The week passes with Sophia spending most of her time close to the cabin, giving her attention to her dog and her brother when he comes to check in on her while I deal with my responsibilities. Scott has held two meetings for us leaders and higher-up wolves to attend, one before the funerals and one a few days later. We held a quick vigil for the few we had lost and helped prepare others for transportation back to their homes. Wolves have been uneasy, constantly on their toes and looking over their shoulders. For all our training we were ill-prepared; we have the training but less of the experience and knowledge. Several of us brought up these concerns to Scott but he and Barrett were quick to dismiss them, telling us this is an opportunity to help wolves settle back into their normal routines and lives.

Dominic agreed to stay for an extended period of time, sending word back home to his mate to send up more of their warriors. He tried to tell Sophia not to go outside without an escort, suggesting for Conner to accompany her when I was unavailable. My wolf was ready to come unglued, but she beat us to it as they fought and argued in the small space of the living room. I didn’t think the walls would hold up and withstand the raging hurricane she unleashed inside at his suggestion. Eventually, Nate was able to convince him space was the safest route.

The trackers have spent a few days in search of Rufus and Andre with no luck. They left little tracks to gain any leads from; seeming to have left without a trace.

Now Sam and I are having to help with decorating for the gathering in two days. As soon as they gave the orders to go forward Cheyenne leaped for joy at the chance to show off her skills and assets. A perfect planner. She threw together some new plans to accommodate the shift and change due to losing the allies we had here over a week ago. Putting tables strategically around to mix and mingle us while using soft, warmer tones and colours, stating it will help with the high anxiety. I stopped listening the more she rambled on, only offering to move things around and Sam was more than happy to oblige to help me. “This is a bad idea and move,” he mutters under his breath as he surveys the assembled seats and tables around our gathering hall. Nodding my head in agreement this doesn’t feel right. Scott is about to make us all lose for his stubbornness. Somewhere deep in my chest I can feel the snap of the wolf’s teeth, still unsettled and staying on alert.

“They want to keep everyone happy and relax down the pack's fur. Our members are having to share living space with wolves whose packs attacked us in our lands, they will need more than this to settle that ridge of fur down.” Telling him as I shake my head. I am at a loss of words, just as we take a step forward, we are dragged three steps back. “What about everyone’s safety! We have pups to think about!” he exclaims, and I must put my hand to his mouth as some of the other wolves in the room glance over at us. Giving him a stern look and pressing my hand to his shoulder I can feel the tension in them, “I will speak with Scott and try again but panicking isn’t doing anyone any good. Tell Justin, Hunter and Jasper to get their patrollers and warriors ready to be on alert and call. Nothing big or official.” Giving him another firm look his shoulders lower and he nods his head, starting to help me move things around again.

Heading home I hear the crunching of leaves as footsteps follow behind me before Luca steps up to my side and Conner walks a distance to the side. “Tell me, Cage,” he starts the conversation differently this time and I entertain him for the walk back home. “Tell you what, Luca?”

A smile starts to curl on his lip at the corner just like his sisters and my steps become a little quicker to get me home. “What’s it gonna take? Name your price,” he has his chest out slightly and his shoulders back in preparation for bargaining with me today, though he seems less formal than he has been the first few times he had come to me with my transfer papers, all signed and ready to be passed off for me to leave here and go with them south. The thoughts of weeks ago when I had made it my last-ditch effort after being pushed too far don’t seem like such a bad idea anymore. Looking at Luca, knowing his behaviour, I never pinned him to be a negotiating businessman. The offers he made were outrageously larger than I had ever been offered here and I laughed in his face knowing Dominic or him wouldn’t be able to pay me so much but when he showed me his paper roll, I stopped laughing.

Here we go again. “You must have been raised spoiled,” continuing to walk not giving him a second glance his fur ruffles slightly and I hear the low chuckle of Conner listing in, but Luca is quick to compose himself and I laugh as he walks with me. “what gave it away?” his smile is large but sharp.

Stopping for a moment on the path I turn towards him and raise my brow, “You don’t seem to know what the word no means,” scowling at him as he comes face to face with me, but Luca only shifts his smile to a warm and welcoming one, slouching his posture, looking just as I know him to be; relaxed, lazy. Spoiled was putting it kindly. He leans his head back slightly as he laughs, “Nah, you got me all wrong Cage. I hear your no, but I feel bad you’re letting loyalty cloud your judgement. I’ll give it to ya, it’s admirable and I could really use a guy like you back home. You’re wastin’ that time and energy here. I can get you set up; let you train some before you try out for Beta. If you rather just train the pups we have an opening for personal trainers,” he starts his offers, always easy and smooth with his words and how they flow. Casual before he goes all in. I let him do the talking this time as I notice he holds a pause, waiting for me to object as I have been. His eyes quickly dart down over me and back again, so quick I almost missed it if it wasn’t for the slight peek from his wolf, resting under his skin. “We all know this is a bad idea and he ain’t listening to anyone right now. Things will get worse. I get he’s your friend but where’s your line in the sand after this? After everything, he’s done? You can’t always be Switzerland.” He regards me again as his hands come up and he crosses his arms, “sometimes you gotta let go and move on for yourself. What’s best for you, not too long ago this was it.” He says as he holds my papers out, “don’t be so quick to say no, my borders are always open for family.”

Reaching out my hand and taking the papers while he turns away, walking back towards his area with Conner as they speak in hushed tones back and forth, I quickly glance over them. He has everything in order and correctly signed; only needing to be filed. More footsteps come closer to me and when I turn my head Scott is on the same path with a scowl on his face. “Cage,”

“Hey what’s up, man?” I ask him but his face only turns grimmer as he looks at the papers in my hand before looking at me. “Are we back to this? Again?” he asks as he turns slightly away from me like he can’t stand the sight of me anymore.

“Luca was only trying…” I start but I am quickly cut off as he closes the gap between us. “Only trying to spread fear and division. Coming and talking to you about going there, offering you more knowing this pack can’t compete with their offers. Both of them have been trying to take control and dictate things since they arrived here. If they don’t like my choices, they can pack up their wolves and leave I trusted enough to listen, but it’s been damn near a week, and we haven’t found or heard from Rufus. I need my betas Cage, are you with me, or them?” he demands of me, and I don’t like it.

“I never said yes,” I tell him firmly and his wolf peers out from his eyes at ours, making mine start to rise in challenge. Scott has never had to be alpha with us. “You didn’t say no either. Our pack needs this, and I need my best friend to have my back on this,” he hisses through his clenched jaw as I notice his hands starting to ball.

Leaning in more there is a sizzling fire crackling between us as tempers flare and rise. “I know you don’t like them; they aren’t exactly my favourite either, but something isn’t right. We know it, he’s warned us, we saw it with our own eyes, Scott!” I hiss back as my chest begins to heave. “I do have your back, on everything I have had your back, even when you didn’t have mine,” flinging out my words and I know they sting with the slight cringe that slides over his face before it morphs back to seething rage, “I am doing my job. This pack is my home, and these wolves are my family and my friends, there is a danger around us and as much as you wish it wasn’t true and would wish it away, it isn’t. You are acting like a spoiled child. He doesn’t have to help us, he doesn’t have to do a damn thing!”

Scott's chest presses roughly into mine as he comes toe to toe, staring me down, “you’re only listening to him because of who he is, how is that caring about this pack?” his finger starts to press into my chest as he tries to talk down to me and I smack it away hard as our wolves growl harshly at one another. “This hasn’t a damn thing to do with him Scott, if you took your fucking head out of your ass long enough to listen to us, you would realize how uncomfortable you are making all of us feel. You are going to make us pay the price for your stubbornness and pride.” My voice starts to raise and there is no going back now as my hands come up, shoving into his chest to push him back and Scott’s eyes widen for a moment at my boldness before he pushes me back and I stumble slightly away from him, giving me the space I need to lunge. It takes my whole weight to take him to the ground and I can hear the gritting of his teeth as he lands on his wrist. I get one punch in before he grips my arm and locks his leg to mine, flipping me over and under him as he strains my arm and slams his fist hard enough to make my vision blur before another instant crack comes to my skull as pain rings through my head. He isn’t holding himself back. Scott brings his fist down once more but I am able to move my head enough that he gets my jaw and I turn, quickly biting into his hand hard enough that skin punctures and I get my legs up under him to push him off of me with all of my strength. Managing to get a quick jab under his chin and jaw, making his teeth cut through his lip.

He growls loudly and brings up his fist to hit me again but I feel the weight of him being lifted off me and I kick my feet up hard into his ribs, hearing the slight crack of one before I am yanked off the ground and held by the collar of my shirt. “If you two morons are finished,” Dominic’s voice is low and dangerous as he shakes me slightly when I growl at him to let me go. Scott tries to twist himself out of Nate's grip, but he hardly moves an inch with the iron hold the beta has on him.

“Remember when we fought as young testosterone-driven males?” he barks out a long and loud laugh while Dominic scrutinizes me with his good eye “you mean last week?” is his only response and the beta laughs more as he rattles Scott enough to shake him back and forth, making his eyes go big before we are both thrown hard onto the ground. “Lads, need to learn ye both ‘as yer heads up yer arseholes. Kiss and make up or knock each other out but this bickerin” Nate scolds us and Scott and I can hardly meet each other’s eyes.

I can feel Dominic’s harsh gaze on my back, don’t push away your friends, Cage. This is stupid and pointless.

When I finally raise my eyes to glance at Scott, he seems to have the same thought as his eyes lower when he pushes himself off the ground and coming towards me as he outstretches his hand to help me up. Grasping it he pulls me to my feet. “Tell the warriors to prepare for the night but I want them to enjoy it too, just be ready and on alert.” Scott’s voice doesn’t hold the same heat and aggression as it did before. Putting my hand on his arm and giving it a squeeze, I confess “I already gave Sam the orders.”

Scott doesn’t seem surprised as he nods his head. “Good, good. How’s the head?” he asks and I lie as I feel it splitting in two, “all good, how’s the rib?” I ask him but he only returns the favour as he stretches, hiding the grimace as he grunts out “all fine”

Nate's shoulders sags and Dominic shakes his head when Nate speaks, “I was hopin’ for a fight.”

“How about a talk instead. It is time you males are no longer left in the dark on everything that has been happening both now and back then.” Dominic starts to turn and walk away, leaving me and Scott to choose to follow and learn everything, or stay here and leave our heads buried in the sand.

We both take the first step together.