I wanted to cry, to let out deep heaving sobs as Bennett threaded his hand through my hair, his other hand sliding down my cheek and neck to rest on my shoulder. His words were like a punch to the stomach and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had expected him to hear what I went through, to see all the progress I still had to make and to run the other way. I didn't want him to but I knew it was a high probability that he could. I was broken and no one wanted to deal with the issues that came with that. But he wanted to deal with it with me. He wanted to be with me as I dealt with everything. He was more than I ever could have hoped for. I took in a shuddering breath, the urge to cry was still heavy and I reached over and grasped at his neck, holding the back of it tightly. I never wanted to let him go.

"Don't start crying. Please." There was a faint thread of panic in his voice and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my mouth.

"What do you expect, Bennett. You can't tell a female that kind of thing and not expect tears." Amber sounded amused and I pulled away from Bennett, letting him go as I looked at my doctor. She had an edge of sadness around her and I felt guilty for reveling in my bond with my mate in front of her. It felt like I was rubbing salt into an open wound of her. I opened my mouth and she held up a hand. "Don't say what I think you are going to say, Mari. It was my choice." She shook her head slightly and I frowned. She was too observant for her own good sometimes.

"I'm going to go somewhere else and finish reading these, okay?" Bennett waved the papers in his hand and I nodded. He kissed my forehead before leaving, gently closing the door behind him. He had taken everything better than I thought he would but that didn't mean he wasn't upset about it. I could feel his rage, at that moment the whispers were dark and angry. It made for a heavy feeling in the back of my head.

"Now what is going on?" Amber's voice had an edge to it and I knew exactly what she was asking about. I winced slightly, shifting my eyes back and forth, trying to formulate the right words.

"Uncle Jace is-"

"No. The amount of sheer terror you put off is surpassing the amount you used to put off when you first came here. Now tell me." Her tone left me no room for argument or deflection. It was hard and stern, it had no bent or give and I let out a sigh. I had told Davin how I felt but Amber hadn't been there. She hadn't seen what had happened.

"He terrifies me. I don't trust him anymore. He was... aggressive with me." I grimaced at how her eyes narrowed. There was an edge to her that made me almost wary. It was like her wolf was peeking out to look at me and I didn't like the feeling. "How aggressive?" Her tone was low and deadly and I swallowed. Uncle Jace was in trouble, more trouble than he was with me,

"H-He yelled at me and shook me." I swallowed hard before my eyes landed on my lap. I had dark marks on my skin underneath my pants and I winced at that. "He... he left some bruises and h-"

"That son of a bitch!" Amber shouted it out, effectively cutting me off. I jumped as she slammed her hands onto her desk, my gaze snapping to her slowly reddening face. "Two fucking years we've been establishing trust between pack members and your wolf and he fucking blows it!" She got to her feet breathing heavily. Anger hung off of her form and I watched with wide eyes as claws emerged from her fingertips and dug deep grooves into the wood of her desk. Her eyes grew darker and she bolted, kicking open her office door.

I stared after her with wide eyes before I realized what she was doing. "Shit!" The curse slipped out as I jumped out of the chair and raced after her. She was already halfway down the hallway by the time I exited the infirmary.

"Jace!" Her voice was a bellow and I felt my heart pound in my chest as I tried to catch up to her. No matter what Jace did to me I didn't want him hurt. My mind was a tetchy place at times and just because I didn't trust him it didn't mean that I didn't love him.

"Amber, please think this through!" I shouted it out as she raced out the front door. I skidded to a stop in the doorway and watched with horrified eyes as she took three steps onto the lawn and slammed her fist into Uncle Jace's jaw. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was sickening as Jace stumbled and fell over from the force of the hit.

"You fucking bastard!" Amber's face was red and she clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Do you know what you have done? Do you?" She looked like she was half a second away from shifting as her body vibrated with the anger she wore like an armor.

Jace's face went from shocked to livid as he jumped to his feet. "Don't challenge me, Amber! Back off!" He straightened himself out to his intimidating height that, despite the distance between us, had me cowering slightly. I looked around, Luka was backing away from them, his two guardians following him but keeping their gazes on the two angry shifters.

"You piece of shit! You left her with bruises? Fucking bruises?" Amber's voice was choked with rage as she trembled. "My little Maricella? My little girl?" Her words were confusing and I watched as all the colour drained from my uncle's face, except for the dark, ugly bruise that was blooming on his jaw. It would have been comical except for the fact he looked utterly terrified of the willowy doctor.

"Oh fuck." He said it so quietly I could barely hear it before he bolted for the trees. Amber bolted after him, a loud snarl escaping her mouth as she shifted. Her wolf chased after him, following him into the tree line as she snarled. I could hear faint snarls and growls coming from the tree-line and I shrunk back into the house. Nothing good was happening in the woods.

"Well, that is an... interesting development." Luka sounded curious as he lightly jogged up the steps to stand in front of me. "Was it Victor or Andrew she is bonded too?" He tilted his head, his grey eyes slightly probing.

"Andrew." I frowned at him as I backed away from the door way and let him enter. He held out a hand behind him in a gesture to Michael and Ezekiel. I watched as they laid down, looking to the trees. I felt a bit safer with them keeping watch.

"Makes sense." He closed the door and stared at me. His piercing gaze was almost making me uncomfortable.

"Not really. Why did she call me her little girl?" I could always trust Luka to tell me the truth, no matter what it was. He tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his mouth.

"Wolves are very strange creatures. Shifters even more so." He gestured to me. "Your father, Andrew, adopted you, creating a bond that blocked out the mating bond until you were of a good age and handed off to your mate." My confused expression must have showed on my face because he gave a lazy gesture as if waving it away. "Don't ask me why, I don't know." He crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to look at me with that pointedly interested expression.

"So Andrew, free to have a mate bond, bumps into Amber and a bond is formed." He let his arms drop as walked past me and towards the kitchen. I followed after him, unsure of what else to do. "Now, your father's wolf has a very strong bond with you, as do most parents with their children, but now Amber is in the equation. Her wolf can sense the bond between you and Andrew, her mate. Not to mention her wolf has formed her own bond with you. So, now we have a wolf that is bound to your father and you." He pulled a cup from the cupboard and filled it with water before handing it to me. His words were still confusing but I was grasping what he was saying, just not why.

"This still isn't making any sense." I took a drink of the water and watched as he leaned on the island.

"You are Amber's mate's child. That means, by proxy, you are her child. Jace didn't harm or break trust with one of her patients. Jace hurt her child. It doesn't matter that she walked away from Andrew. That doesn't matter because her wolf already views you as her offspring. The future. Jace threatened that future." He shrugged and I paled slightly and blinked. "Never come between a mother wolf and her pups. Ever." He chuckled and I tried to process the mind breaking information. Amber was my mother or at least her wolf viewed herself as that due to her bond with my father.

"Jace knew he fucked up as soon as he saw Amber's eyes. He harmed her pup, he scared her pup, and she will deal with the threat accordingly." He shrugged again but I could see a hint of smug satisfaction in his expression. He saw it as justice being served and all I could see was blood and possibility for death.

"She won't... kill him, will she?" I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat and he jolted slightly before frowning.

"Probably not. Drag him back here by the scruff of his neck and make him apologize and beg for your forgiveness is the more likely scenario." Luka scratched at his slight scruff and I took another drink of water. "Your mate is feral looking. Not very sophisticated. I like him." I choked on the water and coughed loudly, trying to get my breathing under control. I had not been expecting that. At all.

Luka laughed slightly before taking the glass of water away from me. I stared at him and he wrinkled his nose at me. "Don't give me that look. I have a type of person I like." He crossed his arms and leaned on them, his grey eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He looked slightly thoughtful. "The Alpha Gathering brings in all the Alphas it can from all sorts of different areas. I have found that the more sophisticated an Alpha is, the more entrenched into the Old Ways they are. Where are the more savage and untameable they are, the more I am inclined that they treat their mates better."

I frowned at that. "Why do you say that?" I tilted my head and sat on the stool in front of the island.

"Old Ways demand that a mate be broken and forced to heel to their new masters. They are forced to submit and punished when they do not. They are claimed by force, not the way it is done now. Their mates bite their shoulders or neck but they are not allowed to mark them back and females are considered to be nothing but brood mares." Luka was gritting his teeth as he said it and I felt my stomach roll at the thought of the entire process. I had known very little of the Old Ways, just enough to know it was never a good thing and women were constantly urge to reject mates that were raised with such ideals. "I know. Sickening, right? I hate dealing with them but that's beside the point." He seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment.

"The savage and untameable Alphas, the Alphas from the packs far to the north where there is nothing but cold, snow, and death. The Mountain Alphas. They do it differently. Females are not claimed by force but are instead are picked based on their strength. They are a force to be reckoned with. The women are warriors in their own right." He looked rather intrigued by that line of thought as if it was a practice he highly respected and coveted. "The mountain shifters respect power and the more power a person has, the more respect that is earned. Male or female it doesn't matter, strength does. The genders are equals because gender has no basis in power and strength." He seemed lost in thought and I looked at him intently. It was rare he shared his knowledge like he was doing. I liked it when Luka told me of the world outside of Oblitus.

His face darkened slightly. "The people who follow the Old Ways are like a snake, smooth and refined, a calculating animal waiting to strike to take you down efficiently. You never turn your back on them because they will seize the chance to take you and your title." He gestured slightly with his left hand, his face lightening from it previous dark expression. "The Mountain Alphas are like the mountains themselves. Rugged and dangerous but if you know how to move around them, how to conquer them, how to live with them, then you are safe with them. Your mate reminds me of them." He gave me a small smile.

"He is rugged and dangerous but he would never claim you by force, he would never break you. His feral presence lets others know to back off but much like the Mountain Alphas, he softens for you." Luka chuckled as he looked at me, a small smile on his face. "I have seen savage, powerful men go limp under their mate's gaze. Their bonds are intense and wild. They claim the same as the Old Ways but they share in the pain, the mates mark each other." He had a faint tinge of longing in his voice and I reached over and took my cup of water back from him.

"You respect the Mountain Alphas." It wasn't a question and he nodded. I took another drink and set the cup down in front of me.

"They are on to something. They have birthed a culture out of necessity from their way of life but it seems to be a better one. It goes against everything in the Old Ways and I like that. The Old Ways will destroy us all if we continue to let it run rampant." He frowned with a small sigh. "There is so much going on in this world, Maricella. Not all of it is good. The Old Ways are clinging to the edge of oblivion, refusing to let go, to progress with us. And then the Mountain Alphas are growing in size and strength. You should see some of them. Three times as wide as me and another foot on me at least. They are huge." He seemed impressed and I smiled at his faintly hidden excitement. It was clear he respected them immensely and it felt like he wanted to follow their teachings.

"Which is another reason I say your mate is like them. He's big." He shrugged and looked at me lazily and I flushed with pride at Luka's notice of my mate's size and strength. He was big enough to remind him of the Mountain Alphas and I found it to be a wonderful compliment.

"He was top pack warrior for Tacita." I stated it proudly and Luka chuckled.

"I can see why. I was informed that he took Davin out when he arrived and forced Collin to submit under him. If he truly wanted, he could be an Alpha. The raw power he puts off is astounding for someone who isn't of Alpha Blood." Luke narrowed his eyes in contemplation and I smiled smugly. "Alpha Thorn would like him." He tilted his head before a bright smile crossed his face. "Actually a lot of the Mountain Alphas would like him. Strong, calm, and an expression colder than the mountains they live on. However the most important part is that he knows that he can soften for you." He gestured to me again. "Mountain Alphas pride themselves on providing and being caring for their mates and their children. Their families always come first and Bennett has shown that no matter what, you come first. He would have their respect." Luka straightened, his back cracking in several spots. The more I heard about the Mountain Alphas, the more I liked them and their ways.

"Thank you." I finished off my glass of water and Luka frowned in confusion.

"For what, kiddo?" He frowned at me, his grey eyes darkening slightly. I smiled at him softly.

"For telling me the truth." I appreciated it, I always did. I had a tendency of being kept in the dark with a lot of things but Luka never lied to me. If something didn't need to be discussed or was too sensitive to discuss he was always sure to tell me so and I respected him more each time he did so.

"So what the fuck is Amber doing to dad?" Davin sounded irritated as he leaned against the door jamb. He crossed his arms and looked between me and Luka.

"Amber found out he wasn't very nice to her pup. She and her wolf didn't take kindly to that so he is being punished for his aggressive behaviour." Luka shrugged and Davin raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You expect me to believe that?" He stared at Luka and I cleared my throat slightly and leveled Davin with a look.

"Davin, Amber mated to my father." I watched as he looked at me. He scowled as his green eyes locked onto mine. "She is mated to my father." I waited for the recognition but he looked irritated and confused.

"Jesus, you are thick, Davin. Amber is mated to kiddo's daddy making her kiddo's mommy." Luka said it in a patronizing tone and anger flashed in Davin's gaze as his eyes snapped over to Luka before the words registered. His mouth dropped open. "Yah. Jace threatened and bruised Maricella, who happens to be Amber's wolf's new pup."

"Oh. She won't kill him, will she?" Davin's face was slightly pale at the information and Luka let out a sound of frustration.

"Why do you people ask these things?" He looked pointedly at me and then Davin. I shrugged slightly, trying to hide a smirk at Luka's frustration. "You guys must have something in the water or kiddo is spending too much time hanging out with you guys. She should come stay with me for a few months so she can go back to normal. You guys are all weirdos." I laughed lightly at his mild insult and Davin scowled.

"We are weirdos? You are the one who made two wilds his Betas. They have never come out of wolf form since I have met them." His face was hard and Luka mere shrugged, unconcerned for the words Davin had said.

"I trust them and that is enough for me. I don't care that they never leave their wolf forms." Luka winked at me and I smiled, catching onto his little game.

"Yah, Davin. Michael and Ezekiel are just as capable as any other wolf." I looked at my cousin and he narrowed his eyes at me. I liked playing games with Luka, it was the only time I ever really got to tease anyone. I didn't feelcomfortable doing it by myself. I was trying to learn but it was still very difficult for me.

"I know what you two are doing and I do not appreciate it." He pointed his finger at me before moving it to Luka. "You two do this every time Luka comes over and I always end up looking like a bumbling idiot." His expression darkened and I bit my lip to keep from grinning at the look on his face.

I looked towards Luka, who was smirking slightly. "Davin... it doesn't take me and kiddo to make you look like a bumbling idiot. You do that well enough on your own." At the sharp insult Davin's mouth dropped open.

"Oh fuck you. Now come here so I can beat your face in." Davin advanced on Luka who simply laughed and jerked his head at the doorway.

"Go watch a movie with tiny." He said it calmly and winked at me. "I have a bumbling idiot to beat up. He did insult my Betas after all." I laughed at his words before leaving the kitchen and heading for the living room. The two males followed after me before passing the open living room doorway and out the back door. I stepped into the quiet room, looking around. Bailey was once again curled up in my chair sleeping and Jay was sitting on the couch watching a nearly silent television.

"I didn't want to wake her up." He didn't look at me as he gestured to the tv and I nodded before moving around the couch to sit beside him. "Davin would kill me if I so much as breathed near her." I couldn't argue that fact. Davin was very territorial and protective over his small and shy mate.

I moved closer and leaned against Jay with a sigh. "He's busy killing Luka right now." I looked up at him and he chuckled before draping an arm over my shoulder.