Trigger warning: there is mention of sexual harassment in this chapter.

————————————————————————

*Annabelle's POV*

Dinner went smoothly. We went out to a diner and the food was great. Will and Adam hit it off pretty well, but the conversation was dominated by Isa and I. After dinner Isa and Will went back to their hotel room. They would be back tomorrow to hang out.

"I'm home." I mumbled as I opened the door to our apartment.

Adam chuckled behind me.

I smiled at him as I walked into the living room. "So, what did you think of my sister?" I asked.

"She's great. You two are very alike. It was a surprise that she's mated." Adam said.

I nodded, "I would have never imagined. A Beta too, I'm so proud of her." I tilted my head to Adam, "It sounded like you and Will managed to hit things off?"

Adam smiled, "Yeah, Alpha's and Beta's are often easy to talk with because we relate on a lot of things. Besides, we each have one of the Carter twins as our mates so that's a good thing as well." He said with a grin as he walked up to me and hugged me.

I giggled and placed my head on his shoulder, basking in the warmth Adam was giving me. I sighed as I thought about the day. I was so excited to see my sister again. She meant the world to me. She always helps me out. Always knows what to say. Like during our talk this afternoon. Speaking of which...

"Adam?" Adam hummed in response, "C-can we talk about something?" I managed to ask.

There, I started the conversation. No going back now Anna.

Adam broke our hug and looked at me with a confused frown on his face, "Sure? What do you want to talk about."

I opened my mouth to start talking, only to completely forget what I was about to say. How do I start this? How do I even bring this up?

Adam gently grabbed my cheek and looked at me, "What's wrong Anna?" He asked in a soft but concerned voice.

I decided to walk over to the couch to sit down, Adam followed and sat down next to me.

"When you got angry at Gamma Tim, was it because he touched me or because of something more?" I decided to ask, remembering what Isa asked me this afternoon.

Adam frowned, "Anna, I told you I don't want to be that possessi-"

"It's fine. That's not what this is about! Just answer the question, please." I pleaded.

Adam looked at me for a moment before sighing and placing a hand in his hair, "It wasn't because he was touching you. You looked terrified, that is what threw me off."

I couldn't help but smile, so he did notice. My smile confused Adam, "I assume that was the right answer?"

I nodded, "Yes. I uh... there is a reason why it freaked me out so much. That's what I want to talk about."

"If I have to hunt the idiot down I wil-"

"Not with the Gamma! It's something that happened in my past. The situation that happened a week ago just reminded me of it." I told him.

Adam blinked, "Ok?"

I took a deep breath, "During my first year of college I got my first boyfriend." I could see Adam's jaw clench instantly, but I continued, "Up till that point it had always been me and Isa, so I never had the time for boys. When we went our separate ways in college that changed."

"He was a gentleman at first. Always kind and giving me gifts and stuff. I was pretty happy."

Adam shifted in his seat, probably wondering where this was going.

"After a few months, he wanted to go a step further. He wanted to start having sex. I wasn't ready." I sighed, "At first he respected my decision, but as time went along he started to become frustrated. He started thinking I wasn't in love with him, or that I was cheating on him or something."

I let out another shaky breath, feeling the tears reach my eyes, "One night, he tried to force me." My voice broke halfway through my sentence. Adam didn't waste a second and picked me up and placed me in his lap.

I relished in the warmth and comfort, letting it give me the extra courage I needed, "I fought back, of course, and in the end he just left. After that we broke up, but ever since then I've been really wary of that."

"You're afraid Cade and I will do anything without your consent." Adam seemed to get the initial message.

"I can't help it. I trust you, I really do! I feel so safe when you're near, and I know you keep saying that you'll wait. It's just so scary to me. I'm so scared that you'll lose control or something, and I know that if you lose control you can't help it either but I just-" I sucked in a breath as I tried desperately to hold back tears.

Adam hugged me closer, "I'm so sorry you have been feeling that way. I know we talk a lot about control, and that being an Alpha makes that more difficult." Adam placed a kiss on my temple, "But Anna, I don't want you to think we would ever do something like that. We will never force you into anything, especially now that we know this."

Adam started to softly run a hand across my back to calm me down, "I've trained 26 years for control, I promise you I will never let it snap for that kind of reason. Cade is whimpering in the back of my mind right now because he feels so bad for ever suggesting marking you in the first place. We don't want to hurt you. We can't hurt you. And we will never force you into anything you're not ready for."

He broke the hug and looked at me, "I don't care if I have to wait years before I get to mark you. I don't care if there will be years between the mark and us mating. We will wait until you are ready. We promise you that." He spoke softly, yet determined.

I let out a shaky breath as tears were rolling down my face, "You really promise?"

Adam nodded, "We promise."

I hugged him close, "I'm so sorry. I really don't want you to think I don't trust you. I do, I really do I-"

"Shhhh," Adam shushed me, "It's ok. We understand Anna." Adam brushed away my tears with his thumb. After that he pulled me back into his chest and I continued crying until I eventually fell asleep in his arms.

---

The next morning I woke up in my bed. I frowned and looked around me, Adam was nowhere to be seen. I got out of bed and walked towards the living room. Adam wasn't there either.

After checking all the rooms in the house I started panicking. Did he leave me? Did he reject me for what happened yesterday. Tears started to well up in my eyes once again as I started breathing heavily.

The front door opened and Adam walked in, freezing when he saw me crying. "I-I thought you left." I managed to say.

Adam immediately dropped the bag he had in his hands and engulfed me in a hug, "Never, Anna. We're never leaving you. I'm sorry sweetheart. We were just getting something. Don't cry Anna, please." He comforted me.

I took some deep breaths and managed to keep myself together, "What did you get?" I said trying to distract myself from my own mental breakdown.

Adam slowly let me go to grab the bag, keeping his eyes on me as if to reassure me he was staying. He handed me a plastic bag.

I looked inside and got out a necklace. There was a vial attached to it and it seemed almost as if the top of the vial had a needle stuck into it. I frowned and looked up at Adam.

"The stuff in there is pure silver. It's a werewolf's weakness." Adam explained.

My frown deepened, "Why did you get that?"

Adam walked up to me and grabbed my hand, careful to avoid the vial, "I promised you we'd never do anything against your will and we swear we will keep ourselves to that promise. But if I or any other werewolf ever touches you inappropriately or if you are being attacked, injecting a werewolf with that will knock them out in seconds."

My eyes widened. "I can't use that on you!"

"You can if I ever do anything you don't like me doing." Adam spoke sternly. "It won't kill, it will just knock us out for a few hours."

I let out a shaky breath as I carefully opened the vial, Adam took a step back. The needle was indeed dipped in silver as I took it out. It seemed as if I could use it multiple times. I looked at him, "Injecting this into your body will knock you out?"

Adam nodded, "It's nasty stuff. Hurts like a bitch too."

I blinked and closed the vial again, before hanging it around my neck, "Why give this to me?"

"I want you to feel safe with me Anna. Safe with us. I can promise you the world but I know it will be hard for you to believe. I hope that this way you'll feel a little safer around us. Knowing that there is a way to stop us if ever need be." Adam explained.

I sighed and walked over to him. I hugged him and Adam immediately placed his hands around my body, "I do trust you Adam. I've never felt as safe as I do with you. I know you won't hurt me, it's just a mind block that I have left from the past. I trust you with my everything I have. My body, my soul, my life." I told him honestly.

Adam tightened his grip around me, "Thank you. You mean the world to us sweetheart, we trust you with everything we have too."

"Thank you for this though," I spoke as I looked up to Adam, "Thank you for trying to reassure me."

It felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders now that I told Adam. He was so gentle and caring. He didn't judge, or even get angry. I was sure he would at least get angry at my ex. But he managed to stay calm and comfort me. He just held me and reassured me. I couldn't be more grateful.

Adam truly means the world to me. I already knew for a while that I couldn't live without him anymore, but last night just confirmed that. I think... I think I love him. I feel so strongly for him, that must be love, right?

Adam squeezed me, "You should probably get ready for today. Your sister and her mate will be here in 30 minutes."

I nodded, "Probably smart."

Adam smiled at me, "I'll go make breakfast for you."

I nodded again and stood up on my toes to kiss him. It was a soft kiss, incredibly gentle. It reminded me of the first kiss Cade gave me. It was as if we were both trying to show each other how much they meant to us. To pour in all our love in a single soft kiss.

When we broke away I smiled at him and Adam chuckled, before we both went to do our tasks.

When I got out of the shower I cringed at my appearance. My eyes were red and puffy from crying so much, and I generally looked like a wreck. Great.

After eating breakfast the bell rung and I dashed off to the front door.

As soon as I opened I saw Isa give me a sad smile, "Oh babe, come here." She mumbled as she engulfed me in a hug.

I felt the tears resurface but managed to keep them in. "I'm ok."

"So I don't have to kill anyone?" Isa asked and I could hear the grin in her voice.

I shook my head, "No, I'm so happy with Adam." I whispered even though I knew he would be able to hear me clearly.

Isa patted my back, "I told you talking to your mate would solve everything."

"You always know the right thing to do." I said with a chuckle.

We broke the hug and I awkwardly greeted Will, who was staring at us in confusion but thankfully didn't ask. Isa was in front of Adam thanking him and Adam just nodded and told my sister he would do anything for me.

Isa then turned around and pointed a finger at me, all her seriousness and sadness gone, "Ok! We are going to make this the best 'cheer Anna up day' ever made!" She exclaimed.

"Are we ready?" she yelled.

No one responded.

"I SAID ARE WE READY?" Isa yelled louder this time.

"Yes ma'am."

"Aye Aye Captain!"

"Yes."

"OK LET'S DO THIS!"

————————————————————————

Thanks for reading!