The sun sat on the edge of the horizon, throwing gold and orange sunrays through the treetops. Jason and Mallory sat in an abandoned play park and ate McD's. The entire afternoon they avoided the pack house, knowing full well that they were in serious shit with the Alpha. Not that Jason cared, his brother deserved what he got. It was about time that he stopped allowing the pack to walk all over him.

After taking a sip or two from his strawberry milkshake, Jason turned to Mallory. "Aren't you supposed to be at home already?"

"And what, leave you all alone to deal with your crazy family. Hell no," she replied. She then took another bite of her cheeseburger.

"And what of your father? He won't appreciate the fact that you're blowing your future into pieces for attacking Steven."

Mallory burst out laughing. "I don't give a shit, and my father knows it. There's no chance that I'll ever become the Beta. Not as long as Quinton's in charge." She wiped her mouth off with a serviette. "That's why I asked my father to contact the other packs to enquire if they have an opening for a Beta or head warrior's position if need be."

Jason raised his brows. He didn't even know that she did that. Not that it came as a shock to him. The pack would never have accepted her as the Beta. His brother was a sexist and believed that Mallory wasn't up to par with his expectations. The expectation—having a dick.

"And?"

"So far my father has received three requests—"

Jason jumped up from his seat and hugged Mallory, spinning her in the air. "Congrats! I'm so happy for you."

"Put me down, you ass!" Mallory cried while trying to wiggle her way out of his grip. She couldn't. A giggle slipped past her lips. "I haven't even told my father that I'd accept their offers."

Jason stilled and then placed her back on her feet. "Why not? You know that you have no future in this stupid pack."

"I can't... not now anyway."

"Why not?"

Her green eyes found his. "I can't leave you here all by yourself," she mumbled while she picked up her half-eaten burger and took another bite from it.

"Don't worry about me." He sat down beside her. "I don't intend on staying here for long. If I find my mate tomorrow, I'm out of here and taking them with me. If I don't, I'm still out."

A smile spread across her face. "That's great to hear."

Suddenly, Mallory's smile turned into a hiss as she clamped down on her head, cursing out. She dropped the last piece of her meal to the ground. Jason jumped to his feet.

"Mally, what's wrong?" He cupped her cheek, rubbing her cheek. "Talk to me."

Mallory shook her head and then wiped the tears away which had accumulated in her eyes. She sniffed and said, "It was your father. He's pissed and wants you to get your ass back home before he sends the warriors to drag you ass back there."

Well, that was his queue to face the music. It was dumb to venture back into the lion's den, but Jason had no choice. He had nowhere to go, and he would not drag Mallory into a worse situation than she already was. Not to mention that her father was the current Beta.

Jason picked up the food wrappings and walked over to the trashcan and deposited the junk into it. He then strolled back and picked up his school bag and walked with Mallory to her car. They climbed in and drove off toward the pack house.

***

Jason's heart nearly collapsed on him several times as they neared their doom. He was going to have to pay for kicking Quinton's ass, but it was a price he was willing to pay. But how severe was his father planning to punish him? Beat him to an inch of his life? Maybe he would lock Jason into the dungeon for several weeks and let the warriors torture him. Wouldn't put it past his father, but his mother would never allow that to happen. No! He couldn't allow his vivid imagination to run away with his pants. Whatever his father was about to throw his way, he could handle it as long as he had his wolf with him.

"That's right. I'm not going anywhere, Jason," Oz assured me. "We can face him." His dominating aura fueled Jason's confidence.

"We can do this."

Mallory pulled into the parking lot of the pack house. A large brick building with five stories stood before them with dozens of lights throwing light onto the front lawn. Night has already fallen. From the passenger seat, Jason could see the outlines of his mother as she waited for him at the front door.

Here goes nothing.

He grasped onto the door's handle and opened the door. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, making him jump. Maybe he wasn't as confident as he let on to be. Mallory's worried eyes lingered on his mother.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked calmly, but a hint of fear clung to her words.

Jason shook his head. No. He didn't want his best friend to suffer the brunt of his father's rage. This was his fight. "No, Mally." He gave her the best fake smile he could plaster on his face. "I'll be fine. Go home. No doubt your father is waiting for your lecture."

Her grip tightened on his shoulder, wanting him to answer her truthfully. "Are you sure?" She spoke slowly, probably trying to pound the words into his head so that he could accept her help. But he wasn't going to.

"I'm sure," he repeated. "I'll contact you if the situation turns into a shit fest."

She nodded and released him. Jason clambered out of the SUV and steadied himself before grabbing his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He greeted Mallory before shutting the car's door. Mallory drove off toward her house before he turned around and walked over to the pack house.

The chilly night air stung his exposed arms as he marched up onto the front porch of the house. Jason peered into the living room. It was eerily quiet. His father must have ordered the rest of the residents, mostly unmated wolves, to head to their rooms. Good. He didn't need an audience.

"Jason!" his mother cried as she ran up to him. Well, this wasn't good. "Are you alright?" Her eyes darted over his body to see if Jason had any lingering injuries, which he didn't have. One perk of being a werewolf.

Alphas, in particular, had an even better regenerating ability than any other wolves. Jason's wounds could heal in less than two hours for serious injuries such as broken bones, deep cut wounds, or bullets. For minor wounds such as scrapes, shallow cuts, bruises, burns, or fractures it only took mere seconds or minutes depending on the severity.

No doubt his brother had already healed his wounds and was waiting for him with their father. Jason wouldn't put it past Quinton to turn the situation in his favor. His brother probably pinned the whole incident on him. Quinton should have been a snake shifter instead of a werewolf. He had no spine and would never admit to any wrongdoing.

"Jason, honey?" his mother called out to him. Damn his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

His mother's tear-drenched brown eyes roamed his face. "Your father's waiting for you in his office." She sniffed and then hugged him. "Honey, I beg you. Don't make your father any angrier than he already is."

As if that was going to be possible. The mere sight of his face sent his father into a rage, so it was impossible not to do so.

"I will try, mom," Jason tried to reassure her. "But you know how dad can be."

Her head dropped onto his chest. Jason played with his mother's black locks, trying to sooth her fear. Her hair was the softest and the darkest he had ever seen, surpassing even his own. Unfortunately, he didn't inherit her chocolate brown eyes; but neither his father's blue ones. His eyes were forest green.

"Mom, I have to go." Jason kissed his mother on the forehead while she wiped her tears away.

She gave him an encouraging smile and said, "I'll be here. If anything happens, shout for help."

Jason nodded. His mother walked off toward the kitchen, leaving him to walk toward his father's office.

After ten flights of stairs, he walked into the Alpha's quarters. A lavishly decorated apartment his father and mother stayed in with Quinton. However, at ten years of age, his father threw him out and dumped him into a room on the third floor. Entering a long hallway that branched off from the livingroom, Jason made his way to his father's office. Should he go and get his heart ripped out of his chest or just tug his tail between his legs and run for safety? He could just pack up his belongings and leave the pack, saving his father the effort of punishing him. This would spare him a painful beating at the hand of his father.

"Just get it on with," Oz growled, causing Jason to flinch at his sudden appearance.

What an ass. "Stop doing that! You scared the shit lose in me."

"Well, you're the idiot who thinks it's better to be a coward."

"A live one. Not a dead hero, who's ripped apart by two alphas," Jason hit back.

"Just go." Oz nudged Jason onward toward his father's office door.

Why did the hallway seem to stretch into oblivion? Jason swears it took him longer to reach the door than last time. Mind you, he wasn't walking to his oblivion the previous time his father had summoned him to his office.

Just as Jason was about to reach for the doorknob, his brother yanked the door open.

Four smug-laced faces greeted me while another glared up at me from his mahogany desk at the end of the office. Jason's father looked pissed. If his eyes could kill, Jason would be dead as soon as his feet touched the Persian rug.

"Come in," Jason's father said with a venom-tipped tongue. His father gestured him to one of the leather chairs in front of his desk.

Justin, who occupied it, jumped up and sauntered over to the leather couch that Finny and Nick already sat on. The three stooges started whispering and giggling amongst each other, no doubt looking forward to the punishment his father was going to dish out. Jason had to remain strong. One crack in his façade would give the motley crew ample ammunition to pick him apart.

Jason walked into the room, shoving shoulders with his brother. A slight shove from him caused a low, challenging growl to slip from his brother's maw.

"Enough! I asked you to take a seat, Jason. Not start another fight. Remember your place."

Another insult. There wasn't a day that ticked by that his father didn't throw an insult his way. This was done in order to chip away at Jason's confidence and pride as an alpha. However, what his father couldn't realize is that Jason didn't give a rat's ass about what his father thought about him. His father lost that when Jason lost all of his respect for the man he called father. To Jason, the alpha was just another tyrant with a god complex.

Jason walked up to the chair and planted his ass onto the seat while staring into his father's frosty blue eyes. There was no hint of love behind them, only animosity. Figures...

His father leaned back into his chest and tapped the table with his fountain pen. "Tell me why you of all people took it upon yourself to attack the future leaders of our pack?"

"I didn't," Jason countered, earning a 'bullshit' from Nick. "I defended myself when your son thought he could use his monkeys to teach me a lesson." Several growls filled the room at his insults.

"You're really cocky for someone who's in deep shit." Quinton walked over and stood next to their father's side. Such a kiss ass.

"Quiet down, I'm not asking a third time," the Alpha threatened. The growls immediately seized. "Now tell me, boy. Who rebelled against my orders and taught you to fight?"

"It must have been that little bitch, Mallory," Steven commented.

His father's eyes hardened and said, "Is that true? Even I forbade her?"

Jason found it funny that his father thought that he'd follow his command, well technically he had. None of the pack members helped him. But his father never mentioned that he couldn't attend human defense classes.

"She didn't," Jason spoke. "She didn't need to."

Quinton chuckled and said, "You're lying. She had to. If not, then who?"

"Easy. I attended several human dōjōs throughout the years," Jason answered truthfully. He had no reason to hide it anymore.

His father shot up from his chair and roared, shaking the windows at his back. It took a lot of willpower from Jason not to flinch. But his brother and his lackeys weren't as fortunate. They fell to their knees and showed their necks to him.

Jason rose to his feet and stared at his father in the eyes. "Is this discussion ending soon? Because I'm tired and in need of a shower." Several gasps echoed out in the office.

Before Jason could react, his father lunged at him and slammed him to the floor. Snaking his hands around his neck, his father slowly began choking him. "Who do you think you are, pup?"