Folks my work is trying it's best to kill me and has shot my schedule to hell! I will post when ever possible for the next couple of weeks until i get back to my schedule. Thank you for all you comments, votes & reads, really appreciate your support!

Chapter 17

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Evelyn was quickly grabbed by her mother in to a hug as soon as she was dropped near the pack house.

Jeff came over and hugged his two girls. All of them were shaken.

Nick was still in his wolf form and while he seemed to be loitering around. But he was constantly in touch with his pack, taking updates, reviewing border patrols. His pack barely had the required headcount to do this, he was stretched thin. He had been afraid of something like this and it happened.

He took updates from every one of his pack members through his link and then went away to change back in to human from and was back minutes away.

A crowd gathered near the pack house, essentially every wolf who was not guarding or patrolling was out there. They all knew something happened, but didn't know what exactly and with the way Evelyn was being handled they knew it was her.

Nick needed to address them and decided to changed back in to his human form.

"There was an attack on one of our pack members" he addressed the gathered crowd. "We do not know who it was as why they attacked her. But luckily we could repel the attackers and get our pack member safe in to our pack lands. Until this threat is addressed properly I am placing the pack on high alert." Panic flared in the ranks, the rogues that almost decimated them was still fresh in their memories, they had barely settled in to normalcy and it had now been blown to hell.

"Restrictions on young wolves will be back in place till further notice and you will not leave the pack lands for any reason without approval from me or your beta. This is for your safety and I hope we should be back to normal as soon as possible" Nick added reassuring his pack members. Even though he himself was not sure if that would be possible. This was a direct attack on Evelyn and he knew it would get very ugly very fast.

As if to reinforce his thoughts a large dark brown wolf broke through the trees of the pack land, just a few seconds before one of the patrols has warned through the mind link that a crazy Roma wolf broke through the border and headed in to the compound.

Nobody even attempted to stop him as one look at him was all it took to figure out who it was. Her mate, and no wolf in his right mind would come in to the path of a wolf who was running towards his mate. His wolf would not be satisfied until he saw her, smelled her and confirmed with his own eyes that his mate was safe.

The massive wolf stopped analyzed the crowd, walking slowly towards the group, hackles raised, growling in a low but dangerous tone with canines bared assessing every single one of them as a threat. A smaller grey wolf broke out from the woods behind him and he didn't seem to notice, his eyes searching, his growl increasing as he did not find what he was looking for.

As the crowd noticed the increase in his growl they parted like the red sea so he could have line of sight to his mate who was cradled in her family's arms.

The wolf slightly whimpered when he saw her but regained his menacing stance as he stepped closer, there were too many people around his mate for his comfort and right now every face was a threat.

He gave a warning growl at the crowd. Nick looked at Max and knew he was barely in control and any sudden movement would provoke him in to an attack. At this movement he would kill and ask questions later and there were too many wolves around, Max would not be able to hold it much longer.

So Nick did what he had to do, he dropped to his knees and exposed his neck. His pack members looked shocked at their Alpha dropping down to a submissive posture and they followed him when they heard his command in their head.

Evelyn turned from her mother's arms to look at him, her bond flared with need of comfort only a mate would give and he growled lowly as he felt it too, she ignored everything that was happening around her and focused solely on him. This was the first time she looked at his wolf and he was majestic...a sense of pride rushed through her, he was beautiful and he was hers.

As he walked closer to his mate on the pathway created by Nick's pack he kept a wary eye on the group of wolves on either side of him, while his wolf was satisfied with their submissive posture, he was not taking any chances.

He looked back to his mate and walked cautiously towards her and as he saw her parents on both side of her holding her close, he growled at them menacingly. They were the only two people who had not followed Nick's instructions as they were busy comforting their child. But Max's wolf was not comfortable with anyone being close to his mate right now even if they were her parents, he growled in warning again.

Her mother stepped back but Jeff hesitated. Cathy put her hand on Jeff "She needs her mate Jeff" she said softly pointing to the undivided attention her daughter was giving the wolf which was approaching her.

As he reached her, his snout in the air, she got down on her knees as he buried his head in her neck, inhaling in her scent which acted as a soothing balm to his wolf.

Adrian was a few feet behind Max, keeping vigil as Max was distracted. He saw Evelyn's parents still standing and growled at them. Max's wolf might see it as a challenge to his authority and one look from their Alpha they too joined the crowd in the submissive posture.

Max gently licked her neck, the spot where he marked her and whined as he smelt multiple scents on her. He started circling around her rubbing himself on her, making his claim in the most primitive form by rubbing his scent all over his female.

She in turn ran her hands through his fur gently, soothing him. It was such a private moment that most pack members looked away.

"Evy" her mother called to her, breaking Evelyn's focus from her mate and Max growled loudly at that interruption.

"Why don't to take him to the house, where both of you can have some privacy." her mother suggested softly and for the first time Evelyn became aware of her surroundings. She was generally a private person and the whole pack was witnessing this. She took in a deep breath and got up, her mother was right. She looked down at the Wolf and gently said "Let's go to my house Max" and started walking with the wolf in tow.

As Max and Evy disappeared the pack got up and looked at their Alpha. Their eyes silent but demanding a response for their actions. Who was this wolf that they had to submit to? Did that mean they had to submit to every Roma wolf? Questions were churning in the packs mind and some of them were leaking over to their alpha over the pack link.

Nick faced his pack, Maxwell had not thought this through and because of that Nick had no other choice but to confess to his pack "He is no ordinary wolf" he said staring his pack down, indicating that they would not bend their knee for just any wolf.

"Evelyn's mate is Prince Maxwell Roma" He announced to his stunned pack.

***

Max followed Evelyn in to the room and sat down on his rump once inside the room.

"Why don't you change back?" she asked looking down at him. He simply growled but it was non-threatening. He was indicating that his wolf would not allow him to morph back, it was still in control.

"Ok" She conceded "Stay, that way. But can you ask someone from you men to drop in some clothes?" She didn't want him roaming around her house naked when he morphed back.

He yelped in response.

"Good" she nodded. She turned around and bolted the door.

"I am going to freshen up" She told him, she was dirty with dry leave and dust all over her. As Adrian pulled her from the car in a hurry, they had taken a tumble and rolled on the forest floor.

He just sat there thumping his tail on the floor staring at her contently.

She picked a change of clothes and headed in to the bathroom for a quick shower.

When she returned the wolf was sitting placidly on the bed his tail moving lazily. She had taken a quick shower and put on a comfortable pair of pajamas and a t-shirt.

She approached the bed and tried to crawl over next to him when he stopped her with his snout.

"What?" she asked looking at him as she paused at the edge of the bed.

He growled.

"What?" she asked again.

He growled back.

She scowled at him. What was his problem?

He nipped at the edge of her t-shirt and tugged at it.

"Hey you will tear it!" she swatted at him.

He let go and as she tried to get on to the bed he blocked her again.

"What?!" she asked frustrated.

He put his snout under her t-shirt and started rising, pulling her shirt along with him, exposing her stomach.

She stepped back from him in hast and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't like this t-shirt?" She asked.

He growled.

"You want me to change it?"

He growled louder.

"You want me to remove it?"

Silent. His tail wagged faster as he sat there looking at her.

"You want me to remove it!" she repeated as it dawned on to her.

His large wolf head nodded.

She grumbled at him but complied, removing her t-shirt and discarding it. She felt exposed with just her bra covering her top half. She muttered something and started to get on to the bed, but he blocked her and growled again.

"What now?!" she yelled at him.

He buried his nose in to her crotch as she hurriedly swatted his head away.

She looked at him with wide eyes "You want me to remove my Pajamas?"

Her question was met with silence.

She stared him for a minute and he broke the silence with an impatient yelp.

She narrowed her eyes and muttered "pervert" under her breath but complied. She stood in front of him in her underwear. She started climbing on to the bed when he stopped her again.

"I am not sleeping with you naked!" she declared and pushed him away and climbed on to the bed.

While she and Max fooled around in the past, they were yet to take the final step to see each other in the buff. Even the other day when she spent the night in Max's room she had slept with him in her underwear. Alex had ruined their make-up session and after that they simply spent taking and getting to know each other for half the night.

She felt exposed so took a blanket and covered herself and stared at him. He had a self-satisfied look on his face.

She petulantly stuck out her tongue at him.

He had a devilish grin.

She pulled the blanket around her tightly. What was he up to now?

His head disappeared under the blanket in a flash and then she heard a rip...

Her eyes widened almost falling out of her socket.

He had...this barbarian had...

His head came back up and it looked as if he was smiling and a small cotton fabric dangled from his teeth, proof of his guilt.

He had ripped her panties!

Her face burst in to a flame of red.

"You..you..." she stuttered. Still in denial of his actions.

And he leaned forward approaching her chest. She understood clearly what he wanted to do.

"Don't you dare!" she spat at him.

He paused, turning his head sideways...he was waiting...

Waiting for what?

Waiting for her to remove her last piece of clothing. His message was clear, either she removed or he would rip it off and that flimsy material didn't have a chance against those razor sharp teeth.

She did not know why, but she did not feel the hesitation, may be because he was in his wolf form, maybe because she felt safe with him.

So from inside the blanket she unhooked her bra and pulled it out and let it fall beside the bed.

"Happy?" she asked him.

He simply thumped his tail. She still was covered in blanked and he slowly entered it and started rubbing his torso all over her body.

"You Neanderthal!!!" She exclaimed trying to get him off but he did not respond and continued to rub himself on to her. There was nothing sexual about it, it was more of him rubbing his sent in to her, marking her as his, she gave up and finally when he was done. He was lying on his stomach his head on his paws and looking at her and whined softly.

She turned towards him and looked at him and she saw worry, fear...

"I am ok Max, I am fine" She whispered. Everything that happened in the morning slammed in to her like a sledge hammer and hot tear escaped her eye.

He gave a sorrowful whine and burrowed next to her. She felt such comfort from his body and she put an arm and leg around this wolf, the sense of security seeping in to her.

They remained like that for some time, silent, no words needed. Comforting each other as only mates could do.

***

"Hello?" Charles picked up the phone.

"The bastard has a mate. She was his fucking mate! not Alex's!" Crawford yelled in to the phone.

"Calm down Crawford, take deep breaths." Charles said calmly.

Crawford took a deep breath and started "The girl in the picture, she is not Alex's mate. She is his mate. Roma's whelps mate. She is his fucking mate! Is that clear enough?!?" Crawford screamed and hung up. He was beyond furious at the massacre of him men. He would ensure the Roma bastards would pay.

Charles looked at his phone and recalled what Crawford told him.

"Interesting" he muttered to himself "Very interesting!"

This certainly changed things.