The flight back home was tense, one could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Missy didn't utter a single word, keeping her head hung low. Patrick refused to even look here. Linc was pissed off if McKenna couldn't fathom how a pack member, especially one ranked as high as Missy would have even thought Silver Falls was a good idea. Allison and I were still processing the new roles that we currently found ourselves in. My mind kept replaying my conversation with Allison.

We could hear Patrick screaming at Missy through our closed bedroom door. In all the years I had known Patrick it was not like him to get angry like this, I had only seen him like this once or twice before. I flinched when I finally heard him slam their bedroom door, leaving Missy crying in the living room.

I wrapped my arms around Allison and kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry." She whispered to me.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." I responded two here.

"Yes, I do. In market you! MARKED YOU!" Her voice getting louder and louder. "We are married. How can you be okay with this?"

Her question shocked me, I pulled away. A stab of pain went through my heart, I knew she felt the pang as she then recorded what she had said. Allison dropped herself to the bed, tears now streaming down her face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like that."

I sat on the bed and pulled my sobbing wife into my arms, so she was straddling me with my arms wrapped around her waist, "Hey, it's okay. This is a lot to take in. I would be surprised if you weren't overwhelmed by it. "I removed her hands from her face and made her look at me. I was smiling, "How could I regret marrying you? You are smart, gorgeous, and have the best sense of humor."

"But you lost your choice, Tim. Don't you see that? You can't choose differently now. You are marked!" I did the only thing I could think of if I kissed her I could. Allison instantly responded to my kiss, putting her hands on either side of my face. She pulled away from the kiss, catching her breath. I put my forehead on hers, our noses now resting together.

"I don't regret it, Nemo." You smiled. I truly believed that things were happening the way they were meant to be. The Moon Goddess had a plan, what it was I didn't know, all I knew is that somewhere in all the chaos she had blessed me. I had found someone to share my life with, no matter the circumstances that surrounded it.

"This may not have been how I would have wanted to do all of this, but things have happened the way they needed to." I pulled away from Allison so I could look her in the eye before continuing, "First of all I would have wanted you to know that I love you." Her eyes searched mine, trying to figure out if I was telling her the truth or not. A smile slowly appearing on her lips, "Yes, I love you." I confirmed.

"I love you too, Tim." Allison said, no hesitation in her voice, letting me know that she was telling me the truth, she loved me too. The woman I had unknowingly married loved me back. Elation and relief filled me, letting me breath a little easier.

"And next after you knew I loved you with every cell of my being, I would have lavished you in dates, snuggles, and kisses. Which I will still do, we may be doing this a bit backwards, but I will stop at nothing to make sure you know how cherished you really are. "I may have been laying it on a little thick, but I didn't care. I wanted Allison to know that I was all in on this, that I was all in, that I wasn't going to be one that was scared away.

"All of that would have happened before I finally planned the perfect proposal, getting down on one knee and asking you to be my wife. Nemo, I hope you know that no matter what, I would have liked it to end the same. Married to you. "

I could see the hesitation in Allison's eyes, there was so much turmoil there. All the sudden and abrupt changes in her life cause her to second guess everything. Having been given a mate who chose another over her, I understood why she would be so skeptical of everything. This was fast, our relationship had moved at warp speed, but something about it just felt right.

It didn't seem like she believed me, so I got up and placed her on the bed. I kneel down in front of her, taking her left hand. I slipped the diamond ring off of her finger. She scrunched her face at my actions, "Allison, we may not have been together very long, but ever since the day I saw you in the airport you have had my heart. I have fallen in love with you over and over, will you make me the happiest man alive and stay married to me? "

A smile instantly lit up her face, "Yes, yes, yes!" She said her tears are now happy as I slide her rings back on her finger. Standing up I pulled Allison into a hug, her head laying against my chest. "Now, wife, we need to get ready to go home." I won't lie it felt weird to say that, but it felt right. Like things were how they were supposed to be.

"Okay, husband ..." She paused, "That's gonna take a bit to get used to, husband." A light laugh sounded from Allison. "Let's see where this takes us." A glimmer of hope settled in her eyes.

Allison, was completely overcome with everything. Even though we had agreed to embrace being married it was still difficult for Allison. Her emotions were still all over the place. She was angry with Missy, upset with herself, and sad for me. The waves of emotions going through our newly marketed bond were a bit hard for me to process. I was thankful when she had finally fallen asleep on the plane, giving me a reprieve to think.

** Brother, are you alright? ** Came Linc's voice through our link.

** Yes ** I replied, without much conviction.

** You don't sound alright. ** He pushed a bit.

** Just overwhelmed, Linc. This is a lot of processes. **

** Nikki would be happy for you. **

** You think? ** I was questioning him because I didn't know. Would she be happy for me? Would she approve of Allison? Just the thought of Nikki brought a different wave of feelings through my mind. Things I hadn't thought about in years, after losing Nikki I never thought I would have found another person that I would have loved.

** She would. All she ever wanted was for you to be happy. So tell me, are you happy? **

** I ... I ... I think I am. ** I struggled a bit, yes, I was happy I was with this wonderfully amazing, strong woman, but on the other side of it everything had been rushed.

** Things have just happened a bit faster than either of us thought they would. If this hadn't happened, would we have stayed together? Would she have gone back to him? **

** That I don't know Tim. I am sorry for Missy's actions and for the grief it has brought to you and your new ... wife. But you more than anyone should know that the Goddess works in was that we are not meant to understand. ** Linc was right, everything that had happened had happened for a reason.

** Thank you, Linc. ** I said, cutting off our link and returning to my sleeping wife. I pulled her closer to me, her head resting on her shoulder as a slight smile tugged on her lips. I wonder what she was dreaming about.

As I watched Allison sleep, I realized a few things, first I was happy. She made me happy. Two, I was angry at Missy because of what she had done to not only Allison and myself, but her mate. It was selfish of her to do what she had done. And three, I was grateful that Allison had found her way into my life and she was mine.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Getting back from Vegas proved to be a harder adjustment than Allison and I were expecting. Now that we were married, we were supposed to give up our dorm room, per campus requirements, however we weren't quite ready for that. Another option we had was to move back to the pack house, but we would be faced with not having any privacy. Luckily, I was able to pull some strings as I was going to the new head of the program and keep our dorm room. As it was now just going to be Allison and I in the room, there seemed to be little issue with it. It was nice that we weren't going to have to worry about moving while also trying to sort out our new dynamic.

It was now Thursday and if it was the full moon, we would be having our pack meeting. This would be Allison's official welcoming ceremony, but it was also the night that Missy's crime would be announced to the pack and her official punishment handed down. For any crimes against the pack or pack members considering this, conviction and punishment were handled at the full moon pack meetings.

Allison was working at the clinic today and would not be getting out until five as she was covering not only her shift but also covering for one of the receptionists who was out sick. To make things easier for her I decided to bring her clothes and drop them off to her on her lunch break. "Allison." I called out in greeting as I walked into the building.

"Hi." She responded without a second glance at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows, but let it slide. Walking around to sit behind the counter, first bending over and giving Allison a kiss on the cheek. Sitting down the chair next to her, I was just about to start my usual spinning when Allison spoke, "Don't spin that chair." Tension in her voice.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned. Allison just shook her head yes, but I could tell there was something more that was bothering her. Something she wasn't sharing. I pulled her away from the desk and down the hallway into one of the empty exam rooms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head again, but refusing to look at me. I gently pulled her head to meet my gaze.

"Nice try, wife. Now tell me what's wrong?"

Allison's saying, "It's stupid. I'm just overwhelmed with everything."

"What was so hard about saying that?" I asked, a little annoyed it took so much to get out of her.

"Tim," Allison closed her eyes, "I've been all over the place lately. I can feel it, my nerves are shot, my emotions are a roller coaster. I'm tired. This was supposed to be a quiet week and Look at everything that has happened? We go to Vegas, get married, come back, have a move, and now is my welcome ceremony. I am at peace. "Now that she was talking, she wasn't stopping. "I've been so needy lately; I feel like all you do is calm me down or have to baby me. I'm just useless right now."

I pulled Allison into my arms, "You're not useless, these past weeks have been a lot. Of course, they're going to take an emotional and physical toll on you. It's okay. I don't mind being your rock." Allison relaxed into me, putting her arms around my waist.

"I don't deserve you. You're too good to me." She said her words muffled by her having her face pressed into my chest. Allison shifted her face so it was now in the hollow of my neck, she kissed the mark she had made.

"Hey, hey, hey. None of that now. You will never get out of here." I said trying to lighten her mood. A half-hearted chuckle escaped her lips. "Nemo, you know it's okay to need me to be the strong one sometimes. That it's okay to lean on me and need to carry you once in a while. It doesn't mean you aren't strong or capable. There are going to There are times when I need you to do that for me. Things are going to be giving and taking, right now you need to take and that's okay. That's what a husband does for his wife. "

"I know, Tim. It's hard for me." She let out a big breath, relaxing a little more in my arms. "I am not used to this; you know having someone. Please understand I am not trying to push you away. This is all new to me, I am learning."

"Me too. Me too." I agreed with her, "We are learning together." We stood there a few more minutes, I could feel Allison's mood leveling out and her anxiety was receding. "Your shift is over in 15 minutes. Why don't you go get yourself changed for the pack meeting tonight and I will cover the desk for you in case any calls come in. Then we can close the clinic and grab something to eat before the pack meeting at six. "

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?"

"Being you. Loving me. Bringing me clothes. Helping me. Marrying me." Allison smiled.

"Anything for you Nemo, anything. I love you." I said and winked at her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later we were standing outside in the training field, where all large pack gatherings were also held. The March evening air was cool, the Winter's chill not yet letting go. I pulled my winter jacket closer around me, snuggling myself into the warm feeling of the fluffy down layers. Linc stood at the head of the clearing, where they had a platform set up, McKenna by his side. This allowed for easy demonstrations during pack training, but also provided the stage for pack meetings.

"Good Evening Haven Woods Pack Members." Linc started. "If you could all quiet down, we can get right to pack business. Even though it is the end of March it is still quite chilly, so I am sure you would all like to get out of here as quickly as possible."

A few chuckles could be heard from pack members, however everyone quieted down rather quickly after. Tim stood next to me with an arm wrapped around me, I was getting more and more anxious about my part of the ceremony.

"We are here tonight for a couple of reasons. The first being the welcome of a new pack member. Allison, if you would join us please." I slowly made my way up the step and to the center of the stage where my new Alpha and Luna stood, feeling a bit underdressed in my jeans and winter jacket.

"Tonight, we are welcoming Allison to our pack. Allison is currently in school to be a pack doctor, many of whom you will recognize from the clinic, where she currently works with your Luna. Allison is going to be a very valuable pack member and will one day be our go to doctor. "Linc looked very much in his element standing there in front of the pack, even though he was addressing them as a group, it felt like he was talking to each wolf there individually.

He turned to me, whispering he said, "Are you ready for this?" I just nodded my head. Linc once again began projecting his voice to the crowd as he spoke, "Allison, do you swear to uphold the values ​​of the Haven Woods Pack? To be a just and loyal member?"

"I do." I answered.

"Do you swear your allegiance to me, as your Alpha and McKenna as your Luna?"

"I do." I answered.

"Do you swear to protect fellow pack members and support them in times of need?

"I do" I answered.

McKenna stood between Linc and I, much like a priest marrying a couple, and placed a thin cut along our left hands. Linc reached over and took my hand in his, "Welcome to the pack, Allison. With the joining of our blood, you are now part of the Haven Woods Pack Family." Instantly, I felt my bond with the pack become cemented, the connection to the land and all the people filling me. The pack applauded, many wolf whistles could be heard, and others cheered.

"Thank you." I said to Linc and McKenna. "I love you both." McKenna gave me a hug and as she smiled.

"Don't go anywhere, yet." McKenna said, "Linc isn't done with you yet." I just nodded my head and stood there with happiness radiating off of me.

Linc turned back to the crowd, using his hands to tell them to quiet down. They instantly listened and he continued to speak. "The second item on our agenda tonight is to discuss a new union that has been made."

My face flushed, it was one thing to be up here joining the pack, but now they are going to be talking about Tim and me. I internally groaned as Tim made his way up to the stage, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"It is my pleasure not only to announce Allison as a new pack member, but also as my new sister-in-law!" Shocked expressions fell on the faces of the crowed, a few sharp intakes of breath could be heard, and a few murmurs disbelief. Tim and I stepped forward and waved to everyone, Tim then turned and kissed me. There were cheers and applause again, my face now fire engine red, I was sure of it.

"Please help me in congratulating them! As we all know, we typically have a grand pack celebration for marriages, but these two decided to elope." Chuckles once again could be heard in the crowd.

Tim grabbed my hand, pulling me into a run as we left the stage. "Bye everyone, gotta get my new wife home now!" Causing everyone to laugh and me to flush red again.

Playfully scolding him once we were off stage I said, "Seriously! You just had to say that?" Tim just chuckled at me and kissed me. I guess that was my answer. We turned our attention back to Linc.

"However, there will be a pack celebration next month on the full moon to truly celebrate their union. If things are a bit last minute this month, we were unable to pull together the celebration that they should have. Please consider this your invitation. "

"Oh, and no gifts necessary!" Shouted Tim into the crowd, causing many laughs once again.

"Now onto a more serious note, the last thing on our agenda for this evening. We have a pack member who has committed a crime again three fellow pack members, one being her mate." There were gasps running through the crowd and speculation on who it was and what they had done. It was next to unheard of for someone to commit a crime against their mate, it was genetically coded into a wolf to protect and cherish their mate, so many did not understand how one could possibly hurt theirs.

Even though I had known this was coming and had prepared for it, my heart hurt for Missy. I love that she is a friend, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was still angry with what she had done. It was hard for me to grasp why she would have done what she did, and I was deeply struggling with myself. Should you forgive here? Shouldn't I? Does she deserve forgiveness? These were answers that I just didn't have yet.

"While on a vacation weekend, this pack member decided to partake in the use of Silver Falls." Again, gasps could be heard, "We cannot allow the use of this drug as it impairs us and has the potential to expose us to humans. This is dangerous for not only the wolf consuming it, but also unsuspecting people who may come in contact with the user. "Linc nodded his head to the left and Patrick came walking up the stairs with Missy in front of him, her head hung low.