After dinner Desmond explained more about who Ivy was and what to expect going down town. From what he had told me she seemed like a very nice girl and roughly my age. I was delighted to have someone other than Desmond to talk to. He seemed like a very busy man and knowing he's out of the house most of the day it's be nice to hangout with someone during those times.

Though I couldn't wait to go shopping in the town I couldn't say the same for Osiris. He had a deep frown on his face for the remainder of the dinner. Something about me leaving the confines of the cabin made him irritated.

He'd gotten so bothered by Desmond talking about it that he excused himself from the table in a hurry. Desmond told me to ignore his behavior and that, I quote "He lacks social intelligence."

Trying not to be bothered I listened intently to the rest Desmond had to tell me. At the end I was excited and went to bed early unable to wait.

Morning arrived and the sound of my alarm on my phone woke me up. Desmond had given me an extra charger he had and I was able to charge it over night.

When the phone turned on I had over fifty text messages and more than twenty missed calls. Most were from Mara but a few were from my mother and father.

Nausea formed in the pit of my stomach as I tried to figure out how to explain everything to them. They'd demand I come home but they didn't know that Alpha Philip was determined to reprimand me for just breathing.

Last night I was able to muster up the courage to text everyone that I was okay and that I'd call them at a better time. I thought it would ease their worries but quite frankly I think I had risen it to knee levels.

When I awoke there were even more phone calls, all but one were from my parents.

Groaning I pinched the bridge if my nose as I pressed the last missed call ringing them back. I prepared myself for the out burst that was about to unfold and I squeezed my eyes tight when the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

"Mom, hi-"

"Seraphina where the hell are you?! You have your father and I worried sick looking for you. You never came home from the gathering and Mara said you had left and didn't tell her where you were going." The worry in my mother voice was evident and with the raspiness to her words it was clear she hadn't slept much.

"I'm sorry, I- I can explain." I muttered guilt building you inside.

"Explain what Seraphina? Explain what exactly?"

"Alpha Philip confronted me for showing up at the gathering. He was furious mom, he scared me. I had never seen him look at me with so much- hatred." I felt somber as I recalled the events. "He threaten to hurt me mom. I couldn't stay. I'm not a werewolf, I wouldn't be able to take a punishment from him like he told me he'd dish out. I wasn't going to stay somewhere I didn't belong."

There was silence on the other line as I waited for my mom to answer. I didn't know if she was silent because she was trying to process the information in spewed at her or the fact that I did run away. It wasn't until I felt a wetness on my hand that rested on my lap that I realized I was crying. She had said nothing because she heard my crying.

I wiped another tear from my cheek as I gathered my bearings shaking off the traumatic event. Today was going to be a good day and I wasn't about to start it off on a bad foot.

"Are you telling me the truth?" My mom asked. It was a question but the tone she used told me differently. She knew I had told her the truth. This was her way of getting confirmation.

Taking in a deep breath I answered her. "Yes. Yes, I'm telling you the truth."

"Damnit. I told your father he was crazy for thinking you leaving had anything to do with Alpha Philip. I thought he was talking nonsense." She admitted. "This isn't good Seraphina. If I tell your father this he'll go before Alpha Philip and accuse him of this. It'll be seen as treason."

"Don't mom. Don't tell him, please." Panic rushed through my like a tsunami. If my father called him out on his behavior they'll kill him. Golden warrior or not Alpha Philip will kill him so he doesn't ruin his image.

"I won't, I promise." She assured me.

I felt guilty. I felt shame for putting my parents in such a predicament. If alpha Philip so much as thinks my parents now what he'd done it was over. It would take more than begging on their knees for him not to murder them and knowing my father he'd never get on his knees.

More guilt washed over me. If I was only... normal.

There was a knock on my door that interrupted myself pity. "I'll text you later mom just know I'm safe and okay. I love you." I didn't leave her time to object hanging up the phone just as the bedroom door opened. I slipped my phone into my back pocket as I stood up, Desmond walked in with his usual wide grin.

"Ready?"

I nodded pulling the stashed cash I saved up. Grabbing it and walking to Desmond he grabbed my wrist forcing me to reveal the cash.

He frowned shaking his head. "Put that back. I have a card you can use."

"But I-"

"Put it back Sera." Desmond warned cocking his head to the side.

Not wanting to push or upset him I didn't argue putting the cash back in my back pack. I moved back to him and he extended the card to me. The slick black card screamed elite as my fingertips ran themselves over the think plastic.

Desmond grabbed my hand and led me downstairs and I quickly tucked the card in the front pocket of my jacket. Descending down the stairs I noticed a familiar red head stand in front of the door.

It was the same girl from yesterday that smiled at me. Her short red hair made her stand out in a crowd regardless of the fact that she had soft features. Her face was oddly comforting and almost motherly.

"Hi, I'm Ivy!" She reached out her hand to shake mine.

I shook her hand and smiled. "I'm Seraphina."

"Desmond told me you need a few things. There's a tiny strip mall not to far from here. It's not a lot but there's enough." She reassured me. I didn't care if they only had one store, I just needed more clothes and some female products. Any store was a blessing.

"Ivy I'm entrusting you will Sera, please take this seriously when you go." Desmond warned her. Ivy rolled her eyes at his words.

Putting a hand on her hip she looked up at him. "Since when have I ever not taken my job seriously." For a small woman she had a lot of confidence. I aspired to have that much courage. I think every shred of confidence I could have ever had was squashed to smithereens years ago.

Ivy's eyes looked out of focus before her posture went stiff and her eyes grew wide. When her eyes came back to normal she swallow. I didn't miss the slight panic in her face as she looked back up to Desmond.

"Like I said, be careful with her Ivy." Desmond stressed opening the door for us. "Gabriel and Theo are tagging along with you two."

Ivy nodded her head as she walked out the door and pulled the car door open. There were two guys sitting in the front seat, they didn't look nearly as intimidatingly Desmond and Osiris but they didn't exactly look like plush toys.

"Have fun." Desmond spoke up noticing my apprehension at leaving.

I was comfortable with him I couldn't say I felt the same about them. I looked between the car and Desmond again still planted in my spot.

He frowned and close the door when he say my hesitation. "You don't want to go?"

I rolled my lip between my teeth, I probably looked like a child as I stared at the closed door. Desmond walked in front of my line of sight and I cranes my neck up slowly to look up at him. His light brown eyes were soft; nothing like his brother's.

"I don't know them... like I know you." I muttered.

"I promise you-"

He had just started to console me when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I tried to play it off but the serious expression on Desmond solidified my fear.

"We need to get going Desmond." Just his deep voice alone made my body shudder and not in a good way; in a skin crawling kind of way.

Desmond looked annoyed as he crossed his arms. "Yes, Osiris. She was just tell me how-"

I skipped to my feet, quickly grabbing the door knob. "It's okay Des, I'm going."

I didn't want to be there anymore. The air alone left my lungs starving for oxygen as my body tensed up with the mere proximity of him. I couldn't stand being in the same room as him for very long.

Maybe getting out of the cabin wasn't such a bad thing after all; much better than being near Osiris.

•••••

"Try this on!" Ivy shoved the ten-thousandth sweater in my face. How can such a tiny store have so many sweaters?

"Do I have to? I'm beginning to think you're giving me things to try on cause you don't want to go back." I said raising an eyebrow.

It had been hours since we started shopping and Ivy had no concept of an ice breaker. She was an open jar of worms talking about anything and everything.

"No." She scowled me through her eyelashes as she tossed another sweater in my arms.

Ivy pushed my toward the fitting room that was completely vacant. There wasn't a soul in the store, it was only Ivy, Gabriel, Theo and I. Gabriel and Theo sat by the front door and spoke to one another, they stayed away from us two and I was glad for the space. Menacing tall men unnerved me it didn't matter if I was told they were there as security. They out weighted me and we're a hundred percent.

Hanging up the items I looked over my shoulder to see Ivy tapping on her phone. "If she your mate?" I asked thinking back to the tall brunette Amazonian woman that kissed her the other day.

Ivy looked up from her phone and blushed giving me my answer.

"We found each other two years ago. I was a rogue." Ivy started sitting on the chair in the hallway. "Aspen found me a couple miles outside of Osiris's territory."

My eyes flickered at her mention of Osiris's territory. Didn't they have a name for their pack and territory? I came from Dark Titan pack and I found it an oddity that they didn't have a pack name.

"Osiris's territory? This pack doesn't have a name?" I questioned closing the door. I stripped out of my top by the time Ivy figured an answer.

"He hasn't picked a name."

Now, that confused me. How new was this pack? I didn't think there was much room for new packs to form. "I don't quite follow."

"I can't say much as the pack doesn't discuss the brothers much but Osiris and Desmond were raised rogue. Their parents were in a pack when Osiris was born. Their family had been through hell from what I was told, their sister was torn from their family when her alpha mate took her away. From what I know she wasn't treated well and to make matters worse she was the mate of her own pack alpha."

"You mean the alpha of Osiris's and Desmond's pack?" I asked pulling down the new sweater and unlocking the fitting room.

Ivy looked up from the floor to look at me, her eyes looked solemn.

"Yes. Not a lot is shared about their time in that pack, but what I do know is that Osiris's parents were killed when they tried to retaliate for their sister's mistreatment."

When I though back to Osiris and Desmond I tried to guess their ages. Desmond did look younger but not by much. If their sister was a mate at that time that meant that she was at least eighteen. What did that make Osiris at the time?

As if reading my mind Ivy continued. "Osiris was only twelve."

"He raised Desmond on his own?" I was beyond stunned.

Ivy nodded her face devoured of any emotion. I couldn't tell if she was sorrowful or unmoved, both seemed fitted though even if I knew little to nothing about their back story.

"How the hell do you look good in everything?" Ivy said changing the subject.

I looked down at the sweater pulling at the hem as I looked at the zigzag pattern. The sweater was brown white and emerald green in thick zigzag lines. It wasn't exactly a neck breaking garment but it was comfy.

"It doesn't-"

"It looks good Phinny." There was a softness to her tone that made me forget any of my doubts. Dropping the hem I looked back up.

"Okay."

"Get changed, I think they boys are ready to leave. I'll meet you at the counter." She left me to change and I quickly put on my clothes and organized the clothes I wanted and didn't want.

Holding the clothes in one hand I rummaged through my jacket pocket for the card, pulling it out the shinny silver lettering caught my attention. Looking down at the card stopped dead in my tracks.

Sweat beaded down my neck as my mouth dried up like a desert. Was this a sick joke? Did Desmond had me the wrong card? He had to.

My thumb slide across the name as if it's somehow change to my mates but it didn't.

OSIRIS WRAITH

This can't be right. Desmond must not have paid much attention to the card he pulled out when he gave it to me. I bit my lip until it bled as I tried to think of something else.

Shit, I should have brought my money. I knew I should have left it behind. Look at me now, this trip was all for nothing. I couldn't use Osiris's card, I wouldn't.

"Phinny, are you alright?"

My head shot up as Ivy approached me. I looked between the clothes and the card, panic grew as stopped before me.

"I-I think Desmond handed me the wrong card." I told her handing her the card.

She took it in her hands and looked at it carefully. She checked the card front and back. Ivy slowly looked back over to me licking her bottom lip timidly.

"Um- I would... you should just use it. Desmond is an idiot, he just handed you the first card he pulled, I'm not surprised." She told me handing the card back. There was an uneasiness in her tone that threw me off.

"I can't use Osiris's card. He'll kill me!"

Ivy shushed me pulling me a couple feet from the guys. "Osiris would never hurt you."

"Ivy, he's not exactly kind."

She looked annoyed at my comment but it was the truth. Osiris wasn't sweet or approachable and I didn't want to find out what he'd do when he realized I used his card.

Ivy shoved me to the counter against my will. "Use the card Phinny, we don't have all day. I have to have you home by five."

"But-"

"Use the card." She growled walking and standing with the other guys.

I blinked unsure of what to do. I have a bunch of clothes and I needed most of them. We were up in the mountains and it was nothing like back home, the temperatures were just above freezing; sweaters were a necessity.

Tears begged to pour out of my eyes as the cashier called my attention. "Find everything you needed?"

No, I thought putting the clothes on the counter and looked at the slick black card that gazed up at me like a death sentence.

Could I get safety? I thought as I looked at her meekly.

Cause that's what I needed.