Mom, I'm fine." I perked up my voice, determined to assure her that I was okay.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes?"

"Should we come and see you?" She expressed her concern.

"Unless you're coming to take me home then no." I rolled my eyes. "Besides, it's not that bad. I'm just a little sore from training." Normally she could sense my deceit.

"Okay." A long sigh of relief blew into the phone. "Your father wants to speak to you."

"Okay." I fiddled with the strings of my throw blanket before my father's deepened voice echoed through my earpiece.

"Hey sweetie?"

"Hey dad?" The other end of the line grew cold, leaving us in a moment of silence before he re-entered the conversation.

"Okay. Your mother is out of the room. Explain to me. How many were there?"

"Huh?" My teeth nipped at the skin of bottom lip, one of my nervous gestures. I knew it was a matter of time before the message was relayed to my father. I was his daughter and he was well loved and respected so of course he would have to be informed of the situation. I just wish it could have waited.

"I have eyes and ears in that pack house so again I ask, how many?" It was no denying the events now.

"Six, seven maybe."

"Damn it." He cursed out before a low menacing growl escaped him. I pouted. I did not want to put any weight on his shoulders. "I'm glad you are okay sweetie. Where are you now?"

"I'm back in my room now. My wounds are healing quite nicely." My fingers brushed against my sore waist area, flinching due to it not being completely healed.

"I'm glad you're okay. I'm going to let you rest, okay?"

"Okay, love you dad." It was rare for me to express such 'mushy' emotions, however now I think my dad needed to hear it, for his sake.

"Love you too."

"Bye."

I ended the call. Taking his advice to rest to allow my wounds the better opportunity to recover, I tilted my head back, resting it against the headboard. Ready to ease into comfort, I was a little distraught when someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in." My harsh tone of voice should have warned my visitors of my current mood.

The door cracked ajar. Beta Allen appeared alongside Alpha Xavier. Allen looked me over before the corner of his lips rose, stretching his lips to form a smile. He stood beside me, seemingly ready to say something ether foolish, inappropriate, or down right humorous. Xavier on the other hand seemed quiet agitated. His hands in the pockets of his shorts, his eyes shifted around the room, completely opposed to being here or even looking at me. It seemed as though it was the last place he would like to be.

"Hey guys?" My greeting was mainly for Allen.

"How are you doing?" Allen took a spot on my bed.

"I'm doing okay, feeling much better then yesterday." I assured him just like I assured everyone else numerous times.

I glanced at Xavier. Again, his eyes were unfocused, left to wander around the room without a target.

"I'm glad you're okay trooper." He leaned in close. Parting his lips, he released debased whisper that only I could hear. "At least now you don't have to pretend to be ill anymore."

My cheeks colored before I looked away. Oh. That. My sickness. I laughed, secretly embarrassed about being exposed.

"I will see you later though." He stood up, ready to leave. He turned, walking pass Xavier and out the door, leaving him standing there. Why? Leave. Scoot Scoot. I wish I could say that however his wolf would not tolerate it. However anything would be better than the silent moment we were both left in. Are you going to leave? I looked around the room, determined to keep my eyes off of him.

"What happened?" He cleared his throat.

"Huh?"

"Yesterday, what happened out there?" For the first time in days our eyes met. It was like poison dipped in silver and jabbed into my skull repeatedly.

"Well." I suddenly fell ill. " I went for a run and...we were attacked. Steven and I.."

"I know who it was." He sounded displeased by the other party. He looked away. I rolled my eyes. He released a sigh of frustration before his hand ran through the thick strands of his hair. His biceps flexed just before each muscle came forward. I clutched the material, making sure he would not notice my strange behavior.

Do you not understand what could have happened if we did not show up? If I did not show up? You would be dead. Slaughtered. You would have been a dead pack member on my hands."

"I understand but-"

"But nothing. Both of you showed nothing but stupidity." Stupidity? "Negligence nearly landed both of you in a damn grave."

"Negligence? Since when did going outside become such a problem?" My teeth began to grind.

He is fucking insane. He spoke as if we stepped into rogue territory and invited them over for a free meal. Filet Amira and sautéed Steven.

"And how would I-" he ceased to calm himself for a moment. "And how would I explain your dead body to your father?"

"Just call him and say 'hey, uh your daughter is dead but how was your day'" I invited some humor into the conversation. I thought it was necessary, unlike him.

"STOP JOKING!" He snapped at me.

He was taking this way to serious now. I'm alive. Why are we dwelling on the negative instead of the positive side that Steven and I are still breathing?

"What is this really about Alpha Xavier?" I refused to bite my tongue any longer. What the hell is his problem?

"This pack has set rules and regulations. We don't have fucking time to be babysitting guest." He

blurted.

Guest? Am I not a part of this pack just as any other?

"I apologize Alpha Xavier. It will not happen again." I could not help but roll my eyes. This was getting frustrating. He was getting frustrating. Sensing this conversation was coming to an end, he turned away to leave but he spoke again.

"It's best that you stay away from Steven."

"What?" Who is he to tell me to stay away from someone? My father?

"You heard me."

"Wow." I was stunned now. Standing to my feet, I struggled to ignore the searing pain that my bruise caused. "What is your problem?"

"You should lay back down." Oh look, another demand.

"No." I refused to bite my tongue.

Feeling almost unstoppable, I stood my ground against him.

"He saved my life. Instead of punishing him, we should be thanking him." Unlike this buffoon, I was thankful for Steven. I could have been ripped apart and delivered to them in a box.

"Do you like him?"

What? Where did this question even come from? Was there an assumption that I had some sort of feelings for Steven? Completely stunned by the sudden question, all I could do was stand there and stare at him. He was insane.

"Does that matter?" With a spiteful grin on my face, I questioned him.

"Do. You. Like. Him?" His tone had darkened along with the shade of green of his eyes.

"Why do you even want to know?" I spat as I turned to walk away. "That would be my business-"

His hand locked around my forearm before he pulled me against the wall. I hissed when my back slammed against the cement wall. His arms placed on both sides of my head, imprisoning me against the wall, I could only eye him as I awaited my punishment for disobeying him.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time." The base in his voice screamed authority and power throughout the room. "Do you like him?"

Sighing in defeat, I could only give him the answer to his question.

"No."

His face plain of emotion, he dropped his arms before he took a step back. I could feel his gaze on me as I stared at the carpet beneath my feet. Without any other word, he turned and left the room...

I was already handling enough shit in my life, now more trouble was dropped on my plate.

Amira.

She was getting herself into a shit load of problems and situations, leaving me to clean up after her. There was not much for me to do about it though. I promised her father that I would keep her safe. That's at least I could do for him.

Rick, Amira's father, was like my father's right hand man even though he was only third in command. He would do anything for my father and my father would do the same for him. They grew up together. From small pups to great men, they were known leaders of one of the largest packs on the east coast.

Even during my younger times, we were always grateful of Rick. On the battlefield, he made sure to protect my father and always promised that he would return him to my mother and I.

I felt as though I owed him. Even though nothing would return the favor, I knew protecting his only daughter was a start.

"Hey?" Without knocking, Allen entered my office.

He was known for entering my office unannounced. After many warnings and disputes about his action and no positive results, I soon gave in to his innocent actions.

"What do you need?" Careless of his entrance, I continued to sign and document some work I needed done and sent off soon.

"Pretending to work I see." He decided to take a seat on the far end of my desk.

"First off, move.." I shot him a threatening glare before I pushed him from my desk, motioning him toward one of the free chairs. "Second, unlike you, I actually have shit to do."

"Before we engage in this debate...again, we have to make a run." He signaled me that we were leaving.

"And where am I going?"

"To see an injured pack member."

My eyebrow arched up.

"To see Amira."

I frowned.

"No."

Was he insane? Did it really look as if I wanted to be there with the girl?

"Look. You stop by; you ask if she's okay, then you leave. That's it."

"No."

"You know it's your duty."

"Are you really telling me what my job is?" I hissed.

"No. Just simply reminding you what is commonly done. An injured pack member always gets a word from the commanding officer." He seemed confident in mentioning to me what I already knew. "I just don't want you to break that rule."

He was pressuring me now. I did not like it at all. However, what he was saying was true. After battle, any injured members would be visited by either the Alpha or Beta. It was almost mandatory. Without much enthusiasm, I shoved my paperwork into my folder and stood. Shooting him a dangerous glare, one laced with a wordless warning, I followed him out and down the hall to the guest room.

"Hey, uh- quick request. Can we not say anything..mean? When I say 'we', I mean you."

"What? What the fuck does that even mean?" I had half a mind to turn around and return to my office.

"I mean, you are a nice guy.....sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Then other times you can be sort of...unapproachable?" I watched as he struggled to find a few useful words to describe me.

"Allen. Shut up."

"I mean, you tend to give off the 'Gr big bad wolf' persona sometimes."

"Allen?" I was growing irritated with his lecture. "Knock on the fucking door or you will personally see the big bad wolf."

"Okay, okay." Without another word, he knocked on the door.

Allen pushed forward as I followed him into the room. Allen proceeded to her side. I, on the other hand, stayed behind to watch from a distance. I took notice of the room, finding any and everything to take my mind away from being somewhere I did not want to be.

"Hey guys?" She pressed to push herself to sit up.

"How are you doing?" Allen sat beside her.

"I'm doing okay, feeling much better then yesterday."

My ears open to the public conversation; I kept my visual attention focused elsewhere.

"I'm glad you're okay trooper." He mumbled just before he leaned in, whispering a few words in pertain to her previous notions of her being 'sick'.

I took notice of her finally, just in time to watch her skin flush and her cheeks burn with color as she laughed. I looked away, pretending as if I noticed nothing.

"I will see you later though." Allen stood, heading for the exit. He looked at me, giving me an expression I knew very well. It was a glance that begged me to calm down. He left the room, leaving me speechless and alone with her.

"What happened." I questioned.

"Huh?" She seemed almost surprised by my question.

"Yesterday, what happened out there?" I have heard the stories from almost everyone else besides her.

"Well, I went for a run and...we were attacked. Steven and I-"

I know who it was." I had an internal fire brewing in me and fast. I just wanted the story so I could leave as quickly as possible. As I ran my fingers through my hair, I was hit with a wave, a change in the room's aroma. It was strong. An aroma that would call any man in this room. I frowned as my anger began to raise.

Do you not understand what could have happened if we did not show up? If I did not show up? You would be dead. Slaughtered. You would have been a dead pack member on my hands."

"I understand Alpha but-"

But nothing. Both of you showed nothing but stupidity. Negligence nearly landed both of you in a damn grave."

There actions could have left them both in a grave. With our numbers low, it was likely that something would try to take advantage of that. Expectations were clearly too high when I thought they would be fine.

"Negligence? Since when did going outside become such a problem?"

"And how would I-" I had to calm myself. "And how would I explain your dead body to your father?"

"Just call him and say 'hey, uh your daughter is dead but how was your day'"

"STOP JOKING!" Did she think this was a fucking game?

"What is this really about Alpha Xavier?" She questioned me as if I was not her Alpha, her superior.

"This pack has set rules and regulations. We don't have fucking time to be babysitting guest." Without much thought on my words, I lashed out.

Astonishment spread across her face as she stared at me with vast eyes.

"I apologize Alpha Xavier. It will not happen again."

I did not need her apology. I needed her to fucking understand. This is not the city life she was used to where she was allowed to walk freely, her life mixed in with the lives of mortals. She was in our world now. I need her to understand these rules and why they are here. I needed her to stay safe.

Ending such a unwanted conversation, I turned to leave her be.

"It's best that you stay away from Steven." It was not something to be considered. It was more of a demand I would say.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Wow. What is your problem?" Her arms under her, she pushed up until she was on her feet, her legs frail and weak as they wobbled, nearly buckling under her.

"You should lay back down." I pointed out.

"No." She snapped back.

"He saved my life. Instead of punishing him, we should be thanking him." She seemed to go against me, defending him more then she should have. Would she really disobey my command for him?

"Do you like him?"

She seemed to catch herself when I asked such a direct question.

"Does that matter?" She struggled to hold back.

"Do. You. Like. Him?" My voice had lost its friendly tone.

"Why do you even want to know?" She turned. "That would be my business-"

Losing much of my control, I grabbed her, pushing her against her bedroom room. She winced when she hit the cement. She struggled to move however I pinned her in. I was losing my tolerance for her. She was pissing me off and I was seconds away from punishing her for it.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time. Do you like him?" The monster in me was pushing forward.

"No." She exhaled in a long breath.

I backed away from her. With her eyes still focused on the floor, I turned away, leaving her.

As I made my way back to my office, I could only think of how I slowly began to regret her being her. Without any pack training or any common familiarity with set rules, Sshe was like a child. A great burden to me. A liability.

Sitting at my desk staring at the blank spaces of my worksheets, it was hard to not allow my facial expression change to a weak smile. It was evident that she was a distraction. It was also evident that she was still a beautiful distraction.