The Jeep sailed smoothly along the asphalt as I looked in the side mirror. It had been well over an hour since I had seen Mountain Rise with the small brigade of similar vehicles following us. They were there to make sure I didn't do anything stupid not that it was necessary. Even the chain around my ankle was overkill in my opinion. Yesterday had been the day I screamed and cried about leaving. The tips of my fingers were still sore from tearing into one of the pack's oldest trees in frustration.

Today had been hugging my closest pack members and telling them goodbye. Many whispered words of advice in my ear on how to behave among the Thistlebrush wolves. My parents said that we could run but if Alpha Thorn went to the council, we could all be in trouble. The large male who called himself my father hadn't said anything since we began the journey to Thistlebrush and I hadn't talked to him either. Markus hadn't been seen since that night. That thought seemed to stab me in the heart more than it should have.

My arms and side still held the marks from Alpha Thorn's beast showing me who was Alpha. The fact that I was leaving diminished any pride I had from leaving a deep scratch in his face and the indent in his arm that was slowly healing. We'd lost, my wolf and I were quite sore about it. I couldn't even feel her at the moment, she was content in letting me take this heartbreak on my own. I think that hurt the worst.

"How are your injuries," he asked so quietly I almost didn't hear him. "They'll heal, Alpha," I said, biting back the urge to give him attitude. I was about to be part of the strictest packs in the nation. No need to start off with being punished for lack of respect. Besides, my wolf was not helping me heal with her absence. "I'll have the doctor look you over when we get there," he stated. "As you wish Alpha," I muttered, a larger tear fell and he sighed. "This is for your own good, Quinn. Mountain Rise's Alpha should have never allowed you to be marked at such a young age. It is not what is done," he said as if that would make this all better. I kept my mouth shut. He asked a few more questions about my life. I answered with short but polite answers. Luna had trained me well on how to talk with outsiders.

"Are you sure Witherstone isn't your mate," he asked which made my blood boil over. "NO! That disgusting male is not my mate," I yelled, stupidly disrespecting my new alpha. My eyes widened and burned in horror as I saw his face and I buried my face in my hands. I didn't want to talk about mates. I didn't want to talk about the wolf that got me sent away from my home. My wolf had just started to come back and now she was gone!

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I didn't mean to disrespect," I began wiping at the tears. It was one thing to give attitude but another to yell. I had already been given a lesson in respect by him, I didn't want another one. Without my wolf, I probably wouldn't survive. "I'm only asking. We're alone. No need for formalities," he muttered but I could see his wolf. He didn't like my outburst in the slightest. I took it as a warning. It isn't like he considered me his pup until a few days ago. "He isn't, Alpha. Derrick was my mate. My only mate, Alpha," I said keeping the formalities, wiping my face. I only had one father, and he wasn't it but I kept that snide remark to myself.

"Then why were you at their banquet," he asked, his deep voice taking a more curious tone. "Luna and mom. They hate seeing me alone. Besides, until Markus finds his mate, he needs help with those types of events. They just want to see me happy again," I said. It was the truth. "The first year after Derrick's passing, I barely ate or hardly moved. I went to class, did my work, and went to bed. Threw myself in my schoolwork so I could come home." His grip tightened at the steering wheel. I hoped it was because he felt bad about taking me away from my home.

"Was their male good to you," he asked simply. "I don't want to talk about this, Alpha," I answered. I may have been born from him but that doesn't make him my father. He nodded and dropped the subject. "I will have our psychologist set up an appointment with you," he said instead, I only nodded. No use arguing. "You don't need to use formalities with me, Quinn," he reminded me. "I am neither family or friend, Alpha. It would be inappropriate," I said and settled in my seat. He let out a huff, his wolf was not happy. Watching his jaw tighten gave me a little satisfaction and I turned away to hide my smile. I had just rejected him as my father, no wolf would be happy with that from their pup.

He sighed and pulled into a tar-and-chip driveway. Two wolves greeted their alpha and opened the large metal date to let us in. "When we arrive at the main house, I'll introduce you to my son and the rest of the pack. I want your injuries checked out first," he said. I knew that Alpha Thorn had a son named Aspen that was around my age. He was to inherit his father's title at some point. Aspen had already finished with school and would often travel to other packs in search of his mate. I had never met him because Derrick had met Aspen at the border when Aspen was looking for his mate. None had been his mate which many found comfort in. As Alpha said before, we were not on great terms with Thistlebrush so any wolf that had a mate there either looked the other way or never returned.

I could feel the Thistlebrush wolves' eyes on me when he unshackled me from his Jeep. Even more so after we left the doctor's office and into the main house. "Do not show your teeth unless you are prepared to use them," he warned as I glared back at a group of females before we went into one of the Alpha's meeting rooms. "I'm a visitor. Wouldn't dream of it, Alpha," I grumbled sitting on one of the chairs around the table. The large male took an exasperated breath that I didn't like, taking a seat next to me. "I am just visiting. Right? By law, I should be with my mates' pack unless I choose to return to my birth pack," I said loudly. "We will talk about this later," he said with a look for me to drop it. If we were on Mountain Rise, I would be tempted to push further but I wasn't. I wasn't at home. This place wasn't my home. I turned away from him before moving a few spaces away from him. I hate it here already.

Before he could open his mouth again, there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he said and a younger version of Alpha Thorn entered the room. The main difference was his hair was longer than his father's and held in a simple ponytail. He looked at me and smiled wide. "Sister wolf! You're here," he yelled before running towards me. Just as the door slammed shut behind him he enveloped me in a tight hug. My wolf made her appearance and snarled at him with a sound that had the Alpha Heir release me and stepping back. From my peripherals, I saw Alpha Thorn stand up and ready to intervene. "Unmated males should know better than to touch what isn't theirs," my wolf growled out. Not ours. I was in full agreement as my teeth bared towards his throat. "We're siblings," he countered with irritation in his eyes. "I am the only child of Karen and Harrelson Mason. I am not your sibling and I do not consider myself his pup," I said strongly, spine held rigid. "But you're here," he said in a playful tone. "He threatened to tear open my throat unless my Alpha and Luna relinquished their care to Alpha Thorn," I explained. I didn't have a choice.

I could feel the anger radiate from the Alpha in the room from my words. "Witherstone claims she is his true mate," Alpha Thorn said, before explaining what happened the other night. Aspen asked looking at me quizzically and opened his mouth ask a question. "Not ours," my wolf hissed through me that I saw Aspen's eyes widen. He believed us and simply nodded in response. "Why would Witherstone lie," Aspen asked instead. "He hasn't found his mate. I lost mine before I had my first pup. Any pups I would have had would be strong, especially with a second Alpha line within them," I stated. "You can still have pups," Alpha Thorn's wolf said with a hard look. "Derrick is dead. I won't have any pups," I said with finality in my tone. If there was one thing I learned at the banquet that my wolf and I were absolutely sure about. Only my true mate would be adequate. The way Witherstone claimed me as his had made me feel physically ill.

"If you don't believe her to be Landon's mate, why is she here," Aspen asked looking at his father. "I don't trust him not to contest his claim with the council. Mountain Rise does not have the adequate resources to fight a claim of that magnitude," Alpha Thorn explained. "What does that mean? Mountain Rise has plenty of resources and cashflow," I defended. "To spend on one wolf. A wolf that won't have make strong Mountain Rise pups. A wolf that has lost a mate. I know every wolf there adores you but would you really ask your pack to waste resources like that? To use up everything just so you could stay at home and mope," Alpha Thorn said, his tone making me feel small and stupid. "And your pack has the resources to fight for a wolf that is not part of their pack," I asked, cheeks burning. "I have resources to protect my pups," he retorted. I snorted. He growled in warning. "Since when did you decide I was your pup," I asked.