"I'd never understood what made your lips on my neck such an intimate affair, until your teeth grazed my pulse and I realised you could tear open my throat and make me bleed in your arms but instead you chose to kiss."

Unknown

I'd barely made it two feet from Jack when the sound of my name had me halting abruptly. I managed to turn to face him just in time to see the young male stalking towards me with determination set across the cut of his jaw.

His expression was hard, movements sharp. Long legs crossed the short distance between us in a second.

I was pulled to him, balance askew as my body fell into his.

Before I could object, his mouth slanted across my own with a bruising force. His hands gripped at my forearms tightly, as if he already knew once he let go he would lose me entirely.

I wrenched myself from Jack, features twisted in fury. An aching sense of betrayal weighed heavy in the depths of my gut, spreading to envelope my entire chest.

It seemed impossible to breath as I glared at the male in front of me, the male who would now not meet my eyes, his head hung in rightful shame.

"Jac-" the hiss of my voice was overshadowed.

From across the grass a snarl cut through the air.

Thane's snarl was distinct, sharp, and vicious. Successful in gaining the attention of all wolves in the vicinity.

He had found us.

Jack and I were not alone out here in the middle of the inner territory, on the edge of the towering trees. Pack wolves were within distance to have seen everything. And were certainly now aware of the tall, ancient Alpha across the distance, by the main house, anger coiled in every inch of him.

What had Jack done?

My face blanched as the full reality of this situation hit me. He would kill him. He would rip the other Alpha apart.

Thane's face was twisted into pure unfiltered rage, his expression enough for nearby wolves to flinch. I had never seen him like this. So wild. Only one moment from falling apart entirely.

He was on the edge, his body vibrating with energy, the power of his oncoming shift pulsing through every inch of his muscular body.

The Alpha male marched towards me, his long legs eating up the distance, and I felt my whole body still, watching his approach with my heart in my throat. I was so brutally aware that this powerful male was mine, my mate, my other half. While other wolves were scrambling to escape his path, I stood waiting for him to reach me.

Jack had backed away, sensing that Thane was two seconds from shifting and tearing someone apart. He was smart enough to know he was the source of that very fury, and he would certainly be the first victim of Thane's anger.

Thane reached me, rough hands grabbing my shoulders and pulling me into his body with a force great enough to force the air from my lungs. Still snarling, his face pressed to my exposed neck, rubbing his scent onto me, marking me as his. I knew what was coming next, even before I felt his teeth at my flesh.

"Thane!" I snapped firmly. "No."

He stilled and every single muscle of his body tensed. But he listened.

I pulled back, barely creating any distance between us at all, but enough for me to grab his face between my hands and force his eyes to meet my own.

I felt his breath on my lips, the heavy pants harsh as his chest rose and fell in steady waves. His eyes, already so dark, were now almost black - completely swept up in the force that was his enraged emotions.

Jack had disappeared entirely now. The Idaho Alpha - the male who had been such a loyal friend to me for nearly all of my life - had wisely realised this was not a battle he would win.

"Calm down."

Unlike the last time he had almost marked me, I had accepted that his mark was something I would wear. My talk with Sandra had helped cement such a decision. But it would not be in Idaho, under the eyes of half the pack, and a result of his loss of control.

For there were so many wolves now, frozen in place in the near vicinity, all of them watching. There was no doubt about the nature of our relationship now. They could all see, with their clear sight, all hear with their sharp hearing. At least thirty wolves had all seen the Alpha male bury his head in my neck, could all see his arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace. And they had all seen his reaction to Jack's advances.

No male acted so fiercely, except to protect their mate or pack.

"So much for not letting anyone know," I added wryly when I was sure that he was calm enough to control his animalistic urges and not try to force his mark on me. His face found its way back to the crook of my neck. Against my skin I felt his smile and the deep vibrations of his laugh.

"I'm sorry."

I shrugged, explaining "I'm not bothered about people knowing."

"I meant for almost marking you."

"I knew that you wouldn't." I trusted Thane. I trusted him to control his urges when it came to my safety and respecting my boundaries. He had shown me such through every single step of our relationship. I had no reason not to trust him. "Don't kill him. Don't hurt him. Please. He didn't know that you're my mate."

"I don't care what his feelings are towards you. I do not care if he wishes to pursue you," he snarled the last two words. "He forced himself on you. And that I cannot forgive."

"I know, I know," I uttered, distress clear in my tone. "I'll deal with it though. Not you. I need to confront this myself."

"I do not want him to ever set foot inside a room with you alone," he growled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "And if I ever see him do that to you again I will drive my fist through his face so hard he will choke on it."

The pack was still watching us. All at what they perceived to be a safe distance from Thane's fury, their wide eyes locked onto our figures. I could hear their low murmurs from here, but couldn't discern anything specific.

Another snarl from deep within Thane silenced them entirely.

And as he slowly lifted his head from my shoulder, and arched towards them, it was the deadly promise in his eyes that had them scattering.

***

"He's your mate?"

Margaret - my younger sister - was always someone who got straight to the point.

I had forgotten just how quickly gossip could travel through the pack. And after the ten minute walk to her and Mitchell's cabin with Thane at my side, it seemed the news of what had transpired had reached her before I could.

I stared down at the mug of green tea she had offered me, my hands wrapped around the hot porcelain.

"Yes."

Thane and Mitchell had stepped out, the Head Hunter more than happy to reunite with Thane in the years since he had trained in Colorado. I was thankful for the privacy it offered Margaret and I to catch up, but I remained hesitant regardless. It wasn't often a conversation between Margaret and I didn't lead to conflict.

"And still no hint of your wolf?" My sister asked with a frown, sipping on her own mug of coffee.

'Your wolf', she asked, as if I had one and it were simply in hiding.

I looked away, towards the hallway that lead to the three bedrooms; her and Mitchell's, and her two children's. I hadn't seen any sign of them. They were probably playing with the other young pups right now, eager to catch a glimpse of all the new wolves that had travelled for the Mating Rotations.

I remained silent, my lips pressed tight together.

"What?" She urged, when I didn't respond.

"Am I not enough as I am?" I asked softly - not in shyness, but as a way to calm the quiet rage now rolling like a growing wave inside of me. "Can you not accept me as I am, without a wolf?"

"I didn't mean it like that," she insisted, frowning at me.

How did she mean it then?

I could never understand this obsession with my nature. At first, it had been expected. The entire pack, including myself, had been desperate to understand the peculiarity of my situation. A wolf unable to shift was unheard of across the American packs.

But as I learned to accept my inability to shift, it seemed not everyone could. Regardless whether this curiosity only stemmed from concern, every question about said 'wolf' led me to grow more and more bitter. I was tired of it. Tired of everyone seemingly waiting for this all important 'wolf' to finally make an appearance.

I had been made to feel incomplete. I had been made to feel wrong.

I had been made to feel like an outlier from the pack wolves.

And that had, after all, been why I had been so desperate to travel to Colorado. What better place was there for me to be, but amongst the other wolves who existed outside of pack norms?

Even if I had not truly understood just who the enforcer pack were initially, everything I had learned since only affirmed my choice. There I was not made to feel other.

And if I were an outlier from the other packs, so were they.

"Emily," my name cut through the quiet of the cabin. I turned to find Thane's large form filling the doorway, alongside Mitchell who stood a step inside the room. Thane's expression was impassive as he met my eyes, but I knew that was just a mask of whatever emotions he truly felt. In the presence of others - even my family - he would keep himself guarded. Mitchell, my brother-in-mating, was looking towards his mate and I with a frown.

"I'll see you later," I sighed, offering my sister a fleeting glance as I pushed back from the table and followed Thane as he led me outside, infinitely thankful that he had been there to interrupt. Perhaps I was simply being too sensitive whenever it came to my sister's questions. Regardless, despite whatever intentions she had behind her words, the fact of the matter was that they had upset me - as they often did.

Our next stop, was to visit my parents cabin. Thane and I walked there in silence, his hand in mine as we made no attempt to hide our relationship. There would be no point now that most likely all of the pack had heard.

It was only a quick walk from Margaret's to my parent's, and when we arrived I stopped short of the porch.

I had been unable to say goodbye to my dad before I had left for Colorado, as he had been on a three day long patrol of the territory boundaries.

It had weighed heavy on my mind at times since, and I only hoped he hadn't been angry with me for such an abrupt departure.

"You okay?" Thane asked, speaking for the first time since we had left Margaret's. He offered my hand a gently squeeze when I had yet to answer, drawing my attention towards him.

I nodded mutely, but still didn't move closer.

"Emily," Thane murmured, turning me to face him. He dropped my hand so that his arms could wrap around my waist. His head dipped towards me and his mouth brushed delicately against my own. "They will be pleased to see you. And I will be just outside if you need me."

"You're not coming inside?" I asked, mouth suddenly dry.

"People don't tend to welcome me into their homes," he explained, not seeming at all bothered by this fact. "I'm..." he sighed. "I'm not a male people can comfortably stomach to be around for too long. Besides, I want you to have some time alone with them to talk privately if you need it."

"You'll be just outside?"

"I'll be right here on the porch," he assured, visibly amused.

I didn't bother to knock on the front door of the cabin. I had lived here for 23 years after all. This would always, in some ways, be my home.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," Elaine Jefferson greeted me with disapproval, stood in the entryway with her arms crossed as if she had expected my arrival any second. "Come on, come sit down. Have you had anything to eat you? Do you want a drink? We have quite a bit to talk about, don't we? Have you seen your sister yet?"

"Where's Dad?" I asked instead.

"Organising next week's patrols. Where else?" Her mother huffed with a roll of her eyes. "I swear that's all that man ever does. Tea?"

I nodded mutely, rushing to take a seat when she pointed firmly to the empty chair at our families small wooden dining table. I hadn't even had the chance to drink the tea Margaret had made me.

"So... the Colorado Alpha. That certainly explains things."

How had she even heard about that so quickly, alone in her cabin? Had the pack been shouting it out to anyone that would care to listen?

"I thought it was because you were Alpha Athens mate, you know," my mother mused. "You've always been a difficult child."

My fists clenched beneath the table, and I bit my lip as I eyed her warily. I had already had a difficult conversation with my sister today, I didn't want to upset every member of my family. Where was this leading?

"Mom-" I began my protest quietly. But she offered me a swift smile.

"You've always been so determined. You didn't take kindly to people telling you what to do, and - even though you tried your best to be respectful of the rules - you always sought to push them as far as possible. So it seemed logical to assume you would grow to be an Alpha wolf. And you always spent so much time with Jack when you were teenagers. But then he found Amy and I... I don't know, I pushed it to the back of my mind. When she died, and the spark between you and Alpha Athen was still as strong as it always had been, I thought maybe you were a secondary mate. It's why I'd always pushed so hard at the idea of you two together. You were never made to be just an ordinary pack wolf, Sweetheart. I thought, maybe, if you took the place as Idaho's Alpha Female, you would finally feel settled."

I hadn't ever considered the possibility before. I had always assumed that, as I didn't have a mate, I would obviously never have a secondary bond with anyone. But now that I had Thane, the possibility of a secondary mate didn't seem all that absurd.

Perhaps... perhaps Jack and I did share a secondary bond. Perhaps that was why he had been acting so erratic since I left for Colorado, since I rejected him. Perhaps that's why I had felt so drawn to him throughout our childhood.

Even knowing this, it didn't change a thing. Perhaps had I not met Thane - if I knew Jack and I were secondary mates, if I could feel the bond - then I would have settled with Jack. But now with Thane to serve such a brutal comparison, I found Jack no longer held my affections so vehemently.

"I did love him you know."

"I know you did sweetie."

"It's just... It wasn't enough. I felt confined, and... and I haven't yet finished growing." Daniel had been right about that. There was still so much for me to learn, still so much room left for me to grow into the wolf I truly wished to be. But Jack had never offered me such an opportunity, not like Thane.

Thane had done nothing but provide me every opportunity to choose my own path, even to his own detriment. He had placed my needs before his own, and risked never being with me all for the sake of my comfort.

"But you're happy now, in Colorado?"

"I am. I really am." I felt the grin stretching across my mouth, just as I felt the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

Content, is how I felt when I thought of my new life in Colorado.

"Then that's all that matters. Now, do you want to invite him in?" She asked, pointedly looking towards the door. "Or are you going to make him sit out there all day?"

"What?" I froze.

"I may be human, but I'm not completely deaf Emily. I heard you two talking. And I know he's likely still sat out there on my porch waiting for you. Your father will be home soon and I expect you to join us for dinner this afternoon." I remained in my seat, staring up at her wide eyed. "What are you waiting for? Go let him in. Unless you want your father to stumble upon him first. Go. Go," she shooed.

I scrambled to my feet, almost stumbling towards the door. Behind me my mother was readjusting her clothes, and smoothing out her hair, as if there was anything out of place in the first place. When she saw I had still yet to open the door, she fixed me with her familiar scowl, one I knew all too well from my childhood. I could just hear her words now, 'Do as your told Emily or so help me...'

Thane shot to his feet as soon as the door opened even an inch, casting me an equally wide eyed stare. Of course he had heard everything.

"Um..." I murmured anyway, shuffling on my feet. "My mom wants to meet you. She's invited you to dinner."