James POV

Jemma and I have been here at Strand for only a few hours, and I already miss home. They've all been very accommodating and polite, and it's nice to formally meet Jemma's family, but I feel ... out of place.

For one, they're all very formal. There's no common comradery like with our pack. It's all business here all the time, and it makes me immediately homesick.

I'm such a home body. I like the same dinners on the same nights, and I like my usual routine. This is seriously going to test me. Maybe I'm boring, but I just like home. It's all I've ever had to count on. Always the same. Always there for me. And of course, now there's Aida.

I trust Argent to take care of her. He will always protect his mate, and there's no one more fierce or loyal to our pack, but I just got her back and now I'm so far away. I can't believe I'm here having to do this because of someone who was supposed to care about me, about Aida, and about the pack. This is his fault, that useless, pathetic excuse for a father.

I feel two small, soft hands on my back. That firm but kind caress I have come to love already. Jemma. She can feel my tension. She has been wary of my feelings since we arrived. She has been so sweet, introducing me to everyone. Showing me around the house and the grounds, never leaving me out.

She says, "So, my mom wants us to have dinner with her tonight. Just my parents and the both of us." She comes around the side of the couch to sit on my lap. We're in the common room, so I look around to make sure we're not in front of too many public eyes.

She catches me looking and rolls hers.

"We are mates, you know. I know things are tense here compared to your house, but people have seen public displays of affection here at Strand."

I nod and laugh a little. I'm still uncomfortable with flaunting it, especially if her parents could walk in at any moment. Awkward.

I pull her in close, and she sighs into my neck. Thank the goddess she is here with me. I just feel out of place, out of sorts. I feel like I'm waiting for something to happen. Call it a wolf sense, but I feel uneasy, and so does my wolf. He's been on edge since we arrived, and I've had to pull him back mentally too many times to count since we walked in the doors.

Something is not sitting right with me.

Jemma can see that I'm struggling internally again, so she escapes my hug and pulls us to a stand. "Come on, grumpy. Let's go let the wolves out for a run, ease some of that tension you have going on in that head of yours." She knocks twice gently on my forehead and pulls me towards the front doors.

As we reach the house entrance, we are blocked by two of the pack trackers.

My mate says formally, "Elroy, Alexander, you know my mate, James?"

I step forward to offer my hand, but Elroy slaps it away. Jemma jumps a little, shocked, and stands on edge next to me.

"Elroy what the fuck?"

Jemma moves in front of me now. I'm not sure what's happening here, and Jemma takes charge. I love her confidence, though. It's hot.

"What is your issue exactly?" She pushes the two men, but both are ignoring her and staring intently at me. I can see the visible heat rising from their two bodies. It doesn't look like either of them are going to back down any time soon. I feel my wolf sense this as well.

"Him. He's our issue. Why the fuck should we put our pack at risk for him?"

"It's my pack too, and it's not just for us. It's for all of us. This is a threat that could spill out to all the packs, and you two have no idea of the magnitude." She stands between us now, the two of them posturing towards me. Fucking idiots.

"It's not your pack anymore, Jemma. You're one of them now."

Them. He spits the word at us, and Jemma almost jumps him. I grab at her shirt just as she is about to tackle the huge man-child in front of us.

Jemma's face erupts in a colour I have never seen before. She is furious, as am I. "How dare you? I will always be a member of this pack. You have the nerve to talk to me like that? Who are you? No one. You're just doing this because I didn't want you anymore."

I see the look on his face. Well, this just got weird. I didn't know about their now-obvious history. I shuffle slightly on the spot. She looks at me apologetically but continues her tirade. I softly caress her hand. I don't care about her past; I'm just happy to have her.

" We're here because Strand and Mornington are strong allies, and if you didn't have a block for a head, you would know how important that is. Especially now!"

I squeeze her hand, and we attempt to walk around them, but Alexander steps in front of us and shoves back a step.

I feel the heat behind me before I see anything.

Jemma.

Her wolf stands before me, the beautiful red tinted fur. She snarls and steps towards Alexander and Elroy.

"Two can play at that game, traitor." Elroy slaps Jemma clean across the muzzle and sprints out the door, with Alexander close on his heels before I can even take in what just happened.

What the fuck? My jaw practically drops. Before I can take a breath, I am following Jemma, still in her wolf form, out the door as we face the two men, who are both now towering over her in their wolf forms. I waste no more time and run towards them, the shift happening mid-air over the steps and now we stand, all four on all fours, the growls seething back and forth between us.

"These pricks think they can challenge me? He slapped me!" Her voice is booming across our link. I can feel the anger coming off her in waves.

"I know. Unprovoked. He's at fault here. Let's not act unless we have to. We don't need a war between packs as well as species."

"He slapped me!"

"And he won't get away with it, but wait ..."

Just when I feel her relax a little, the large black wolf in front of us smirks and paws at the ground. He's baiting her. Ass! She's going to kill him.

Jemma is too far gone. Too far past upset now that her wolf takes over and she launches at him. I have no way of holding her back. She makes a move for his muzzle with her paw, and a large scratch catches his left eye.

He howls and launches back at her, but I intercept. He is flung to the right just as Alexander's white and grey wolf hits me on my left side.

Jemma is on him in seconds, and they roll down the hill a little and fight for the dominant position on top. Elroy and I get back to our feet and begin to circle each other, sizing each other up.

" Babe, you, okay?" I reach out to Jemma; I need to know that she's alright before this gets even more real.

"I'm going to rip this idiot's throat out" I hear her say over link right before I hear Alexander's howling. She obviously got him. Shit, I hope she hasn't killed him.

" Don't worry, he isn't dead. I just knocked his ass out. I'm coming."

I see her beautiful form coming back up the hill, but I am blindsided by the force of Elroy's wolf hitting me face on.

Shit. That hurt. my face is bleeding. I can smell the blood and feel the warm red dripping down into my eyes. Elroy stands over me as I get up once more. Jemma jumps into the fight and grabs his tail with her mouth before flinging him to the side.

We both stand to face him once more as he snarls and bares his teeth at us.

"Babe, we need to take him down. I know him, and we can't talk him down."

"We can't kill him, Jemma."

A loud, menacing growl sounds out from behind us. Elroy's wolf bends in recognition of the Alpha's obvious demand. The power over Elroy is undeniable. Jemma and I turn to see Alpha George in his wolf form. The ginormous creature in front of us is both majestic and terrifying.

We bow and move to shift behind the bush to our left. I come out to see Jemma's father, Kane, in his human form holding clothing for Jemma and me. "Take this and give it to Jemma, then come out and explain what the fuck is going on here." He throws the items at me, and I head back to the bush to find a still furious Jemma standing completely naked and trembling with rage. We put the clothing on and head out to see everyone is now present and in human form.

Jemma wastes no time. "These two douchebags attacked us for no reason! Elroy said I'm a traitor!" She turns to her father, who is now glaring at Elroy.

"Explain yourself, Elroy. Now. Before I set your Beta on you." Alpha George is stern. We all look at Elroy to find the complete ass is smirking.

Jemma steps forward and lands a slap across his smug face before he has time to answer. I stifle a laugh. She really is amazing.

"Now we're even, you prick." She smiles and returns to my side. Elroy begins to quiver, and Alpha George is on him immediately, pinning his trembling body to the ground.

"You will not shift, Elroy. That is a command. Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? Why did you two attack our guests, Alex?"

Alex stands with his head down. "We ... Elroy said that they're a disgrace to our kind. That they will bring danger to our pack. And I agree, sir. With all due respect, why are we assisting them?"

Alpha George stares at him in absolute disbelief, his mouth falling open. "What did you say? Are you questioning me? My orders? My authority?"

Alex shakes his head as Elroy gets to his feet, now released by Alpha George, who's dangerously narrowed his eyes.

"We're questioning the safety of the pack with these two here."

Kane stalks over to stand in his face. "She is my daughter. Your Beta's daughter. She is welcome here with her mate any time she likes."

Elroy stays still and looks firmly at his Alpha and Beta. "I challenge this decision, for the safety of our pack. We should not be involved in harbouring them or helping them. Lukah will retaliate."

The crowd that has gathered now lets out a collective gasp. He challenged a decision. Shit just got real. If you challenge a decision, you're challenging the Alpha.

Alpha George lets out a growl so low and deep I feel the ground shake below us. "Consider your challenge accepted, Elroy."

Kane grabs Jemma by the arm. "Follow me now. Both of you" We leave the unfolding challenge scene as we see George stomp back into the house, some pack members following him and some, surprisingly, staying to support Elroy. Kane leads us into his office. "You need to leave, now."

Jemma, in tears now, rushes to hug her father. "What has just happened Daddy?"

"You did exactly as Elroy planned. You played into his hands. He wanted a way to challenge George legally, and now he has it."

Elroy is a snake. He tricked us into activating his plan. "Do you think he can win, sir?" I question, frowning at the worry striking his features.

He shakes his head and then looks at us, nodding. "Yes, I do. And if he wins, none of us are safe. He has radical ideas about how the pack should be run. You know this, Jemma. Things will change if he succeeds. You need to leave now. I will contact Lunar. Go there. Deacon will be expecting you."

"I will Call Argos and let him know."

He nods and smiles a little. Jemma hugs him, and he shakes my hand.

He knows this may not end well for him. So do we. We head out the door, and Jemma turns to take one last, sad look at her father. Kane nods and sits at his desk, defeated.

I take her hand and squeeze it.

We head back to our room to grab our things, and we quickly make a run for it out the side door and to our car. We both jump in and head for the back exit, getting onto the highway fast and leaving her former home behind.

We both stare at the road ahead of us.

What just happened?