I started following Tim out to the hallway, noticing that Milo's wolf was gone from the room. That must have been the extra footsteps.

Leonardo walked us outside and across the lot to Milo's mansion.

I looked up over the three-story home. The place was quite familiar. Red brick and balconies at every level. Lots of windows and pillars holding up a slanted roof at the entrance. It was my home for two weeks. I looked to the woodsy area that started right at the backyard and cringed. And that's where the two weeks had ended.

Leonardo guided us inside, the room opening up wide to a magnificent grand staircase and largely stuffed couches all around. We moved towards the left wing and to the formal dining room.

The room was gorgeous. Dark reds in kingly patterns adorned the walls and three large chandeliers hung over the long rectangular table. Places set in golds were at one end and we all started that way, choosing chairs. Adam held mine out and I winked at him before he sat down beside me.

We stared as Timothy danced between two seats and Nate laughed. "Take the table head, Boy. You'll have to learn eventually."

Tim went slightly pink and then sat at the end in Milo's usual seat.

Nate smirked to him. "Now you welcome us all to your home and say how you hope we've had a pleasant journey here."

Tim laughed nervously. "Welcome to the home, but I think we'll pass over the journey here."

Nate sat against his padded chairback smirking. "Good call."

A servant dressed in all black came and set out colorful salads in front of us.

Tim gave a thoughtful look to his plate, then looked up to Adam curiously. "Why'd you reject my sister?"

I bristled.

Adam's hand came to my thigh to calm. "I'm very sorry about taking your sister from you, Alpha Junior Timothy."

Tim shrugged sad. "I know. But I guess you made up for it though?"

Adam nodded. "We went through the forgiveness ceremony."

Tim looked up to me taking a smiling bite. "I'm glad you forgave him. He's a good protector." His eyes turned to Adam. "You were crazy scary at Elise's cake drop."

I speared some of my salad looking to Adam. "Did you harass poor Tim from the bushes?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

Nate laughed. "And he hadn't even admitted any feelings for her by then."

I put my nose in the air and hmphed. "But I had my suspicions."

Nate hit against my arm making my fork clamber down to the plate. "You had your suspicions about me too. Let's not forget that."

"Hey." I grabbed my fork back and held it up menacingly pointed at him. "You had your suspicions about Tim and me, now who looks stupid!"

Tim sat back in his chair in disgust. "Whoa dude. Me and my sister?"

Nate laughed, eating another bite. "Sorry Alpha. Didn't know the backstory. Just that she knew everything about wolves. Thought that was the reason she was told."

Tim chuckled. "I guess I can see how that would sound. And you guys can just call me Tim."

Nate nodded.

The second course arrived, and I stared at the fancy chicken dish.

Tim went serious again. "Sorry about your farm Elise. And your grandparents."

I sighed and went back to my plate. "They weren't really my grandparents."

"But you thought they were. Dad shouldn't have done that."

I cut a piece off. "He shouldn't have killed your mom either."

"Our mom."

"Right." It felt so weird to think that again they were my family. I should belong here. What if I had lived here all along? I looked around at the patterned design to the walls. Would it feel normal if I had been here for years?

"It was the cake," Tim commented softly.

"What was?"

"Dad didn't know his own strength." He looked up to me. "You know whatever you do to cakes to make it better for us."

I nodded. "Oh."

He continued, cutting up his chicken. "He didn't expect to be so strong. That's why he hurt her so bad."

I realized. "That was the first time a werewolf had my cake. That's how he knew what would happen when he ordered other cakes later." I could almost imagine my towering purple birthday cake at the center of this very table. "The cooks made me a sixteenth birthday cake the night I got here. It was lovely and big but tasted so plain. I made up my honeycake for the night of my changing like a celebration treat. I didn't know what it did at the time either." I put my fork down and my hands fell to my lap. "Then it's my fault mom died."

Adam's hands were around mine. "It's not your fault Elise."

"No," Tim agreed. "Of course not. Dad was the one who went crazy. You didn't know."

"No," Adam spoke to Tim. "If anything, this all is my fault. I should not have been so weak when I first met Elise."

"Stop," Nate complained. "It happened. It's in the past. We're all here where we need to be now."

We all quieted down.

But a few minutes later Timothy started snickering into his drink goblet.

We looked to him in question.

"And Dad is in the infirmary with a baneknife by his own daughter's doing. Bet he never expected that."

I started giggling. "Well, I didn't expect it either."

Nate smirked. "We should not be laughing. Those things effing sting."

But it only made us laugh more. Maybe it was just the nerves.

I moved the fingers of my right hand around. The tingles and stiffness were almost gone. I still couldn't decide if I did feel the stiffness the other night and shock had covered it, or if I only felt them now because of the new mantle.

"Hey Tim," Nate called.

"Yeah?"

Nate smirked my way. "How did you like Elise's smoothies?"

Tim's face twisted into horror like I had one ready and held out to him. "I'm not doing it!"

Nate laughed. "So you've tried them?"

He gulped. "Yes. And I'm not committing to any dare."

"No Man. I've tried them. I wouldn't feed one to your dad."

Adam and I laughed, but Tim just nodded as if realizing something. "Oh, yeah. That would make sense with how you all were fighting." Tim then put his fork down. "I can't eat any more. Just thinking of those smoothies." He shivered.

"Hey!" I complained. "They weren't that bad!" I laughed again.

Tim and Nate shared a moment and then turned to me. They both said, "Yes. They were."

The dessert course came through. Some crème bruleed pudding thing.

I took mine and licked off a spoonful. "Fine. You two keep complaining. I'm going to hide smoothie mousse in your next cake."

Nate leaned into my face threateningly, all playfulness lost from his tightened blazing features. His words were calculated. "Don't you dare, Elise."

I leaned back against Adam, frightened of Nate's full Alpha presence at me. "Okay," I whispered smally.

Nate's presence then instantly switched to teasing and kissed my forehead quick. "Better not." He sat back on his chair and laughed at Adam's stern scowl.

I could sense he was just play acting angry now, but dang that was still a bit scary.

Tim's eyes traveled between us uncomprehendingly. "What was that?"

Nate took a spoonful of his dessert. "What was what?"

He pointed at me. "Kissing my sister in front of her mate?"

"Oh!" Nate chuckled in understanding and then tossed his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. "Me and Elise here had chemistry way before Adam was on the table." He planted a sloppy kiss to my cheek. "I even got the first date."

I snickered and pushed him off. "One date Wolverine."

"She owes me another."

Adam's arms came around, pulling me clear onto his lap. "She does not."

Tim grinned. "So it was what the waitress said then? You started with Alpha Nate? Weird."

I shrugged and punched Nate's arm. "Just for like a day. But if he hadn't asked for my number, Mr. Thinks-I'm-a-Weakling would have never stepped up." Nate and Timothy burst out laughing, and I twisted to see them looking to Adam's sullen face. It was pretty cute. I kissed his cheek. "Sorry, but you wouldn't have."

Nate ruffled at Adam's hair. "I knew I saw something in her."

Adam shoved his hand away, and finger combed his hair back to place. "You just took her as a challenge when Jeff struck out."

I whacked Nate's arm in surprise. "You did not."

He shrugged.

My eyes went wide. "Rude!" I punched him again.

"Adam, if I hadn't taken her on as a challenge you wouldn't have that pretty girl in your lap."

I twisted around and hugged into Adam's chest. His arms tightened around me. I was honestly a little annoyed that I was just some kind of bet, even if it did land us all here.

"Oh Elise," Nate started. "Come on. I'm sorry. You know I think you're beautiful."

"No. Go away." I mumbled through Adam's shirt.

"I'm sorry. I did want to prove Jeff wrong, but then I saw your pretty face and knew you were special. I knew you were meant for our pack. I didn't give up right? You did take six hundred dollars off me. Doesn't that say anything?"

"Whoa Alpha!" Tim laughed. "What do you mean, six hundred dollars?"

Nate chuckled and retold the story while plates got cleaned up around us. When he finished, he touched down my back. "Come out Elise. I can give you another hundred?"

I smirked and untangled myself from Adam. I punched Nate again. At least he pretended to flinch this time. "No."

He tilted his head. "I'm sorry I offended you, Elise. But I can't say that I think you are so beautiful that I want to kiss you right now. Adam would have my head."

"Yes, I would," Adam growled in earnest and sent a kick to Nate's chair.

I giggled. "Oooh. How about we tell that story too?"

"No. We're done now." Adam picked me up and carried me into the hall.

I laughed and called back to the dining room. "Nate alpha commanded me to kiss him, but BOOM I fought it and kissed Adam instead! It was amazing!"

Adam rumbled a low sound and it turned to laughter. "You meant that kiss."

He started for the outside doors, Leonardo awaiting, but I pointed toward the stairs. "Can I go see my old room?"

"Do we have to?" He asked patiently.

"Yes," Nate's voice spoke from behind us.

"Yes," I echoed.

"I want to see the pink fluffy room," Nate laughed.

"It's not fluffy."

Adam started climbing stairs, not one sliver of problem with me in his arms.

"Should you be carrying me when you have cuts all over?" I asked, moving my hand more delicately over his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he winked at me, using my own words against him. It poured warmth into my stomach.

I giggled and squished my face up all grumpy and mocked him back, "You keep saying that! You're still lying!"

He gave a lopsided grin and easily stepped out on the landing.

I pointed to the other wing. "That way. All the way to the end on the right."

He started that way. And suddenly Leonardo was out in front of us, a key at the door. "Your old room, Mistress Elise."

I wasn't sure what to expect, but definitely not that it had laid completely untouched since my sixteen year old visit. It was like they'd never even stepped into the room since. Dust covered every shelf and surface in a thick layer. The book at my nightstand still open to the page I was reading that day.

"It is pink," Nate laughed.

I gazed around the suite, the light pink of the walls very similar to what I color I dye my frosting. A giant bay window rose to the back where I remembered reading all those werewolf books Milo handed to me in a stack on the first day. A white clawed foot dresser and vanity with golden trim. The ornate oval mirror where I did my makeup and practiced my mean werewolf face. The large canopy bed still made with too many pillows and a wolf teddy bear situated in the middle that Timothy gave me for my birthday. The wolf looked disorderly from the room, and I moved from Adam's arms enough that he placed me down.

I inched to it and grabbed the wolf doll, noticing the bed had a slight divot in the comforter where someone had sat many times.

Tim came up beside me and sat in the press in the comforter. "No one was allowed in here. But sometimes I snuck in here and held the wolf whenever I really missed you. Dad never would let anyone talk about you, but I'd see him stand in front of this door sometimes too. Maybe he's always known too."

I put the wolf down and hugged my brother. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

He stood and squeezed me back. "I know why you couldn't be. I made it a point that I wanted your cake for every celebration just so I could see you. It was the only excuse I could make that he'd allow. I think sometimes he followed me and saw you from afar."

I pulled back and shook my head. "No. I doubt it. He didn't care about me after that full moon."

Tim's eyes got wide. "You weren't there, Lee. He always had a fit if he heard even a whisper about you. He kept looking through all the packs to find his daughter, but he still acted like you were her."

My face scrunched in a strange fondness. "Well, that's nice I suppose."

"He's watched out for you. He's even killed four rouges over the years that have gotten too close to you."

"What do you mean?"

He looked around like it was a secret. "The first time you were like seventeen and there was a rogue that followed..." he then looked at Adam and backtracked. "Oh well, uh, he didn't have good intentions. Dad disposed of him before you knew anything."

"That's spooky," I said nervously. I'd been hit on plenty at the diner. Was it any of them that got hurt? Probably.

Nate's voice cut through the heavy air. "Found it!" We all turned to his voice at my closet. He was holding up some pink frilly dress. "Found the fluffy pink stuff."

"Oh my gosh!" I laughed. "That's still here? It was a dress I wore to a seventh grade dance." I stepped over to the closet and rummaged through the few clothing pieces hung up. Too bad I didn't have a sixteen-year-old body anymore. Would be nice to have some extra clothes of mine.

Nate held up a trophy with a gold karate kicker on the top, blowing the dust away. "Elise Winters, First place champion?" He looked at Adam with a smirk. "She was weak, huh?"

I grabbed it from him and giggled. "Yes, I had to stay in tough shape to become a werewolf remember. Not that I knew it at the time." I winked and then looked back at the trophy. The year listed was ten years ago. A flood of memories hit me. "I remember," I said quietly.

"I got this trophy in February that year. I loved sparring matches and beat out all the girls in my state division and even most boys. But by May when the national championships came up, I had completely quit everything, classes, sparring, tournaments and refused to go. After random matches I just kept getting weird pains. They'd overcome everything. One sparring match a younger boy hit my finger accidentally and I fell to the ground with my shoulder just flaming. I couldn't do anything else the whole day. It stuck with me because everyone made a fuss about what nerve ending in my finger could possibly be linked to my shoulder. But it wasn't my shoulder," I turned to Adam, "was it? I did feel the rejection. Didn't I?"

He scowled, never wanting to hear of me in pain.

I put the trophy down and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry Elise." His hand stroked into my hair, holding me to him. "I can't begin to tell you how much I regret that decision."

"I'm sorry too."

"What are you sorry for?"

I sighed. "For giving up too soon. I should have tried harder and kept with the training even through the pain. I didn't fight it as hard as I should have. I could have been stronger now." I looked up with a soft tease of a grin. "Then maybe I could have helped you fight now."

Nate rubbed his eye. "I don't know, you're still a pretty good fighter. You sure have quite a good jab."

I grinned and stepped to give a hug to Nate. "Sorry about that. But it was the only thing I could think of to get out of your cage. I couldn't move."

In a fast movement my hands were trapped against his chest with one of his hands while his other arm held tight against my back. "I do make a good cage." He gave a quick kiss at my forehead.

I squealed and laughed trying to squirm away. "Don't make me poke you again!"

"That's why you're grabbing my chest Sweetheart." He wiggled his eyebrows and I giggled until Adam forced me back into his cage instead.

"Stop manhandling her," Adam warned. "You'll get more than poked in the eye."

"I can take you Beta," Nate laughed.

Adam purred at my ear. "Remember I almost started the entire war on my own for her. Fighting an alpha is nothing."

I turned to face him. "You did what?"

He smirked, still looking at Nate. "When we came across Tim's friend's scent all around your house, I chased the scent clear into Wilde Claw territory going to kill him for checking on you. I would have run right into the packhouse myself, but Nate alpha commanded me to get back out. We weren't fully prepared to race in yet."

I punched his arm this time. "You're stupid. I'm not worth that."

"On the contrary, my Elise," he lifted me into his arms and kissed me full on. I swooned into him, kissing him back, completely forgetting Nate and my brother were in the room. "You are."

I smiled up to him and a throat cleared at the door.

I startled to see Leonardo there, looking across the room as if giving respectful distance. "Master Alpha Milo would like to see Mistress Elise in medical unit one."

"What does he want?" I asked unsurely. I had just stabbed the man. He did say I'd only be left unharmed if I didn't do anything first. I gulped.

"He has things left unsaid."

"Um," I looked up to Adam, a clear no in his eyes, "I guess."

Adam sighed. "I'm coming."

Nate rubbed his hands together. "This should be fun."