Gulping, I start towards the front doors, opening them slowly as I peek out. I see Cayton, standing impatiently in front of the building, arms crossed across a bare chest. And, oh man, does he look angry.

"Is this about the water bill?" I ask, sticking my head out ever so slowly, smiling sheepishly. "Because I can cut back on showers for a few days if it makes up for it."

There's not an ounce of humor on his face, not an ounce of anything other than anger. I fight the urge to wince as his gaze only becomes increasingly harder. I look back inside, keeping the door mostly closed, and glare at the curly-haired boy. "Which one of you snitches told on me?"

He shakes his head, "Neither of us said a thing, he just showed up." Cursing quietly, I open the door fully and put on my sweetest smile.

I walk to Cayton, trying to put a bit of pep in my step. "Well, thanks for coming to escort me back," I yawn dramatically, stretching my arms above my head, "we should probably get back to bed."

He stares at me, eyes hard and posture rigid. He doesn't say a word, and it's much more unsettling than him just getting it over with and berating me. I pause, before turning back and waving at the two boys goodbye. They look at each other, and then hesitantly wave back.

"We'll talk at home," I say quietly, so only Cayton can hear. "Please."

He stares a bit longer before huffing, turning and heading back the way I had come. I follow, trying to appear as though nothing is wrong. Once we're in the treeline, Cayton stops and starts removing his shorts. I raise my eyebrows.

"Y'know, if you want to just bang one out--"

"We're running back," he says, clearly not amused. "Shift."

Sighing, I start with my pants, pouting just the slightest when he doesn't even check me out.

You seriously need to figure out your priorities, Wolfette says.

I don't deal with anger well alright, I try to diffuse.

Oh yeah, you're doing great.

I roll my eyes at Wolfette and remove my shirt, placing it with the rest of my clothes on the ground. Cayton looks at me once and I watch as he shifts, becoming his midnight black wolf. Wolfette practically purs in my mind.

Oh, now who's the one that needs to figure out their priorities? I point out childishly.

There's no response, so I shift, happy that once again the pain isn't anywhere near as bad as the first. I'm sure it gets easier over time, but memories of the first are still fresh in my mind and I worry it will be like that again.

Once I'm ready, huffing and shaking out my fur, Cayton starts to run, not waiting for me. I quickly gather my clothes in my mouth and take off after him.

The run back is a silent one, despite my best attempts at making it a bit more bearable. Every time I catch up to Cayton, he pulls ahead just enough that I'm not by his side. Eventually, I just settle for following behind him, pouting and grumbling to myself.

It seems like forever until we get back home, but when we break through the trees and the front door comes into view, Cayton skids to a halt and I do as well. He looks at me once again, before shifting back and becoming the lovable but very angry human Cayton once again. Sighing, I shift back as well, picking my clothes up and holding them close to me, suddenly feeling a bit more self-conscious about my nakedness.

He bounds the steps up to the front door, and I follow quietly behind, putting on my shirt as I do. The level of comfort in which he walks around naked is something I'm sure I'll need to find as well if I'm going to keep up with this whole shifting business.

"Let's go upstairs," Cayton says, his tone neutral.

Not feeling like arguing, knowing it would just be for the sake of arguing anyways, I nod and follow him up the steps. When we hit the landing, he goes directly to our room. I take a deep breath, preparing to enter.

As soon as I do, Cayton shuts the door behind me. I have no time to react before he grabs me and pulls me to his chest, tangling his hand in my hair and resting his cheek against the top of my head. I'm shocked at first, but guilt immediately sets in.

"I almost lost my goddamn mind, thinking something happened," Cayton starts. His voice catches in his throat, and my guilt increases by a million as I feel him beginning to shake. I panic though, thinking he's so angry he's going to start throwing punches. But then, when I hear a sniffle and a choked sob, I feel like I deserve to be punched repeatedly in the face.

All I can do in my shock is wrap my arms around him, pulling him to me just as tightly. I blink back my tears, my heart aching as my mate cries in front of me for the first time. Somewhere in the back of my mind, Wolfette whines, feeling the pain I feel.

"I'm sorry," I choke out. My reckless plans have seldom worked out in my favor, I don't know why I thought now, of all times, was the best time to try another one out. "I'm so sorry."

I work on keeping back my tears as Cayton continues to shake. I don't know if now is the best time to talk. I don't know if I should bring it up. I was mad before, about him hiding the Warren situation from me, but feeling him cry makes all that anger feel insignificant. With everything that has gone on recently, it's hard to decide what needs attention first and what needs attention last. Warren isn't a threat right now, so maybe he should be at the bottom of the list.

Cayton sniffles again, and I feel him lift his head. His lips find my forehead, pressing softly and staying there as he inhales. I close my eyes, both savoring the feeling and willing the last of my tears to stay put.

"I'm sorry for being angry with you earlier," he apologizes, and I look up into his eyes, shocked that he's the one apologizing. "I woke up after listening to the shower run for almost an hour, noticed a distinct lack of it sounding like anyone was actually in the shower, only to see the bathroom window wide open. I had no clue what happened, where you were..."

I bite my lip, the guilt continuing to wash over me in waves.

"I assumed my mom told you something today though..." he starts. "It was a lucky guess that I found you where you were. And luckier still that your scent was still pretty strong."

"So maybe I shouldn't hold off on those showers?" I half-heartedly joke.

Despite the situation, he gives me the smallest of smiles. "Yeah, it was pretty...strong."

"Wait, that's rude. You're not supposed to agree!" I whine, pushing him away slightly. His smile grows, and I try not to let mine falter as I see the wetness still on his cheeks.

"But seriously," he starts, the smile falling from his lips. "Please. At least for a few months, can you not make a break for it?"

"I can try and promise but just so you know," I point to the side of my head. "Wolfette here is the one who gave me the idea."

He raises an eyebrow. "Did she take over?"

"Well, no, but--"

"So you did it."

"I mean, physically, yes, but--"

"She gave you an idea, you thought 'You know what? That's a great idea!' and you followed it."

"Ok, yeah but--"

"This isn't a battle you're going to win," he says, flicking my nose. I scrunch it, pursing my lips.

"Fine, I'll admit fault. And I sincerely apologize," I say, rubbing his cheeks to remove some of the residual tears. "I won't do it again. At least for a while."

He pulls me into another hug, and I gladly accept, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"Let's get back to sleep. We can talk in the morning," he says, and I nod in agreement.

*

The morning rolls in too quickly, and I whine as the light hits my eyes, shoving my pillow over my face in an attempt to block it out.

"Goodmorning, Sleeping Beauty," I hear from across the room. I tentatively lift the pillow from my face and see Cayton, putting shoes on at the edge of the bed. He's all dressed for the day, in a blue button-up and dark jeans.

I grumble a response, that is nothing more than a series of groans and moans, before dropping the pillow back on my face. I feel Cayton still as he finishes putting his shoes on before he lets out a hefty sigh.

"I know it's early--well, 11 a.m.--but we should probably have a conversation about last night," he says.

I release a sigh of my own, muffled by the pillow, willing my body to fall back asleep in that instance. Of course, if I could do that, I wouldn't ever be awake. Tossing the pillow to the side, I stare up at the ceiling for a moment before pushing myself into a sitting position.

Yawning, I stretch my arms above my head and try to think about how I could even begin to start this conversation. "I suppose we should."

Cayton looks at me for a moment, before standing and coming to sit on the edge of the bed next to me. I lean against him.

"I assume you went to see my father?" he asks, to which I simply nod. "And why, exactly?"

I chew on my lip. "Well, your mom came yesterday just bawling her eyes out...Apologizing for your dad and saying stuff along the lines of...uh...the penalty for treason being death..." I trail off.

I feel Cayton tense ever so slightly beside me, and I look up at his face. He's looking down, eyebrows knitted together like he's deep in thought. I wonder briefly if I could just break into his head and figure out what he's thinking, but decide it better to leave some sort of privacy between us.

Instead of waiting for a response, I continue. "And she just. Sounded like it was going to happen no matter what, and I kept saying you would never do that, and Tami said she didn't know if you would because you've never done it but 'thems the rules and I thought, maybe, if I talked to Warren and he at least seemed remorseful or apologized maybe it didn't have to be that way--"

I cut myself off, taking a deep, calming breath before meeting Cayton's eyes. He's looking down at me with an intensity I can't put my finger on, almost like he's torn but not quite. There's hardly a breath of pause as I keep going.

"So I went, and we talked, and frankly the results were less than desirable but I still think--"

"What did he say to you?" he asks, tone suddenly cold.

I hesitate to answer, knowing it's one of the worst things I could do. Quickly, I scramble for a way to sugar-coat everything. It wasn't like Warren blatantly insulted me or demanded an overthrow of the regime, but I know Cayton will be angry regardless.

"He thought he did what was right," I say slowly, watching for any and all emotional reactions from Cayton. It doesn't help that he's putting on a poker face to hide what he's thinking. Really, that's all Warren said, so it isn't a lie.

"What, he thought trying to kill my mate and my Beta's mate was right? He thought that conspiring with the enemy was right?" Cayton says, his voice rising with each word that passes through his lips. I rub my arm and look away.

"He didn't try to kill us," I say, hoping to help. "He just thought...I'd be better for you as a werewolf."

When I look into his eyes once again, there are two conflicting things I see. There's rage, burning hot and bright in the depths of his blue eyes. And yet, they hold a certain softness as they look at me.

"You're perfect for me in whatever way you come," he says, bringing his hand to my cheek. It feels odd, considering the anger boiling within him, but I accept the comfort nonetheless, pressing my cheek into his palm, my hand on the back of his.

"I know," I say. "But. He didn't think so. He doesn't think so. I know it's wrong, but you have to account for intention."

"Intention doesn't mean jack shit," he says. "He was willing to risk it all to be right. He knew you could have died. He knew what that would do to me, he knew what was at stake. Hell, Joshua could have fucked him over and just killed all of you on the spot! And he knew that!" He's back to yelling, his hand long since removed from my cheek as stands and takes a step back.

"He knew, if everything went ok and no one died, there would still be consequences to pay. He knew the penalty for treason, and you know what he did Macy? He probably looked at my mother, thought 'Fuck it, if I die I won't have to deal with whatever she goes through!' So to hell with his intentions."

We both knew that was an exaggeration, but his point was made. A hundred times over. Warren truly acted in the most selfish way possible. But regardless, he thought it was right...

Cayton is almost shaking with anger at this point, and I debate whether or not I should go to him. I certainly don't think it would hurt, but I'm sure in his mind I'm leaning towards Warren's side, and he clearly has a problem with that. So instead, I remain stationary, my hands intertwined as I pick at the skin on my thumb.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Cayton closes his eyes for a second before opening them and meeting mine once again. "Even if he thought it was right, there was no way the pros outweighed the cons."

He was right, of course. Factually and morally, he was right. Warren was horrible for what he did, not to mention incredibly selfish. And yet, in my mind, the punishment did not meet the crime. I knew now where Cayton stood, but the question was: What would he do about it?

I couldn't find it in me to say anything else. I didn't want to talk about it more, anyways. I wanted to reject the notion that Cayton would carry out the sentence as pack law dictated, but with the direction this conversation had taken, my brain knew the chances were slim. My heart only ached, mostly because I knew what all of this would turn into. What Cayton would ultimately feel. What would happen to Lisa. What would happen to me.

The silence fills the room to the point where I feel like I'm being smothered. I look only down at my hands, wincing as a flick of my nail across the skin of my other thumb draws blood.

Cayton moves towards me, and I can tell his steps are slow and tentative. I can't be mad at him--he's doing what he thinks is right, and by all accounts, probably is. I just don't know what to say to him, so I remain silent with my head down, even as I feel him standing directly in front of me.

When I refuse to look up, I hear him let out a soft sigh. Not one of annoyance, thankfully. One that indicates he understands, but there's nothing he can do to help. "I have a lot of business to take care of today. Do you want to join me?"

Normally I would feel elated he's asking me along, but right now I only feel the tiniest spark of joy in a sea of despair. I'm in no mood to join, so I shake my head solemnly.

"Well...Bethany and Carter will be back today," he says, causing me to finally look up. "Do you want me to let you know when they arrive?"

Only nodding, I realize then I desperately crave his comfort, and like a child, I hold my arms out to him, wanting to just be wrapped in his arms long enough to forget the world exists. Thankfully, he doesn't hesitate to oblige and wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace. I bury my face in his shirt, inhaling his scent. It's woodsy and strong, and I feel Wolfette purr as it calms her as well. She's remained quiet through the interaction, not feeling any particularly strong emotions, but I imagine my own are affecting her, or at worst irritating her.

Definitely the latter, she says.

Pushing away from Cayton slightly, I look up at him and frown. "Cayton, is your wolf constantly an asshole to you?"

A ghost of a smile passes by his lips. "I can't say he is. Though he can sure get mouthy."

I groan, shoving my face back in his shirt. "Mine's about as mouthy as a teenager."

"It's almost like she's a part of you," he says teasingly, and I punch him in the chest next to my head. He actually winces slightly, and I feel the tiniest inkling of pride. "Alright alright, I'll be nicer to you to make up for her."

"How thoughtful," I say flatly. His hand brushes down my hair a few times before he plants a kiss on the top of my head.

"I should get going. Are you sure you don't want to join me?" he asks again.

I nod, grabbing the blankets from behind me and cocooning myself in them, trying to replace the warmth and comfort lost by our separation. "I'll be here until Beth gets back," I say. "You can just ring me on the brain phone when they're here."

Nodding, he plants a light kiss on my lips before saying a final goodbye. As he walks out the door, I think for a second that maybe I should go with him, Luna duties or whatever, but then the blanket starts feeling even cozier than before and soon I'm asleep.

Though it feels like I only get about thirty minutes of shut-eye, the clock on the bedside table confirms I did indeed sleep for three additional hours when I awake to the sound of Cayton's voice in my head.

Be there soon! I respond quickly, jumping out of my blanket burrito, falling on my face as I fail to escape, and finally getting back on my feet and darting into the closet. I grab the first things I lay eyes on and throw them on, foregoing shoes because I'm just going to Cayton's office downstairs.

In record time, I'm knocking on the door to his office, though I want to barge in. Cayton yells for me to come in, and I'm about to start yelling HALLELUJAH when I see Beth and Carter but think better of it because I'm a respectable, mature Luna--

"Bethanyyyyy!" I draw out, going to her immediately, holding my arms out for a hug. Ok, so I couldn't help myself. I'm excited. She smiles brightly at me, standing up from her seat and meeting me halfway. I squeeze as hard as I can, though I know she's going easy on me considering I'm technically still healing. "It's been so long!"

"It's been a few days," she points out, her voice sounding much better but still a bit hoarse, a bit quiet.

"That's a lifetime without you," I say dramatically, grabbing her hand in mine and holding it to my heart. She smiles at me, giggling slightly. I'm happy to see her alive, happy, and healing nicely. Her hair is pulled up in a sleek ponytail, a glint in her eyes that I haven't really seen all that often. I can only take it as pure, unbridled happiness.

"Good to see you too," Carter mutters from behind her.

I lean around Bethany, seeing him smiling in mild amusement. He looks a bit worse off, a bit more tired. Mostly his hair is a mess but unfortunately, it works for him. I envy the fact that he doesn't look like a mad scientist like I would. I simply nod my head at him.

"Acknowledged," I say, putting on a deep, serious tone. His smile falters for a second, and so I start laughing and step around Bethany to give him a quick hug. I still don't know what his and Cayton's conversation was like, but now is certainly not the time to bring it up. Besides, if he's here and at ease, it must have gone ok.

I look to Cayton and only then do I notice the others in the room. Trenton, Michael, and Drake, who I narrow my eyes at. He avoids my gaze, and I have half a mind to tell him off here and now, because 'I WAS RIGHT, YOU WERE WRONG!' but again, I am a respectable, mature Luna.

But that doesn't stop me from envisioning myself flipping him off, then doing somersaults around him while chanting 'I was right, you were wrong, suck on my ding dong.'

"So what's the situation in Midnight Fire?" Cayton asks, breaking through my daydream. I step away from Carter, going back to Bethany's other side.