Neema stormed into Khan's room the next day with a book in her hand and a swagger in her step. Lara's words had given her the encouragement she needed, Khan was not going to know what hit him.

His squinty eyes were proof of that. He was still in bed, his curly hair knotted around his face as he slept bare chested. Pillows were splayed on the floor and the sheets were dangling around his torso. She was glad he didn't sleep well. Marching over to the window she opened the curtains. The sharp sunlight having its desired affect.

Khan shot up in bed. His eyes surrounded by deep bags. He looked like death.

"So Khan, I have come to a conclusion about our situation. I have had a little think and my sister has given me some sound advice." Was Neema's opening sentence as she cut to the chase and got straight down to facts. Waving the heavy book in her hand she continued her one sided discussion.

"Sit up Khan, you might want to pay attention to this bit" she ordered.

Stopping her waving of the book until he did what she had told him to. His strong bare arms were folded across his chest as he leaned against the headboard. His sharp focus on Neema driving her determination even more.

Flipping open the book to the page she needed she read him a short extract, to prepare him for her decision.

"Page 349: Law 122, section 5, under the creed of the Wolfen brethren. 'If a mated wolf impregnates a female who is not his intended mate, said mate can annul the bond AND can mate with another male'. I am said mate Khan. In case you didn't know."

Her mouth tipping up in condescension. It was a bit early in the morning so she was sure he did not quite understand what she was saying.

"I'm going to break it down for you. When I give birth to your child I am going to annul our mating... As is my right and then if I feel like it, I will get married and give my new mate a room full of babies" she taunted.

None of her words were a joke, she was one hundred percent serious. His laws gave her rights and she would exercise every single one of them.

Khan climbed out of bed as he charged toward her, his frame was shaking with the struggle to maintain his shift. Not only had she left him alone all night which made sleep impossible for him but she now woke him with words of annulment. Storming into their room at ungodly hours and talking about babies and future husbands.

"YOU ARE MINE! No man will give you pups but me! You won't be raising my children with anyone but me!" he bellowed. His nose poking her face as he leant into her. His fingers digging into her shoulders as he dragged her body towards him.

"Well according to your laws, under section 8, 'A female mate can raise her pup without her mate if an annulment takes place. The female must remain under the same compound and not re-mate until the pup reaches training age.' Which I checked is 6."

Her eyebrows were challenging him to try and dispute these laws. As a descendant of the Wolfen Brethren and soon to be Regional Alpha Khan had to have known these rules. The downtrodden expression on his face told her as much.

"I'm only 22, I don't mind waiting until I'm 28 to have a new mate, I might not even need one" she continued, her words rubbing salt into an already open and blistering wound.

Khan gripped Neema by her hair and forced her mouth to his. His free hand wrapping around her body as he dragged her towards the bed. The heavy book in her hand clattered to the floor as he forcefully manoeuvred her body. It was a desperate measure but Khan couldn't bare to be without Neema.

Neema did not want to stop kissing him, the taste of his lips was so addictive and the plunging of his tongue reminded her of all they could of had. It also reminded her of what they had lost because of him. It was enough to clear her mind from the euphoria of his kisses.

Reaching down into her pocket she pulled out that fateful knife, the blade still tainted with the wolfsbane poison. She quickly nicked his shoulder forcing him to release her body.

Panting over her knees she shot him her trademark glare. The glare missing him as he examined his bleeding chest.

Rising to her full height Neema dusted off her clothes and fixed herself up as she made her way to the door. Stopping before she reached the handle she turned back around to face him. The small blade waved in her hand as she pointed at him, her body language condescending

"Now that we have that sorted, you should really mark Leslie. People are bound to think she's not yours," she finalised as she yanked the door open and crossed through the threshold.

"On a final note, get that wound checked out. We don't want a repeat."

She threw over her shoulder as she closed the bedroom door. Leaving an angry and confused Khan in her wake.

She was purposely avoiding him. Before she entered the room she made sure Khan wasn't in their by sending one of the kids, mostly Jana because Caillum would ask questions. She had managed to escape him for a couple of hours, but she knew soon he would come to help train Caillum and then she would be stuck in his presence. Also they were moving to his compound in a couple of days. She would be stuck in his company for however long it took to travel and then when she got there she would be completely isolated. It was so unjust.

Neema placed her head along the wall as she sat on one of the mats to the side of the room as she watched Caillum and Carson play fighting. Her little sister was curls in a ball on her lap as she had her afternoon nap and Lara sat beside her, the twins Delilah and Dareen were also training as they were 7 and at the correct age to learn. Ellie was also tuckered out on Lara's nap, her 4 -year-old body unable to take all the excitement without a little break. Plus, if her new best friend Jana was sleeping then she would be sleeping too.

The two little cousins who were similar in age had become the closest in the short time they had known each other, Jana finally had a friend as loud and bubbly as her. Together they got up to hellish things. It reminded Neema of her and Lara when they were little. The age gap between then was only two years, so as soon as she could walk she was following Lara around like a little puppy. Lara loved the company and someone to take care of.

Their circumstances had changed but the two easily slid back into these roles. Neema wasn't so much the puppy, but Lara was definitely the mothering type. Between the two Lara was the caregiver while Neema was the stronger, when their parents had been taken Neema had been the hunter and provider for their family while Lara was the nurturer.

"So you're telling me he didn't react when he found out you're pregnant" queried an incredulous Lara. She just couldn't understand how it was even possible that a wolf who was so interested in creating heirs wouldn't react so excitedly.

"He reacted alright, but it was like me being pregnant went above his head. He was only focussing on this new and invisible mate I have."

His reaction to the news of her pregnancy was so calm she wasn't sure if he had even taken in the news. He had been way too concerned with reaffirming his possession over her, which had failed. Her promise of annulment had only angered him more meaning that all that pregnancy talk was not even absorbed. Once the words sunk in though, Neema would be stuck in the middle of a war.

He would be livid and she really didn't want to have to cut him anymore then she already had. Even though he wasn't worthy of her she hated having to scar his skin now. At first it was an eye for an eye. He scarred her so she scarred him but now she would be tormenting him for the emotional pain he caused her. She wasn't blind to his pain. Khan was suffering too but it was his of his own making and not hers. No sympathy would be given to wolf who had ripped out what remained of her heart for the sake of what hung between his legs.

"I'm not surprised, if I even mentioned another unmated male to Ferron he would go crazy"

Alpha's possessiveness was uncanny, a mention of another single make was like a sign of infidelity or a challenge to them. When that happened, there wasn't much you could do. Neema had never met a female alpha before but she had heard they were just the same. It was like alphas had some sort of obsession to their mates. It was scary and thrilling at the same time.

"Why would Ferron go crazy?" Rumbled a deep voice above them. Lara's mate had sneaked up on them and only caught the last little snippet of their conversation. His thick arms were folded across his broad chest as he waited for Lara's answer.

"What are you doing here?"

She completely avoided the question, because even a mention of what they were talking about would get him worked up. Maybe not as much as if she were to say a name but he would still be tense and angry. Then she would have to talk him down from his rage, it was just a long process that she had no time for.

"There will be a fighting competition, I'm here to watch and judge" he declared.

Neither of the sisters knew about the competition but it suddenly made sense why the training area was so cramped with people. Wolves were practicing before they started the competition and many were here to watch. There was one large mat in the middle of the floor and most of the others had been pushed along the walls. Helpers came in with chairs and started arranging them around the mats. They were placed further away from the mat for precautionary reasons, wolf fights were known to get vicious fast.

"What's the prize?" Neema asked. There couldn't be a real competition if there wasn't some sort of consolation prize. The winner had to get something.

"The top 10 fighters will get a place in Khan and your new pack, it's an honour to reside in the compound of a Regional Alpha. That's why there are so many."

There was no surprise that this match had something to do with Khan or the fact that she had not been told about it. She was his mate in name but not in action, this was just another confirmation of that.

"How do you decide?" Lara was just as curious as Neema, she had been with Ferron for around a year and she had never witnessed a fighting competing. The two sisters were both in new territory.

"The fighters get split into 4 groups. The top 5 of each group will compete with each other. Each station has two judges until the 5 winners were found and then they take it to the main mat where the chairs are".

The training area was an impossibly large room for a smart reason. Yet Neema felt that it was appearing to be too small for the activities they wished to take place. The chairs would have to be taken out of the room until after the first round took place. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough room.

"Are we witnessing the top 20 fighters then?"

The matches would be going on for ever if that was the case. 10 separate matches to determine who would and wouldn't be coming to khan's new pack and her new prison.

"Yes and they are about to start, so come and take a seat. The kids are already seated" urged Ferron as he picked up a sleeping Ellie and Jana from both of their laps and headed through the crowd. Neema and Lara quick on on his heal as Ferron's big frame cleared a way though the leery crowd.

"Is this okay for children to watch" mumbled Lara as she took a seat by the children. Taking Jana from his arms.

"It's fine, Dareen and Delilah have already seen one or two. It doesn't get too bloody" he whispered as a hush settled over the room. People had already taken up the vacant seats. Everyone else was huddled around the chairs to get a better view. A small gap left to their right as people began heading in.

Khan's father, Nathaniel lead the Warriors through the crowd and onto the mat. The 20 men forming two straight lines behind him. Their chest's were bare from any tops as were their feet from shoes.

"Today, these men stand before me to fight for their place in the soon to be Regional Alpha's pack. They will fight until 10 stand before us, victorious."