Argent POV

I wake in my own bed, though I'm not even sure when I got here. Or how long I've actually slept. I spent as long as I could sitting with Aida, and then Father came and ushered me out so we both could get some sleep.

I am literally going to shower, throw on some clothes, and go back to her side as soon as I can. And maybe find some food on the way.

After all she has been through, she has a long way to go recovery wise, but at least she's here in the house where she belongs. She is with me where she belongs.

She is basically new to the whole werewolf life, but that's okay. Besides some college classes and Alpha training, I have all the time in the world for her. We have an extensive library here with literature on our kind dating back thousands of years. Some of it is fable, but most is based on facts. I'm sure with time she will love learning about who and what we are. We all do.

She took the whole mate thing pretty well. It's a hard concept to explain, really. We grow up hearing about it and we all hope to feel it ourselves one day. We wait anxiously for our time to come.

I tried to use love at first sight as an example, but in reality it's so much more. I think she gets it. Or at least she understands the basics. She recognises the fire that exists between us. That's a great start.

I love that she said she felt "something" when she first saw me too, the moment our eyes locked. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.

And now that she's here, that life can start. I sound like I'm whipped, and I don't even care. It's a strange feeling, something I always tried to escape from with other girls. Not with her.

I lay in the darkness a little longer, thinking about our new life together and teaching her all the fun parts and not so fun parts about our wolf life. She will be a future leader of our pack. I left that part out for now. The pressure would be too much.

I roll onto my side and push myself up. I look at the clock on my bedside. It's ten in the morning! I launch out of bed and yank the blinds open. Sunlight! Crap! I open the door to the ensuite and turn the shower on.

I complete the world's fastest shower and spray on some antiperspirant and some aftershave, give my hair the ""couldn't- care- less- but- I- actually- care" style I love and that seems to work for me, and slam the door behind me as I run down the hall.

I take the stairs two at a time on the way down and swing into the kitchen. Hopefully, the masses have left me something to take with me for breakfast on the go. I need to get to her side.

I find pyjama clad James and Jemma in the middle of a hot and heavy make out session in the kitchen. Jemma is sitting on the bench and James is standing in between her legs.

A smile crosses my face as I walk in and open the fridge, pretending not to see them. "Don't mind me, kids," I say.

They shuffle apart, looking sheepish. I grab the OJ jug out and pour myself a glass before returning the jug to the fridge and grabbing an apple off the fruit plate.

I give the red-faced pair a wink as I walk out. And then I remember last night. I turn to face the love birds again.

"James, have you spoken with Father yet?" I ask casually, as father requested that he tell James about Aida.

James shakes his head. "No, I'm ah, heading there right now. Just got a little distracted." He winks at Jemma and starts out of the kitchen. She smiles after him and starts to serve herself some breakfast.

These two are adorable. I'm completely jealous.

I wonder how James will react to the fact that Aida is his sister. He's always been open about missing his family. He lost the majority of them, except for his father, and then when he went off the rails, James was a mess.

But as always, his work never suffers. He is a valuable and worthy Beta. And now his sister has returned to us both.

Fuck. His sister is my mate! That's going to be a little awkward for a while. He used to fool around with Amalie behind my back, and when I busted them in his room a while back, I was fucking ropable. But I knew it wouldn't last. As soon as we start to mature, we only think about finding our mates. And when he hit eighteen and she wasn't his, well, that fizzled, and she started seeing someone else.

Amalie. Shit. A wave of guilt washes over me. I need to see them both.

I take my apple, wave goodbye to Jemma, and leave. I head straight for the basement but as I'm leaving, I hear Father bellowing over the house speaker system.

"Argent, my office, please." He wants me there when he tells James. Shit.

I turn back up the stairs and head for father's office. As I get to the door, I see James and Father sitting at the desk, having a conversation. Has he started already?

I knock as I enter just as a formality. They both turn towards me, and James gives a smile and a small cough, saying, "Ah, sorry about before, Arg. I was a bit carried away."

He lifts his brows twice and gives me a wink.

"No problem, buddy," I reply. "I get it." I give him a slap on the back and sit down next to him. I hope his mood stays this way; I love seeing him so bloody happy. He deserves it more than anyone I know.

"James, I asked Argent to be here, as we have something to discuss," Father begins, and I feel a small amount of tension fill the room. "Last night when Aida woke up, she mentioned something. Something that your father had told her. Tell me first, though, what do you remember of the night your mother and new sister disappeared?"

James looks down at his lap. He was so young when this all happened, so all he has ever spoken about is what his father told him.

"Not much, Alpha. Just what father had said. Father was here but could not do anything to stop it. They had knocked him out."

His gaze drifts towards the window near the desk looking out into the risen view of the pack gardens. From this window, my father can look out and can oversee almost the entire grounds, like a king looking out on his people. Protective. Full of duty. And now, fear.

"When he woke up, many of the women and children were missing or dead, my mother and baby sister included. They were gone. I think when he disappeared over the years, he was always searching for them. I don't think he ever gave up hope that they were alive. I think it drove him mad." James stands up and walks over to the window, looking out over the garden that was planted as a memorial for those we have lost.

The pack always remembers.

Father and I stand and move over to stand on either side of him.

"James, you have suffered more than most over the years. You have lost so much and given so much, but you're no longer alone. Son, we believe that Aida is the sister you lost that night. We don't know how she survived or what this means for your mother, but we do think that she is your little sister."

James turns to face Father and then turns to look at me. I nod and smile and place my hand on his shoulder. His frown is deep and his lip twitches. I don't know whether it is immense sadness or deep felt joy that makes the first tear slip down his face.

"How is this possible?" he exclaims with absolute awe in his voice.

"We're not really sure, but Jasper told her himself. I believe he may have found her a while ago and kept an eye on her from afar until last year. The reasons behind this are not clear but believe me, we will look into it, and if anyone else we believed missing is out there, including your mother, we will bring them home."

Father looks at James and draws him into an embrace. My father is many things, but unkind is not one of them. He believes in family and the pack above all else, and I know that he sees James as a son.

"James, ah, not to be awkward, but your sister is my mate bro. That's cool, right?"

My father shoots me a serious look and then shakes his head with a smile. James laughs and comes to stand in front of me. "Let's go see what my sister thinks of that, shall we?" he suggests.

My father smiles at this, and James and I get ready to leave. "Argent, please report back with an update on Amalie and Aida when you can," he says. I nod and shut Father's door on the way out.

Wow. If Father is right, we may have more members out there somewhere. Maybe James and Aida's mother. Maybe more.

James and I walk down to the basement together and buzz to enter. We walk in to see Aida sitting in a chair next to the bed. Her hair is damp and sits loosely around her shoulders, long enough to reach her hips. She is stunning. When she sees us approach, her face lights up. She stands and puts her arms around my neck to pull me in to a hug.

"Good morning, Arg," she says, using my nickname from James like she's always known it. It makes me smile even more.

"I could get used to a greeting like that," I reply, keeping her close to me. James stands behind me, waiting for an introduction. I let Aida go only slightly and hold onto her hand. "Aida, there is someone I want to introduce you to." I step away a little, letting James come closer. "This is James, our Beta, which means the second in charge."

She smiles and holds out her hand to him. He takes it and I continue.

"Aida, he's your brother."

Her face is a picture of surprise and elation. She lets go of his hand and pulls him into a tight hug. He looks stunned for a second, and then he relaxes and puts his arms around her waist. They stay like this, just taking it in for a second.

"I can't believe it! I always wanted a brother or sister," she exclaims, pulling back to look at his face.

He smiles at her, running his hands through his hair. "So have I," he admits.

"How cool is this?" I add, placing a hand on his shoulder and grabbing a hold of her hand again. All three of us laugh, and it feels effortless, comfortable.

I like this.

I lead her back to sit by the bed, and James follows and sits with her. I leave them to chat and go to sit with Amalie, she has not woken since we arrived last night. I sit and hold her hand and watch the siblings next to us. I know how important that bond is. They have a lot to catch up on.