One month later

Sophie sat at her computer trying unsuccessfully to concentrate enough to finish a very boring article on "The Genetics Characteristics of Sea Cucumbers." The writer of the piece, which was to be published in a prominent marine biology magazine, was the worst speller she had ever worked for. Every second word had to be check and corrected.

But her work had been a life saver this last few weeks. She had taken on much more work than she usually would have and used it to fill the long hours of the days and nights. Sleep had been hard to come by since she had returned home to her small cabin. She knew she had lost more weight since leaving Zack and the sleepless nights showed in her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes.

A few days after getting back she had received a letter from Zack's lawyer and inside were the deeds to the cabin. She now owned her home, and much as she was grateful, her heart had broke a little more. The last link between them was gone.

She had done a lot of thinking in the last month. Asked herself so many what if questions. But there were no answers. She knew she had made the only decision she could. So she just got on with her quiet and now lonely life as best as she could.

After another hour of deciphering words of eight syllables, she was finished. Sophie saved her work and emailed it to the magazine editor and shut down her laptop. That was enough for today her brain was fried. She went into the kitchen and poured herself yet another cup of coffee. Caffeine was about the only thing keeping her awake and as it was only mid afternoon, it was too early to think about bed.

She sat at the small table, her hands wrapped around the mug, the heat seeping into her palms as her mind drifted. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when the sound of a car approaching brought her back to the present with a start. She stood and looked out of the window, and saw a familiar truck pull up in front of the house. Her breath caught in her throat in shock. Zack! What was he doing here?

She watched him open the door and step out, he looked around himself and almost as if he could feel her eyes on him, their eyes met. Sophie's heart pounded in her chest. Oh my Goddess, she had no idea just how much she had missed him till she saw him standing there.

Not without difficulty, she pulled her eyes from his and made her way to the front door and opened it. Zack had already climbed the few steps and stood before her on the small porch.

The silence seemed to last forever. She barely took a breath, scared to break the moment.

"Hello Sophie." Zack said finally, shattering the silence.

"Zack!" Sophie breathed.

He smiled. "How are you?" He asked softly.

Sophie shook her head. She couldn't believe he was here. Why was he here? "What are you doing here Zack?"

His smile fell. "I just wanted to see you Sophie." He said. "I had to see you were ok before I left."

"I'm fine Zack, tha.......wait left? What do you mean left? Where are you going?"

When Zack sighed, Sophie looked at him closely. Beneath his bronzed skin he looked gaunt and tired. His eyes had the same black circles as hers, and the sparkle that used to be in his eyes was dull.

He looked worn out!

"Ummm I'm leaving for a while Sophie. I don't know when I will be back but I couldn't leave without seeing you one last time. Just to make sure you are ok. I won't keep you for long but I had to come. I had to tell you one last time how sorry I am for everything my parents and I did to you. I know you told me before you left you forgave me but I had to see you to tell you....to say.....". He sucked in a sharp shuddering breath. "I'm sorry. That's what I wanted to say."

Sophie's mind raced, her thoughts reeling. As she tried to bring some semblance of order, the seconds stretched. Zack stood waiting. When the silence went on he must of taken it that she didn't want to talk, not that she couldn't.

His face fell further at her continued silence. When he could take it no more he stepped back. "I'll go now." He moved down the steps and Sophie finally found her voice. "Wait! Zack wait. Where are you going? You can't leave, what about the pack. You can't leave the pack without it's alpha." She chocked out.

Zack smiled grimly. "They have their Alpha Sophie. And I'm sure he will do a fine job looking after the pack."

"What are you talking about Zack? You are the alpha!"

"No I'm not, not any more. The council agreed to my choice of my replacement. He took over a week ago. I stayed for a few days to help with the transition, but I know it will all work out."

Sophie's heart sank. The council had removed him. This must have been the punishment they had mentioned. They had tried to get her to make recommendations on what she deemed as appropriate punishment, but she had refused. She had wanted no part of it. She knew his parents had been banished from all pack lands and labeled as rogue. It was the only thing she had asked of the council, that they not be executed.

But she didn't do for Zack or for them. She did it because she wanted them to have to live with the knowledge of what they had done, and everything they had lost, for as long as possible. To be labeled as rogue wolves was a terrible fate. To never be able to even speak to another of your kind, to never be able to run with a pack, to never have the comfort and warmth of a pack. To most wolves that was a fate worse than death.

Sophie herself may have chosen to live as a lone wolf, but she would always have the option to join a pack. That would never be an option for them.

Sophie held her hand out to her mate. "Come inside and have some coffee Zack, before you leave."

Zack looked more than surprised by her offer but quickly climbed back up the steps, and followed her inside.

As they sat together in her small kitchen, Sophie placed her hand on top of Zack's. "I'm so sorry they took your pack away from you Zack. That's not what I wanted. I refused to participate in any conversations with the council about your punishment." She sighed softly. "What will you do now? Are you just planning on travelling?"

Zack frowned, confusion then realisation on his face. "No Sophie you have wrong. The council didn't remove me as alpha. I stepped down."

Shocked and astounded, it took Sophie a few seconds longer than it should have to process his words. "Why would you do that? The pack was your legacy, your life! Why would you give it up if you didn't have to?"

Zack looked sadly at his stunningly beautiful mate. "That's just it Sophie, that's what I realised." He paused.

"What did you realise Zack?" Sophie asked shakily

"I realised the pack wasn't my life, mate. You are. And if I can't have you then it means nothing." He stated simply, almost as if it should have been obvious. "I know you can never see me the same way as I see you. I know that you will never be able to look at me without remembering. I will regret my actions and decisions till the day I die. When I leave this world I will beg the Goddess for forgiveness of my sins, and hope she can see in my heart that although misguided sometimes, there was no evil intent."

He pushed his cup away and stood. "Thank you for talking with me Sophie, I will leave you in peace now. I want to leave you the contact information for Hollow Ridges new alpha. His name is Ben. He is a strong wolf and a good male. If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call him. I told him I was going to pass it along so he will know who you are if you call. Look after yourself Sophie." He stepped back and slowly walked to the door he turned and touched his fingers to his lips, kissed the tips gently and opened his hand towards her as if throwing the kiss to her. "I will love you forever my beautiful mate." And walked out the door.

Sophie pushed herself up from the chair. He mind a jumbled mess. Zack had given it all up. What did this mean for her? Them? Was there a them? Could there be a them?

Goddess she was so messed up. They both were. They had both been victims of his parents greed and neglect. But she knew deep down inside if she let him go now she would always wonder what if.

Could they have a future together? She knew she had to give herself the chance to find out.

She ran after her mate as quick as she could and caught up with him just as he was opening the door on his truck. "Zack!" she called frantically. "Zack wait!"

He stopped and turned just as she was almost on top of him. He caught her as she fell against him, and for a second held her tightly to him, before quickly removing his arms from around her.

Sophie looked into his eyes and she knew she couldn't let him go. "Stay." She breathed.

Zack, sure he had misheard, asked quickly. "Say that again?"

Sophie felt a flush rise in her cheeks. "Stay." She said again louder. "Stay with me."

Zack gapped, his jaw dropping in astonishment. He could not believe it. But he had to be sure she meant what he thought she was saying. "Your want me to stay here? With you?"

Sophie stepped back suddenly unsure. "I know we have a lot to talk about, to sort out, but I want to try, with you. You are my mate. After everything I have, been through, we have been through, we owe it to each other to try. I'm not saying it will be easy. It won't be. I have a lot of issues I need to work through but I believe......."

Zack closed the small distance between them, cutting off her rushed words, and gently took her face in his hands. "I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you Sophie, any way I can have you. And you are right, you do deserve to be happy. And if you let me, I will spend every day of the rest of my life making sure you are happy."

One small doubt niggled at the back of Sophie's mind, one she had to voice. "Are you sure you can be happy with just me Zack? You know I can't go back to Hollow Ridge, you know I can never live there?"

Zack smiled brilliantly. "As long as I have you I will never want for anything else. You are my soul, my life. We are our own pack. Our little pack of two, or maybe three. Or four, if the Goddess blesses us. But just to be clear, even if it's just us for the rest of our lives I will be overjoyed."

Sophie smiled, as bright a smile as ever had graced her beautiful face. It had been a long hard road to where they were now. At times her happy ever after seemed impossible. But just like the princesses in the fairy tales she had loved as a child, she had got her prince. A little tarnished, and far from perfect. But hers.

The end