A nice top and jeans, or a pretty dress?, Sonya ponders, and Avery sighs.

I don't know, Kathleen would say wear a dress though, Avery comments, and Sonya groans.

We didn't bring a nice dress, we only have the weird dark green one, Sonya scoffs, and Avery runs a hand through her hair.

"So, you and Lancaster again, huh?" York asks, sweeping into the room and flinging himself onto his sister's bed.

"How did you get in here?" Avery asks, staring at her case.

"I have a room key, duh," he laughs, rolling his eyes as he squints at her suitcase.

"Everyone downstairs is wearing dresses, you should really hurry up," York sing-songs, and Avery lobs her high heel at him.

"Get out, I have to get dressed," she mutters, and York sighs dramatically.

"Sissy, you will miss me so much when I go away. Don't act like you don't love my constant presence," he rolls his eyes, standing up and walking over the where Avery is standing beside the desk her suitcase lays open on.

He scoops up the silky green dress, and raises it in the air, squinting at his sister and it.

"Wear this, do some curls in your hair," he comments, throwing it at her face and laying down on the bed again.

"Thank you, oh knowledgeable one," Avery mocks, strolling into her bathroom and getting changed.

She flattens the material against her body and scowls, shaking her head.

"Yorkie, it doesn't look right," she groans, and York reluctantly drags himself into the bathroom.

"Try it backwards; I don't know. Louisa and Kathleen are the ones who know about clothes, I can't help you," he snorts, shaking his head as he examines the complimentary bathroom samples that sit on the bathroom counter.

Avery grudgingly listens and turns the dress around, frowning as she examines the neckline.

"This dress is horrible," she groans, and York grumbles under his breath.

"I'll call Kathleen," York mutters, closing his eyes and mindlinking Avery's Beta Female.

Kathleeeeeeen, Ezra whines over the mindlink, continuing to drag out her name until she responds.

What do you want?, Kathleen snaps, and York can imagine her scowling.

Do you have spare clothes for Avery to wear? She doesn't like what she brought, he sighs, rolling his eyes as he explains the issue.

I brought extra dresses, I knew she wouldn't like that dress she got, Kathleen groans, I'll come over in a few minutes.

Kathleen shuts off the link herself, and York grins as he opens his eyes.

"She'll be here in a few minutes, curl your hair," he cackles, diving back onto the plush bed and rubbing his face against the soft duvet and blankets.

"You look like a cat," Avery remarks with disgust, plugging in her hair curler and brushing out her mane.

"A very happy cat I am," he gleefully responds, shoving his face into the mattress, "I love hotel beds so much, I'm so happy we decided to stay for the night."

"We still might not," Avery warns him, glancing over her shoulder, "If anything kicks off at dinner, we're going straight back to our pack - I'm not being dragged into anything at all, I don't care - I'll call off my meeting with Lilith in the morning."

York rolls his eyes as his sister's determination to stay out of drama or trouble - she usually doesn't care, and she dives head-first into the action without a second thought. The trial must have put the fear of the Goddess back into her, because even when she was leaving, she left through the traditionally correct door - something nobody had done in years, the tradition long dead.

Kathleen bursts into the room, two dresses slung over her arms.

"Okay, we have a calf-length pale shimmery green number - thin-strapped and a little bit of chest - or we have a black a-line mid-calf length silk dress. Which one?" She announces, looking between the two siblings.

Avery finishes her final curl, turns off the curler at the wall, and then turns to Kathleen.

"Give me the black, I want to do a red lip," she says shortly, catching the black dress that gets lobbed in her direction and then closing the bathroom door.

She closes her eyes and leans against the door, putting a hand to her chest as she feels her heart beating aggressively.

We can skip the dinner, Sonya encourages softly, we don't have to go down if you need to relax or calm down.

Avery doesn't respond to her wolf, rubbing her chest and breathing slowly as she tries to calm herself down.

The weight of the day finally hit her.

She had almost been removed from power, jailed, and shamed.

She had kept her title, and she had been told she had a mate.

A mate.

It was unbelievable, and completely unexpected for her.

She wasn't even sure if she wanted a mate - especially since it was Roman Lancaster.

We don't have to take him, Sonya reminds her earnestly, sounding a little afraid of the response.

Avery closes her eyes again, swallowing down the lump in her throat. She didn't want to cry, she had most of her makeup done, and she didn't need to cry. She just needed to figure out what she was going to do - the situation wasn't good, no matter how happy the Panel had seemed. It complicated matters even more.

Avery slips into her dress, zipping it as she stares at herself in the mirror.

She doesn't look like herself, she notes, as she peers at her rather pale face and wide eyes - she looks like she's seen a ghost, and the ghost had put her face on.

"It's okay to want your title more than you want a mate," she whispers to herself, nodding firmly as she pastes a coat of deep red onto her lips.

"No, you're just a pussy," York screams from her room, and Avery scowls.

He must have heard her, and that doesn't comfort her.

"I don't have to be mated to be worthy," Avery states shortly as she exits the bathroom, folding her first dress as she walks, slotting it back into her case and then slipping on her stilettos.

"I didn't say that you had to be," York hurriedly gets out, raising his arms in the air in horror.

Avery glances at him in distaste, pursing her lips as she slides her phone into her small purse.

"Come on, I don't want to be late," she mutters, hurrying out of her room.

York leaves after her, and Kathleen releases a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as she follows them out.

She hates being in the middle of conflict, and when York and Avery fight with each other, it gets loud very quickly.

Usually Mitchell or one of their parent's steps in to diffuse the situation, but Kathleen was alone with them in the room.

Neither would harm her, but she always gets worried for both of them and herself during their arguments, because both Wilcotts' can be rather aggressive and harsh with their words when they get angry.

Making sure the door closes, Kathleen hurries after Avery, and slips her arm into hers, linking with her as they stroll down the hallway to the elevator.

The guest quarters of the Council's main building is modern and gorgeous, the hallways a pale blue with plenty of lighting littering the walls. The doors are white or black, depending on who the rooms were reserved for.

Alpha rooms were marked by black doors, while ranked and normal pack members were housed in equally beautiful white-door rooms.

"What did the Mating Panel want you for, love?" Kathleen asks softly, and Avery grimaces.

"Just for some scientific trial for Unfortunates, so they called Roman and myself to see if their tests worked," she sighs, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"You would swear you two were the only two Unfortunates in the world with the way they demand your presence for this stuff!" Kathleen exclaims, shaking her head and squeezing her best friend's hand gently.

Avery feels guilty for lying to her friend, but she's barely processing the fact that she apparently has a mate, and she needs to make sure that it's accurate before she gets her best friend's hopes up. Kathleen and Avery were both career-focused, but Kathleen had always dreamed that Avery would find somebody to settle down with so that they could both have children at the same time.

Avery knows that, and doesn't want Kathleen to get excited and start planning Avery's mated life out.

Avery sweeps her curls over her shoulder as she steps into the elevator, feeling York's eyes glare daggers into her skull.

"York, the look on your face would sour milk, why don't you smile," Avery scoffs, pushing her shoulders back and raising a precise eyebrow at her brother.

York gives her a stern look, shaking his head at her.

She knows that he doesn't approve of her lying to Kathleen, but she doesn't approve of how he knows - if he weren't on the Council, nobody in her family would have known about her and Roman being mates.

The elevator finally arrives on the ground floor, and the three of them exit, being greeted immediately by Katya and Emily.

"Hello, sweetheart," Katya beams, pulling Avery into a hug.

Avery laughs uneasily, nodding to Emily over Katya's shoulder.

"Hello, thank you for organising tonight's table," she grins back at the other woman, Katya taking her arm and leading her into the dining room.

The room is busier than Avery expected, with more Alphas staying than anybody would have guessed.

The positive ending of the trial likely encouraged people to stay and celebrate, whether or not they knew who Avery was, or had any business with her - some Alphas use any excuse to indulge in alcohol and fancy food.

Avery smiles and nods to all of the Alphas who grin and smile at her as they walk through the room.

Zephyr rises from his seat when Avery draws near, and he pulls her chair out for her, clapping her on the back as she sits down.

"Well done, shortie," he grins, and she rolls her eyes teasingly, pulling him down into a hug.

"Thank you for sorting this out," she nods to him, gazing around the room curiously.

The table is in the front of the room, sitting slightly in the middle of the rest of the tables.

She can see everything from her seat, including the Council table in the front of the room.

Her friends all sit down, and she furrows her brows, turning to York curiously.

"Where are mum and dad?" She asks, and he shrugs, rolling his eyes.

"He decided to take her out to one of the restaurants on the waterfront, apparently it's their anniversary," he mutters, turning away from Avery to face Scott.

Avery refrains from rolling her eyes, gritting her teeth as she inhales slowly at her brother's irritated response.

It isn't any of his business, Sonya grumbles.

Avery sniffs to herself, shaking her head and sitting up straight.

A hand lands on her shoulder, and she freezes for a moment, turning around slowly to see who it is.

"Hey," Roman nods, and Avery grins at him.

She isn't sure if she wants a mate, and she doesn't know if he wants a mate, but there's no point in being spiteful or rude now that she knows they have some sort of bond together - it's not like he could have forced the bond, and he was equally shocked when the were told the news.

"Take a seat, get comfortable," she smiles, and he nods slowly, giving her a confused smile as he sits beside her.

"Okay, I know we didn't end things well last time, and I know I could have been more polite in our conversations after, but neither of us could have planned for this to happen, so I think we should forget the past," she suggests, and Roman blinks at her in confusion.

"Yeah, I agree," he hesitantly responds, "but I'd like to apologise for being such an ass in the calls we had after we parted ways."

"Don't worry about it right now, we can talk that out another time," she shakes her head, clapping her hands, "now, we have to eat instead."

The starters are placed in front of them, but nobody at the table except Avery and Roman, Katya and Emily begin eating.

Zephyr, Scott, Mitchell, Kathleen, and Hayden are all frozen in shock and staring at Avery.

"Didn't she say she would rather swallow nails than ever speak to him again?" Hayden whispers to Kathleen, and Kathleen rolls her eyes.

"Yes, she did, well done for keeping up. But I've learned from the years of being friends with Avery, you don't really question what she does or why she does it, because you'll only be more confused," she murmurs, flicking her hair behind her shoulders.

"But she's being so nice," Hayden hisses, and Mitchell joins in on the hissed conversation, nodding rapidly and pointing at Hayden.

"She's being civil, she's an Alpha and so is he, she has to be nice to him," Kathleen groans, shaking her head at the two men and beginning to eat.

York shakes his head at his sister and her ranked pack members, tucking into his food irritably.

The next morning is tiring as soon as Avery opens her eyes.

She nearly falls off her bed in her haste to wake herself up, and she has to stay still for a moment to try and calm herself down.

"I don't want to move," she groans to herself, slowly sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

She looks around the room, trying to figure out what woke her up.

Her phone isn't going off, Sonya is silent, and nobody is knocking at the door, so she has no reason for her abrupt and violent awakening.

Avery reluctantly checks the time, groans aloud, and then slides out of bed, stomping her way into the bathroom and turning the shower on, brushing her teeth while she waits for the water to heat up.

She refuses to have a cold shower; she'd rather wait ten hours.

Spitting out her toothpaste, she squirms out of her nightdress, tying up her hair and stepping into the hot shower, closing her eyes and letting the water cascade down her body.

This is what we needed, Sonya coos.

Avery rolls her eyes at her wolf and responds to her, what do you mean we? You've been asleep since last night.

After a few minutes, Avery reluctantly leaves the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and slipping her feet into her slippers, strolling into her room and opening the curtains.

Light filters into her room and she blinks at the sudden intrusion, raising her eyebrows as she realises how bright it is outside.

They had arrived at Council territory at this time yesterday, but she was so distracted that she didn't even notice that the sun was out.

Her phone buzzes, and Avery swipes it up while she stares out the window at the perfectly manicured lawns.

"Hello?" Avery sighs, fishing a pair of jeans and a blouse out of her suitcase, picking out a pair of underwear while she's there.

"Hi, Alpha Wilcott?" The voice squeaks, and Avery raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, this is she, who is this?" Avery asks curiously, squinting out the window at a moving figure.

"This is the Cell Receptionist from the Council's prison; I'm calling to remind you of your appointment with -" the receptionist pauses, obviously reading off her list, "Lilith Cole."

Avery sighs to herself, untying her hair and letting it fall down her shoulders.

"Yes, it's at ten," she comments, watching as the figure draws closer to her window.

She recognises it as Roman, and her eyes remain glued to his shirtless figure.

"It is; indeed, we'll see you then, I hope you have a good morning," the chirpy woman squeaks, hanging up the phone.

Avery throws her cell onto the bed, continuing to watch Roman sprint around the gardens.

He starts looking up at the windows, and Avery curses to herself, hurrying out of view.

She freezes for a second as soon as she's out of sight, scowling as she hopes that he didn't spot her.

If he did, and he recognises her, she doubts he'll ever let her live it down, and she really can't manage any more humiliation or teasing at the moment, everyone has a lot of ammunition at the moment.

Avery hurries to slip on her clothes, sliding on her high heels with her jeans and throwing her leather jacket over her shoulder.

Once she finishes getting dressed, she drags a hairbrush through her hair and puts on some lipstick, quickly filling in her brows and then putting everything into her suitcase.

Once she's done, she nods to herself and slips her phone and room key into her pocket, leaving her room and heading down to the dining room.

It's almost entirely empty, and Avery raises a brow at that.

It's 9 am, and she expected people to be downstairs eating by now.

But, she supposes, a lot of people stayed up until the early morning drinking alcohol and spirits in the bar and this very room. She had left early in order to sleep, because she was exhausted after the long and draining day. She was the only one from her pack that had gone to sleep early, and she found it humorous, since she was usually the party animal of the group.

Avery serves herself some fruit and pastries, and then settles herself in the corner with her phone, sighing to herself as she closes her eyes.

"Hello, Wilcott," Roman cheers, sitting opposite form her and smiling.

"So, what are we going to do?" He asks, beginning to eat his large meal.

"I don't know, because I don't want to give up my title," she confesses immediately, running her hands through her hair and nibbling on some of her fruit.

"Okay, and neither do I, so that's one thing out of the way," he nods, his smile only wavering slightly.

"I don't know if I want you to mark me either, because that would make it a lot harder to stay on our own territories, from what I've heard from mated couples that I know," she adds, and Roman blinks, shaking his head.

"Okay, I have a problem with that. I really want to mark you. I think we could stay on our own territories no problem, because we are clearly in very good control of our wolves," he shrugs, and Avery bites her lip.

She would love to have that mate connection with someone, but she isn't sure that she wants to risk her title.

"Okay, but if you marked me, we'd probably mate like, immediately," she protests, and he shrugs.

"We're very good at that, if I recall correctly," he snorts, shovelling food into his mouth.

"Okay, no need to boost your ego, I was there, too," she interrupts him before he can continue talking about their former affair.

"I was just saying," he laughs, shaking his head at her with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she rolls her eyes, hiding a smirk.

"Okay, but seriously, if we mated, what would be the big issue?" He asks after a few minutes, his tone turning serious and concerned.

"I could get pregnant, our wolves could become attached, we could actually bond," she lists, putting her fork down and raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, well we could deal with each of those!" He exclaims, shaking his head at her.

Avery glances around the room, thanking her lucky stars that the room is still entirely empty.

"How would we deal with each of those?" She sighs, rubbing under her eyes tiredly.

"We could co-parent the child, our wolves like each other already and know both of us; hence they wouldn't get attached in any sort of way, we already tried to bond, but it didn't work. So there you go, I have just defeated all of your arguments," he states gleefully, grinning widely.