"We're here," Roman grumbles, throwing the car door open, and getting out with a scowl.

He took a phone call in the last fifteen minutes of the journey, and he was angry the entire time. Once he realised Avery was trying to listen in, he had barked at the man to switch to mind-linking.

It was accidental eavesdropping - she was so bored she could have listened to anything.

Avery was a little miffed but also understood that it was probably pack business.

So, she busied herself with her work. Finishing off reports of her pack's activity for the last three months, she forwards them to York and organises his schedule for the next week.

All calls to her desk had been re-routed to her cellphone until she could get a stable landline set up at the Lancaster pack. She had discovered that texting Alphas were a lot easier to deal with - they couldn't argue as much, and she wondered if she could continue to deal with them this way.

Once everyone else gets out, Avery exits the vehicle, looking around cautiously. The pack wouldn't - according to pack and regional law - attack her without knowing why she was there, so she didn't feel worried about that. She was more concerned about being seen with Roman, especially if his pack's Luna died recently.

She really didn't need that sort of rumour going around; she wasn't a badge bunny for alphas.

The sun is beating down, and Avery can feel herself heating up quickly. She doesn't want to burn, so getting inside is probably her best choice, even if it is near an angry alpha.

Carefully eyeing the people around her, Avery slowly moves towards the packhouse that Roman and the others entered, leaving her luggage in the sedan.

The interior of the house is rustic, and there's a lot of wood and glass. It's a lot darker inside, and it takes Avery a minute to adjust to the dim hallway.

Following the voices, she hears shouting from an office. Standing outside, she straightens up, acutely aware she's still in her nightwear. Knocking twice, she steps inside when she hears a pause from whoever is shouting.

She steps in, observing the scene in front of her. Roman is standing up, and a vein in his temple is pulsing, his arms clenched.

Aside from the Greek god in front of her, there is an average-sized woman who looks to be about fifty. Standing at the wall, looking mildly bothered is who she assumes to be the Beta and Gamma of the Lancaster pack.

After another second of staring, Avery recognises the woman and she snickers.

It's Amelia Lancaster, Roman's mother.

"And what are you laughing at?" The woman rounds on her, her fists at her sides, as she stares at the tall, pale statue of a girl.

"That Roman isn't the one shouting for once, after I saved his life and he didn't even thank me," Avery says innocently, widening her eyes and putting her hands behind her back.

"You let her call you Roman?" Emits from Amelia, while at the same time Roman shouts, "You tried to kill me first."

Joining Roman's Beta and Gamma by the wall, she watches the scene.

"Troublemaker," the Gamma mutters, giving her a look that reeks of 'behave yourself'.

Sonya ruffles within Avery, and she stares at the Gamma, her Alpha scent filling the room as she moves to assert dominance on this man.

"Deputy Alpha Wilcott," Roman barks, "Please leave my men alone, and Ben, apologise."

Avery shrugs and goes to stand beside the Beta instead, folding her arms.

She doesn't take being threatened well, especially if it's by someone of a lower rank than her.

The chaos gradually settles down into another tense silence, but Avery is in her own head.

Deputy Alpha Wilcott? What happened to 'sweetheart'?, Sonya asks in disgust, and Avery is inclined to agree.

I suppose he only uses that when nobody else is around. Pity for him I'm nobody's dirty little secret, Avery growls in response.

"Let's talk about this rationally," Amelia starts, taking a seat.

"That's what I wanted to do; you're the one who barged in here screaming," Roman grumbles, sitting down in his seat, "Avery, this pertains to you, so you should sit also. Ryan, Ben, please leave, this doesn't concern you at the moment."

The Gamma shuffles out immediately, but the Beta stays for a moment, looking somewhat surprised that he was told to leave. Like a good second in command, he listens, closing the door gently behind him.

"So why is she here?" Amelia asks, and Avery raises her brows, turning to look at the woman who speaks of her with such disdain.

"I'm here for training purposes," Avery interjects since the woman won't speak directly to her.

"Her brother wanted to see how we do things in the west. They're a good pack. We agreed to take Deputy Alpha Wilcott in exchange for them training some of our warriors," Roman states, which was a surprise to Avery. She didn't know warriors from the Lancaster pack had landed on her territory, and usually, she would be informed of it before York would be.

"And you couldn't take the young Alpha himself?" Amelia asks Roman, entirely ignoring Avery again.

Avery grits her teeth, her wolf not liking the disrespect. She's already on edge from the last two days, but she's reigning her anger in - she can't attack the former Luna of a pack for being ignored. Blatant disrespect, yes, but being ignored doesn't count as that.

"No, mother. He has a pack to run." Roman grits out, turning on his computer.

"So you had to take this sorry excuse for a she-wolf?" She snarls, standing up.

Avery is digging her nails into her palms at this point, and the metallic tang of blood fills the room as she breaks the skin.

"Mother, you have no right to insult a visiting rank," Ronan states coldly, beginning to type on his laptop.

"She's an Unfortunate! And a slut!" The older woman shrieks and Avery stands up so quickly that her chair flies back. Twice in two days, she mentally applauds herself, she does have a flair for the dramatic.

"I may be an Unfortunate, but don't you dare call me a slut," Avery hisses, stepping closer to the older woman.

Roman doesn't interfere - this is his mother's battle, and he doesn't intend to step in unless Avery intends to strike.

"Don't think news of your... escapades haven't reached me. Who haven't you screwed at those committee meetings?" Amelia spits, and Avery raises an eyebrow, laughing.

"Oh my god, is that what this is about? I don't hear you saying that to any of the unmated males," Avery chuckles, shaking her head and stepping back from the woman. "The double standards around here... Gosh, maybe I should just wear a scarlet letter."

Amelia seems surprised by Avery's sardonic reaction - it's almost as if she expected the younger female to fight.

"Plus... I hear you got around much more than I ever have when you were younger - and you had a lot less time," Avery adds innocently. At that, Roman stands up, hastily getting in between the two women, knowing his mother was going to explode at the younger girl.

He's a little surprised by what he heard, but he's glad he stood up when he did - he really didn't want to hear about his mother's sex life.