JC

A knock sounds at the door of the attic and the faint smell of my mate appeals to my senses. Drake gets up a pushes the shelf from the door. I try to stand, but end up falling back to the floor. Jared catches me before I fall too hard.

He's here! My wolf says excitedly. I admit, I'm relieved that he's okay, although I would have been able to feel it if he wasn't.

Theo comes in and rushes to my side after giving Jared and Drake a weird look, like he didn't expect them to be here.

"Are you okay?" He asks, checking my body over. His nose scrunches up when he realized whose clothes I'm wearing.

"I think so, Drake and Jared killed the rogues before they could get in here. I killed the one of there." I point to the rogue slumped against the wall.

"You killed more than just that rogue, how are you feeling?" He asks and picks me up bridal style. I let him do it since I can't walk on my own apparently. Plus, this room is starting to stink.

"A little lightheaded and weak." I admit, even though I didn't want to.

"We need to talk about Drake and Jared. They saved my life." I tell Theo as we near the door. I don't know what the Alpha will do about them being on his land, but there needs to be a understanding that no harm will come to them.

"My father won't be happy about them being here." He says quietly down to me, but I know they can hear too.

"They saved my life." I argue, even though I know that Theo can't help how Alpha Bradley feels about Drake or Jared.

Theo stops and turns toward Drake and Jared, then looked down on me. "Stay up here. I'll talk to my father."

Drake and Jared both let out an aggravated sigh and sit down on the floor. They always listen to Theo, I think because they respect him and know that he wants what's best for them too.

Theo walks out of the room with me in his arms, and I feel myself actually becoming drowsy and can hardly keep my eyes open.

"Please, tell him to let them stay." I manage to say.

"It's not my call." He says and I push my face into his chest, soaking in the warmth. I have the urge to bite his nipple just so he will understand how serious I am about Drake and Jared, but I decide I best not do that.

I come up with the worst ideas when I'm really sleepy.

"It should be." I know he will be Alpha soon, and with that he gets to make the decisions. I wonder why Drake and Jared aren't invited to stay here, it feels like a big picture is in play.

"Even then, I will respect my father's choices and will not completely change everything." Theo says and enters his bedroom.

He lays me softly on the bed, "They are good Theo." I say on behalf of Drake and Jared.

"I know." He says and pulls the blanket over my body. "I hate that you smell like them though."

I let out a faint laugh, "Would you rather I'd be naked?"

"Only around me." He says sternly, which wakes me up a little. Theo bents down to kiss my forehead tenderly. "Get some rest."

I smile, and open my eyes to see him leaving the room. Then, I pass out.

Theo

One thing after another, piles and piles of trouble in the making, and I feel like an Alpha already.

Yet, I don't have control over if Drake or Jared get to stay. I could talk dad into letting Jared stay, but Drake is a different story. Since the last time he was here, there were threats against my mother and father.

I do believe now that Drake's mate planned an attack and tried getting Drake on board with it. I think he tried to tell her that was a bad decision and get her to stop. He knew she would be killed for conspiring against her own Alpha and Luna.

In the end, Drake told them about what his mate was planning, and in return she framed him too. She was sentenced to death, and he was banished from the pack by association.

It takes a strong man to choose his pack over his mate. Even if she was completely evil, it's hard for man to do the right thing even if it means doing wrong by his mate.

I wish my father understood what he was trying to do, but instead it looked like the two of them both wanted power.

This was just two years ago. So it's still fresh on my father's mind. Drake's as well, I assume. He must have a lot of hard feelings toward my father, or maybe he wouldn't.

The pack warriors are starting to change back into their human form, throwing on pants and shorts. The women and children are still in the bunker until we can clear the area of rouges and any remaining living rouges.

My father is pulling a body to a truck in the back and I walk over to him. "You okay?" I ask about his well being. He's getting older and can't fight like he used to.

"Yeah." He mumbles and grunts as he throws a body into the bed of the truck. A few other members throw the ones they've dragged.

"I need to speak with you." I say stepping aside, the morning sun makes its appearance and the harsh light shines on my face, I squint to see my father's expression.

"Okay son." He says throwing his bloody gloves on the truck bed and stepping aside.

I lead him to a corner of the house. "What's this about? We've got rogues to clear, so the women and children can come out."

I nod my head understandably, "Yes, but this is a little more pressing. Drake and Jared are here." I begin, but before I can utter another word my father raises his voice, "I thought I said I didn't want those rogues on my property?"

I clinch my jaw, but look up my father with as much respect as I could. "They saved JC's life."

"How did they know JC's life needed saving? That girl should've done what she was asked to do, go into the bunker." He said venomously. My father is touchy about some subjects. Rogues and the safety of women and children to be exact.

"I only had to fight twelve rouges dad. Only twelve. JC probably killed over a hundred. Some got in the house and she killed one herself and Drake and Jared killed the ones who were trying to get in at the door." I ramble. The fact that JC killed so many and I only killed a handful says a lot about how strong she is.

"How did they know they were coming Theo? You got an explanation for that?" My dad asks raising his eyebrows.

Time to lie I guess, because I actually didn't ask them how they knew. "There were over two-hundred of them. They had to get together to talk a strategy. Drake overheard them in town."

I hope that's at least close to the truth. It makes sense to me, they probably went out recruiting others in town and told their plan.

Rog8es can be so stupid and smart at the same time.

"I don't want them on my land." He speaks and sits down to take a breath on a bucket.

"Jared is just fourteen years old. Drake was banished from our pack just by association. These are not guilty men." I try reasoning. If he says no after this, I don't know how else I can convince him they are innocent men. They don't deserve to be rouges.

They deserve a home. A family.

"I don't want to hear it. We have enough on our plate with JC." He says subconsciously. I have to make a fist in my hand so I don't punch a tree or the house.

I let out an angry grunt, "My mate is not a burden. Do you hear what I am saying? If we don't protect her, then everyone is dead!" I thought my father had a understanding about the situation and welcomed JC with open arms. I will not have him or anyone here treat her like Bethany or JC's parents did.

I will not let anyone hurt her like that again.

"Son, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that JC is a big responsibility right now. Adding Drake and Jared into the mix will add another thing for my warriors to stand watch on. We all have too much on our plate right now."

I shake my head and step aside. I need to cool down. Drake and Jared don't need to be watched, but I understand what my father is trying to say. I look at our pack members and watch as Chase loads a few bodies into the truck.

"I have always respected you're commands and your choices. But this- this I do not respect." I pause turning back to my father.

"I went along with it when you kicked Drake out, even though I didn't agree. This time, I will not go along with it. He's done his time, let him come back, or at least the kid."

My father stands up and walks past me, then turns. "Just the kid. I'll think about Drake. You tell Jared to be waiting in my office when I am done. But Drake needs to go, immediately."

Little bit of a shorter chapter. So much is happening and there as things I haven't covered between JC and Theo that I will soon for those who are waiting for them to talk about specific things!

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