"No! Absolutely not!" Reed growls, slamming his fist on the table.

As if his angry yelling isn't enough, he has to give us visible proof of that anger. Even the veins in his arms are trying to show themselves.

Is it weird that I find them really kind of hot?

My hands wrap around his arm. His warm skin and the electricity that flows between us, instantly calming him enough to sit back back. His heat has been wearing off quicker than normal, but I can still smell it on him. It's intoxicating and distracting as I try to focus on the task at hand.

I move to retract my hand from him now that he is relaxed, but he won't let me. Instead his fingers stretch and intertwine with mine before he rests them in my lap.

"Reed, she's my daughter. I don't like it anymore than you, but we can't find any other leads." my dad stares at the small space between Reed and I with narrowed eyes.

Although he is understanding about mates, he is still a little weary about Reed and I. He says it's because of the necklace and warnings of false mates, but I think deep down it's because I'm his daughter.

As soon as we told them the story of Harley's camp and what had happened, they were pissed.

Wore than pissed actually. Reed and my dad were like Pompeii, ready to destroy anything and everything in their paths.

"I think Aspen will be okay. After all, we will be right behind her." Asher sips on his water as if he hadn't just spoken.

He had actually been relatively quiet through out this whole discussion. His eyes analyzing everything as he thinks carefully. It's admirable really, that he doesn't act too quickly. He listens and finds a solution.

"We?" My dad and Reed share a similar look of surprise before glancing at Asher.

"Yes, We. They ended up on my land which tells me that this guy is close to my pack. Therefore this is a problem that involves my pack. So We will be right behind her unless we decide on an alternate method." Asher has a point.

Obviously Harley is nearby, how close I don't know but it's too close for comfort.

However we don't have any other viable options. Jaclyn and I are the closest thing to knowing which way we came. Actually it's mostly Jaclyn, but I will not her go back there alone.

She should have a say though. We don't have a lot of options, but I will not allow her to go back in there if she doesn't want to.

"Jaclyn?" My voice is soft as my hand reaches for the girl sitting next to me.

Her red hair hangs in front of her face, as if it were a curtain that can shield her from her surroundings.

Slowly, she looks up at me with wide scared eyes. My hand reaches out without thought and strokes her hair gently as to not scare her.

She is safe here, they won't hurt her anymore and I need her to know that.

"We won't force you to go, you have a choice." uncertainty flickers in her eyes and my heart aches at the sight.

I wonder if she had been told similar words that were lies or if she is just truly that terrified of Harley.

"He needs to be stopped." Thank goddess for advanced hearing, because I don't think anyone would have heard her without it.

Jaclyn is so much stronger than she knows and I admire her for it. I don't know how long I would have survived if I had been in her shoes. And yet here she stands, ready to help take him down because she knows it's the right thing to do.

A quick knock sounds on the door, before a tall man walks through the door holding a few files.

His blonde hair rest on his forehead as his clear blue eyes meet with all the Alpha's showing them their due respect.

"My beta, Dylan. He had collected the reports from the patrol that found the ladies." Asher gestured to the tall man.

Jaclyn inhales a sharp breath as her hand moves to grip my arm in a vice like grip. Instantly, my eyes snap to her, searching her face for the answer to the questions in my head.

All I see is panic, like a tidal wave, crashing over her and sweeping her away.

"Jaclyn?" I lean closer to her, my hand rubbing her arm in reassurance that I am here.

Is she nervous because the male ratio is two to one? I know she doesn't have great experience with men, but my father and my mate would never hurt us. I just met Asher, but still I trust that he is on our side.

A lone tear rolls down her cheek, but she wipes it quickly leaving me to question if I really even see it. My arms wrap around her, trying to calm her but she doesn't look away from the spot on the table.

A low growl sounds from the room, and my neck snaps to see a very angry Beta. Dylan is staring at Jaclyn with a look that would have even me, scared.

What the hell is his problem? Yes, she is rogue right now. But obviously we have the Alpha's permission to be on the territory.

"Stand up," Dylan's voice is rough and demanding as he crosses his arms over his chest.

I try to stop Jaclyn from obeying. She doesn't have to answer to this ass-hat. I am glad to see at least, that I am not the only one confused.

"What is the meaning of this, Dylan?" Asher faces his furious looking Beta. Their chests, almost touching, but Dylan keeps his eyes firm on Jaclyn.

"I have a whore for a mate! I can smell at least three different men on her!" I can see the fire in Dylan's eyes as they snap from Jaclyn to Asher.

A whimper leaves Jaclyn's throat at the venom that drips from Dylan's voice. Tears begin to fall quicker but she doesn't move.

She's scared. After everything she has been through, for her mate to just waltz in here and treat her like this without even knowing her name is bullshit.

Asher is trying to push him back out the door. Things have gotten out of control fast all because of this dipshit Beta.

"How dare you!" I scream, slamming my hands onto the table.

Reed is quick to stand behind me, trying to pull me back to my chair but I shake him off.

"I reject you!" Dylan yells, before the door slams behind Asher.

Oh. Hell. No.

A strangled cry leaves Jaclyn's lips and I see her collapse to her knees. Her hands claw at her chest, the pain of rejection moving through her.

That son of a bitch! How fucking dare he reject her and call her a whore! He has no fucking idea what she has been through!

Even I don't know everything. What I do know is, Jaclyn helped kidnap me and take me to Harley but she had no choice. The things she has done, she didn't necessarily do by choice.

I can feel the heat rising in my body. The anger turning from a slow lava to a raging river in mere seconds.

Reed's fingertips graze my skin, but he wasn't quick enough to stop me from racing after them.

He didn't even give her a chance to explain!

I find them in seconds, Dylan still shouting in anger to his Alpha. His hand runs through his blonde hair as he points back to where we came from.

I don't even hesitate when I reach him. My hand smacks his cheek with a thwack.

It wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be.

"How dare you!" My voice is lethal and even though he is a little taller than I am, I don't back down from him.

I can hear the quick steps behind me and by the calming sense my body feels, I know that it's Reed.

Something washes over me. A feeling that I have never felt before, coursing through my veins and a low growl leaves my lips. I watch in satisfaction when Dylan falters. His blue eyes widen for a moment in shock, before he drops them to the ground showing his neck in submission.

It's like a light switched on. Suddenly Rose is back and she is pissed as she pushes forward out of my control. I watch in the background as my hands grab fistfuls of Dylan's shirt, shoving him against the wall.

"" A whimper leaves Dylan's lips at the malice in my voice, but I just push him harder against the wall.

He obviously wasn't expecting me to lift his 6ft frame like he was a rag doll. My fists tighten around his shirt as I bring him closer to my face. My breath leaving my body in short pants as Dylan's nose touches mine.

"" Dylan's eyes hold shame as he looks to the small gathering that has surrounded us.

Good, he should feel ashamed.

I can feel the locket heating up on my chest and I drop Dylan as a small cry leaves my lips. Before I can even take a step back, Reed has me in his arms, looking me over for damage.

His fingers retract quickly as he feels the heated chain on my skin. His eyes glare at the metal, like he can break it off with laser vision.

"I want this necklace off of Aspen's neck and if we have to take this guy down first, then that is what we will do." Reed leaves no room for discussion as he looks to my dad and Asher.

"We'll be ready to leave tomorrow."