Kaiden was jerked awake by the insistent ringing of his cell phone. Grumbling under his breath he let his hand search for the annoying piece of plastic while his eyes wandered the room. He felt his heart sink to realize he had slept in and his mate was already awake and had left the room. Finally his hand hit the familiar smooth plastic and he hit the answer button before checking the caller I.D.

Mistake number 1

Mistake number 2 ... not immediately hanging up when he recognized his father's voice on the other side.

He had just woken up and he already felt a migraine coming on. He tuned out his father's shouts pulling the phone from his ear as he suddenly heard more shouting but this time coming from lower in the house.

"I'm going to kill her. No! You listen here..."

Kaiden was up in a heartbeat completely forgetting that his father was still on the line as he raced out of the room and towards where he now heard loud growls erupting. Flying down the stairs he let the sounds pull him to the kitchen where he froze.

Richard stood fuming near the massive and beautiful marble island that ran down the center of the huge and impressive kitchen. Sleek and modern Aislinn had certainly outdone herself. A random thought of how much his mom would have loved to play in here skidded across his brain as he attempted to understand the situation he had walked into.

Richard's face was one of complete fury. Nope not fury. Fury was to soft an emotion. He was livid. Pure and unrestrained pissed off livid and it was all at that moment directed at one single person.

Aislinn sat completely unfazed at the large farmer style kitchen table which was situated at the back of the room before the ever-present glass wall. This one was looking out over the back and side of the house on the opposite side from the living room giving it a beautiful view of the sunrise. Letting morning light flood in across the cool marbles, glass, chrome and slate stones. She sat completely and utterly ignoring the glares, growls and anger rolling her way from her very pissed off Guardian. Instead focusing on leisurely munching her way through a massive plate of fruit that sat before her, sketch pad open and pens littering the surface around her. She did however allow herself a small glance up when she felt her mate enter. He looked good in the morning.

Kaiden looked at Richard stunned. If he was getting this right the man was beyond upset and it was at his mate. That didn't make any sense. The entire time he had known them Richard had yet to get upset at her, annoyed perhaps, exasperated of course. But upset to the point where he was nearly blowing steam out of his ears? Never. Kaiden didn't even think it would have been possible. As the wolf let out another low growl. Kaiden moved. No longer caring how or why he was pissed, he only cared that a wolf and a large and angry male wolf at that, was threatening his mate.

"What the f*ck is going on?" He demanded as he positioned himself between them his arms crossing over his chest as his fists clenched. When he didn't get an answer straight away he spared a glance at Austin and Clay who were both awake and standing in the kitchen seemingly equally as stunned as him judging by their twin expressions.

Quickly Kaiden felt along the links to his new pack mates. Feeling out he found that Olivia and Blair (not surprisingly) were both still dead asleep above their heads. While his second and warrior had only just walked into the room a few seconds before himself and had no more clue what was happening than he did.

"What's going on? What's going on is that I'm going to shake that girl until I force some sense into her! That's what's going on!" Richard finally roared still glaring angrily at her. At the words Kaiden let out a low and powerful growl pulling the Guardian's eyes to himself before meeting his hard glare with one of his own.

"What happened?" he gritted out.

"She's being stupid. No not stupid, idiotic. Senseless. Irresponsible. Insane. Stubborn. Hard headed. Completely delusional!"

Another growl from Kaiden cut off his rant.

"I would suggest you stop insulting my mate and your Queen." It was the first time Kaiden had addressed her as such, since he had really yet to fully come to terms with the entire thing. Honestly it was kinda hard to believe, and just thinking about it was overwhelming, but saying it just felt so right, so natural and it had his wolf purring in contentment and pleasure. He ignored the grunt of annoyance from his mate not even bothering to acknowledge her instant flare of irritation at the reference, he was suddenly with Richard, she was just going to have to suck it up and get used to it.

At the outburst from Richard, both Clay and Aus had moved without them really contemplating what they were doing. Something about the way he was talking about Aislinn and how he was standing against her had them moving forward so they flanked where their Alpha stood protectively in front of her. Menacing growls erupting from both of their throats as they stared at the very pissed off wolf still glaring at them. At Kaiden's words they felt their own wolves react, pride and joy swelling in them. Their Queen.

Whoa. Aus and Clay sharply turned their heads to stare at each other. 'Where did that come from?' they both asked at the same time through the mind link as they looked at the other. Shrugging at each other they shook it off before turning back to the problem at hand.

Richard took a deep breath trying to calm himself. His anger was slowly dissolving, but as it faded it was replaced with a blinding panic and terror. Trying to get a handle on the feelings he forced himself to breathe. The full force of the Guardian bond and the reaction of his wolf to his oaths was still new to him and he was still trying to adjust to it. Staring behind Kaiden and the others he looked to where Aislinn still sat calmly eating and drawing.

"She's trying to get herself killed."

This time it was Kaiden's turn to turn his fury on his mate a low possessive and powerful growl ripping out of him as he spun around to face her.

His wolf refused to let him take his gaze from her. Even just hearing the words had him in an instant panic. Her scent and the sight of her sitting untouched and unhurt before him the only things keeping him from shifting.

"What are you talking about?" He ground out threw another growl. His wolf was not coping with that set of words well, combine with it the fact that he had to keep a distance between them and he was suddenly very close to snapping and losing the tight grip he had on his control. He and his wolf wanted their mate in his arms. NOW.

"I didn't realize until this morning. Going over records in the security suite. We aren't just close to Fraser territory. We are in it."

"What!?"

"We are in the god*amn center of their pack lands. She literally brought herself into the enemy's hands. Fraser was one of the packs that revolted, Alpha Stanley helped lead the revolt along with the others. They slaughtered her family and her property is not only just a part of their territory the border to their f*cking pack house is five f*cking miles from here. She. Is. Trying. To. Get. Herself. Killed." He was breathing heavily by the end, his anger once again out and back in full force.

Kaiden was suddenly right behind him in the pissed off and freaked out race. His eyes were darting around instantly on high alert looking for threats. His mind was forcing Blair and Olivia up and down the stairs, needing more bodies around his mate.

"How the hell did this happen?"

"I don't know. I don't know how she possibly even got a hold of such a large pocket of land inside pack territory but it isn't good. Jesus Aislinn! Do you know what they are going to do to you! You can't just walk into another packs territory! I'm going to kill you myself!"

Finally Aislinn looked up meeting his eyes as she watched them flash from brown to the black of his wolf. She could feel as he battled with himself against using his power as her Guardian to force her to leave this instant. He was smart to hesitate. The response of a Royal to such domination was something best explored only as a last resort.

"I know exactly what I was doing Custos. And I know what I am doing now. I nor any of us are on their territory. We crossed Silvia territory but we had permission, although they didn't know to who they had granted it to, I will admit. However I bought this land out right, over a year ago it is no longer their territory it is solely mine, or well now my mates." Her eyes flashed to his quickly.

"That is not going to mean anything."

"It means everything. If they were smarter they would have realized what they were doing they did not. That is not my fault. I never hid what I was nor even who I was during our transactions they simply refused to see it. The contract absolved them of all interests, claims, and ties to this land. It was completely unclaimed, they severed all ties and I then claimed it as my own. If you move to the edges of the property line you will feel my borders as you would with any pack land. All 11 of my properties are now the claimed territory of my mate's pack."

"They will not stand for this."

"They have no choice."

"They will kill you."

"They will try."

"They will succeed."

"Such little faith Custos."

"They have you surrounded."

"They have my territory surrounded."

"It is the same thing."

"To enter would be to declare war."

"You are playing a dangerous game girl."

"I am playing nothing. I told you, I will take them down. How can I do that if I am not close to the problem? Silvia is simply the first of many."

"You're giving me heartburn your highness. I need to sit down." And with that the battled hardened, marked and powerful wolf sank into a chair and let his head slump to the cool wood of the table looking utterly defeated.

Kaiden looked at his mate. If she thought he would be as easily persuaded as Richard she was sorely mistaken. "We are leaving immediately."

"I told you not to attempt to command me."

"I am attempting nothing. I am commanding you little mate. You are leaving. Now."

At his tone suddenly Richard's weariness was gone and his previous slumped defeated form vanished, back again was the menacing and dominating wolf standing protectively and ominously before Aislinn blocking her from the others.

The role reversals was giving them all whiplash as loud growls erupted in the kitchen again. By now Blair and Olivia had groggily joined the mounting chaos and looked around in confusion easily feeling the tension thick in the air.

"What the hell happened in here?" Blair asked struggling to get his brain to function at such an early hour. Thank god Aislinn wasn't his mate he grumbled to himself as he took them in, he really wouldn't be able to handle all these early mornings for the rest of his life.

"Me and my mate are leaving. Right now."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes. You. Are."

"Do not talk to her like that, she is your Queen." Richard growled out. Could anyone say déjà vu?

Kaiden threw his hands up in exasperation his anger and fear trampled down by his sudden annoyance. "You were the one just a moment ago threatening to kill her! You want her to leave for f*cks sake! I'm just trying to get her to do it!"

Richard looked suddenly ashamed at the reminder. "I may agree with you but you are not going to command her to do anything."

"The hell I'm not. I don't care if you won't get her to leave. I will."

"Ha! Good luck with that boy! You think you're going to get her to do something she doesn't want to?" Richard spit out without any real humor. "I may not like this but unfortunately I don't really have a choice and neither do you. I suggest you stop pissing me off by threatening her and we figure out a way to keep her alive in this mess."

Kaiden looked at his mate. She seemed utterly unmoved by either man's outburst. Leveling a blank hard glare on him she got her point across well. She wasn't going anywhere. Kaiden let out a sigh.

"Were going to need a case of pepto before this is over."

Richard let out a deep chuckle at this before turning so they were both looking at Aislinn with twin grimaces on their faces.

"I don't like this."

"I don't either."

"f*ck" they both said still eyeing her wearily.

"Okay so what first?" Austin interrupted them switching into Beta mode. Completely used to the temperamental and suddenness of Alpha, he wasn't the least bit fazed by the mornings eruption. Easily moving on to more pressing issues and ignoring the earlier outbursts.

"First we invite the Alpha of Pack Silvia over."

Well shit.