"You can't keep me hostage forever," Shiro laughed as he squirmed in his hold. Ever since they finally marked each other, he finally started to show signs of healing.

"What happened to wanting to sleep all day?" he held him tighter, nuzzling into where his mark was. Shiro was still too weak to squirm too much in his hold. But he was happy that he was showing signs of getting better. "I missed the cat version of you."

"The cat version?" he asked. His hands immediately went into his hair. He was already loving their routine. It was so nice to wake up with him in his arms.

"The one that just snuggled up to me and never wanted to leave," Jett said. "You were so adorable like that."

"You're adorable right now," he laughed again. It echoed in his mind, just as beautiful as the first time he heard it in the forest.

It had been two days since they had marked each other and they were both still riding on that high. Just being able to feel all of Shiro's emotions was enough to help him understand the man more. He may have been a quiet person, but on the inside he was buzzing with thoughts and feelings.

The strange thing about marking each other was the emotional connection that you got once you did it. Not only could you feel their emotions, but they could feel yours. In turn, you could wind up having a whole conversation with nothing but emotions. It wasn't exactly in-depth conversations, just simple ones. You reacted to each other in a way that caused the other to change their emotion. It wasn't as precise as simply talking or using a mind link, but it was nice when you simply wanted to relax with each other.

Through this he found just how much stress the man put himself under. There would be times when Jett would feel the weight that he put on himself, and the feeling of responsibility so strong that it almost overwhelmed him. He didn't know why he still felt such a great sense of responsibility, but he wished he could help him with it. Even as the Alpha of his pack, he never felt that much stress for as long as Shiro seemed to.

He also found that his emotions were intense, both the good and the bad. He kept them locked up so much that when they did come to the surface they came at full force. He guessed that was why he was so angry when Jett was first looking for him. And why he cried so much the first time he woke up in the infirmary. At the moment, though, all he could feel was the intense feeling of love that washed over him like a wave of warmth. He absolutely loved just how much Shiro loved him. He didn't think it would be as intense as his own emotion towards his mate.

"You know," he smiled into him. "I think you're a bit of a romantic too."

"Romantic in the literary way?" Shiro asked. "Or in the emotional way?"

"Isn't it the same?"

"Not entirely," Shiro told him. "The literary Romantic definition means a more dramatic approach to writing stories and characters, much like Tom Sawyer. It doesn't have to mean the romance that most people think of when you first say it."

"It was supposed to be a joke, Shiro," Jett groaned. "I don't need English lessons."

"I'm explaining it because I think you're both," Shiro laughed.

"Why?"

"You take a dramatic approach in how you talk and react," he said. "And you're extremely romantic in the love sense as well."

"I don't know whether I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or not."

Shiro just laughed again and kissed him. He loved just how happy he was now. He hadn't seen him so happy. He only wished that it would last forever. Even Geo and the rest of them said that they hadn't ever seen him this happy, which hurt to think about. Jett always wanted him to be happy, even if it meant that he would get random English lessons about literature.

Geo and all of them had been visiting quite a lot. As much as he enjoyed their time alone, Jett was happy to see that smile on his face whenever he saw them. It wasn't just Tammy that he would laugh with anymore. And they all managed to keep him in bed and not trying to walk around when Jett had to get up and do something.

Shiro actually had a lot of visitors. Sophia seemed to adore him. She loved telling him stories about her family or the friends that she had. Manny had a blast telling Shiro about the first time they met. Shiro just shook his head at that. He laughed more at the fact that Alex had the hots for the incubus that came a few years ago. Jett was shocked that Geo was laughing at that. They all thought that he was going to be much more jealous than he actually was. When he asked Alex about it, his friend seemed shocked at it too.

"I was hoping to get some pay back for how many times he pissed my wife off," Blake said. "Now I gotta think about something else."

"Not now," Jett told him. "Not when all of them are stressed."

Thankfully Blake listened to him more than Alex. Those two liked messing with each other too much. How they stayed such good friends, he had no clue. It still weirded most of the pack out just how different Alex was. He calmed down so much with Geo around. Jett just thought it was adorable. He needed someone who was a little laid back like Geo anyway.

"Alpha," a warrior snapped him out of his memories. "There's a strange car approaching the house."

"Any clue who it is?" he immediately tensed at the thought, his senses alert to anything and everything.

"I'm afraid not. The car looks like a rental," the warrior said. "It looks like two women are in it. No one else. I'll try and find more information for you, but it might be best that you come out to see them."

Jett groaned at that. He didn't like the thought of any visitors at the moment. Usually, he loved the thought. But not when he had Shiro in his arms, still recovering from the horrible things his father did to him. He had yet to talk about it, but Jett wasn't going to push it on him. He was just enjoying the fact that he was happy for once.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked. He picked up on his emotions and body language too easily. There were times when he wished he couldn't. Even before they marked each other, Shiro seemed to know when something was happening. He was too attentive.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he kissed him. He could never get used to those lips on his own. "I just need to check on something."

"Check on what?" those dark eyes looked at him curiously. There was a hint of alarm in them that he didn't like.

"Trust me, Shiro," Jett hugged him a little tighter before letting him go. "Nothings going to happen, I'll make sure of it."

That was another thing that Shiro had a hard time doing. He didn't trust so easily, but Jett didn't blame him. After what his father did to him, he couldn't blame him for being suspicious of people. His own father was furious when he found out that Sakdah did this to his own son. The whole pack was angry about that. Almost all of them were parents themselves. Parents, or soon-to-be. Many of them adopted children who had come from abusive homes. A lot of children rogues were taken in as well. It was sad that they were kicked out of their packs at such a young age.

Shiro looked at him with worry in his eyes. He hadn't hidden any of his emotions since he came. Jett didn't think he was able to with how little energy he had. Jett just took his face in his hands and rubbed it with his thumbs.

"Alright," Shiro nodded. "I trust you."

"They're almost to the house, Alpha," the warrior told him.

Jett kissed him one last time and got out of bed. He would have plenty of times to enjoy the moment alone with him. Right now, he needed to figure out who this mysterious car was.

"It smells like Reverence," Manny said. Jett ran as soon as he heard that, going to the front of the house where his council stood. They were all outside as the car parked. As soon as Manny said that they were Reverence Pack, all of them were on high alert.

Jett had Blake and Alex on either side of him. Manny stayed behind, by the front door. They watched as the small silver car parked. The driver came out, wearing slacks and a poofy blouse, she smelt like an omega, but they couldn't be completely sure. Her blonde hair and light blue eyes looked familiar for some reason. She bowed to them respectively before walking to the back door and opening it.

A familiar face came out of the car, one that he had almost completely forgotten about. Hiroko walked out, no longer wearing the kimono that he was used to seeing her in. Her short black hair shaped her face well, matching the dress suit that she had on. She looked like she had just come back from a trip.

"Good day, Alpha Jett," she bowed to him. Her dark eyes were the same as Shiro's. They were closed off, just like his always used to be. "My apologies for coming without calling first. I did not wish to scare you."

"What do you want, Hiroko?" Jett asked. She may have been Shiro's sister, but he didn't trust her. Not when Shiro was brought to the verge of death while she stood looking as healthy as ever.

Hiroko tensed at his tone of voice. Her eyes melted to show some sadness before she looked down to hide it.

"I wish to see my brother, Alpha," she told him. Her voice was quiet now. It was easy to hear the hurt in it, but he knew just how manipulative people could be. He didn't trust anyone from that pack.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jett folded his arms.

"I know he's here, Alpha," she continued to look down. "Is it wrong for a sister to want to see her own brother?"

"Where have you been?" Jett asked her, a bit of anger flashing in his eyes. "If you loved your brother so much, why did you decide to try and come just now?" Why was it that she remained perfectly healthy while her brother was in this bad of shape? If Sakdah was willing to do that to Shiro and not Hiroko, that meant that she could be working with him.

"It was too dangerous to come before," she shook her head. "You don't understand just how our pack works, Alpha Jett. Everything must be planned out carefully in order for them to work in your favor."

"Make me understand," Jett said. "Better yet, tell me how I can trust you with anything."

Hiroko looked up at that. Her dark eyes filled with determination, but also something else. There was something in which she was holding back on. He recognized it in Shiro a lot. She seemed a lot like him, which threw him off more. But he didn't know just what she was holding back. Was it worry for her brother? Or was it something more sinister than that?

"I've done nothing but help Shiro while he was going through the curse," she told him, her shoulders squared. "Do you not remember the time in which I brought you to the garden to talk to him? Only Shiro and I go to that garden."

He did remember that. She seemed like she was on the inside of his little plan for that party. But how was he supposed to know if she wasn't just biding time and collecting information until she found the right time to strike?

"I think you struck a nerve," Blake mind linked with him.

"Good," Alex said. "Maybe we should push her until she finally spills some truth. It seems like she's hiding something. I don't like it."

"That's not good enough," Jett told her. "I need solid evidence, Hiroko."

"Do you really believe that I would do something that would harm my own little brother?" She asked him. Anger flashed in those dark eyes. They looked just as intense as Shiro's did when he was watching Geo get yelled at by his father.

"How am I supposed to know?" Jett spat right back. "Don't you think it's a little weird that he get's hurt and goes through so much while you just go on these little trips to see other packs?"

"That isn't by my own doing," she said. There was something changing in her eyes. It looked so familiar he could almost touch it. It was anger, but also something else. Something that he had seen in Shiro so many times before but just couldn't put a finger on. "Do you think I want to go on those trips all the time? Do you think I wish to leave my own people to suffer while I travel on a pointless mission?!"

"Pointless?" Jett asked. Things were finally starting to click just a little bit. Her eyes cracked a little at that, showing a pain that he hadn't seen in the woman before. A pain that helped him finally figure out what it was that she had tried to keep hidden from them. "You're already mated, aren't you?"

She said nothing to that. All she did was look down and remained silent, hiding her eyes from him again. Her breathing was getting irregular with how upset she seemed to be getting.

"How is she already mated?" Manny said. "I've never seen her with anyone other than her brother."

"She's not marked," Alex said. "She must be under the curse then."

"Who are they?" he asked her in the silence. "Who is your mate?"

Her body became tense as he asked her that. But she remained silent. He wished she would show him her face at least, but she wouldn't. He needed to know who her mate was before he could even think to trust her.

"Hiroko," he called her through the silent spell that she put them under. "Who is-!"

"I cannot speak his name," she told him, her voice filled with hurt. It pained him just to hear her talk like that. "You don't understand, Alpha. After so long, there's even pain when you speak of it."

"How long has she had to go through with the curse?" Manny asked. "If she's under it, does that mean we can trust her?"

"It could be an act still," Alex said. "We have to know for sure. This regards the lives of everyone in the house right now. If she winds up taking this back to the Reverence Pack, then a war will break out, and they'll be the ones to make the first attack instead of us."

"Alex has a point," Blake agreed. "We have to go about this carefully."

"I need to know for sure that I can trust you, Hiroko," Jett told her. "I know it might hurt you, but I need to know their name."

"That would be me," they turned around to see Jin walking out of the building. He stood tall as he looked at Jett. He could see the suffering in them. "Please, don't demand her to speak it, Alpha Jett. She is here because I called her."

"You called her?" Jett looked at him.

"She is the one who has worked beside Shiro to overtake Alpha Sakdah," he told him. "If you can't trust her, I ask that you trust me."

"I don't understand," Jett looked back and forth at the two of them. Hiroko kept her head down, her whole being shaking at Jin's voice. The woman that was with her put an arm around her to comfort her. "I though Sakdah was only against same sex mates?"

"A she-wolf," Jin explained, he kept his distance by staying by the front door. "Is not to be mated to one who is weaker than her. By doing that, she makes herself, as well as her lineage, weak."

"That's got to be the oldest rule I can remember," Alex said. "Why are you guys following a rule that was basically extinct?"

"It's simply how it is," he told Alex. His eyes softened to show the pain and sorrow that he seemed to have kept hidden for a long time. "We are not allowed to ask questions, only follow through with orders and keep to the rules in which are kept in place."

"Wait," Manny looked to Jin. "I thought you told us that you weren't mated? We asked you at the carnival."

"I told you that it was an unfortunate circumstance," Jin gave him a sad smile. "My apologies for seeming misleading."

"Hiroko," he caught her attention. She looked straight at him, her eyes looking as if she was having an inner battle with herself. "How long have you both been under the curse?" He had to know. They both seemed like they were in so much pain just by being this close to each other. Jin looked as if he was a knight in how he was positioned. Whenever Hiroko's head would go up, his would look down. It was like some strange dance that they had perfected. Like a forbidden love that was written in the stars at night.

It hurt to watch.

"Three years, six months, twenty-two days and three hours," she told him, speaking clearly yet quietly.

That should have been impossible. Mates under the curse could normally only stand two months at most. These two had suffered longer than even the first mated couple who underwent the curse. It was a record that no one was in favor of breaking.

Jett looked at his friends. They all seemed just as shocked as him. Not even the Noble Pack had heard of such a thing, and they used to be the toughest to get on the side of accepting mates. Never in the history of this curse had anyone ever lasted this long.

Was this how long Shiro was willing to wait when he was trying to hide from Jett? He couldn't stand the thought.

"Alright," he said after another bout of silence. "I trust you, Hiroko. Just know that the second you abuse that trust, you aren't ever going to get it again."

"I understand," she bowed a little. The woman who she was with stayed by the car as she followed him inside. Jin had disappeared somewhere. He hoped that he was okay.

"I can't believe they would listen to such an ancient rule," Blake said. "This pack is ridiculous! At this point, everyone in that pack is going to wind up dead!"

Jett didn't want to think about that. That sent another wave of panic through him. He might not know everyone in that pack, but he didn't want them all to die. He needed to save them before Sakdah hurt them.

He told Blake and Manny to guard the doors while him and Alex escorted her through the house. Bree had cleared out the halls beforehand, just in case there were actual intruders. The emptiness of the halls felt so strange at that time of day. Kids were usually running through the halls, giggling and playing as the summer days dwindled down.

He opened the door to his room, going in before her to check on Shiro. He was still in bed, thankfully. His eyes were harder, knowing that something had happened. He had been able to prop himself up at least. Jett wished that he didn't have to put him through the stress of all of this. As much as he was healing quickly, he was still weak from his wounds. He didn't need anything to put a strain on him.

But, as soon as Hiroko walked in, those eyes changed. It made him feel guilty for even suspecting the woman. As soon as she saw him, she ran to his side.

"Shiro!" she held him gently, like a mother to her child. Tears streamed down her face at the site of him.

"Hiroko," he hugged her back. He looked so relieved to see her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"You shouldn't be the one saying that," she shook her head, holding him tighter. "I'm so sorry, Shiro."

"Don't be," he assured her. "It wasn't your fault."

They reminded him so much of the times when Bree would freak out when he got wounded. Only she would wind up yelling at him at some point through it. Hiroko just seemed like a gentle mother.

He was going to walk out to give them some privacy when Shiro stopped him.

"Stay," he held his hand out to him. "Please."

"Alright," he smiled, grabbing ahold of the hand that beckoned him. He couldn't say no to him.

"What happened, Shiro?" Hiroko asked, she was holding his other hand. "What did he do to you?"