Jay-la POV “I just need 2 minutes of your time.” Jay-la pleaded with the future Alpha of her pack, Alpha Nathan, of the Blood Moon Pack. She had a hand on his arm. He was frowning down at that hand, then those deep dark blue eyes she had once drowned in glared at her, at her t***h, in a deep disapproving manner. They had been lovers casually for just over a year now, but it was all over now. He had found his Fated Mate, gifted to him by the Moon Goddess herself, and just like that, he no longer had even a minute to spare for her. Jay-la had loved him with all she had; her whole heart. Even though she had known that this day would come. She had always kept the relationship with him light, playful and fun, so he would never know she was in love with him. He was not her fated mate, nor she, his. Jay-la just wanted to wish him well and let him know that she was going to leave, to finish her law degree on campus full-time. That she would be interning on her breaks. So she wouldn’t be coming home for at least the next two years. Jay-la just couldn’t watch him with his fated mate, see how happy they would be, how in love. Seeing them around making out and getting all hot and heavy; when it used to be her and him. It would just cause her too much heartache. She would never tell him that though. As she stood there clinging to his arm, pleading for just two minutes of his time, she was trying to smile up at him brightly like she always did. When his fated mate, Sophia, walked into the room, glared at Jay-la and the way she was holding onto him. Sophia did not care about the fact that Nathan and Jay-la had been friends since childhood. That for 20 years they had known each other, a fun friendship that she cherished. Sophia’s wolf snarled at the sight before her and Sophia yelled “Get your filthy dirty paws off of my mate,” as she stalked over and yanked Jay-la’s hand off of his arm. Yanked her away from Nathan, as her other hand had struck her, slapping her face so hard that Jay-la staggered back a step, her hand touching her now stinging cheek. Kora, Jay-la’s wolf, roared with rage inside of her mind, at the hurt and pain, the sheer viciousness of the sudden attack. Kora had raced forward, ripping to the surface before Jay-la could stop her, and with claws pushing out of her fingertips, struck Sophia right back. A full slap to her own face, all claws out, tearing through the skin on the future Luna’s cheek, leaving three bloody scratches down her face, and blood dripping off her onto her clothes. Sophia had screamed in pain from the attack on her own face, clutching at her face with both hands, her eyes had turned to her mate as tears spilled down her bloody face. Jay-la knew she would heal and quickly, she had a wolf. Nathan’s blue eyes had widened at the sight of his mate’s injury. He reached out for his mate and cradled her in his arms, holding her to his chest to comfort her. His blue eyes turned on Jay-la, and they were so filled with rage, his wolf right there with him. He roared in anger at the pain inflicted on his mate, by her: “Leave this pack. Don’t you ever come back.” Jay-la stared up at him horrified by his words, tears brimming in her green eyes. It was treason to attack the Luna or Alpha or even the future Luna or Alpha of your pack, and her wolf had just done that, attacked the future Luna with claws out. She turned and hurried out of the room. If she stayed a minute longer she would only incur further punishment or perhaps death. Kora whined in the distress and pain of leaving him, leaving their home, leaving their family. She knew, as did Jay-la, they would never be allowed to come home again. If he had been the actual Alpha, not the heir, she would have just been banished and marked as a rogue with nowhere to go. Jay-la’s steps quickened as she headed out the packhouse front door, till she was running, tears streaming down her face, heading for her car. She didn’t dare stay a minute longer. What if he changed his mind? What if his mate changed his mind on her punishment? And wanted her beaten and imprisoned or dead. There was no time to say goodbye to her family, her mum, dad or her older brother. She just ran, tears streaming, for her car. She heard the future Beta of the pack, Jackson, call out after her “Jay-la what’s wrong?” There was concern in his voice, but she didn’t stop to tell him, just got in the car and drove away as fast as she could, to get off pack territory, before worse was to come. At least Nathan hadn’t had the power to demote her to a worthless rogue on the spot. Her only blessing at the time. It could still happen though. His father, Alpha Blaine, would choose whether or not that was still to come. He would hear Sophia and Nathan’s side of the story, and judge her from it. ‘Why?’ Jay-la asked her wolf Kora, sobs wracking her as she drove away back to the university she had spent the past two years studying at. Lucky for her, she lived on campus and had a dorm to retreat to, somewhere to go. Now she couldn’t return to her pack. ‘Protect Pup.’ Kora howled in pain, Jay-la’s tears burned even more, her heart ached so much she didn’t know if she could endure it. A baby. His baby. And he had just tossed her away like garbage and forbidden her to return. The pain in her chest and inside of Kora felt as though it was ripping them apart, but they had to endure it, survive it for their pup.

Jay-la’s POV She stared at the letter in her hand; her hand was shaking so badly as she looked down at it. It had been six long years, since she had fled the Blood Moon Pack, and now here she stood. Looking at an envelope with her pack's seal on it. His seal. Jay-la lifted her eyes from the envelope, to the beautiful boy playing with his sisters on the floor of the living room of her apartment. This is not happening, it can’t be. They had somehow survived, and moved on with their lives, were living peacefully well away from the pack. She had never returned, just like he’d told her not to. She was still somehow a member of the Blood Moon Pack. By the grace of the Goddess, Alpha Blaine had never severed her from the pack; she was still tied to it in some small way. Her three children were playing and rough housing with each other. Jay-la had just gotten home from the law firm Stanton & Co, where she worked in the human world. As far away from wolfen society as she could get. She had stayed away even when she had desperately needed her family. She had learned to live alone, how to be strong for her children, had made friends in the human world, and created a somewhat human family attachment, to help ease her pain and loneliness. Her son, so handsome and strong-willed, filled with determination and courage. Just like his father; he had blonde tussled hair and naturally tanned skin, he was so beautiful and full of life. He looked up at her with his brilliant green eyes; her eyes. It was the only thing he had gotten from her, everything else was from his father; a man who hated her. The girls also had blonde hair and green eyes, she’d let their hair grow long. It was wavy but not dark brown like hers, their temperament was much softer than her son's. He was bigger and stronger and was their protector at all times. Although he was only born three minutes earlier, little Nate was a good two inches taller than his identical twin sisters Lilly and Rosalie; most people thought he was their older brother, about a year apart, and Jay-la did not disillusion them. She stepped into her kitchen, leaving them to play as they were. Her eyes turning to the envelope in her hand, Kora too, was quiet in her mind, not certain what was about to happen to them or their lives. She could feel concern ebbing off of Kora, it was filtering down into her too. She opened the letter and read it: ‘Jay-la Freeman, You have been officially recalled back to Blood Moon Pack. You will respond to this letter within 7 days, and let it be known the day of your return. Alpha Nathan – Blood Moon Pack.’ How he had found her she didn't know, but she was not going back. Taking a match, she lit the gas stove and set the letter and its envelope on fire, then watched it burn to ash. Defying him was not something that she should do, but she could not go back, not ever. Turning to her mobile phone, Jay-la started looking at listings for a new place to live. She had to move and quickly. It took 4 days to find a place that was available right away, it wasn't close to her office though; she now had a commute. Jay-la paid out the lease on this current apartment, as she was breaking it, and moved her and her children as fast as she could. Leaving her lovely beachfront apartment for one further in the city, it was larger, but the price was the same, it had more room for the kids to play, and it had a doorman and night security; so at least she wasn’t about to be surprised or ambushed. Jay-la moved the children to a new school as well. She had never truly hidden herself, just stayed away at all cost. Even Kora had to suffer, never truly getting the freedom she so desired, hardly ever got the chance to run free. Living in this human city took a toll on her. It was like being punished every day for one tiny crime. One mistake to protect her unborn pup’s, and they suffered for it. That suffering had made them both stronger willed, and no more did they let their heart decide anything, only logic and reality of a situation weighed in. No wolves were allowed in their world either, not anymore. Stanton & Co Law Firm had been home to them since passing the Bar Exam. She had Lauren and Tony, her most trusted human friends. Lauren had delivered her pups, their unexpected arrival during a lunch meeting with Tony, whose wife had been visiting him that day. Lauren was a doctor thank goodness. All three of her children had been birthed in Tony's office at the university. She recalled crying after they had arrived, having no help to raise them. She told Tony and Lauren she had no family and their father didn’t care; which was true. They had taken pity on her, a 20-year-old with triplets and no family to help her out. They had been there for her, so much so she now looked at them as her pregnancy helper family, a second mum and dad, not that she actually called them that. No one knew what she was, who her children’s father was, those things were still a secret she would take to her grave. Humans had no idea about wolfen society, and she was not allowed to let them in on the knowledge either. Wolfen society law. The next official letter arrived at her residence 10 days after she'd moved. A shiver ran through her, moving had not worked. She returned it to sender, marked ‘not at this address’, and prayed to the goddess that would be the end of it. 2 weeks later, another letter came. Again she returned it to sender, unopened and with the same message ‘not at this address’. In the human world, this would have been enough for them to get the message. That the person they were looking for did not live at the address they had. Again she prayed to the Goddess to let this be the end of it. She couldn’t go back. She could never return, he had ordered her as much.

Nathan POV In his hand was the second returned, official letter he had sent to bring her back to the pack. The first had not been returned, he knew she would have opened it, curiosity would have gotten the better of her. If she had not felt the responsibility of answering her Alpha’s letter. Nathan knew that they had not parted on good terms, but it was time that Jay-la returned home. He had seen her on TV by mere chance, standing outside the front of a courthouse, speaking to the press about the case she had just won, for a client she was representing in a high-profile divorce case. Six long years had passed, and she seemed bright, strong and filled with confidence. She had looked amazing, dressed to kill in that dark blue skirt that was tight all the way down to her knees, and a soft cream blouse which had clung to her body in the breeze. Her bright green eyes had seemed so full of life. Her comments to the press were straight to the point, no nonsense, and she didn’t answer anything torrid or gossipy. Life away from the pack seemed to suit her. His chest had ached a little, knowing he was the reason why she was out there, and not here. He and Havoc, his wolf, had watched her with great interest. She had always wanted to be a lawyer. Work in the pack's legal department, not much cause for divorce lawyers with in wolfen society, but contract law was rife, and if he remembered correctly that was what she was specializing in, while studying. They had watched from the lounge in the common room, his Beta, Jackson, Gamma, Stephen and Delta, Ethan. Had all also seen her on the TV that night, as all 4 of them had been having a drink and hunting for a movie to watch to wind down after a long day. Jackson had been in-charge of the remote and been flicking through the channels when her beautiful face had popped up on the screen. Her name and law firm were rolling across the bottom of the screen; it was a recap of the news of the day in the human world. None of them had seen her since that day, the day he had forced her to leave. She had left and never come back, just as he had ordered her to. Looking at her beautiful face, she had grown into a very beautiful young woman, just 26 now. Listening to her voice he had felt a pang of regret and now realized he missed his long-time friend. They’d grown up together, trained together and been lovers once. Now there was nothing, and she was gone. ‘Bring her home’ Havoc had growled at him, and had been relentless in the days that followed to bring her home. He just wouldn’t shut up about it, and so Nathan had agreed with his wolf. Made the decision that it was time to bring her home, to the pack where she belonged. So he had sent that first official letter to her after Jackson had tracked her down. It hadn’t been that hard; taken less than a day. Clearly she wasn’t hiding, just staying away. Now he sat in his office over a month later annoyed and verging on angry. She had ignored the first letter, or so he thought, there was a possibility she had not gotten it, but he didn’t think that was it. Jackson would not have made a mistake, they had all grown up together, and she had been just as good a friend with him, as she had been with Nathan. Actually, Jackson had been really pissed off about her sudden leaving, by Nathan’s order. That day, Nathan had been angered and so had Havoc, and they had responded without much thought. That fateful day, that he’d sent her away, he'd acted solely on instinct, but had not given it much thought since that day either. Not until he had seen her on the TV. Sophia had been really pissed off that Jay-la had not been stripped of rank and turned from the pack by his father, Alpha Blaine, at the time. She had demanded that Jay-la be made a rogue for the insult, but his father had simply stated ‘No, it's inappropriate under the circumstances.’ those circumstances being he knew that Jay-la and Nathan had been sleeping together for just over a year, and he felt there was more to it. That Sophia had probably overreacted. Due to the move she had made that week, the letter should have arrived. It was possible that she hadn’t received it, but there was also the possibility that she had read it and ignored it; moved to avoid him. Turning the letter over in his hand, he looked at his Beta. “So this is how she’s going to play, is it?” “You did order her to leave and never come back,” Jackson replied simply, “if she didn’t get the first letter and returned the other two, perhaps she doesn’t know the contents.” He was leaning casually against the wall, appeared bored. Nathan returned his attention to the envelope, and stared at it for a long time trying to decide a course of action. He nodded to himself after several minutes of contemplation, “Alright, let's make it really official. Something she can’t just ignore without the threat of retrieval.” His eyes moved to his Beta. Jackson sighed heavily and turned those grey eyes on him, a frown on his face. “You sure boss...you want to do that?” “Yes” Nathan replied firmly. “Send it to her law firm, and make it be signed for, so we know she got it.” His mouth quirked in a smug smile. ‘Lets see you ignore me now little wolf’ he thought ‘I can play as well as you can, only you can’t ignore me. I am your Alpha and you will do as I command.’

Jay-la POV Eric Stanton, the CEO of Stanton & Co Law Firm stood in front of her desk, tapping a black envelope in one hand while he waited patiently for her to end the call she was on. He would not rush her, it was one of her clients. The minute she hung up the phone, he stated, “How is it you know the Browning Corporation? And why is it you have not brought them in as a client?” He sounded a little annoyed with her, probably ticked off that she had not mentioned her affiliation with the company he was talking about. But all she could feel the minute he mentioned the Browning Corporation, was how hard her heart was hammering inside her chest. Her eyes moved to the black envelope in his hand. She could see the white lettering on it. 'It couldn’t be'. ‘No’ Kora echoed her thoughts. Those envelopes were reserved for serious offences against the pack; an official notification. Eric had absolutely no idea what he had in his hands. All he knew was that on the back was the official human world pack company seal. To him, it was just a multi-million dollar corporation, one of whom was writing to one of his lawyers by name. “How did you get that?” she asked, trying not to show Eric how nervous she actually was. “The head of the mail room had to sign for it. He alerted me to the corporation it came from,” he shrugged, “standard policy.” Jay-la stood up to take it from him, but he stopped her. "Again, how do you know this corporation? Are they trying to head-hunt you?” he frowned down at her. “No they are not.” Jay-la shook her head, “Please may I have it.” “Explain yourself first.” Eric stated in a flat, no-non-sense tone. “Fine…, I grew up within the Browning Corporation. My family still works for them. I, however, was tossed out at 20.” she said, trying to ignore the ache that suddenly hit her chest; she always missed home. Eric stared at her. His light grey eyes focused solely on her green ones, quite intently. She could tell that he was trying to decide if she was speaking the truth. He was again tapping the envelope in his hand. Then he simply tore it open right before her eyes, clearly having decided not to believe her. Jay-la prayed to the Goddess that it was not worded in Wolfen. That the Alpha had thought things through, and figured that this letter might end up in the hands of a human. Her whole body froze as he read the letter out aloud. ‘Jay-la Freeman, You have 3 days to respond to this letter. You will return to Browning Corporation within 7 days. Or I will have you brought in. Nathan Browning, CEO Browning Corporation’ Eric up-ended the envelope, and Jay-la saw a long glass vial with a cork stopper fall into his hand. Inside the vial was a single purple wolf-bane flower. It meant nothing to Eric. He held it up and turned it over and around, trying to make sense of it, frowning at it the whole time. Jay-la’s heart, however, sank. This letter was a threat that the new Alpha, her once long-time childhood friend and lover, would use brute force, by any means necessary to bring her in, if she did not comply with his request. What he even wanted of her she had no idea. The original letter had no topic, just a demand to come home more or less. Not that she wanted that. She had left at his order, and she did not wish to return. The Luna already hated her, perhaps he had just taken over as the Alpha, and now Sophia and he could finally punish her, and officially turn her rogue. Was he so cruel that he wanted to do it in person? His Luna probably still harboured a grudge, and he would do anything for her. They probably wanted to see her in pain, as she was severed from the pack. Jay-la plucked the letter from Eric’s hand, and the glass vial as well, and read it for herself. Kora whined at her, now also worried that if they did go back, they could not take the triplets with them. They would have to find someone to watch them and then hope and pray to the Goddess that banishment to a rogue status was all this was about. That once it was done she could leave and return to her life here in the human world. The other thoughts going through her mind were killing her. What if the Luna wanted to torture her, imprison her or worse, kill her? Leaving her children as orphans in the human world, fear was creeping inside of her, but she had to push it down. No, she could leave them with Tony and Lauren, even though they had no knowledge of Wolfen Society, and if the worst happened she knew they would take them in, and raise them. Their first shift would terrify both them and the children probably, but what else could she do? She could not leave them to her real parents. The Luna would surely kill them the minute she figured out they were the Alpha’s bаst3rd children. She wouldn’t want any competition for the heir to the pack, raring up from out of nowhere, and if they were given to her parents. It wouldn’t take long for Alpha Nathan to scent out his own flesh and blood, his wolf would smell them the minute they hit pack territory and his Luna, she would be out to get rid of them at her earliest convenience. Eric drew her attention back to the present by tapping her on the shoulder. “What is that all about?” “I don’t know.” Jay-la shrugged in all honesty. “I’ve been gone six years Eric. You hired me right out of university. Have I not been here the whole time?” “Hmm,” he nodded. “I don’t want to lose you Jay-la. Why don’t you call the office number, it’s right there on the bottom, you can try to bring them in as a client.” Ha, that is never going to happen, she thought to herself, 'you, my dear Eric, have no idea who he really is, or what he can do, and you don’t want to either'. “I doubt I would be able to. To be completely honest with you, the man hates me.” “So why the demand for you to return?” “Perhaps…” she seriously thought about it. Other than punishment for attacking his Luna, only one other thing stood out to her. The pack had paid for her law degree; she was supposed to return and work in the pack's legal department. Be a productive member of their society, which she had not done, at his order. “I guess I owe them law school fees. The Browning Corporation paid my tuition, and I was supposed to work for them right out of university. But seeing as I was tossed away, two years into the degree and told never to go back, I never did.” “And they still paid your tuition?” he asked, sounding confused. “Yes, the CEO at the time was Blaine Browning, I guess he did. His son Nathan is now the CEO, and he was the one who tossed me out. Perhaps Blaine thought I would return or something.” Eric nodded “Do you have the money to pay it back?” Jay-la sighed “Not all of it, but about half I guess.” If it was just a case of 'we want our money back', she could give them half and then organize a payment plan. Heck, she could draw up the contract herself and make sure it was to her benefit, and add an iron-clad clause that he would leave her alone forever afterwards. Even put in a clause, that the minute the debt was paid she would find another pack to take her in; solving the issue of attachment to them as well. The real question was, could she do all of this without involving her children, or having him find out about them? He wouldn’t think they were his, or at least she doubted it; not unless he laid eyes on them. Then could she find a pack that wouldn’t use them as leverage, if they found out whose children they actually were? Too many what if's at this point. “I could write you a contract and give you the rest. You can pay it back later, Jay-la. Would that be an option for you?” Jay-la smiled at him, she knew why he was offering, the last divorce case she had worked on and won had just brought the company a whopping 5 million dollars of profit. The client had been so happy he had even referred his sister for her prenup before she was to get married next year. Jay-la was currently Gold to this law firm, she was bringing in the dollars. She was professional, methodical and always read the fine print, she never laxed in her duties and she knew how to play hardball. What she couldn’t win she would take to mediation, and work out compromises that suited everyone, regardless of how long that took. She never gave up, a dog with a bone she’d once been described as. Ha! They had no idea how true it was. “No, its fine Eric, once the settlement from my last case is in, and you pay me, I’ll have the rest of it.” He nodded, seemingly pleased “I’ll get that to you A.S.A.P then.” “I’d appreciate that,” Jay-la said in all honesty, and watched him leave her office. She sagged into her leather chair behind her desk, thankful for the plushness, glad she had shelled out $2500 for it, she put her head down on the desk and muttered, “Three days.” She could run, she supposed. Three days was plenty of time to sever the connection on her end from her pack and run the hll away. ‘The minute we do, he will know we’re running’. Kora piped up ‘it’ll anger him even more’. ‘I know that Kora, but there is a chance he just won’t care right. What else can we do?’ Kora huffed, she too, it seemed, needed time to think it through. Surely, between the two of them they could come up with a plan. Or they had three days to come up with the courage to make a phone call that she never wanted to make. To hear his voice, so filled with anger and hatred; for the woman who dared cause harm to his Mate and now Luna. There would be no softness, no playfulness, no s*******e undertones of the past, where he’d once teased and seduced her with his soft Hot voice during their nights of pleasure. Nights she longed to forget, but somehow still haunted her dreams, nights that were burnt into her very soul. So much so, that she and Kora were still plagued with dreams of him on occasion, usually on the full moon. Though she and Kora had learned to let go of him, they would both forever be bound to him, by the pups they shared. Pups he had no knowledge of, pups she wanted to keep hidden; they were all she and Kora had left of their old life. Tim was no match in bed compared to her Alpha, but how could he be? He was human after all, she sighed and closed her eyes...three days…

Nathan POV The woman was completely infuriating, today was the deadline. The 3rd day since her company had signed for the letter. Why had she not called? Was she so stubid, that she thought he wouldn’t follow through? It was getting late! He knew there was a time zone difference of three hours, so he had to give her till 5pm her time, which was 8pm his time. Nathan looked at his watch, it was a quarter to eight now. She wasn’t going to call, she was going to force his hand. Jackson was leaning casually on the wall next to his desk; his regular haunt, and was watching Nathan pace back and forth behind his desk, “She’ll call.” he stated simply, seemingly knowing what he was thinking. “It's Jay-la,” “Time’s running out”. He snapped. If she didn’t call, he would have to follow through, even if he didn’t want to. Havoc was annoyed with him, because of the official order and the threat it contained, and was currently not speaking with him over it. His wolf had seemed to have changed lately. His irritation at her lack of response, was driving anger into him by the minute. Havoc, though not speaking to him, was prowling around inside his mind. Nathan didn’t believe she was going to call, she had a new life now, away from the pack, away from them, away from him. If he was totally honest with himself, he had half expected her to just sever ties with the pack from her end. To run, make him physically hunt her down. Which he would have, Havoc did love a good hunt, and she was something he had enjoyed chasing once upon a time. Yet she hadn’t done so. But that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t in the next 10 minutes. The door to his office opened and in strolled his father, Blaine. He looked at Nathan pacing around, at Jackson watching him, felt the atmosphere in the room and sighed, “What’s going on, son?” “Jay-la, I gave her three days to contact, and seven days to come in.” He snapped, not really wanting to explain himself, he no longer had too; he’d been the Alpha for the past 2 years now. It was more of a courtesy comment, out of respect for him being his father and former Alpha. “You didn’t send the black envelope, did you son?” Blaine sounded annoyed with him. “Yes” was all he said. He watched as his father’s blue eyes turned to focus on Jackson, his Beta, for confirmation, as though he thought his son was lying to him. When Jackson nodded his head, anger rolled off the former Alpha. “Why on this Goddess-gifted earth we’re standing on, would you do that?” both his hands were in his hair pulling at it in what appeared to be utter frustration. Now he felt like he had to explain “She wouldn’t come home, when I requested politely. Rejected all requests... Bloody three of them she ignored. HOW DARE SHE!” he yelled that last part. He couldn’t help himself. he was the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, and she was still a member of this pack. His pack, and therefore, his to command and order as he saw fit, and she dared to ignore him. Actually, she actively defied him, when he had reached out an olive branch and told her to come home. His fists balled, and he slammed one down on the corner of his desk to let out his frustration at her dаmed defiance. She would never have even thought of so much as saying no to him once upon a time. It had always been yes, to anything he had asked her to do, along with a sweet smile and a playful wink. But not now, it seemed. She has changed over the years. He was ready to explode his rage into the room. It wouldn’t take much, he glanced at his watch; two minutes. Jackson’s phone rang while Nathan was glaring at his office phone. 'Ring Dam it' he willed it. The sound of Jackson’s phone was what pushed him over the edge. How dare anyone interrupt him during this time! He heard Jackson answer his phone in that lazy, laid back tone, that Nathan hated so much, “Hello, Beta Jackson speaking.” His anger ripped out of him, and he yelled “Send the worst of the worst and drag her bottom home.” both his fists hit his desk, and he heard it crack, didn’t care. Jackson stopped talking and stared right at him. He could feel his father's eyes on him as well. Jackson’s eyes returned to his phone and he shook his head, sighed heavily “Well Alpha, that went well.” Then his hard grey eyes were staring at him; was practically staring him down. If he was spoiling for a fight. He could have one, the look was Dam near a challenge. His next words shocked Nathan “that was Jay-la, she heard what you said, and has hung up. All I got was a gasp filled with fear.” Now it was Nathan’s turn to run his hands through his hair and pull at it in frustration, and it dawned on him, he was just like his father in so many ways. He closed his eyes. “Call her back, right now.” he demanded, trying not to kick the nearest thing to him. Havoc was fuming inside him, ‘Look what you did now.’ ‘I know’ Nathan muttered back to his wolf, ‘I’ll fix it’. ‘You’d better’ came an angry snarl Nathan stood watching as Jackson hit the number to call her back. Only to realize on the phone it actually stated Jay-la, t**********d had her number all this time. Oh, he was going to get punched in the face after this was over. They could have called her, and he wouldn’t have exploded and said what he had said. Why did she have to wait so long, to the very last minute of the deadline? He was not exactly known for his patience nowadays. His father was still in the room also waiting for the outcome. He noted, though he seemed more curious about his son's reaction to the situation than he should be. He was standing by the door looking right at Nathan, with a raised eyebrow and open curiosity on his face. He glared at his father and snapped “What?” “Son, you seem awfully upset about one little she-wolf! That you ordered away years ago... What’s going on exactly? Why are you insisting on bringing her back now? All of a sudden.” 'That is my business', Nathan thought. He could do as he pleased, but he also knew that his father would push the subject harder and harder till he got an answer. He was the former Alpha and had the right to ask the question and receive and answer. He still had rights to know what was going on, was still the Alpha in-charge when Nathan was away from the pack for business or Alpha Council meetings or when he was off assisting an allied pack who was under attack, had requested assistance. Nathan turned his attention back to his Beta. “ She didn’t pick up.” He was already trying again, knew better than to just call once. “ That’s odd, the line can’t be connected now.” He stated, frowning down at his phone. “Just bloody great.” Nathan snapped, his anger backing up again, only this time he was angry with himself. He knew that he was responsible for her not picking up. She had heard him yell, and reacted on instinct ‘probably going to run’. Havoc sounded flat out annoyed with him. Nathan agreed with his wolf. “Jackson, make arrangements. Who do you know out there?” “A couple of wolves, though retrieval is not really their thing, but money, that will work for them.” “Do it, she’s going to run.” Nathan nodded, “Quickly.” His father sighed heavily at him, gaining his attention. “I’d go yourself son, it would be better that way.” “She’ll be long gone before me or any of my men can get there.” and he knew it to be true, they’d have to fly out, and even on his private plane it would still take too long. “Hmm, still…” his father seemed oddly calm for the situation at hand. Nathan didn’t think much of it, dismissed it altogether. Who knew what his father thought on any given day? Retirement had changed him. He appeared more laid back nowadays. His reactions were more thoughtful on everything. When Nathan had questioned him about it a year ago, Blaine had shrugged and told him ‘you have to deal with all the stress now son, I get to spend time with my Mate. A lot of time.’ and he’d grinned like a school boy ‘if you know what I mean,’ Nathan had understood his meaning alright, the whole pack understood, his parents now not in charge all the time, seemed to have taken more interest in mating than anything else, anywhere and everywhere, for that matter, half the pack had seen them and their wolves mating out in the woods, in their wolf form and, human, it had become a common occurrence especially on the full moon nights. He watched as his father strolled out of his office. “I wonder where my pretty is right now” he murmured to himself and was off to find her, Nathan prayed she was in their room, and he wasn’t going to have to walk in on them somewhere in the pack house, he shook his head, they seemed to have turned back time, to when they were excitemed teenagers.

Jay-la POV It had taken all her courage to call; she had already decided to call Beta Jackson’s number. Not the packhouse number. She just couldn’t b**e talking to him at this point. It had been six long years, and she could still see, in her mind's eye, the anger in his eyes. Feel the order, he’d driven into her. Pain tinged her chest, and she rubbed it absently, trying to make it go away. She had spent the day staring at the number, it was almost 5pm. The deadline was approaching. Tony and Lauren had agreed to take the triplets for a few days while she went away on a business trip. ‘Thank the Goddess for them,’ she sent a blessing to the Goddess for them. They may be human, but they were a Goddess sent gift to her, as far as she was concerned. Sitting in her office chair, she dialed Jackson’s number from the bottom of the letter. Jackson’s smooth soft voice practically purred down the line at her, calm and collected, not a care in the world it seemed. She knew differently, having grown up with him, that was just how he portrayed himself. The anger and rage she heard from Alpha Nathan as he yelled out an order; she had never thought he would ever be capable of directing towards her. ‘Send the worst of the worst.’ fear had streaked through her right to the core of her being. Kora whimpered at this too, a fearful gasp escaped her l**s and she disconnected the line instantly. Stared down at her mobile phone in horror, as every fiber in her body screamed at her to run, and run now, and never look back. Kora did not argue with her at all. He was still so angry with her, so much anger, that it felt more like he completely, utterly hated her. How could he, after their life-long friendship and love affair, just ignore 20 years of friendship and turn on her so easily? Just one slap and that was it, everything they’d shared, gone just like that. For him, only his Luna mattered. Not his friendships, or not the one with her anyway. She stared at her phone as it rang. She saw the number, knew it was Jackson and hit the reject call button. Jay-la stood and balled her fists, she was nothing to him after everything; just nothing. She slammed her fist down onto the phone with all her wolf strength, and the phone shattered and shards went flying everywhere. ‘Time to go,’ she muttered more to herself than anything. She picked up her briefcase and headed home. She would tell her pups they were going on vacation and get on the first flight out of the country. They all had passports, had been overseas a few times on vacation, Singapore was nice and one hardly ever saw wolves there. That could be an option. She would have to find a place that was more suited to Kora, this time. She had suffered a lot not being able to shift so much, due to living in the city all the time and staying away from anything within the Wolfen Society, and rogue territory was out of the question to run in. That was too dangerous, no matter how fast Kora was, it was not a risk either of them were willing to take, as it could leave their pups as orphans in the human world. It was a long drive home from the office, over an hour, now that she had moved further away. The commute meant dealing with peak hour traffic. The only thing in her favour right this minute, was that she was on the other side of the country from him, her Alpha. So it would give her time to pack and get away, at least 10 to 12 hours, he’d have to book his men on a flight and organize transport. Jay-la would be long gone by then, this was it, no going back now. She would have to completely sever ties with the pack this time, but she would wait to do it until they were at the airport. Too many scents for him to track at an airport and once she went rogue, he would no longer be able to track that particular scent that belonged to his pack, a scent that even now he could use to track her. ‘It’s going to hurt us’ ‘I know, but what else can we do...the worst of the worst Kora. That means the men coming, whoever he sends can do whatever they want to us, with no repercussions.’ She felt Kora shudder with disgust herself, ‘I’ll kill anyone that thinks they can t***h us Jay-la.’ ‘I know we’ll try, but…’ they both knew they would be out numbered, and though she had trained all her life and still did once a week. The men that would be coming would likely be twice her size, and train every day. They would have a sick s******c side, where pain was what they enjoyed inflicting. Her fighting back would only incite them even more. Jay-la parked her car outside the front of the building, instead of in the secure car park. She was only going to be home long enough to pack each of them a suitcase and grab their passports; an hour tops, hopefully even less than that. She got out of the car, lost in her thoughts of getting away. Where to go? Once she was a rogue, there was no turning back, so choosing a place that had no wolves was probably the best idea. So, a country that had no natural wolf population would be best. Other shifter's wouldn’t bother her, as long as she was of no threat to them. Somewhere out of the way, somewhere small, somewhere with a nice forest for Kora and her children, when they grew up and could shift and run freely. She could use her degree to get a job. Contract law was always in demand, if she couldn’t pick up divorce law, and seeing as she spoke three languages, any of those countries would be good. So, even if not law, she could get a translator job with a corporation; that would be an advantage. The cloth that covered her mouth, as suddenly as the fierce grip around her w***t, as she was yanked backwards against a hard body startled her. So lost in her thoughts was she, that she hadn’t seen, heard or smelled anything, out of the ordinary. The sharp intake of her breath when she’d been startled, meant the chloroform had been in haled deeply, making her fuzzy around the edges of her vision. Kora snarled instantly in her mind, and as her claws were ripping from Jay-la’s fingertips readying to fight, there was a sharp sting to the left side of her n**k, and burning like fire started flooding through her into her veins. “No,” she tried to scream, but already the darkness was rushing at her, enveloping her. Her worst fear was now coming true, her last thought before the darkness claimed her completely, ‘my babies, I’m sorry.’ … Her eyes were still heavy, she was so tired, and trying to open her eyes felt like the hardest thing in the world to do. It took several minutes before she could hold them open and focus on her surroundings. She appeared to be laying down on her right side, barely able to move, she could feel her arms bound behind her, ‘Kora’ she tried reaching for her wolf, got nothing, couldn’t feel her at all, couldn’t even sense her the tiniest bit. d*****d with wolf-bane, no access to her wolf and the burning sensation coming from her wrists meant silver cuffs, she was now as helpless as a human. There was no help for her at this point in time. She took a deep breath, tried to take in the situation. She was laying on what appeared to be the floor of a moving van. She was still wearing her clothes and there was no pain between her legs to say she had been assaulted while unconscious. Thank the goddess for that; not that she wanted to be awake for it. But how long she had been out, a few hours, the night, 24 hours or more, she had no idea. The triplets had been with their nanny. How long would she wait to call the police and report her missing? Would she stay with the children the whole time or leave them? To many, what if’s. Don’t think about it, Suzzy is a great nanny. We pay her well, treat her with respect, and she loves the triplets, she’ll stay with them. Jay-la told herself to try and keep herself calm. She had to remain calm. It was a must to survive and find an opportunity to get away. It was the middle of the week, if she didn't come home and then didn't show up for work, someone would call the police and report her missing. The human police might not have much influence in Wolfen Society, but wolves still had to placate them occasionally. A foot touched her chest and pushed her onto her back. “Ah you’re awake I see,” a gravelly male voice came to her, amusement lacing every word “What did you do, I wonder,” he chuckled at her. Jay-la stared up at him, it was dark inside the van, but she had no idea if it was dark outside or if the van was designed this way so no one could see in. She was only wearing a skirt and blouse, nothing that this wolf would have trouble removing to have his way with her. Her only defence now was her brains and her stiletto’s. “ Please,” she whispered, “I have children.” She was hoping to appeal to his family nature. Wolves were naturally paternal creatures, their mates and offspring meant everything to them, they would die without a thought to protect them. “Three children, please let me go.” He frowned down at her for a full minute, then shrugged “sorry, paid already.” His voice sounded devoid of emotion all of a sudden, as though he had to cut himself off from his emotions, to ignore her pleas. “They’re just 5, and no dad.” Jay-la pleaded with him, Again, he frowned, and his eyes were just staring down at her. He was troubled and she knew it, it was working. Then he shrugged “not my problem lady.” though he had appeared to be concerned, maybe he just wasn’t, or the money was too good to pass up. Jay-la struggled into a sitting position. He just watched her wearily, she appeared of no real threat, still no wolf and for how long she had no idea. Bound with silver handcuffs, meant till they took them off probably, so until she reached her destination in all likelihood. She may look helpless and have no wolf, but her father was a high-ranking worrier and he had trained her since she was five years old. Always worried that his precious princess would come to harm, and he had wanted to make sure she could defend herself, trained her every day without wolf, till Kora had come out at 16; so if this man wanted a fight she was going to give him one. This was the day her dad had warned her about, the day he had drilled her for. She would do what her father taught her to do, fight and never give up, ignore the pain best you can and fight with every tool you have, whether it be whit, charm, seduction or even a tiny sliver of wood; anything at all, you just had to throw them off guard, to get the advantage. The van started to slow down, the man glanced away from her and she took the opportunity to push herself up onto her knees and then force herself to her feet using the van wall for balance and assistance. When he looked back at her, Jay-la shoved herself off the wall with one foot and slammed her body into his, catching him off guard completely; just like father taught her. She heard his head hit the other wall of the van, with a crack so loud she had probably caused him a concussion, a growl elicited from his wolf as she struggled to pull herself back onto her feet away from him, but she lost her balance and fell backwards. He was up quickly and yelling “What the fk,” as he reached for her, she kicked him hard with both feet and felt one of her stiletto heels sink into his flesh with a sickening suking sound, right into his abdomen. Her foot was suddenly wet with warm liquid, his blood was running down her foot from the wound she’d inflicted on him. The scream of pain that came from him, told her it had dug deep. Thank the Goddess, she wore 4-inch heels all the time. Her foot and heel of her shoe were yanked from his body, the blood was running freely from his shirt. The van came to a sudden stop as he was trying to reach out and grab her again, but the sudden stopping made him fall. Jay-la pulled up a knee to protect herself from his weight as he fell on top of her. She gasped, he was heavy. The man pushed himself up, cursing “Beach, look what you did to me.” he snarled at her, grabbing her with his wolfen strength, both hands around her w***t as he yanked her up off the floor. “What the hll happened?” another man's voice came from the front of the van. “Bloody she-wolf attacked me.” he snapped, pain in his voice as he turned her around away from him, not wanting to risk another attack. Jay-la could feel that her blouse was also now wet with his blood, there was an uncomfortable stickiness on the heel of her right foot and down into the ball of her foot as the blood pooled in her shoe. She could smell it too now that she was held tightly against him, the back of her blouse was becoming wet with his blood, his wound had yet to heal, though she doubted it would be too long before his wolf started to heal him. He had a tight grip on her now, more weary of her than before. The door to the side of the van opened, and another man appeared before her, tall and lean, all muscle. He was wearing non-descript clothing, blue jeans and a plain blue tee-shirt, his dark brown eyes took in the scene, his wolf at the forefront ready to assist. She could see the slight green glow behind the brown of his eyes, it was ready to take control if she was too much of a handful. Jay-la wasn’t all that big, 5 foot 7, small of frame but fit, and right now probably looked small and fragile, useless to him. She watched him, carefully trying to assess how much trouble she was in. She tried to look defenceless and helpless at the same time. His wolf must not have thought much of her as it retreated, leaving his human counterpart to deal with her, a smile on his face “Come here pretty one. We’re almost at your destination. Be good now.” Jay-la pushed herself back against the wolf, already holding onto her as though she didn’t want him touching her. Shaking her head, “Don’t t***h me,” she hissed, bracing herself to attack him. “Come now, you’re too pretty to mess up.” he leaned into the van to grab her. Jay-la snapped her right foot up and out at him. He didn’t expect it and the heel of her stiletto landed as she had expected it too, sinking deep into his n**k. His eyes went wide in shock and he pulled himself away from her, the heel coming free. He clutched at his n**k as the blood started to pour out of him, his life was ebbing away from him, she had not missed her mark. The heel of her stiletto had sliced right through his carotid artery. Nothing could save him now, bar a Goddess-gifted miracle. The man holding onto her swore so violently in her ear and the loudness actually hurt her ears. She was suddenly and abruptly shoved out of the van with no regard for the fact that she could not help herself or stop her fall; she couldn’t even brace herself for impact. She hit the gravel road outside the van face first, and all she could do was turn her face to the side. The gravel road ripped into her face, tearing at her skin, all the way from her temple to her chin, the pain was excruciating. She felt more pain ripping through her shoulder and h*p, her chest was screaming as she felt her body slide along the gravel road. Tears were spilling from her eyes from the pain, and she could barely draw breath from the sudden impact on the ground. She lay there helpless and in too much pain to move to try and get away. Not that she had the time, she felt herself get pulled up by her hair, off the ground, a scream ripped from her and she thought she was about to be scalped. Then her whole body was slammed up against the outside of the van and two hands were around her n**k and squeezing the life out of her. A third man had appeared and was trying to kill her, her feet were off the ground with the force he was shoving her up and strangling her. She tried to kick him, but he was too close to do any real damage. “That’s my brother you Beach, I’ll kill you.” he screamed at her, spittle spraying all over her face. Jay-la had nothing to defend herself, still had her hands bound by silver cuffs behind her, he was using his body to block her kicking, and her lack of oxygen was quickly sapping her of strength. She'd had the wind knocked out of her upon hitting the ground and now she couldn’t draw breath at all as this man was trying to strangle her to death. Then the man was suddenly gone from her, her body dropped to the ground, she was unable to support herself, and her knees buckled under her own weight, as she landed on the ground. A fight had started not far away. She could hear it, desperate to draw breath, darkness tinging her vision again, she struggled to stay awake, to push herself up on to her feet, her lungs burned, her entire body ached and pain filled her every move. Her eyes moved sluggishly to the fighting men, one seemed vaguely familiar to her. She could hear yelling “I told you, no harm to her.” “My brother is dead, she killed him” the other was yelling back. Jay-la turned her head as she leaned on the van, finally drawing breath into her lungs properly. The man on the ground was indeed dead, and the one from inside the back of the van with her, was sitting cradling the lifeless body. She didn’t really care, those bastards had d*****d her, taken her against her will, leaving her precious babies alone and unprotected. Dragging another breath into her lungs, Jay-la took the opportunity, while everyone was distracted, to turn and run, down the road away from the van, away from the wolves. Surely she could flag down a passing car. In her state, someone would stop and help her, covered in blood, multiple injuries and bound. No human would not stop and help a female in such a bloodied and disheveled state. It was only a few minutes before she was smashed into the ground yet again, pain upon pain, as she took more injuries to her already damaged skin. Her knees had taken some of this fall. She could feel pain coursing through them. Two wolves pulled her up off the ground onto her feet and started pulling her back the way she had come. She tried to kick out at them but was in too much pain. They were also bigger and stronger and just kept moving forward, her eyes lifted to the road ahead and fear embedded into her every fiber; she was home. She could see past the van to the big black gates that indicated the front entrance to the Blood Moon Pack. The van had stopped a good 300 meters away due to her sudden fighting in the back. The left side of the gate was open, the right still closed, but she could easily recognize the red circle on the closed half of the gate which represented the Blood Moon. What the pack was named after. Her struggles renewed but were to no avail, as they just gripped an arm each, tighter and tighter and marched her up the road toward the half-open gate and the waiting car she could now see on the other side of the gate. The back door was open and waiting for her. She noted that the sounds of fighting had stopped, back by the van that had brought her here, tears were still spilling from her eyes, the pain was too much, and then there was her fear of being home, fear of what was to come, if this was just the beginning of it. She didn’t want to think about the pain that was still to come to her, or how it was to be dealt out, or by whom. A sob escaped her, she knew who it would be, and her heart burned with pain at the thought of it. Would she ever see her children again? A hand fell on her left elbow and the two men holding her let go instantly. “Nice to see you again, Jay-la” she heard Beta Jackson’s voice wash over her in a soft gentle tone. “I’ll take her from her boys.” He then walked her up the road towards the gate and waiting car. She did not fight him, he had once been one of her closest friends; not anymore. But she could not fight him, there was only one or two people in the Blood Moon Pack that could take him down, one on one, and she was not one of them. Her whole face hurt, her knees were on the verge of buckling under her from the pain, but on she walked, she was covered in wounds, and she did not have Kora to heal her or help ease her pain. She had to simply endure it for as long as they saw fit. He was staring down at her, she could feel his eyes on her, she kept her eyes lowered to the ground, what could she say to this man to make him let her go, and betray his Alpha, his best friend. Nothing, and she knew it, so she said nothing, just let those silent tears fall down her bloodied and ruined face, she must look utterly miserable, which was exactly how she felt. She heard him sigh as they got to the car. He put her inside and slid in next to her, then ordered the driver to go straight to the packhouse. Her fate was now sealed, she could only pray to the Goddess to protect her babies from harm. She sent up the prayer with all the love she had for them, her babies.

Nathan POV He was waiting in his office, pacing back and forth. His father, Blaine, had also taken a seat in his office, though on one of the comfortable chairs by the unlit fireplace, off to the right of his desk. The men who had collected Jay-la from outside her apartment building were taking their time getting her here, it had been well over 24 hours now. A whole bloody day. He was furious about the length of time it was taking to get her here. Jackson was currently sitting in a pack car by the gate awaiting her imminent arrival. He would take her off their hands. The men he’d paid to collect her had reported to him that they’d had no trouble snatching her. It had appeared she wasn’t expecting it. Which surely she would have been. It had also been reported that they had d*****d her with wolfsbane to keep her compliant and easily transportable back to his pack. Jackson had made certain that no harm would come to her, he’d paid them very well to make sure of it. Nathan had approved any amount necessary to keep her untouched by others. Havoc had displayed his unhappiness about her being d*****d by ripping out of Nathan and up-ending his desk, leaving claw marks all over it. His wolf had been unsettled since the day he had seen her on the TV, and it was really starting to weigh on Nathan too. Havoc could be very unpredictable at times and uncontrollable when in a full-blown rage. He was currently very quiet, never a good thing, the calm before the storm so to speak. “I got her” Jackson mind-linked him, nothing else. Havoc’s attention was instant, his ears were up, and he was pushing forward, right at the forefront of Nathan’s mind. Nathan’s attention was drawn to his father as he suddenly shot up to his feet. His eyes glazed over, then he left the room without a word. Odd timing, he thought, but shrugged it off, he had other things to attend to. His father was not his concern right now. Trying to stop havoc from ripping out of him and running off through the pack was more bothersome for him. Havoc had not acted this strangely in a very long time, years in fact. The last time he had near ripped out of him at the thought of a she-wolf was when he had scented their destined Mate Sophia. His wolf had given no quarter to anything between him and his Mate. ‘It’s just Jay-la,’ he tried to reason with his wolf. ‘She’s not our Mate.’ Nathan couldn’t understand Havoc right now ‘We grew up with her, she was 20 when she left.’ He continued to try and stay in control of the beast clawing at his mind. ‘We had a Mate then, remember.’ Havoc snarled ‘Gone now,’ anger rolled off him in waves. He still missed the wolf counterpart of their Mate, Maxi. They had bonded quickly and were happy with each other. He’d not so much as looked at another wolf, since Sophia and Maxi had left them, he had been rejected because Sophia was a selfish, lazy, spoiled brat of a she-wolf. Who wouldn’t even so much as try to learn her Luna duties from his mother, had just wanted to laze around the pool and do nothing all day long; day in day out. She had also stubbornly refused to train and learn to fight to protect herself, told him 'that was what the warriors were for. If something happened she’d just command 20 or so to protect her.' She had refused to learn how to assist with running the pack, did not seem to care about anything other than spending his money, on useless shopping trips. He had given her everything she wanted. Lavished her with gifts, but to his surprise and annoyance she’d told him were not good enough. The car she wanted, and he’d bought for her, was apparently the wrong colour in her opinion; yet it was the colour she had chosen. The jewellery was not expensive enough, or one of a kind, so others might be able to be seen wearing the same piece; which was unacceptable. He had tried his best to please her very materialistic needs, but after two years of insults and never being good enough, he had stopped trying. The only good thing about their Mate Bond was the sx. It was always hot, heavy and furious, and she never really said no, only occasionally. When she had outright refused to give him an heir he had been utterly shocked, even Havoc had not understood it. Maxi, too, had told him no on that account due to Sophia being unhappy and unwilling. They had all started drifting apart after that, and three years after Mating to each other, Sophia had stomped into his office and demanded to know why her cards had been cut off from pack funding. Nathan had looked her right in the eyes and laid it out for her, “Why let you spend pack money, when you won’t learn to do Luna duties, or produce an Heir.” It had been a punishment he’d thought might pull her into line, but nope, it had backfired. Sophia had screamed at him that he was cold and heartless and that she should be treated like a queen, and would accept nothing less. Then she had hurled a formal rejection at him. He and Havoc had been stunned into silence as they had watched her storm out of his office. He had not been alone in that office either, still under his father’s tutelage to learn how to run every part of the pack. Both his father’s Beta and his own future Beta had been in the room as well. He and Havoc’s heart had broken in that instant, the whole room had gone silent and Havoc had whined in pain, he’d never known the pain of heart break before and had retreated to the furthest reaches of Nathan’s mind, leaving Nathan to deal with the fallout. He had found her in their suite, sitting in the middle of their bed, arms folded across her chest, looking angry, but not at all upset. He had barely been holding it together to make it out of his office and up the stairs to find her. Not to mention the humiliation of having it screamed at him in front of several people, and over something so stubid as money. “What do you want, Sophia?” he asked, trying to placate her and get her back. “Accept the rejection and give me what I am entitled to.” “And what exactly is it you think you are entitled to?” he’d shot back at her, annoyed that she didn’t even seem to want to work it out, that she looked barely upset at all by the rejection she had declared not 10 minutes ago. “Half of everything. I’m the Luna, I get half of all of it.” His anger had finally outweighed his pain at this point. All this girl had ever done was f'k- and spend money, nothing worth half his pack, half his money. Besides that, his mother was the Luna, and his father the Alpha. They had not yet taken over. “You’ll get nothing of the sort, you rejected me, so go ahead and leave, go with what you came with, NOTHING.” he’d roared with anger the last word and stormed off. Though he had not formally accepted her rejection at the time, due to a part of him not wanting to lose his Mate, the other half of his soul. Havoc had already retreated, and who knew if he would even come back? Nathan was already wondering why he wasn’t a raging beast out killing everything in his path. Did he know it was coming? Had Maxi warned him? Or had Havoc had enough of the years of tantrums and arguments and lack of Luna qualities in Sophia, that he was willingly going to give up his Mate Maxi. Nathan didn’t think so, it was the calm before the storm. Sophia had spent the next 6 months flaunting herself around the pack, flirting with warriors and other un-mated males right in front of him. Most knew better than to get in Havoc’s way. Most of them had made a very quick exit when she openly started flirting with them. Her flirting had been the last straw, he’d kicked her from their suite. Neither he nor Havoc would stand for the disrespect his Mate was showing, it had brought about a new type of rage in Havoc, an uncontrollable, unpredictable side that to this day Nathan could not always contain, no matter how hard he tried, his wolf's rage could be insatiable. Havoc had killed one male who had actually thought it was okay to put his hands on their mate, and his future Luna, had thought it was okay to crawl into her bed and f'k- her. Pain had ripped through both of them, at Sophia's letting another man t***h her that way, the betrayal had been unbearable. While he had staggered about in pain like nothing he had ever felt before, ripping through him like a thousand silver blades, cutting him all at once. Havoc had gone absolutely ballistic and ripped from his body in such a violent manner that Nathan had had no control over him, he had half shifted, terrifying many pack members as he had gone in search of his Mate. Within seconds of finding that male on top of their Mate, his head had been ripped clean off his body and he’d dragged a screaming, barely covered body, and terrified Sophia, out from under the lifeless body. Slammed her up against the wall, his hands wrapping around her throat, choking the life from her. If it hadn’t been for Maxi surging forward, Havoc would have killed both their mates and Sophia knew it. Fear had ebbed out of her every time she’d seen either of them over the next week. She was entitled to nothing, and he had made sure she had gotten exactly that. He’d had the pack lawyers draw up a formal rejection letter with all her short cu'mming’s, so when she had come to his office at his demand and read it. Saw that she was literally getting nothing, that she would indeed be leaving with only what she came with; one suitcase of her own clothing; due to her lack of Luna training, lack of wanting to produce an heir, and then her infidelity. She had had the hide to snort and laugh in his face. “If you think I will sign that you’re insane,” she had turned to leave his office. Havoc had emerged, forcing him to half shift once more; a weird feeling to say the least. He had grabbed her all his claws out and digging into her arms, had dragged her back to the desk, and had been about to slam her head on the desk when Nathan had managed to regain some control, “sign it, or I’ll let Havoc kill you.” he had stated in a soft menacing tone, he had forced a pen into her hand and grated out his formal acceptance of her rejection six months earlier that still hung in the air; she’d never retracted it. Both he and Havoc were done. Being betrayed had been the last straw. He had watched tears fill her eyes as the rejection hit her full force, it was too late for tears. They could not save her, her tears meant nothing to him anymore. They hated her; hated the sight of her, the smell of her, and he just wanted it all to be over with and to get her away from him and Havoc. So that they could move on with their lives. When she had not signed right away, he had squeezed her hand so tightly almost to the point of breaking bones, she had cried out in pain “sign it” Havoc had roared, forcing himself into control once more “or die.” She had finally understood in that moment, she had pushed his beast too far, and that there was no coming back from it. She'd signed the papers and run to her room to pack. No one was there to help her. Nathan had made sure of that, she would pack and walk away on her own, with no help. He had watched her leave from the 3rd floor balcony as she had struggled to pull her suitcase down the road behind her, as pack members had visually shunned her. He had done nothing, just watched silently. The minute she was off pack territory and out of their lives he’d gone to their suite and destroyed everything in it, his pain and anguish unleashed finally, where she could never see it. The whole suite had to be rebuilt and refurbished.

Jay-la POV She was walked into the once familiar packhouse. It smelled the same; like cedar and coffee, as well as the delicious smells of many foods wafted to her from where she knew the kitchen and the pack's dining room was, it was likely dinner time, the sun was low in the sky but not dark outside. Most of the wolves would come to the pack house dinning room to eat and be social with each other at the end of the day. Jay-la did not look up, did not care to see the stares she would receive as they judged her on her very bloodied and disheveled appearance. Nor did she wish to see the looks on anyone's faces as they realized who she was, or that she was the traitor who had attacked their Luna years ago. She was walked into the Alpha’s office, and her heart beat rapidly and heavily inside her chest, as she felt eyes on her; she knew whose they were. She had always known when he was looking right at her. Now it was no different from before. He didn’t say a single word, just stared at her, and she could feel the anger pouring off of him, so much anger at just the sight of her. He clearly still hated her, nothing would ever change that, it seemed. Again that familiar tinge of pain spread through her chest, only with her hands cuffed behind her, she couldn’t rub her heart to ease it away, like she would normally do. Jackson walked her all the way across the room and pushed her gently into the chair directly in front of his desk, which he was either sitting or standing behind. She did not care to look at him. “Look at me!” he demanded of her. She could hear how he was trying to control the anger in his voice, but failing, his rage, for her one mistake all those years ago, couldn't be contained. She could not ignore the command he had issued her. Jay-la did not want to look at this man, did not want to have to nearly feel like she was drowning in the depth of his dark blue eyes, so dark they were like looking at the ocean. Her tear-filled eyes moved in an upward direction, he was wearing a charcoal grey suit, unbuttoned with a crisp white shirt underneath, the top three buttons also undone, exposing the smooth tanned skin beneath. His l**s were pressed together in a tightly compressed thin line, his blonde hair, styled just like it used to be, short on the sides, long on the top, looked as though he’d been running his hands through it. 'No.' she told herself, likely his Luna had probably been with him recently. Her eyes met his deep dark blue ones, so filled with anger were they, and at just having to look at her, that she couldn’t stop the, more tears spilled from her green eyes. He’d never look at her the way he used to. She could not hold his angry gaze for more than a few seconds, it hurt her way too much, her eyes fell away to look at the floor. This man, the father of her children, hated her so much that his rage was barely contained. She heard his office door open with a loud bang as it bounced against the wall, with the force it had been shoved open with, and her eyes were drawn to it. Alpha Blaine strode into the room, and his eyes fell on her. A look of utter shock crossed his face, as he looked over her from head to toe and then back again. “There is trouble son!” he stated flatly, though his eyes never moved from her “your mother just recorded this.” Both Alpha Nathan and his Beta Jackson’s attention were shifted away from her and to Alpha Blaine, Jay-la took the moment to rush up from her seat and run over to him. Her former Alpha, he had not banished her, had not severed her from the pack, he must feel something, some compassion for her. She had to beg him for help, it was not beneath her to beg, not at this point; nothing was beneath her when it came to her children, and she would beg him for help to get back to them. Her children, his grandchildren, not that he knew that. But still she had to try, had to beg and plead; he was probably the only one who could help her now. She fell to her knees right at his feet, bearing the pain from re-aggravating her already wounded knees, “Alpha Blaine please, I beg you. Help me,” tears streamed from her eyes as she looked up at him, and sobbed out her plea. He looked down at her, and she thought she could see genuine concern or pity for her, but her eyes were blurry with tears. She couldn’t be certain he would help her. He knew both her parents and she had made just one error in her life. Could forgiveness be granted “please.” she sobbed again when he did not answer her. “I have three children, a family.” She didn’t care at this point who knew about her children, she did not have to say who their father was, just needed him to believe her. His eyes widened in shock; she'd not misread that at all. She heard a gasp and a growl fill the room, Alpha Blaine knelt down and touched his forehead to hers. “ Show me child.” Jay-la knew that he had a unique ability to see into someone's mind if the other was willing, should she? Yes, she didn’t care at this point, she had to make him believe her. She closed her eyes and pulled a mental image of her children into her mind, of them playing in the living room like they did every day. She felt his mind reach out and grab it, pull it towards him to see for himself. It took less than a few seconds, and then he let the image go and stood up. “Please,” she begged him again, bowing her head so low that her head touched the floor before his feet. “Don’t let them become motherless.” “Get her up.” She heard Alpha Nathan roar so filled with anger that she had turned to the previous alpha for help. She felt hands on her arms as she was picked up off the floor and moved to a standing position. Beta Jackson’s t***h had been gentle when he had gotten her up. The wall-mounted TV turned on as Jackson brushed her blood-soaked hair from her face, she looked up into his grey eyes pleadingly and mouthed ‘please’. It was no use... Unless Nathan told him to release her, she was going nowhere, it seemed. She would remain his prisoner, regardless that she had just proved she did have children, until he saw fit. Her attention was drawn to the voice on the TV. She saw one Eric Stanton standing before the company’s press conference podium. He looked very pissed off and unhappy. A shiver ran through her body, for even he was a scary man when he was angry. A human force to be reckoned with he was, not many in the human world would go up against him. What he said next shocked her, he was talking about her, that she had been kidnapped, then grainy footage of her being grabbed by two men outside of her apartment building. A cloth shoved over her face and something injected into her n**k with a large syringe before she had been dragged off into a dark-coloured unmarked van. It was clearly her she recognized the clothes she was wearing, although now her white chiffon blouse was filthy dirty, ripped and blood-stained, as was her light pink pencil skirt, and the stockings she was wearing were laddered and holey, and her once neat french rolled hair was now hanging loosely about her, in a blood stained and messy state. The screen flashed back to Eric, more anger could be seen in his expression. “I believe I know who took Miss Freeman, I have provided the details to the Federal Police and an investigation is under way at this very moment.” Eric raised his hand and there in it was the Black Envelope that she had been sent by Alpha Nathan. Eric went on to read the contents of the letter to the press and then gave the author's name. Turned it around and showed it to the camera which zoomed in on it so anyone watching the broadcast could read it for themselves. He continued “Mr Nathan Browning of Browning Corporation, I believe this letter is a threat directed at my employee Jay-la, I am informing you, that I have used my skill and authority as a prosecutor, to make it known that I believe you are the number one suspect in her kidnapping. "That you have taken her against her will and when I find out the truth, and I will. My entire team will be coming for you and your corporation. No harm must come to Miss Freeman and you will return her at once. Do not orphan her three children.” Thank the goddess for Eric Stanton and his dаmed stubborn streak, the man thought he was untouchable and therefore could say what he liked when he liked. For once, she was glad he was not only her boss, but a familiar person to her. She couldn’t be more happy about his need to control everything, and everyone around him, and his take-charge attitude. She was going to hug him if she ever got back to work. Jay-la also sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess that she had not had the presence of mind to pick up that letter when she left. She hadn’t left it on purpose, she had simply left her office in a state of fear and distress, that she'd not thought of picking it up. Now here was Eric using that letter as evidence, and he had hit the nail right on the head, she was exactly where he thought she was and with who he claimed had her. Though how the human federal police would retrieve her from wolfen society, she had no idea. The room went silent, the TV had been turned off, she heard Alpha Nathan curse out loud. Jackson huffed a moment later, they were all talking via their mind link about what? she didn’t know. Probably what they needed to do about the press conference. Jay-la was curious but would just have to stand and wait. Her tears had stopped falling with the hope that Eric could save her. She had worked for him her whole career. She’d interned at his law firm the entire last 2 years of her degree, never allowing the pregnancy or the birth of her triplets to interfere in her work. He’d been more than shocked when he’d found out how pregnant she was, and the long hours she was putting in any way, working so hard to be his intern, she worked late into the nights determined not to be weak in front of him. Determined not to lose her career, she needed it to support her children. Her dogged determination had intrigued him, she’d finished her degree at the top of her class, even after giving birth to the triplets, she’d studied hard and continuously. He’d been more than surprised to know she could speak fluent Mandarin, French and Korean. She had a knack for languages and was currently learning German in her spare time. Eric now knew that Tony and Lauren had stepped in to help her out, seeing as she didn’t appear to have any family, kind of took her in as their own. Jay-la had passed the Bar Exam, Aced it actually, and he’d offered her a job as soon as the results were in. Now here he was trying to help her again. “Get the cuffs off of her” she heard Alpha Nathan snap, dragging her attention back to the present from her memories of Eric. Jackson produced a small key and turned her around to release the cuffs. The moment they were off, the burning of her skin stopped, and she rubbed her wrists to ease the pain. The only part of her not injured, her hands, due to them being bound behind her the whole time. Jackson turned her face to him and Jay-la watched his grey eyes glaze over again. She glanced at the two Alphas in the room and noted they were all in a mind-link conversation, she was not bound and no one was currently with eyes on her. Now or never, she thought to herself. Death wish it is. Jay-la took a long slow breath and steeled herself for the fight of her life. She slammed her knee into Jackson’s groin as hard as she could, it caused her pain too, due to her injuries, and then she turned and ran as fast as she could from the office. The door was still open, from when Alpha Blaine had burst into the room, and she knew from past experience the packhouse front door was likely open as well, only ever closed when they locked up for the night. She ran as fast as she could for the front gates, praying they were still open. In her mind as she ran for her life she was screaming for Kora to wake up. She could finally feel her on the edge of her mind, way in the back, buried in the darkness. She needed her wolf more than ever, her speed, her strength and stamina, her fierceness and determination to protect her and get her out of here and back to their pups. 'KORA' she screamed over and over, trying desperately to wake her beast within, until finally she felt her wolf wake up 'HELP ME' Jay-la screamed into her mind, at her wolf so she would feel the urgency. Kora rushed forward and to take stock of the situation at hand and her surroundings, looking behind her, she saw Jackson and Stephen running after her and gaining ground quickly, their wolves, Apollo and Rafe, lending all their speed. A snarl ripped from her, and then she surged forward, giving all her speed, power and strength to their shared body. They shot forward fast. Kora was always fast, not many could catch her out in the open. A part of Kora felt excited and exhilarated about using everything she had, another part of her felt happy about being chased by two she knew would never catch her. She actually chortled in happiness at being free to run as fast as she could. Something she had not been able to do in years, to run at full force and be at the forefront and mostly in control, really made her excited and happy. Being chased by wolves from her own pack, on the other hand, did not impress her ‘how?’ she queried as she raced down the road. ‘d*****d, wolf-bane and silver, kidnapped.’ Jay-la informed her. A massive growl emerged from within her as anger filled her wolf ‘pups?’ ‘Home, just us. They didn’t seem to know about them, til now.’ ‘til now?’ ‘I had to beg Alpha Blaine, tell him we had children, he insisted on seeing with his gift.’ Kora was quiet, but was spurred on by the need to know her pups were safe, she increased her speed even more. She had gotten faster over the years, even though only let out every three or four months, she had grown with Jay-la. The pack gate finally came into view and to her surprise it was open and there was a human federal police car parked right there on the driveway. She watched as a man got out dressed in a simple black suit. He was staring right at her, completely shocked to actually see her, probably never thought she was actually here, or had been informed as much by the gate guards. She screamed for help. Saw him get out his gun and raise it in his hand. It was aimed not at her but behind her. To her relief, she heard the footfalls of Jackson and Stephen slow and stop altogether; they would not give chase to her while human FEDs were in sight. Not after that press conference Eric had given, May the Goddess bless you Eric. ‘Kora don’t heal us when we stop.’ ‘Evidence.’ Kora agreed. They were both smart, what Jay-la had studied, so had Kora. Their interests aligned. She ran right into the arms of the other human who had gotten out of the car and collapsed into his chest, sobbing like a good terrified young lady, running for her life from her kidnappers would as she fell into the arms of a rescuer. As she got into the car she turned her eyes on the pack road. Jackson and Stephen were both standing there watching her. She didn’t hesitate to get in the car’s back seat. She just hoped they wouldn’t hunt and kill the humans with her to get her back, the minute they drove away.

Nathan POV The second Jay-la had been walked into his office, her scent hit him so hard he had to force himself not to stumble backwards. Mixed in with all that blood; of both the men she had attacked trying to get away from his bringing her home, and her own blood, was the smell of Coconut, Vanilla and Morning Dew. She was his Mate. Havoc was roaring with anger from the state of their Mate, she was bruised all over and wounded in so many places. There were bruised hand marks around her n**k where someone had choked her. Her beautiful face was bloodied and ripped open all down the right side, with blood still slowly oozing from her chin, her right shoulder was exposed, as her blouse had ripped open along the seem. She had deep cuts and grazes to her shoulder, there was blood still dripping down her arm, active bleeding. Both arms had hand marks which were already mottling to purple. The front of her blouse was covered in blood and not just hers, she had a long tear near the top of the blouse and part of her soft milky white skin above her chest was showing, and blood stains were coming from underneath, her chest injured to whose knows what extent. His eyes continued to assess her broken and battered body. There was a blood stain on her right h*p; a wound under her skirt that was yet to be seen. Her right foot and stiletto were covered in blood, not hers though. Pain was ripping through both him and Havoc at the state of her. Both her knees were bloody and wounded; he could still see there was gravel embedded into her cheek, shoulder and knees. Havoc wanted to kill everyone. No harm was supposed to come to her. If this was no harm, what the hll was harm? Nathan was doing his best to contain the beast within him, seeing the tears streaming down her once lovely face, now so damaged she barely looked like herself at all. It was inciting his beast's anger even further ‘you did this.’ Havoc roared at Nathan, his claws ripping at his mind trying to hurt his own human counterpart. He watched as Jackson sat her in the chair before him, her head was bowed, defeat written all over her posture and expression, she had yet to look at him. “Look at me” he demanded of her, he could not keep his anger at bay, and unfortunately he knew he sounded furious at her, but really he just wanted to see those green eyes, that had once looked at him with joy and affection, filled with tenderness, maybe even love, not that she had ever said she loved him. But maybe she had once. He could feel it, as her eyes looked over him, he was desperately struggling to keep havoc from roaring Mate at her, he was biting down so hа'rd-on Havoc’s need to claim her right this instant, that he could taste his own blood. She had not so much as reacted to him or their scent, something was wrong here, very wrong. Finally, those jewel green eyes met his, filled to the brim with tears, Havoc immediately started ripping and clawing everywhere in his mind, in his desperate need to get to her, to comfort her and claim her for himself. For once, Nathan actually had complete control, probably only because he saw nothing but fear in her eyes, and he'd registered their mate was terrified of him. He knew Havoc’s rage and aggression was pouring out of him, and into the room around her. He couldn’t stop that ‘calm down’. He yelled at Havoc ‘you’re scaring her. Those green eyes only looked into his for a few measly seconds, perhaps three, if he was lucky before falling away to the floor, she couldn’t even b**e to look at him. ‘f'k- this is bad,’ he thought. ‘Mate’ Havoc roared in his mind ‘why not know? We Mate?’ Havoc was so angry that he could barely string a proper sentence together. ‘Wolf-bane and silver suppressing her natural instincts’ ‘Kora?’ ‘Disconnected from her,’ Nathan surmised, til she got the wolf-bane completely out of her system and the silver cuffs off. She was not likely to register that he was her Mate. ‘Get cuffs off.’ Havoc snapped at him. Furious, they were still on her, hindering their Mate Bond. Just then, his office door banged open so violently that it took his attention from Jay-la, his Second Chance Mate, to his father, the former Alpha. "There is trouble son, your mother just recorded this.” Nathan saw movement and watched as Jay-la shot towards his father and dropped down onto her knees. It must have caused her great pain, but she endured it, and pleaded for her life. His heart ached terribly, she thought he was going to kill her. There were more tears falling from her beautiful eyes as she looked up at his father, Blaine, while pleading for her life. Her next words hit him like a ton of brinks, “Please, I have 3 children, a family.” his anger was being replaced by fear. She already had a Mate and a family. Maybe that is why she didn't recognize them as her Mate. ‘No’ Havoc whimpered, sorrow starting to filter into his rage. A growl erupted from him and Nathan knew Havoc was going to kill her Mate, she was his, Kora was his, no one was going to have her ‘only us’. He snarled, his anger refueling at the mere thought of someone else touching his Mate. ‘we’ll mark over him, claim now’ Havoc roared. He saw his father try to clarify her statement with his Goddess given gift of mind-sight. She didn’t even hesitate, she wasn’t lying, and he knew it. After his father stepped away and just stared at her, to his horror, he watched as she bowed so low that her head touched the floor at his father's feet, as she pleaded for her children to not become motherless. “Get her up” Havoc roared, his anger refreshed completely to full force as he watched the utterly submissive position she had taken up in front of his father. He never wanted to see her so low. Not his Mate, not the future Luna to their pack. He watched as Jackson got her up off the floor, he was so gentle with her. Not once had he hurt her, even when he had brought her into the office and sat her in the chair before him his t***h had been light and gentle. A part of him wondered what Jackson felt for her, he had been so pissed off when Nathan had ordered her gone, he’d never seen the man that furious before. Now watching him with her, he was worried there was something else going on, perhaps she had two mates. That thought elicited a snarl from Havoc, ‘I no share.’ Nathan agreed ‘I know.’ He would have to come back to it later. His attention was brought to the TV, and he stood there and watched as Eric Stanton, the current CEO of Stanton & Co Law Firm, Jay-la’s boss, accused him outright of kidnapping her, then produced evidence that could be construed as proof. That demand to come home, or he would send for her. Then the footage of her actually being d*****d and abducted was completely surprising. Wolves were usually very good at covering their tracks in the human world. t**********d had even gone to the lengths to contact the human FEDs and get an investigation under way, and was threatening to throw everything he had at him. This was indeed bad, if they found her here and in her current state, it would all point to him. Yes, he had done everything that Eric claimed, but in Wolfen Society it was completely normal to claim back what was yours, regardless of how it was done, he was the Alpha, and she was one of his pack members, his Mate. He had every right to retrieve her however he darn-well pleased. Technically, even before he knew she was his Mate, she had still belonged to him. He cursed out loud the minute his gate guards informed him via the mink-link that there was a car with human government officials pulling up the driveway. Jackson huffed in annoyance, shift was about to get real. How were they going to explain her current state? 'We could explain to them, that we rescued her from the kidnappers.' Jackson offered up, through the mind link. "Get the cuffs off her.” He snapped, the sooner she got Kora back the sooner she would know he was her Mate, and this whole shift show could be resolved quickly, with a simple statement from Jay-la. That they had not harmed her and, in-fact, she and he were in a relationship, that he had saved her. ‘ You hope so’ Havoc snarled, ‘look at mate. Hurt. Upset. Pups somewhere, separated by us.’ Nathan knew it was a mess. ‘As soon as she recognizes us Havoc, we can manage it,’ he tried to reassure his beast. He heard the howl of pain as they were all trying to figure out a way to sort the Feds out, and Jackson was suddenly severed from the mind-link conversation. Nathan’s attention returned to the room they were in, to see what was going on, and she was gone. He could hear her high heels on the wooden floor racing away from him. He moved to go after her, and was stopped by his father's hand on his shoulder. “Not you son. If the Feds see you chasing her, it’ll get worse.’ “I can catch her.” “ I’ll go.” Jackson stated, still holding on to hi's bаlls. She had kneed him pretty hard and obviously caught him completely off guard, attacked him while he was distracted with mind-linking. He watched Jackson straighten up with an effort, take a deep breath to get his pain under control and then head out the door of his office to go after her. She had repaid his gentleness and kindness in a terrible way. “Son, what is going on?” his father asked, curiosity back in his voice. “She’s my mate.” Nathan said, rubbing a hand over his face and through his hair, frustration filling him. “What?” his father stared at him shocked, “And you dragged her back here like that. Are you and your wolf insane?” “I only found out when she was walked into my office, just now.” “Well shift.” He was quiet for a good minute, clearly thinking about something. “Why is she still running from you then?” “She is disconnected from Kora, wolf-bane and silver” “So before she can even register what is happening in this office, she is running away again.” “Jackson will get her.” Nathan stated flatly. “ If I recall, son. She could outrun your Beta back in the days when she lived here.” A growl escaped Havoc. He had forgotten that, ‘she doesn’t have Kora at the moment, so no wolf speed, he’ll get her’. He tried to placate Havoc’s growing desire to hunt her himself. ‘He’d better.’ Havoc growled, letting Nathan know of his displeasure at the situation. “Jackson?” Nathan shot down the mind-link when he had heard nothing for a solid 5 minutes. How could she get away from him without Kora, and in those dаmed stiletto’s? “Kora is awake and fast boss, I’m not gonna get her.” he sighed. “How close to the gate is she?” “Coming up any minute now.” Havoc snarled in his mind ‘We go’ ‘We'll not even get her now.’ Nathan huffed. “Jackson, stop. We’ll retrieve her later. Let her go, stop the minute you think she’ll make the gate, it's open for the Feds.” “Right Boss” He only had to wait a few minutes. “Gone Boss, sorry!” “Get back to the packhouse, we know where she is going.”