Three weeks pass, and Avery is still in the Lancaster pack.

She extended her stay, much to York's surprise and secret delight.

Avery likes this pack, and she hasn't felt as terrible as usual since she arrived.

She hasn't had any bad days, and she's actually busy here. It isn't just paperwork and phone calls here; she actually has a purpose.

She trains the teenagers every day, except Thursdays, when she goes to the beach, and all of them have improved, much to her shock and delight.

She has something to do, and she isn't prepared to go back to sitting in an office all day.

This weekend, she's supposed to go home. There's a conference for some of the Alphas, and York is supposed to be there, as well as Roman.

Avery hasn't said anything yet, but her brother is operating under the assumption she'll be going home with him on Sunday evening.

Tying up her hair for her training session, she bites her lip, putting on a little tinted lip balm and filling in her brows.

Alpha Roman was supposed to be overseeing her session today.

The last three weeks have been full of stolen, secret kisses in the water, or the hallways or the gym at night.

She is perfectly fine with the system they have going, because, as her friend Kathleen from her pack said, if anybody knew, there would have to be an announcement made, and regulations followed.

While here, she's been doing some digging into this mysterious mate of Romans, with the help of her brother and best friend.

She told Carolyn she was going to do it, but she didn't ask the woman to get involved, as she knew it wasn't fair for her to be in between her Alpha and her friend.

With a sigh, Avery bounces out of her room with her phone, wandering down to the gym where most of her students are waiting.

The ones not there appear quickly, most looking excited to start their training.

Avery walks to the front of the room, a smile on her face.

She notices Roman slip into the room, and Avery straightens up a little.

"Two months until trials," she announces, her smile widening, "and you are all on track to complete them."

At this statement, some of the teenagers gasp excitedly, grabbing onto their friends in delight.

"That doesn't mean we can slack. I'm going to be gone from tomorrow night, and you all need to keep up your practice. I've left instructions and individual plans with the Gamma, and he said he'd make sure you all stick to them," Avery continues, "if you don't, I'll know because he's promised to send me videos every day of the sparring practice. If any of you fall behind, I'll be able to see it."

Some of the students sag a little, and then all of their eyes quickly flash black, before they straighten a little from where they're sitting slumped.

"Deputy Alpha Wilcott, we all chipped in on a little something to say thank you," a girl who she can now name as Esme begins quietly, walking up with three others, two boys and one girl, all holding bags behind their backs and smiles on their faces.

"You didn't have to train us, but you did, and now we won't look ridiculous at trials," Michael, one of the boys' nods.

"Thank you for giving us your time," Henry, the almost drowning victim, adds.

"And thank you for believing in us," the final voice adds, one of the shy girls' smiles.

Avery clenches her jaw to try to stop herself crying, her eyes tearing up as the four get closer to her.

She gives them a weak smile, shaking her head at them.

"You really shouldn't have," she chuckles shakily, surprising the four by pulling them into a hug.

She puts the bags into the corner of the room to look through later, as she continues trying not to cry.

She didn't expect anything from these kids, and she was blown away by their thanks.

Avery notices Roman, who is still in the corner, looking shocked by the display of generosity by his packs teenagers.

"Get into pairs with somebody you haven't fought with yet," Roman announces, taking the attention from an emotional Avery, who is blinking fiercely.

The kids shuffle into place, making twos and facing off, beginning to spar once Avery blows the whistle.

"Thank you," she whispers, as Roman joins her on the sidelines as they watch the kids fighting.

"No problem, you can't show them weakness. They're like hyenas; they'll attack and kill you," he responds with a wink and a joking tone, shaking his head at her.

"You didn't put them up to it, did you?" She asks suspiciously, staring up at him with her brows furrowed and arms folded.

"No, I didn't even think of getting them to give you something," he responds truthfully, shrugging at her.

"Oh, okay," Avery murmurs, watching the pair fighting closest to her and walking over to straighten one of them up into the correct stance.

"Good work, guys," she nods, going along the lines and fixing postures and punches as she goes.

Roman watches her in silent awe, his eyes following her figure as she weaves in and out of the teenagers fighting.

A punch almost lands on her once or twice, but she dodges them both times, her calm expression never changing other than when it shifts into a happy smile when she spots some of the kids who have improved.

He can't hear what she's saying over the hustle and bustle, but he continues to watch her, so focused that he doesn't realise when a knife is lobbed at him by one of the pairs sparring with weapons.

The blade embeds itself into his forearm, and he stares at it in amusement for a moment, until Avery gasps, and hurries towards him.

"Get the pack doctor," Avery calls, and he stares at her in confusion.

"It's a silver blade," she cringes, avoiding his eyes as she helps him to the ground, taking the majority of his weight as he stays silently staring at her, his eyes darting everywhere but focusing on her face.

The doctor arrives quickly and shuffles Avery away from Roman.

She swallows down her upset at wanting to stay by his side, clenching her jaw.

"You let them practice with silver?" The doctor shouts over to her, and she nods at him.

"Yes. They'd be doing it in battle, and they need to learn a tolerance for scratches. Nobody has ever been injured," Avery responds sharply, not liking his angry tone.

"This isn't battle," the doctor retorts, quickly ripping the knife out of Roman's arm, and pouring a purple liquid all over it.

"Jesus wept," Roman gasps, the liquid seeping into the wound and his body contorting upwards in pain.

Avery stays quiet, biting her lip before she remembers the teenagers.

"Go outside guys, okay? Run laps, or do some stretching. I'll be out soon, and I promise I'll let you know what's happening, okay?" Avery swears, and the kids shuffle out, all of them looking white in the face.

When the door closes after the last child, Avery hurries over to Roman, who's muscles are contracting so much that it looks like his tattoos are moving.

She grabs his not clenched hand and holds it in her two, kneeling beside him as he grits his teeth.

"Of course, I got silver-ed right before the conference," he chuckles weakly, "You'll have to protect me."

"Roman," she mutters, shaking her head at him and rubbing his hand gently, watching the doctor continue to clean out his arm.

She spots what looks like bone and gags a little, this experience much different than seeing her own or when she hurts somebody in battle. She cares about this person and the bone he owns.

Woman up, Sonya hisses, although she isn't the happiest with the situation either.

"I'm going to knock him out for a few hours. I know he needs to be at that meeting, so he'll just have to sleep on the way there," the doctor sighs, shaking his head.

"Yeah, that's okay," Avery nods frantically, "I have to go with him anyway, so I can make sure he gets there safely."

"No silver, and no garlic," the doctor instructs sternly, and Avery almost rolls her eyes.

"Yes, that's perfect. Could you mindlink somebody to get them to carry Roman to his room?" She asks the doctor, and Roman makes a grunting noise.

"I can walk," he mutters, beginning to get up and then falling back onto his behind.

"Oh," he grumbles, "I didn't think it hit my bone."

"Well it did, so sit there until I can find somebody to carry you upstairs," Avery responds, rolling her eyes at him.

"I'm a patient, you can't roll your eyes at me," he whines, and the doctor looks wholly uncomfortable with the situation in front of him.