Author's note

Sorry for the really long wait

Hope you like it

Speech_error

Chapter 20

"The pancakes were delicious, thank you Marilyn" I say as she takes my plate away. Cassidy was sitting next to me, still eating.

"Would you like anything else to eat Flicker"

"No, I'm fine but a glass of water would be great"

She nods and in an instant a glass of water is front of me, I take a sip,

"So where are my stupid moronic Alpha brothers this morning" she states matter of factly.

I splutter, choking on my water as I stare with her in shock, how could she call them that, I would probably be sent back to the cells. The thought sends a shiver down my spine.

"Are you okay" Cassidy asks as she places her hand on my arm in a comforting gesture.

Swallowing, I make sure the water has all gone,

"How can you say that", my voice drops to a whisper, "Won't you get in trouble"

"Maybe, they've always threatened but never actually went through with it"

She pauses for a moment, thinking of the possibility before she shakes her head clearing the thought.

"My brothers weren't always like this" Cassidy says, I look at her confused I can't imagine the two Alpha's being any different than they were now.

"You need to understand that their wolves play a significant part in their attitude and personality"

I'm about to interrupt but she places her hand up and I close my mouth.

"Up until the age of fifteen, I looked up to my brothers, admired them even" she pauses for a moment a faint smile playing on her lips as she remembers. "But that all changed when Dad and Mum backed down from their position as Alpha and Luna, their wolves became entirely dominant.

Her face falls and she avoids eye contact with me, instead staring at her half-eaten plate of pancakes.

"My brothers, wait no" she pauses shaking her head, "their wolves Jake and Ryder, wanted me to obey their every command, like I was some lowly servant she-wolf instead of their sister" She sighs , playing with the pancakes on her plate.

"The rest of the pack were happy to obey their every whim, they were their new Alpha's, but I don't know, I guess I expected a different type of leadership under my brothers, I expected them to show compassion and mercy. Instead they rule by inciting fear and terror. It's why we're the strongest pack in America, it why no one dares to challenge their authority.

Cassidy looks up at me, meeting my gaze, "All I'm saying Flicker is that Jake and Connor are actually decent mates, but it's their wolves that are possessive, their wolves control them. I'm asking as our new Luna, if you can try and change that, if you can try and prevent their wolves from taking complete control.

I'm about to reply, when I hear a rush of feet coming down the stairs.

"Flicker's escaped again, we're going out to find her" Jake shouts from the stairs the anger and irritation barely concealed in his voice.

I'm about to hop off my stool and find them but they already entered the kitchen. The two Alpha's don't notice me at first, too caught up in their thoughts, an angry and almost dangerous look swept across their faces.

I feel my energy increasing with just their presence, sometimes I couldn't believe the way they affected me.

"She's right here you morons" Cassidy announces and once again I'm under their intense scrutiny.

They're still breathing heavily as their onyx coloured eyes pierce mine before gazing over my body.

I slowly push myself off the chair as I approach the two alpha's like a person would approach a stray dog, slowly carefully and cautiously.

"I would never leave you" I say softy, as I place hand on their bare chests. I can feel their heart beating strong and hard, but it begins to slow under my touch.

"No you're never leaving us" Connor says relieved. I gaze up at Jake and he's stoic as always but the relief is evident in his eyes.

They both step forward enveloping me in a big hug, cocooned in their warmth a strange feeling spreads over me, surprisingly I feel safe trapped within their arms.

As they release me I've noticed that Marilyn and Cassidy have both left the room.

"Please Flicker, always tell us where your going. Shit" Connor says running his hands through his bed hair. "We'd thought you'd escaped again"

He slides onto the stool and I notice the two bowls of cereal, Marilyn must've made them breakfast.

An easy silence settles in the room as the two Alpha's start eating.

"How would you feel with a morning stroll" Jake asks

My heart skips a beat at the thought of being alone with the two Alpha's, but I promised myself that I would try, if I was staying here forever I would eventually need to trust them.

"That would be lovely thank you Alpha" I reply cordially

"Flicker" Jake says gripping my hand, I freeze suddenly petrified as I will my heart to slow down. He notices my spiked heart rate and releases my hand but I don't miss the look of disappointment that flashes across his face.

I really need to get a grip on my emotions.

"You don't need to call us Alpha, or bow your head or look us in the eye or none of that nonsense. We were wrong before to treat you like that to demand that of you. We are..

"Stop, please just stop" I interrupt him," It wasn't you, it was your wolves"

The Alpha's look at me in shock,

"You're right Flicker" Connor states a small smile forming on his face but his blue eyes were still shrouded with sadness. "But they're our wolves and we should've made more of an effort to stop them"

"We'd like to think that too Flicker" Connor states his face downcast, he won't look me in the eye. "But it's just an excuse, we allowed our wolves to control us" Connor takes my hand between his two, he finally looks at me with his eyes still clouded with such sadness."We're just as much responsible for what happened Flicker, we're so so sorry"

I raise my other hand telling Connor to stop but he just ignores it,

"We will both" he quickly glances at Jakes who nods in return, "Both be apologising until one day we earn your forgiveness and trust"

I am struck speechless, I didn't expect this sudden outburst or change of heart. My conscious tells me that they're playing with me, that this is all part of some elaborate game to make me fall in love with them so they could hurt me again, but Connor seemed so genuine, so regretful and guilty of his mistakes. I didn't think they were using me but until I knew for sure I would need to guard me heart"

"Thank you but if you truly respect me, please let me call you Alpha. I would feel more comfortable"

This is second time they've both apologised to me, I was finding it more and more difficult to find things to hate about them

"Okay Flicker" Jake says and I turn to look at him, he doesn't seem saddened by my request but I wasn't sure, he was good at hiding his emotions.

The kitchen descends into silence again and once again I begin to feel strangely at ease with the two Alpha's. Before it begins to get awkward I jump off my stool,

"How about that walk then"

.......

We had only been walking for a few minutes and I was already feeling tired despite having the two Alpha's close to me. However I'd refused to tell them, we'd be back home in a heart beat with me resting on the couch for the rest of the day.

I was enjoying myself out here, it was nice to be away from the house.

"So tell us about your childhood" Connor asks me out of the blue

"Why do you want to know" I question

"We just want to know everything about our precious mate, is that a problem" Jake asks

Even though the question was phrased innocently, I could still hear the underlying threat in his words.

I'm about to start explaining when Jake stops, he gently pulls my hands into his,

"I'm sorry Flicker, I didn't mean it like that, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to"

He releases my hand and I strangely feel bereft at the loss of contact. We start walking again and I'm only plunged into more confusion, Jake's mood changed so quickly, from demanding to soft and caring I didn't understand it but it only proved that they were trying to change for me.

"There's not much to tell" I say surprising the two Alpha's. " I have three over protective brothers, Andrew, Daniel and Harry, they're really over protective, I couldn't go anywhere without any one of them tailing me"

"I'm glad" Connor says "No harm should come to our mate"

I roll my eyes but freeze in fear when Connor catches me, I wait for the yelling the pain and maybe the death sentence but Connor just gives me a small smile, he grabs my hand pulling me along.

He leans in and whispers in my ear,

"Flicker we will never hurt you again"

His breath sends goosebumps down my arm, I almost don't want him to pull away.

"So you were telling us about your brothers, what about your parents" Connor carries on as if nothing happened

"My Father is still the Alpha of the pack but I expect him to give the position to Andrew in a few years"

"And your Mother" Jake presses

I don't respond immediately, I can't, I won't breakdown in front of the Alpha's, I really need Emma to help me explain this"

"My Mother was killed by rogues a few years ago"

"Oh Flicker I'm so sorry" Connor says placing a comforting hand on my shoulder

"Life was never the same again, my Dad fell into depression, security increased no one was allowed out of the pack, Dad went out month after month killing every rogue in sight, innocent or not. The only person that got me through it was Ky...."

I stop myself before I blurt out his name, it wouldn't end well if I said his name, I know that they promised that they wouldn't hurt me but jealously did weird things to people, they never promised to not hurt Kyle.

"Who helped you Flicker" Jake asks, his voice is not laced with anger or jealously but I don't want to risk it.

"Nobody" Jake sends me a look and I know that they will continue to interrogate me unless I provide them with the name. Connor starts to say something but I quickly interrupt,

"I'm sorry I'm feeling really tired, I don't think I can walk anymore can one of you carry me back to the pack house"

"Of course I can" Jake says swooping me up into his arms without a second to delay.

I breathe a small sigh of relief as Jake and Connor begin a conversation, crisis avoided I think to myself as I let my eyes drop taking comfort in Jake's arms.