smaller but dedicated to housing the families of the Blackridge pack.

Each had its own shops, cafes and other amenities all run by members of the pack. Unlike the main complex these villages lay closer to the edges of the forest lines. One, more a hamlet really, nestled against a backdrop of fields; farms owned by the pack where many of the villagers worked. The other pushed up against the main road and featured a thriving activities centre; the only area of the territory humans were actively encouraged to visit.

"It's only a c road," Marcus explained. "So, there's not a lot of traffic to begin with. The road leading off to the main village, for example, is nothing more than a track with private property signs all over it. In fact, only one of the villages features on human maps at all; Elston, near the western border. It's too close to the road for them not to notice it, and humans have an insatiable curiosity. We took advantage, and created a business or two that helps put money in our coffers."

Exploring the village proved to be a welcome distraction for Hannah. She was eager to block out the worries and fears that she had carried around with her since she woke up and she found that, if she asked enough inane questions, a whole day could go by without any mention of her past or her current situation. As cut off as she was from the surrounding chaos in the pack house, she felt quietly content for a while.

It was short lived.

Just over a week after she'd settled in another note was discovered, once again pinned neatly to the covers of her bedspread when she returned from one of her walks with Marcus:

FOOLISH GIRL.

YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO MY WARNING.

PITY.

YOU'RE GOING TO DIE.

SOON.

She didn't notice it at first, her mind preoccupied as it always was in these quiet moments with the few dregs of memory she could still call her own.

Only when she accidentally sat on it, did she register what it was. As her eyes focused on the bold red letters her hand clenched, crumpling the offending message as the threat sank in. She blanched and fell back against the headboard, her legs refusing to hold her upright.

Since the attack at the hospital, she'd kept a healthy level of fear tucked deep inside her ready to surface at any moment. But the last few days had lulled her into a false sense of security and she'd been foolish enough to let her guard down. Discovering that someone still wanted her dead set off a panic attack of epic proportions, terrifying the Omega who found her a short while later - pale, trembling and breathing rapidly into a paper bag.

A thorough search of the house and surrounding area ensued. Once again, no trace of the letter writer could be found, or even a lingering scent around the offensive note.

She was immediately moved.

An increasingly furious Blake decided that the pack house was open to too many variables and they couldn't control the amount of people wandering in and out. She knew they hated the idea that a member of their own pack was behind the spiteful missive but it was looking increasingly unlikely that someone was sneaking in from beyond the borders.

This time, to her surprise, she was welcomed into Beta Marcus's home. She was surprised to find that he not only had a mate - a quiet, shy girl called Ophelia - but a young pup too. A six-year-old girl with a big personality, Sophie.

In stark contrast to the pack house, they welcomed her with open arms and she found that she could relax with them in ways that she hadn't been able to since waking up in the hospital. They never judged, never questioned and, most importantly, never pushed her to remember anything.

She suspected Doc had given them strict instructions to tread carefully with her from now on - he was afraid that continued stress could trigger another, more serious panic attack.

The Alpha finally paid her a visit a week after she had settled in at their house; another hundred-year-old building converted into a warm and cosy home. Although his arrival wasn't exclusively for her benefit, her heart beat faster when she saw him again and a heavy weight she hadn't realised she'd been carrying around with her, lifted.

The Beta family were hosting an autumnal barbeque lunch for many of the high-ranking wolves to say thank you for their continued 'services' within the pack.

"The socialites of the pack," Ophelia explained with a sigh. "We host regular get-togethers throughout the year. A few pack events," she scooped up an armful of hotdog buns, "graduation and initiation parties - "

Hannah deftly caught several of the escapees as Ophelia precariously made her way towards the large grills set up outside the house.

"Thank you dinners for the community, and so on." She dumped her load onto one of the trestle tables and relieved Hannah of the extra packs. "I usually enjoy it, but this one," Ophelia continued through gritted teeth, "Is one I can't wait to hand over to the Luna when she comes along!"

"Then why host it?" Hannah asked, her gaze wandering across the perfectly manicured lawn festooned with streamers, fairy lights and pretty garlands. Groups of picnic blankets were surrounded by deck chairs and comfy beanbags, a gentle autumn breeze the only sign that the seasons were changing.

"Because, it's expected." Ophelia grimaced, pinning down a pile of napkins with a couple of salt and pepper pots.

Several teachers and nurses were attending along with a selection of shop owners, high society misses and even the pack's resident seamstress. Ophelia did her best to fill the role of their missing Luna for the sake of the pack, but it was a difficult task that she hoped to relinquish sooner rather than later.

Hannah had been helping Ophelia set up in the garden most of the morning and they were nearly ready.

"Their Mates are all high ranking - those with Mates, of course," Ophelia filled her in as they worked. "Those without Mates come from high-ranking families. Most have made a play for our Alpha at least once in the last few years... pass me those glasses." She examined each of the wine glasses and high-balls critically, making sure they weren't smudged.

Hannah listened carefully. She'd seen a fair few wolves over the last few weeks. Between her brief residence at the pack house and those she'd come across during her wandering, she was beginning to get a feel for the pack's residents. But the barbeque would be the most exposure she'd had with the pack so far, and her first real introduction to the higher-ranking socialites. She wanted to learn all she could about these guests.

"Nearly half of all the invitees are high-society. In other words, I'd be hard pressed to name a single 'service' any of them have ever provided for the pack - unless you count their charity work, of course." Ophelia's tone suggested strongly that she didn't.

Every element of the preparations were overseen by Ophelia in some way as she quietly directed the Omega's in both the kitchen and garden, and Hannah admired her dedication to the pack; her hard work showing through even in the smallest of details.

The new Luna might not be keen to take over the planning and preparations when they were already handled so well, Hannah mused.

For someone normally so quiet and reserved, Ophelia took command of the event with the confidence of someone who'd had years of practice. Skilfully manuvering her daughter out of harms way, removing delicious smelling baked goods out of the oven and directing the others to various tasks all at the same time, and all without breaking a sweat.

Marcus, who had been conveniently busy with pack work all morning, arrived just in time to help prep the meat for the barbeque- the one element of the dinner, he was in complete charge of.

"I know, I know, I'm late," he apologised to his mate, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Training seems to run on longer and longer every day at the moment and then I had paperwork to catch up on" - Ophelia looked at him sceptically - "all so I could free up the entire afternoon to spend time with my beautiful family," he finished smoothly, shooting her an innocent smile and scooping Sophie up in a huge hug.

Ophelia laughed, shaking her head. "A man will always find paperwork to do when the alternative is housework," she winked at Hannah.

Marcus pouted. "I'm hurt," he whimpered mockingly as his daughter giggled in his arms. Spying the cupcakes straight from the oven he reached over to take one.

Ophelia smacked his hand with her spatula. "Don't you dare. Put your daughter down and help me prep all this meat you bought!"

"Yes, dear." Marcus waited until his mate's back was turned and quickly filched two of the small cakes, handing one to his still-giggling daughter and shoving the other one into his mouth in one go. When his wife turned around suspiciously he gave her an innocent smile and Hannah a slow wink.

Eager to enjoy the last hour of her freedom for the day and currently surplus to requirements, Hannah escaped to the garden to entertain Sophie, keeping the small child out from under her mother's feet as she finished the last of the preparations.

They had picked the perfect day for a barbeque. Although autumn was settling in quickly, today was bright and clear, the last of the summer sunshine forcing its way through the normally dull clouds creating a warm, inviting atmosphere in the sheltered gardens.

"I'm going to be a Beta one day," the little girl announced, her beautiful black hair dancing behind her in waves as she skipped in circles around Hannah.

"Like your mummy?" Hannah asked.

"No," she giggled. "Mummy is the Beta's mate, silly. I'm going to be a real Beta like my daddy. My mate will be off doing... something else," she loftily declared, picking up a stick and brandishing at Hannah. "En-Garde!"

Hannah snatched up a stick of her own and the two of them parried around one of the large oak trees - gleefully dancing over the exposed tree roots, the sticks thwaking against the broad trunk when they swung too wide.

Hannah couldn't deny that Sophie was adorable. She'd taken an instant liking to their new houseguest, and Hannah couldn't resist joining in with any game the youngster came up with.

"I thought Betas were usually boys?" Hannah asked, jumping over a high tree root.

"Only if my mummy has a baby brother," Sophie panted, clambering over the root and taking a big swing at Hannah's stick. She paused a moment. "I'd like a baby brother, one day."

Hannah ran out into the sunshine, throwing her stick on the ground in defeat.

Sophie crowed in delight and began a victory dance around the garden waving her stick in the air. The nearby Omegas smiled at them indulgently as they worked.

"If I can't be a Beta, I shall be a warrior," Sophie declared throwing herself down on one of the nearby blankets. "Guarding the borders and protecting the pack!"

"And what shall your mate be doing while you're busy protecting everyone?" Hannah teased, flopping down beside her.

Sophie thought about it, a tiny frown on her serious face. "He will be a warrior as well," she decided. "We'll protect the pack together."

"Good choice," Hannah murmured. She had no doubt that this little girl would grow up to be whatever she wanted to be, traditions be damned. They lay watching the passing clouds together until Ophelia called down to them from the house.

"Come on then, " said Hannah hesitantly, dreading the afternoon to come.

"They should behave themselves around you," Ophelia whispered doubtfully as the first guests began to arrive, "but I'll warn you, watch your back. These women have claws, even in human form... and they're not afraid to use them!"