Julie (Save Haven Wolves Book 4)
Author: Foster, Sherry
Date: 2019-01-14
Publisher: DAS Publishing LLC

Contents

Dedication

Copywrite

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Author Notes

Julie

By

Sherry Foster

Dedication

To the family I adore,
my friends who keep me sane,
and the readers who love to read.

A special thanks to the man who
continues to believe in me.

He may never read a book I write,
but he never fails to support me
mentally and emotionally.

Without him, these books would not exist.

A special thanks to the readers
who have fallen in love with this series.

Thank You.

This book is a work of fiction.

All of the Characters, organizations, events,
and places portrayed in this novel are products
of the author's overactive imagination.

Copyright © 2019 Sherry Foster

DAS Publishing

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means.

Version 1

Prologue

Six years ago

The three men looked around the cabin. They could smell an underage female, but the cabin was empty. Trey stared around the small cabin, two bedrooms and one bathroom, an open floor plan for the living room and kitchen, all empty of furniture and toiletries. The cabin had electricity, the refrigerator, containing fresh food and drinks obviously worked. Some of the cabinets were stocked and dishes, freshly washed, lay in the drain rack beside the sink.

“We have to be missing something. Jordon not only admitted she was here, he showed no remorse for holding a female captive in this cabin. We smell her, so why can’t we find her?” Trey snarled.

David, rubbing his neck, stared around the empty cabin once more. “We have checked both bedrooms and the bathroom. Who builds a cabin where everyone has to go to the same bathroom through one bedroom?”

Trey, shaking his head, turned to Sam. David was clearly still in shock over the death of his parents, for the last hour, since the Alpha challenge, David had said random things. His way of coping Trey supposed. Hell, for that matter the whole pack was in shock, especially Trey, who was the new Alpha. A position he was woefully unprepared to handle at only twenty-four years of age.

With trembling hands Sam started stripping. Closing his eyes, Trey drew himself up. He needed to get a handle on his life and start thinking like a leader. He should have thought of shifting to his wolf to track the smells better. The men shared much of the traits of their wolves, but in wolf form the abilities, like a heightened sense of smell were amplified.

David and Trey followed the gray wolf into the larger bedroom and from there into the bathroom. When the wolf stopped at a wall to sniff the two men looked at each other, brows raised, then back to Sam. With a snort Sam, who had shifted back, pointed to a single golden fish eye in the mural on the wall. Cutting his eyes to his new Alpha he shrugged.

The hidden doorway was unexpected.

Trey reached for the doorknob. The three men had no idea what to expect on the other side. From the layout of the cabin the door could only lead to a closet, a small closet. Trey wanted to go back in time and kill Jordon again. What kind of Alpha kept a female locked in a closet for years? His heart hurt for the girl. His wolf raged inside of him. From the information Jordon had given up about the girl the men knew she had been held for years and it would be years before she was old enough to bond. But how many years was unknown to the three.

Hands not quite steady he drew the door open. As his eyes opened wide he drew back in startled surprise. “Huh, a basement. I did not see that coming.”

The basement, from the little they could see from the top of the stairs, appeared to be a concrete room. The light in the basement was not bright, but there was light. The men made their way down the stairs to find a large room at the bottom. On the single bed lay a small female. She was not moving, apparently asleep. Glancing around the room the men noticed the chain leading from the center of the room to the bed. The bathroom was open to the rest of the room, no privacy there.

Toys littered the room and a tv and dvd player nestled in the corner. A bookshelf near the tv contained several dozen movies while another bookshelf held an assortment of books. Looking at the chain again Trey used the pack bond to tell the other two to quietly head back upstairs. Although both men looked at him with fury they obeyed. Leading the men back into the living room Trey started looking around the walls and opening drawers and cabinets. Sam and David looked a each other in disbelief.

“What the hell boy, are we gonna get her out of here or what.” Sam muttered.

“Can you break the chain on her? Cause I know I can’t. We need a key. They had to have one around here somewhere. How else did the poor kid change clothes or take baths.” Those words, muttered at the two men started a round of almost silent cursing.

David wheeled and headed back toward the basement door while Trey and Sam continued to search the key. A moment later David came back in the kitchen holding the key.

Shrugging at Trey’s look he muttered, “It was hanging on the wall at the top of the stairs. Brain told me I had seen something, but, my brain has been messing with me all day so I could have been wrong.”

Reaching out his hand Trey gripped his best friends shoulder for a moment. Small comfort but all he had to offer for now.

As the men returned to the basement they realized the little girl was awake and staring at them as they reached the bottom. As soon as Trey’s feet touched the concrete the child began to scream.

“Shhh little one, we are not going to hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again. Let me get these chains off of you. Be still. We are going to get you away from here where you will be safe. Damn David, we should have gotten one of the females to help us.”

David, jaw clenched was working to control his breathing. When he had gone to Trey asking for help he never imagined everything would go so pear-shaped. Now he and Trey and Sam were in the basement of the little cabin working to free the little girl. His parents were both dead; his dad by Trey’s hands and his mom by the true-mate bond.

“Wouldn’t have done ya no good young man. What with Melanie being the one to help Jordon keep her here. She ain’t gonna have no trust in anyone male or female for years, if ever.

Trey glanced over at Sam to find him on his knees, Trey and David quickly dropped down also. Trying to appear less threatening did not stop the screams, or the tears that were starting to trickle down the pale cheeks of the female.

As he reached for the chain Trey began to sing little nonsense songs he remembered singing to his sister when she was still at home, before his parents had reluctantly sent her to Gammon’s. Intertwined with the songs were whispered assurances of safety and love and sunshine and freedom. When the chain fell from the girl’s she jerked away from Trey, wariness on her face. The screams had stopped but the trickle of tears continued.

“You are rescuing me?” the question, so faint the men would not have heard it had they been human, caused all three men to nod.

“Yes little one, the ones who put you down here will never bother you again. I am more sorry than I can ever tell you for what you have gone through. They hid you well. No one knew you were here until this morning. Do you know where your family is now? We have a place of safety for you. My sister lives there for her safety. But if you have family, we want them to go with you. Do you know how long you have been here? Is there anything at all you can tell us to help you find your family?”

“Dead, all of them are dead. It is just me. Well and my uncle, but he is the one that sold me. Please don’t send me back to him. Please.” The tears increased as the small female began to beg.

The female squealed and scooted backwards on the bed when the three men growled. Trey turned to David, “I want that uncle found, and I want him dead within minutes of being located. I will not have a shifter walking this earth who would hurt a female. That is my decree, call it my first as Alpha of this pack. When one hurts a female, deliberately hurts her, he dies. No second chances, no forgiveness, and no excuses.” Turning back to the female Trey asked, “Now little one, do you think you could tell us your name, and what happened to you?”

***

After getting the girl out of the cabin the three men had taken her to Sam’s cabin. The girl had refused to go into town where everyone could see her. After everything she had been through she had no desire to be around an excitable pack. Trey had told her what had led to her rescue and Sam, tears in his eyes had not stopped apologizing for not knowing of her sooner. The girl had finally settled in Sam’s arms and had refused to let go of him until he announced his intention of starting a meal for them. While Sam fixed everyone something to eat Trey called his grandfather.

“Grandfather, I have a bit of a situation here.” Trey took a deep breath. David had promised to help him but there was only so much his friend could do in this situation. He was certain at some point over the centuries other males had taken over a pack while young. He didn’t personally know any, but it had to have happened. Of course, he was also certain they had to have had some clue they would be the Alpha. Rage, pure unadulterated rage had carried him through the fight. Honor had won him the pack. But he had no clue what to do next. The pack council, what was left of it, was going to prove to be a help over the years, he hoped, but he had one small problem he needed to take care of first.

“What, no, I am still here. Oh, mom called you. I see. Then you were expecting this call?” Trey listened to his grandfather rant for a few minutes. David, standing a few feet away, grimaced and started shaking his head. It was fast becoming apparent the pack, while understanding they had a new Alpha, had no idea what had caused him to challenge the previous Alpha. David was still reeling from the death of his father. Neither man had considered the ramifications of what they had done.

“No. No grandfather I did not kill Jordon because I was sowing wild oats. Mother raised me better. He needed killing and if you would stop for one minute and let me tell you what happened. I am not asking you how to get out of this situation. I am aware I am too young to be the Alpha. I know I have no training. None of that is why I am calling. There’s this girl. Dammit Grandfather, I did not kill the Alpha over a female.”

“Technically you kind of did.” The choked whisper from David was just loud enough to be heard by Trey’s grandfather.

“Ok, fine. Yes, I killed him over a girl. Now what I need to know is, what do I do with her now?” The color drained from Trey’s face as he listened to his grandfather. He could hear frantic whispers from his grandmother trying to find out more.

“No, I don’t want her. Holy hell Grandfather, she is just a kid, what in the hell did mom tell you when she called? Look, no, you listen. Jordon was holding the poor thing captive in the basement of that little cabin down the road from Sam’s place. You remember Sam right? Ok, great. Well Sam found out about the poor girl and told David. David came to me and told me. We went to his dad and asked him what was going on. I am not going to apologize for killing him. My only regret is taking the father of my best friend away from him and in doing so caused him to lose his mother. But, Grandfather, he was holding her in that basement for four long years. Four years with no sunshine, no laughter, no love, nothing but Jordon and, what? Oh, she is about sixteen now. What would you have done?” Trey listened a bit longer before finally interrupting.

“Well it is all well and good for you to say that but the fact of the matter is the High Council could not have done anything. The pack has to have an Alpha. Jordon would not have just rolled over and given it up to David or anyone else. Hell, he wouldn’t even agree to give up the girl. He thought David would just submit to having the poor thing forced on him. Now, the question is, are you going to help me or not? Can I send the girl to Gammon where Stormie is or not? And finally, what can you tell me about being the Alpha of a pack?”

When Trey finally ended the call he turned first to look at David. The two had been inseparable for years but Trey worried the day’s events would be the breaking of both his friend and their friendship. At the moment his blond hair was in disarray. He had run his hands through his hair over and over all day. His blue eyes contained a haunted look now, so unlike his normal cheerful self. The friendly outgoing male of yesterday was gone, but Trey hoped to one day have him back. He was needed to help navigate being the Alpha of the pack. David had some training for the position. Because of his training, and his strength, Trey was determined he would be the Beta.

Jordon’s beta had refused to swear his oath. Pointing to the door Trey let the pack know quickly anyone who did not give their oath would need to be out of pack territory by dusk or issue a challenge for the Alpha position. Twelve pack members had left in the hour following the fight. Trey did not have the power some of the others had, but they had watched the challenge, and not one pack member was willing to challenge the wolf who had taken down the previous Alpha. The ones who remained gave their oath. Trey’s mother had still been in shock when she called her father. The pack as a whole had been in shock and missed some key reasons for the challenge. Trey, David and Sam had been too anxious to get to the girl and rescue her to explain everything to the pack. Trey was going to have to have another meeting to help them understand why the leadership had really changed.

After he had verified, as best he could, that his best friend was still hanging in there Trey turned to the little girl hiding in the corner. The three of them were helpless against the girl’s tears. Trey had called his mother to come over to Sam’s, but had not told her why. While they waited on her Trey tried to talk to the girl again. Sam had tried first, but quickly gave up. He had sent his niece to Gammon’s years prior because, as he told everyone, the pack had been no damn good for the girl and he was too damn old to figure out how to raise a kid.

Going to his knees Trey thought about what he could say to the child. They had learned her name was Trisah and her parents and baby sister had been killed in a house fire when she was eleven. She had told them her age and precious little else since. Since Sam had put her down to fix a meal she had retreated to the corner and resembled a wounded animal more than a little girl.

“Trisah, sweetheart, I want to help you, but I don’t know what to do. Will you let me help you? We have a place we can send you where you will be surrounded by ones who would kill to keep you safe. You can go to school, and have friends your age. It is a safe haven for female shifters. Tell me what you want to do. Help me help you. You will never again be locked up anywhere for any reason. I swear to you we will keep you safe.”

After warily looking at Trey the child had gone back to rocking herself, curled up, arms around her knees, quietly sobbing. Trey had no idea what to do with this sad little female. He had no idea how to get a female to Gammon’s for safety. His mother and father would, his grandfather had told him to get the information from them but as the Alpha he would have to make the arrangements.

When Trey’s parents arrived at the cabin, and found the reason for the change in leadership, they threw their support behind their son. They helped him make the arrangements for Trisah to go to Gammon’s and they made the promise to never ask about her past again after how upset she became. Trey swore his pack would always have a place for her if she ever wanted one. But he made certain she understood, the decision would be hers to make when she reached twenty-one.

***

A week after the child reached Gammon’s Trey got a phone call. Gammon, never one to mince words, kept the conversation short. Trey found the child refused to tell the councilors at Gammon’s much more than she had told them and she had drawn the same promise from the Alaska pack as he had given. The past would never be brought up again until she was ready. For six years Trisah refused to talk of her past. When she turned twenty-one she had made the decision to stay in Gammon’s pack and had allowed him to call forth her wolf and given pack oath to him. But the past was about to catch up to Trisah, in a most surprising way.

Chapter One

Gammon stared at the door Mia had just closed, exasperation on his face. After tightening his hold on his mate he lowered his head and breathed in deeply. The decades had not lessened his desire or his love for the beauty he held in his embrace. Sometimes she was the only one keeping him sane in a world gone mad. In all the centuries since he had left his mother country of Russia and moved to Alaska with his pack he had never encountered the strife he put up with since becoming the gatekeeper for the safety of the females.

“All we know is her name, that is all Allison knew. She isn’t even sure Julie is her real name. We will take her back with us to Alaska. Hopefully Willow can help her heal. At least she quit screaming. She has started muttering a number now though. No idea what it is for, it is not a phone number. It doesn’t seem to be coordinates for anything. Maybe Kate will know when she recovers enough to talk to someone. According to Allison if anyone knows anything about Julie other than her name, Kate will know.” Mia snuggled into Gammon’s embrace while she talked. “She reeks of fear, yet still has some familiar smell to her. Did you notice?”

When Gammon shook his head Mia sagged a little more in his arms. Sometimes the despair the other females carried weighed heavy on her shoulders.

“Marcus said Kate regained consciousness earlier long enough for him to take her oath and get in touch with her parents. As soon as Kate can talk to us we will see what she knows and ask her about the number. Did you write it down? Is it the same number every time?”

“Yes, I did and it is.”

“Well, all we can do is wait. We will leave tomorrow and head back to Alaska with the two. I know you had your heart set on spending time with Trina, but we need to get Julie and Allison to Alaska so they can heal. And I need to send some of the men down here to help Marcus and Trey find the other females and rescue them. Marcus mentioned something about Kate being able to track one of the females named Dawn. I also need to go over the compound and see what other safety measures I can enact. If a Senator’s son was involved in this we may have trouble coming our way. The High Council will have to be informed. Senator Avery is on the High Council. Shit, the only person we know we can trust on the Council is William.” Gammon stroked her hair as he spoke. He had brought her down specifically to see Trina and he hated to disappoint her.

“Will it ever end? Will our race ever recover do you think? What do you think the curse means? Just to forget the witches or even worse, destroy us?” Mia had been as surprised as everyone else to find out about the existence of witches and the curse hanging over the shifters.

“I don’t know. I get the feeling Casey knows more than she is willing to tell us about the situation. Come on, we need to get you in bed so you can rest. Will Allison be okay sharing a room with Julie for the night?” Gammon never turned turned his head as he lead Mia toward the room where the other females were resting. His voice drifted back toward Delany as the two walked away.

Delany watched them as they turned the corner before he settled his back against the wall facing the door. His mate was in that room and hell would freeze over before anyone got through that door other than Mia. He couldn’t take the screaming from Julie. She wasn’t the first female to come to their pack damaged and he was certain she would not be the last. He didn’t resent her keeping him from Allison. From what he knew of true matings the poor girl was probably saving him from fighting with his wolf. His wolf was more than willing to stay away from the screaming and guard the two females from the hallway.

He had a mystery to solve and he was determined to solve it before the night was over. The lost little one they called Julie smelled familiar to him also. Something about her scent made him think he had met her before. If not her, then someone of her family. But the question was, who?

The others in the pack were still going through the prison with the ones from Marcus’ pack looking for any clues they could find. Jamie had gone after Kate’s parents just a few minutes earlier in the helicopter. While he watched over the door Delany searched his memory for the elusive scent Julie shared with another.

As the hours passed the others kept him informed of what they found or rather what they had not found. The human side of the prison seemed empty of anything personal save some clothing and toiletries. The male wing had little information they had not already pieced together. He almost regretting keeping watch over the two females when word began to trickled to him of the events happening in Craig’s room. The others had started calling the poor guy box man. Marcus’ pack sure was collecting some odd females.

Delany’s eyes widened as he realized his mate had been involved with Craig’s mate for at least a year. A year of what ever influence, good or bad, Kate may have had on Allison was sure to show.

Groggy from lack of sleep but unwilling to turn over the care of the two females to another male, even one from his pack Delany finally gave in and let one of the others drag two mattresses into the hall. While he set one up in front of the door Shilo settled down on the other mattress. No one was getting into the room without going through both men.

As he drifted between waking and sleep he heard a murmured “Trisah” from Shilo’s direction. Jerking back awake he stared over at his pack-mate. Everyone knew Shilo was in love with Trisah, had been for years, but no one had ever mentioned him calling for her in his sleep. As he drifted back to sleep his last thought was of Trisah. The screaming female reminded him of Trisah.

Chapter Two

“They are hiding something!” Gammon growled.

“Yes dear, but whatever secrets they have are their secrets. They have been hiding Kate all her life and you heard what they said about the curse.”

“Mia, sweetheart, I heard what they didn’t say also. All they admitted about the curse was how it affected them. And how it affected the shifter community in relation to the witches. I can not believe the curse was only to make the shifters forget witches exist. I think it mighty strange the curse to cause a rift between the two and the lack of females born to us both happened within the last three hundred years. They know more than they are saying. And Casey knows more than she will admit. I want to know why Casey claims no clan. I want to know more about the curse. No, I need to know more.”

“I don’t know dear. Can you imagine being a shifter but no one remembering you because you are mated to a witch? Can you imagine what the last three hundred years must have been like for those two. Forced to live apart from her family and his for centuries.”

“Yes, and another thing. If Kate mating a shifter broke the curse, why didn’t Sibeal mating a shifter break the curse? His name, Conall is Irish, he looks a bit like the Irish shifters and according to Casey, Miranda is Irish. Though how she got a name like that is a bit baffling. No Mia, something more is going on here and we need to get to the bottom of it.”

“Now Gammon, admit it, you are searching for someone to blame. Any way at all to connect the dots to get you an answer. Well stop it. I know you too well. If the curse has anything to do with the lack of females you can bet it is not Conall and Sibeal’s fault. Nor is it Kate’s fault or even Casey’s. Why is the name baffling?”

“So why didn’t Conall and Sibeal’s mating break the curse? Why do they insist the curse is more complicated than just the mating? What? Oh the name? Well Will invented that name back in the 1700’s no wait, I guess it would have been the 1,600s. To hear Casey tell it Miranda has been around for hundreds of years. Far longer than the 1,600’s, but just the name gives a clue as to how old she really is, unless she changed her name.”

“You realize sometimes you come up with the most obscure bits of trivia when you start investigating something?”

“I know honey, but sometimes the smallest insignificant detail can change the entire story. If the name did not exist until the early 1600’s, and it didn’t because I helped William come up with the name for one of his plays, actually the name was my idea, and the witch is named Miranda, that tells me her age. According to Casey, Miranda is so arrogant and entitled she even named her only daughter Miranda. No, something is not adding up. You heard the last question I asked Casey before the meeting broke up, What was the witch called before she took the name Miranda? What did she say? Miranda was always her name. If one thing doesn’t add up then you start there and work your way outward.”

“So you are basing all of your investigation on the name of the witch?”

“I helped Will invent that name for a stupid play in return for a favor so I know exactly, approximately how long the damn name has existed. But no sweetheart, I am questioning things because, what happened to the daughter.”

“Casey said she died.”

Gammon looked down at Mia, “Yes, she did didn’t she, but what did Sibeal say happened to her?”

“She said she died.”

“Uh huh, and what did Conall say?”

“Gammon, where are you going with these questions? All three of them agree Miranda’s daughter, also called Miranda, died.”

Gammon turned to the door as Marcus entered. Before he could answer Mia, Marcus growled, “Yeah, but Conall lied. I smelled it. They are hiding something.”

“Exactly what I was telling Mia. What are they hiding? Miranda the first put a curse on the shifter community to forget witches. The shifter female birth starts declining. The only four we know who know anything about the curse insist the curse concerns the knowledge of witches. But Conall lied about Miranda the daughter. Why? They gave their oath to you Marcus so the question now becomes, what are you going to do about the situation?”

“Not much I can do. Conall is smart. He didn’t take the pack oath until he got one from me first. I can not ask him about his past beyond a certain point. If I had known they were going to be hiding something about the curse from me I would not have made the oath nor taken his oath. I am sure I could have gotten him to give since I had his daughter’s oath at that point. He and his mate have been secluded in Australia for much of the last two hundred years. Maybe he has not realized how far the shifter community has fallen and how close we are skirting extinction if we can’t do something about the lack of female births. I don’t know what the birth rate is in your pack but my pack only births one female to every ten or fifteen males. We might have more if we had realized we had a problem sooner. By the time anyone realized though, the population of females had become critical with no known solution.”

“How are they still alive? Every female we have ever saved from captivity was an orphan. The rogues kill the parents, how did they live? Where was Kate and why wasn’t she with them?”

“Doesn’t matter at this point. I had Jamie fly me up to the cabin to use the tower to call back to the pack. I have Kent working on finding more about that number Julie keeps muttering. If Kate and her parents are right the number is an Australian telephone number. I have zero connections to anyone in Australia without bringing Trina’s grandfather into the situation and possibly William. Knowing Senator Avery is High Council and William is High Council has me wary of bringing any High Council into this.”

“No Marcus, I will vouch for William myself. I have known him, and respected him before I even came to this country. Senator Avery I have never had much respect for at all. Something has always seemed off about him. Do you know he was the only High Council member to vote against having a safe haven built for the females in my territory? No,if William has connections in Australia we can use I vote we use them. Trey can call him to visit when he gets back to his territory and you and Trey can fill him in on everything we found.”

“Who can I call to visit?” Trey stuck his head in the door.

“We want you to call your grandfather when you get home. He is, at this point, the only High Council we trust.”

“What does that have to do with Australia? I heard something about Australia as I walked up.”

“The little one they call Julie has started muttering a number. We think it is an Australian telephone number but since she is so obviously American no one can figure out why she would have a number memorized from another country.” Gammon shrugged as he told Trey what they had been discussing.

“Interesting. Even more interesting news about your little Julie, Delany thought I would like to know he solved the mystery of who Julie smells like.”

Three sets of eyes focused on Trey as he delivered the news he was still trying to come to terms with himself. “Trisah, Julie smells like Trisah. Your fellow Shilo can’t get close enough to her to positively identify the smell as being close to Trisah, but his wolf refuses to leave the area.” Turning toward Gammon he continued, “You might want to check in with those two and find out what is going on. By all accounts Delany is confused as hell about Shilo’s actions. Not enough to bother you at the moment since Shilo is not claiming Julie as his mate. But he is acting “damn odd” to quote Delany. I don’t know your men well enough to know when one is acting odd much less damn odd and I didn’t see anything odd about his actions at all.”

“Well, huh, that does create a dilemma. Trisah refuses to talk about her past. Julie smells like Trisah. Shilo is in love with Trisah and his wolf refuses to get too far from Julie. Well fuck, what next?” Gammon scrubbed his hand across his face as he made the connections.

Marcus shrugged, “Don’t know man. Take your pack members home and figure it out. Trey and I will get with William. Kent will track down what he can about the phone number and we will work on finding out about your Julie from our end. Seems the best news we have going for us at this point is Kate’s ability to probably find the others through Dawn. We will scout out that situation and let you know what we find.”

As Gammon turned to walk out Trey called out to him, “How did you take Allison’s oath if she is still underage?”

Gammon, arm around Mia, stopped, without turning around he laughed, “I didn’t, she just thinks she gave it. Won’t be binding till she turns twenty-one and her wolf can be called forth.” At this he did turn around and looked at Trey, seeming to remember how lacking his Alpha education, “Sometimes, it isn’t about what you can do, it is all about what they believe. She will be pack, she will be mated, so with the oath I asked for she believes she is part of my pack. She needs that after all she has been through. The person she is gave the oath, the wolf she will become will bind the oath. To the person she is, the oath is already binding, she knows she belongs. She won’t feel the difference until the wolf is part of the oath. Letting her give her oath, makes her family in her eyes. Telling her to wait, would make her feel as though we did not accept her. I take the oath of any female who mates into my pack. Sometimes I just have to take it twice.” With that he turned himself and Mia around and headed to find Casey and Jamie.

Trey saw the stunned look on Marcus’ face. “I take it you were surprised by that knowledge also?”

Marcus shook himself, “You could say that. We have rescued several females over the years and not once did one of them have a mate in my pack. We haven’t had a non-pack female mate into my pack until Trina in decades. I guess taking their oath would give them a sense of belonging. I just never had a reason to think about it before now. Doc says Craig can be moved later today so we need to wrap it up here and get back to our territories. I am more than a little nervous being so far from civilization with a corrupt government official involved.”

“Yeah, the government and the High Council. I don’t even want to know what all that man can bring down on top of us.”

Chapter Three

“Gammon I am telling you it won’t work. You are asking for trouble if you just let it go. You have to tell her about the girl. At least ask her if she has any family named Julie, if that is even her real name.” Willow paced around the living room as she explained to Gammon her observations of the new girl.

“Look Willow, I understand what you are saying, but what you are asking me to do is break a promise, and that I will not do. Find another way, one that doesn’t break a promise, one that allows for the mental health of both females. You know as well as I do what Trisah has been through. The last thing I want to do is cause problems with one of my females. How do you think she is going to react if I go asking about her past?”

“Dammit Gammon, how is she going to react if someone asks her how Julie is related to her and she doesn’t even know Julie is here. We can’t keep the girl hidden, not from a teacher at the school. You know how quick Trisah is to start her demands with the new ones. I can only hold her off for a week at best. After that she is going to demand access to the girl. And you and I both know Trisah won’t give up till I give in and give her access. “

Gammon snorted, “Tell her I forbid her to be around the new girl. Tell her the new girl is not stable enough for her interference. Tell her what ever the hell you want but keep her away until we can try to find out more about her.”

Willow closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, taking a deep breath she opened her eyes to stare at her Alpha. Most of the time he was the best Alpha in the entire world, other times he was a clueless as any male. “Seriously? Do you really think I am going to tell the best resource I have ever had she can’t have access to the worst patient I have ever had? You have seen how the damaged ones react to Trisah. You know she can get them to open up when the best you have fail. Do you want me to start naming names of all the females she has helped these last few years? You know good and damn well what she does is not interference. Gammon, what is really going on? This isn’t like you at all. You never interfere in the therapy of the girls. You have never called what Trisah does interference. I have never seen you back down from finding out something when it comes to helping the girls we get in the school.

“I am not backing down Willow. Tell you what, see if you can buy us two more days. While we were at the prison Julie started mumbling a number. According to Kate, who is from Australia, Julie had never mumbled the number before she was rescued. Since Julie doesn’t talk to anyone we are trying to track down who the number belongs to and investigate to find out more information. The number was an Australian number and we don’t have the resources there we have in the States. We are trying to step lightly because the number could be family, or it could be someone like Trisah’s uncle.”

“But Gammon, Trisah could help us find out who Julie is if we only get them together. At least let Trisah see Julie from a distance and go from there. Trisah said she lost a baby sister when she was younger. Julie must be the missing sister.”

“No Willow, Trisah did not lose a baby sister like you lose a set of keys. Her family died in front of her. Now you want to bring out a girl who in all likely hood is the dead sister and say what exactly to Trisah? Surprise, look what we found all locked up and terrorized. You are in a fine place to be telling me my actions don’t fit when what you are doing is not like you at all. Sit down, your pacing is giving me a headache. Now think about what you are asking. We know her parents and baby sister died in a house fire in front of her. She saw them die. If that little girl turns out to be her sister, what is she going to feel? Happy? Or guilty as fuck for leaving her behind even if she herself was later imprisoned? What about the parents? If the baby sister survived where were the parents? And what if Julie is not Trisah’s sister? What is she is just close kin? Maybe Trisah knew her, maybe she didn’t. Maybe the child would look close enough to the baby sister for Trisah to believe it, and then turn out to be just a close cousin. Did you think about the consequences of how it could turn out?”

Willow turned stricken eyes toward Gammon, “No, I never thought about … I don’t know … she just smells so similar I thought, we all thought, she had to be the little sister.”

“I would not have asked for more time if I didn’t think a possibility existed Julie could be someone other than the baby sister. We hope whoever has that number in Australia knows something. Anything would be better than what we know.”

“How long do you think it will be before someone can tell us something?”

“We should know more by tomorrow. Marcus and William arranged for a few men to go down and visit an Alpha named Trevor. If all went well they should have reached Australia not long ago. Until we hear back from the team no one knows anything. I don’t want Trisah to know anything until we have something. That isn’t negotiable Willow, at all.”

“I understand Gammon. I don’t know if I agree, but I understand. You have to do something about Shilo though. He claims Julie is not his mate but his wolf will not quit guarding the little house we arranged for her and Allison. Delany’s wolf is going a bit mad over the situation. If you don’t do something those two will be at each other’s throats before long.”

Chapter Four

“Great, you made her start screaming again. You need to leave man.” Delany, face contorted with fury stared at Shilo.

“I can’t leave. Can’t you get your mate to do something?”

“What? What the hell is she suppose to do? She can’t wave a magic wand and make Julie all better. Why don’t you go pester Trisah or something? What the hell is your problem. Julie isn’t your mate. Your wolf told you so himself.”

“Yeah, well why don’t you try to convince him to let us leave then, cause I am telling you bro, I have tried. Every time we get more than a few steps away from the door he starts clawing at me to protect Julie. Clawing at me. He is ripping my insides to shreds. I keep checking my stomach and chest for blood.”

“I don’t care what you have to do but you will do it somewhere else. You are upsetting Allison and I won’t have it do you hear me?” Snarling Delany shoved Shilo away from the door.

Gammon rounded the corner just as Shilo and Delany started striping their clothing off.

“Oh for fucks sake, if the two of you do not PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON RIGHT NOW I WILL RIP YOUR HEADS CLEAR OFF YOUR BODIES.” The Alpha power behind the words sent a ripple through the air as both men froze in mid-change.

Such was the power the two raced to replace clothing while simultaneously trying to cower and turn their throats up in submission. Argument forgotten, females forgotten, the men couldn’t utter a word in their defense at that moment. Fortunately for the two the power had wafted out so hard from Gammon as to be felt by the two females inside the house. The terrified screams from the throats of the two females inside the house shocked the men.

Gammon slowly closed his eyes as he reached up to scrub his face with his hand.
“Now look what the two of you have done. My office, now.” Willow, the females need you now. Get over here.

As Gammon waited for Willow to arrive he muttered dire threats against his two pack members. Pack members who knew better than to upset new females. Pack members who knew better than to upset any females. Willow was right, he was going to have to figure out what was going on with Shilo but from what he heard as he walked up even Shilo had no idea what was going on with his wolf.

What does one do with a male in love with one female who was not his mate and unable to get more than a few feet away from the door of another female who was also not his fucking mate? The shifter world was going stark raving nuts.

Over four hundred years old and Gammon and never seen anything like what Shilo was going through. He could understand looking for blood when your wolf clawed at your insides. Even though you knew the claws weren’t real, the pain existed. He well remembered how close he came to losing Mia after so many centuries of being alone. He remembered another time, in another place, and the soul tearing agony he had gone though all those centuries ago. Had nightmares about the situation sometimes. His loss was the reason he would never interfere between true-mates. Never cause a true-mate to lose the other half of themselves.

But this wasn’t the same. Shilo did not have a true-mating with either female. As Willow raced up to the house he tried to figure out what he should do about the situation.

“What happened? Are they both, they are both screaming. What did you do?” Willow all but wailed.

Gammon drew in a deep breath as he stared at Willow. Expressionless he told her, “They can’t handle the power of my anger. And your were right, we had a problem, namely Shilo and Delany. Don’t expect either of them back anytime soon. I’ll send someone over to guard the door so Trisah doesn’t get inside. See what you can do. Allison is going to want Delany. Try to reassure her.”

“What are you going to do Gammon?”

“Do? Why to tell you the truth, I don’t know. Put the two in stocks I suppose.”

“Um, Gammon, we don’t have stocks.”

“Yeah? And we never have wolves in love with one female and refusing to leave another and neither of them his mates either do we? Because that shit just don’t happen does it?”

“You seem a bit testy today, perhaps you should visit Mia for a bit before you deal with those two. I would hate for my favorite Alpha to do something he might regret later.”

Gammon closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them to glare at Willow. “Fine, I will call Mia to calm me down before I kill those two. And Willow, thank you for looking out for me.”

“I would say that is what you pay me for, but last I checked you didn’t pay me a dime to keep you in check. Now would be a bad time to ask for a raise huh?”

“If I didn’t know better I would say you were stalling. If you need a vacation from this,” Gammon waved his hands to indicate the house the two screaming females located somewhere in the house behind him.

Willow allowed her shoulders to slump, “It isn’t that I need a vacation exactly, I just, why can’t we ever get strong females. Just once I would like to have a female recovered from captivity who walked in bold, spirit unbroken with a don’t give me shit attitude.”

Gammon laughed, “I am going to have to arrange a visit for you to meet my niece Trina and perhaps the other female rescued with these two, the hybrid Kate. Granted Trina was never a captive, but she is pretty bold. Bold enough her brother-by-mating has requested she have supervised visitation into his territory. One day when we have some time get Mia to tell you about her.”

“I just wish it would end, you know? Maybe see some light at the end of the tunnel. Find out why the females are born one to every ten males or even less. There has to be something we can do.” Willow cocked her head to the side, “Good, Allison quit screaming.” Giving a half wave, half salute she turned and entered the house to try to get to know the damaged female, and hopefully get her on the road to recovery.

Chapter Five

“What were you two thinking? No, shut up, you don’t have an answer I want to hear. Shilo, you need to go somewhere quiet and talk to your wolf, go for a run, I don’t give a fuck what you do but figure out what his deal is. And you” Gammon turned on Delany, “you know the rules. You know why they exist. As of right now you are off guard duty of that house.”

As Delany opened his mouth to defend his actions Gammon gave him an evil grin. “Nope don’t want to hear it. You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last. Go find one of them to commiserate with you. Be glad I am not sending you to the edge of the territory to stand guard. You know the rules. Mark your boundary around her house and stay outside of it. And don’t try to get fancy, you know the deal. Casual meetings, supervised dates, and Willow has to sign off on her recovery. I don’t care if you did rescue her, we don’t change the rules for anyone.”

“But Gammon, no man, she already knows she is my mate. You can’t hold me to those rules. What is she going to think if I treat her like, like…”

Gammon growled, “She is going to think she is protected here. She is going to think she really does have a choice. She is going to come to you as a mate because she is your mate but by that time she will understand why she is choosing you. The rules don’t change for you, they don’t change for anyone. Not now, not in the future. Now both of you get out of my sight before I put you in the stockade.”

As the two men scrambled from his office he heard Shilo mutter.

“We don’t even have stockades.”

Delany snorted, “He is about as pissed at me as I have ever seen, do you trust him not to build some?”

As the voices faded Gammon looked around his office. Not much had changed in the last few months in his compound. Females came, females went, sometimes one of his pack members met the true-mate test, but most of the time the female went elsewhere to a true-mate from another pack. Over the last few decades he had noticed a few things about the females who left. But all his knowledge was useless concerning Shilo. It was time to call in some older heads than his. Maybe somewhere in the history of their race someone had encountered this or a similar situation.

No one in his pack was true-mated to Julie, they would have known the minute she crossed into the territory and been at the office waiting before the car with her had made it halfway though the compound. Such was the way of true-mates. The male’s wolf could always feel when the female crossed the territory line. Gammon wished all the males in all the packs knew that information. He wasn’t planning on sharing that information anytime soon either.

Jutoh, I need you. We need to speak of times past and history, both good and bad. I am sorry my old friend, but I need you.

At the edge of the territory, as far from any other as he could get Jutoh heard the words of his Alpha. Almost nine-hundred years old Jutoh was tired. Tired of watching the shifter world slowly fade. Tired of losing friends. Tired of life in general. His mate had been gone for centuries, his daughter also. When he had followed Gammon from Russia to the new country he had left the past behind. He wanted to continue leaving it behind. But Gammon, though he visited him often, never called for him to share knowledge unless the situation was bad.

He did what he would always do until his time came and he could follow his Alpha no more. My son, come. As always you are welcome at my hearth. My run is no so fast anymore. My stride she is a slow. My bones, they ache more now. You should come soon for I fear I haven’t long left before I can join my mate and my daughter in the beyond.

Father, I will be there to sup with you this night.

When Gammon left his office in search of Mia no one could have faulted him if his walk was a bit slower than normal, or his carriage not so straight. If they had known of his past they would have understood. But few knew, and none would ever speak of what they knew.

Mia took one look at him when he walked into the bedroom and gave a sad smile. “You go to him tonight don’t you?”

“Yes love, I need to speak of the past, of history, of Shilo. Maybe he has a clue an idea, anything at this point would be better than what we have now.”

As she wrapped her arms around him she could feel the tension. She could almost taste the pain. She wondered yet again how she could have true-mated to a man who had true-mated another so many centuries ago. She wished for the thousandths time, or maybe more, that Jutoh would have been able to accept her. But she knew if he had not accepted her in over two decades, he never would. It pained her as Gammon’s mate to know it caused him pain.

“Go my love, find out if he can help you. Spend some time with him. He hasn’t much longer with us I think.”

Gammon looked at her, she was more precious to him than any treasure he could ever have, and he knew then, as he knew every time he went to the lonely cabin so far from the others, he would never tell her how much it hurt him.

“I will make some arrangements, then go. I will be back late, or not at all this night.”

Mia squeezed him tighter, “Do what you have to my love, but pick me up so I can kiss you before you leave.”

Gammon laughed as he lifter her high, “I keep telling you if you would just grow I would not have to pick you up every time.”

She swatted his arm before laughing herself, “Just grow huh? So are you telling me you don’t like me so small? Are you saying I am too short now?”

“No, love, you are perfect. You have always been perfect.”

“I think Gammon if you had ever stopped growing maybe everyone would not be so small around you. Nice though, to have my very own mountain. Maybe this weekend I can go mountain climbing?” her giggle entranced Gammon before he shook himself free of the spell she cast on his heart.

As he slowly slid her down his body he swatted her butt before stepping away and out the door. She made him feel young again and he would never apologize for how they acted together in their own home.

Chapter Six

“Willow?”

“Yes Allison?”

“I don’t understand. Why did it hurt?”

“I don’t know sweetie. I honestly don’t know. I thought the screams were because you were scared. Being scared is natural when first confronted with the power Gammon wields. I have never known it to hurt.” Willow’s inspection of Julie faltered for a moment before she continued, “Do you think Julie was hurt or scared by the power? You have known her so much longer you see, any information you have is helpful.”

Without waiting for an answer Willow went back to murmuring words of assurance to Julie, “You are safe here. We will protect you. No one will ever hurt you again. We have the biggest mountain of a man in the whole world to protect you. Gammon will never let anyone hurt you again. He is a mountain, and you can’t move a mountain easily. Him, you can’t move at all. He will kill anyone who tries to hurt you. Ah Julie honey, how can we help you? Allison dear, get the bear from where she dropped it would you? Let her hold it again. Often the stuffed animals help give comfort where we can’t.”

Once Julie had the stuffed bear she wrapped her arms around it and started rocking again. And as she had done so many times in the past two days she mumbled the same string of numbers. Willow gave a look of despair, the feeling of helplessness invading her body. In all the years they had taken in females Julie had to be the most damaged. If only they knew why, what had happened. The only thing they knew for certain, the child had not been sexually forced. Her scent would be full human if she had suffered that so young. The scars on her body told of a fire, but how long ago and what she had suffered since was unknown. Was she Trisah’s long dead baby sister? After so many years, and so much torment, would Trisah even know?

“How are your ankles? Feeling better?” Willow sat beside Julie while talking to Allison. She hoped having a normal conversation around her would help. Sometimes it did, sometimes the conversation would draw the female out. Willow was determined not to fail with her. “I can’t believe you jumped from a helicopter. At least, that was what Delany said, is it true? You jumped to save your friends Julie and Kate?”

At the mention of Kate, Willow noticed Julie gave a small start and for a moment stopped rocking. Maybe speaking of Kate would help Julie. By all accounts Kate went to great lengths to protect Julie, even killing another to keep her safe. Did she remember those events or had her mind blocked it out. Willow widened her eyes and made the smallest tilt of her head toward Julie, hoping Allison would pick up on what she wanted. A tiny smile lit upon her face as Allison proved she was awake to the situation.

“Oh yes. They carried us to the helicopter and forced us on it. But when we saw they were not paying attention to us, and we heard they were going to leave Julie and Kate behind we had to do something. I couldn’t leave them both alone. They needed me. Julie was scared and Kate, well she was sick. Dawn and I slowly undid the harnesses while the men weren’t looking. I had no idea we were so high up though. Dawn didn’t make it. They caught her before she could jump. I wish we could have both made it.”

“So what happened next? Go on, tell me, I haven’t heard the entire story.”

Both females watched Julie as Allison told her the tale of her escape and consequent meeting with Delany. When she got to the part concerning Kate all rocking from Julie stopped. Julie appeared to be listening. At the end of the story Julie resumed rocking and murmuring the strange number into the bear’s ear.

“Julie honey, would you like to help me fix something to eat? You must be hungry by now.” Allison had gone through the stocked kitchen and found several things she was capable of cooking. When Julie did not look up or acknowledge the two in any way Allison just gave Willow a sad smile and cocked her head toward the kitchen.

Willow looked around the kitchen as Allison prepared something to eat. Most of the females they got had no idea how to cook. The school didn’t teach cooking skills. Oh some females learned to cook, but those were the ones who pestered an older female into teaching them. The school wasn’t like most packs imagined it to be either. The females attended classes, just like the males, depending on the circumstances they attended with the males. But if the female came to the school, sent by family, the age of the child determined where they went. And that placement determined what the child learned as far as life and social skills.

“So, this house, does it belong to Julie and me or what? I don’t understand what happens next”

“Well, no. Usually females come to us one at a time from a rescue. And the female is placed based on her history. Because of your history you and Julie were placed here for a while so you can get used to having freedom. After a while you can chose if you want to live in a communal house or continue here until you are of age.”

“What about Julie?” Allison’s whisper was so faint Willow barely heard her.

“Julie will be free to live here with you, if we deem it best for her emotional and mental well being and for yours. Or she can choose to live with one of the counselors we have here. I have a mate, so she would probably not choose to live with me. Darla, another counselor here also has a mate. Having a male around would not be good for her at this stage after how we have seen her react. Usually we don’t place two liberated females together, alone like this so soon after rescue. Then again, we usually don’t get two at the same time. But after being around you and Julie, and hearing what your rooms looked like at the former prison, we think it best to keep you two together for at least a little while”

“So here, she would stay here?”

“We are exploring another option. We have one unmated female here she may chose to live with, but the situation is tricky.”

“Tricky? Tricky how?” worry filled Allison’s face. Handling Julie was a task better suited to Kate or Dawn. But they were not here and Allison felt responsible for her care.

“I am sorry, I can’t tell you right now. We are waiting on some answers first.”

Guiding Julie to the table and getting the bear from her so she could eat took up some time and allowed Willow to change the subject. Allison still gave her questioning looks through the meal but Willow would just shake her head.

Later, after making small talk with Allison while they sat next to Julie, Willow said her goodbyes and headed for the door. The faintest whisper reached her as the door swung shut behind her causing her to jerk her hand up to stop the door from fully closing. Watching Julie she walked back in the house. Allison was staring wide-eyed at Julie then turning to face Willow before turning back to Julie.

Meanwhile Julie had resumed rocking, if she had ever stopped.

Willow, going to her knees reached her hand out and gently laid it on Julie’s knee. “Yes Julie honey, you do have your very own mountain, and he will never let anyone hurt you ever again. His name is Gammon. Would you like to meet him one day?”

But it seemed that one whispered sentence was all Julie had to say as once again she sat staring into the abyss only she could see with only her memories to torment her, rocking the bear she clung to as though the stuffed animal was her lifeline.

After sitting patient for some time Willow finally heaved herself back to her feet and motioning Allison to follow her led the way outside.

Before closing the door she watched Julie for a moment but she did not seem to have noticed she was alone. That suited Willow as she had no desire to be overheard.

“Did you hear what she said when I walked out the first time? This bodes well for reaching her if she has heard me tell her of Gammon. When you get a chance, since you will be staying together, for now, try to speak of safety with the mountain to guard you. Maybe he will be our break in reaching her. Don’t try to ‘fix’ her, just talk to her like you would normally.”

“I don’t know Willow, she said too. That doesn’t sound like she was talking about Gammon, does it?”

“What do you mean? I heard her say I have a mountain. You have seen the man, what else do you think she may have meant? You have known her far longer than I have at this point.”

“Yeah, but she said too. She said, I have a mountain too.”

“Interesting, I did not catch that word. Still, I can only speculate, but she was probably saying if we have a mountain to protect us, she does also. This shows she has placed herself in the category of people he will protect. You said you had never heard her say a word before she started murmuring that number so anything is a win in this situation. When someone has been so traumatized, any win is progress.”

“Willow?”

“Yes dear?”

Why don’t I feel as unsettled as I think I should after all I have been through? I don’t feel frightened or scared or well, not much of anything but relief and peace. Why?”

Willow snorted, “You have Delany. A true-mate, even not yet mated, makes all the difference in the world. They ground you and balance you and occasionally drive you insane.”

“If I have him, where is he? Why did he leave?” Allison’s voice came across as both small and indignant at the same time. Willow wanted to laugh.

“Now you will have to take that situation up with Delany when next you see him, which should be tomorrow or the next day. He has other jobs around here and he must do them.”

“Oh trust me, I will. He will not be dumping me off somewhere and running off. Not after he is the reason I came to this dark cold armpit of America instead of going with Kate.”

Willow could not contain her laughter, “It will not be dark all year and I don’t think anyone could ever consider Alaska to be the armpit of anywhere. If you watch you can see the northern lights later. Maybe get Julie to watch them with you. Now, I have other things to do and some work to catch up on so I will swing back by later.”

Chapter Seven

Jutoh looked toward the south, he could feel his Alpha loping through the pines in his direction. Another hour, maybe more, maybe less before Gammon reached this lonely section of pack territory. As he laid his head down on his paws he could feel how close he was to walking on the other side. He was ready, he had been ready and some days he wished he had just a little bit of quit in him. But he had never been one to quit.

He remembered the day he lost his mate and child as though it was yesterday. The smell of burning wood hanging in the air. The acrid smell of ash mixed with the smell of blood and death. While he waited on Gammon he let his mind drift back to that fateful day so many centuries ago.

The pack had gone hunting. Food had been scarce that winter and the women and children needed food. Almost every male in the pack had gone out that day. The scent of fresh snow in the air, the barest hint of game on the wind.

He shook himself from his thoughts. It wouldn’t do to be deep in the memories when Gammon reached him. The past hurt them both too much to dredge it up. The loss of his mate, of his daughter-Gammon’s mate. The loss of every female and child in the village that day and of the few males not able to go. The loss of many of the males who had gone out hunting. Those males who felt the loss of their true-mates and never made it back to the village and had never been seen again. Too much, the pain was crippling.

Jutoh tried to stop the memories as the pain lashed at his soul, but this time, as many times before, the memories would not be driven down. Could not be contained. He saw the faces of his pack members, his family, the ones entrusted to his care as their Alpha. He knew every name, remembered each face. The laughing voices of the children cavorting in the snow. The gentle touch on his lips as his mate kissed him goodbye that last morning.

The soul-shattering life-tearing pain that came hours later when the pack was far from the village on the trail of game to bring home to feed their families. The agonized screams echoing through the males as they felt and heard their mates murdered. So many deaths, all avenged, too late to save the pack.

Twenty males had gone out on the hunt but only twelve returned. Eight males never heard from again except in some shattered memories as they suffered and died with their mates. Their torment ringing in the minds of the others. Twelve males out of a pack of eighty-seven. Four mated males survived. The vengeance they unleashed upon the humans that week was of nightmare proportions. Eight human villages destroyed, over a three thousand deaths before some spark of sanity returned. The hunters who struck against the shifter village were the first to die. But even those were not enough to quench the pain, the rage of the twelve males. And so the killing continued until the day Gammon, the youngest of the twelve, the newest mated, called a halt.

Reforming the twelve into a semblance of a pack, Gammon made the resolve to move to the new world and start over, far from humans. Jutoh was in no condition to oppose the plan, so lost in his world of hurt he barely remembered the few years that followed. When once again he had some spark of sanity back he found he had oath-bound himself to a new Alpha during those dark years, a mountain of a young male. A young male he had been proud to call son when his daughter had mated.

Where Gammon had picked up the additional males and females in the move had been a mystery to Jutoh for a few more decades. Now, some centuries later, he was one of the only four men left of the twelve. And he was tired. One more task he needed to perform, but he would not ask it of his Alpha except in person.

He heard the lonely howl of anguish as Gammon approached. As he lifted his muzzle his howl joined that of his Alpha. So many centuries, so much pain, worse sometimes when the two were so close in proximity. Almost as though the pain of one fed the pain of the other. Maybe, Jutoh thought, when he was gone, and Gammon no longer felt the need to come so often to his hut, the healing of his son-by-mating would be done. His last link to the pain laid to rest.

The other two came often to visit. They had not suffered the loss of a mate as he and Gammon had. But the shared history of the four forged a bond closer than any other in the pack. No one outside of the pack, or inside for that matter, knew or understood why Gammon had two Betas. In the history of the shifter world no other Alpha had two Betas, two right hands to forge a pack stronger than anyone had ever seen. Jutoh was not sure Gammon had shared his entire past with his little mate. No matter, that was something surely better left between mates.

Your pain is strong today, but your voice is weak.

This I know my son, my time she is so close. Soon will walk fields of other side and see others. What brings you now? What hell you suffer this time? The little one, she is well no?

Yes, she thrives, more so since the mystery of the missing youngsters being solved.

You no listen my accent, you little one, she fuss so at you come back with accent. Careful, you no careful. I listen you accent is here, then is there. But only there here no?

As Gammon shifted he laughed. He gestured for Jutoh to enter the house as he opened the door. Going to the closet he searched the shelf for his stash of clothing. When he turned around Jutoh was lowing himself to the rug in front of the fire. Gammon knew Jutoh rarely shifted now. The physical pain of old age seemed less of a burden in wolf form.

“I know, she does gripe about it, everyone gripes about it. I have never been able to stop myself. It is easy, so easy to follow your conversation if I revert back. If you had not stopped learning the English language you would have a better grasp on it and I would not unconsciously follow your terrible lead. You do this on purpose I think. Never till today have you warned me not to do this. Never have you scolded me for what you caused me to do with accent. Admit it, you know better English that you say. You do it to watch me struggle.”

Others they tell you so now no?

“Yes, the others finally told me what you were doing. They say you know more of this language than you let on.”

Maybe yes, maybe no. Is funny.

“It has caused much laughter in the pack over the centuries. Ah Jutoh, this life is not getting easier for the shifters. We have suffered much more than any one race should ever know.”

Tell me.

As Gammon lowered his bulk in a chair and laid his hand upon Jutoh’s back he told him of everything that had happened the last few days. From the rescue of the females to the strangeness of Shilo’s actions. When he was done he waited, not sure if Jutoh would have an answer. Over four hundred years old and he had no answer, neither had his Betas, but Jutoh was older still than all of them. Gammon believed Jutoh was the oldest of all the shifters, certainly the oldest he knew about. Jutoh was also a closely guarded secret in his pack, and from his most of his pack.

As he waited he listened to the crackling of the fire. As necessary as fire was to survival, sometimes it was also a trigger for the horror of the past. This night the horror had been tamped down by the needs of pack he held so dear. If Jutoh had no answer no one else would have one.

No mate?

“No, Shilo says neither female is his mate. He claims to love Trisah but his actions are more like a protector than a lover. His wolf demands to keep the small one, Julie safe. The description he gives for his wolf’s actions are more like true-mate protection. But his wolf says not mate.”

Ah Julie, she mother, like my Sasha?

“No Julie is a child still. I have missed your point haven’t I?”

Yes yes Julie, she mother like my Sasha, for Shiloh. You think on it. You see?

“To be honest Jutoh, I don’t see.”

I remember you pup. Always in way. Never go home. Feed you much. Grow like tree. Much protect my Sasha. Send you home you sneak back always. Finally we have Natasha. Never you give peace again. Always in way. Like son. Work like son, eat like son, protect Natasha like brother. Good thing you parents have two boys. Grow up mate Natasha. Knew would. Shilo have Julie. Julie not mate, must be mother to mate. Will be. One day. You see.

“Oh, that is, I am not sure how I will explain to the others. Jutoh, I don’t remember being underfoot all the time. My parents said you had no son to help you. They said our Alpha should have a son. A strong boy to help him. They sent me to your hearth.”

Is because you hurt. Always rubbing chest. Nightmares bout claws ripping you guts. They save you life send to me. I try return you many times. You come back always. Knew then. Speak with parents. Tell me of pain. Knew my Sasha she have for us daughter. Not then but one day. Is happened yes? I keep you as son.

“That doesn’t explain his love for Trisah though.”

Puppy love no?

“Puppy love no! Shilo is almost a hundred years old maybe a bit past that. You know, I don’t know how old he is but too old to have puppy love for someone. He is not a young pup to have his head turned by a pretty face.”

Crazy then. No explain love. It go way after. Is maybe two family he love like nephew like brother like son like protector of both? You say they sisters?

“We don’t know if they are sisters. We think they may be. Too many coincidences I think for them to be strangers. Trisah lost her family in a fire. Julie has scars from fire. They carry a family scent.” Gammon shook his head, the smell of frustration and pain permeated the small cabin.

My son is time. Call others, bring mate. I fix mistake. Is something should have done. Is right I say her daughter. Mate to son.

“Jutoh, my father, my friend, I am not ready to say goodbye. But I will not hold you to this world.”

Dimitri, Nikita, come brothers, it is Jutoh’s time. Bring Mia, he wishes to accept her as daughter. Explain to her what she must do to accept his blessing. I would not have her feel she shamed me.

Gammon felt the brief flare of pain from the two men before they quenched it from being felt by others. He bowed his head as the tears slowly traveled down his face. For over four hundred years Jutoh had been a rock in the men’s lives. Even through the lost years Jutoh had never been able to remember, he remained their rock.

Jutoh had been the one who taught them to be men, protectors, fighters, and hunters. The one to teach them how to be a pack. How to be an Alpha, leaders and providers. For all the shared pain, and despite knowing this day was coming, letting go was hard. He was a father figure to Dimitri and Nikita, but to Gammon, he was father, had been since he was old enough to toddle to the house of his Alpha to protect the mother of his future mate. Even if he had not known until tonight why he had always felt the need to go to his Alpha’s house.

The two men sat in front of the fire, not speaking, just existing in the moment until they could feel the others getting closer.

Jutoh rose to his feet, slowly shaking his fur out before beginning the shift. Gammon helped him to continue the rise to an upright position.

Voice hoarse for disuse Jutoh directed Gammon to get his clothing. He would meet his new daughter as a father should.

When the two Betas and Mia entered the cabin Gammon rose from his chair and crossed the room to catch her hand and lead her back, the other two following close behind.

In front of the fire, standing tall and proud, Jutoh waited. As Gammon went to one knee in front of the man he called father he could feel Mia kneel beside him. He felt the quiver in her hand. He felt both his Betas take their place at his back as was their right. Bowing his head he introduced his mate.

“Father, I have found a true-mate. I ask your blessing and acceptance of her as my mate and your daughter. Not to replace what we have lost but to grow what we have kept.”

Placing one hand upon Mia’s head and the other trembling hand upon Gammon’s, voice cracked with age, Jutoh gave the blessing he had withheld for over two decades. “As you are my son your mate is my daughter. I accept your mate into our family. I give you my blessing for a long life with much love and many children. May it be long before you walk the other side. My son forgive me for not accepting sooner the treasure you had been given.”

But Gammon, hearing the perfectly spoken words coming from his father’s mouth had barely heard the speech. Staring at Jutoh in exasperated disbelief all he could mutter was, “What the actual fuck father?”

“Watch mouth, is lady here no?” The trembling voice, thick with the Russian accent, had more than a hint of laughter as Gammon stared at him. Behind him his Betas didn’t bother trying to contain their laughter.

“We told you his English was better than you gave him credit for didn’t we?” Dimitri told the room at large.

Gammon watched as his father-by-mating from long ago wavered on his feet. Reaching out he steadied him, helping lower him into a chair.

Is no good son. Wish to die as a wolf. Help me.

As the three men helped him to stand Mia reached up and laid her hand upon his cheek. “Thank you father, for accepting me into your family, into your heart. I will guard your son’s heart with my life and light his soul with happiness until we find you on the other side. May your walk on the other side be joyful and full as you find my mother and sister waiting for you.” With that she bowed her head and stepped away so the men could help him remove his clothing to take his truest form one last time.

As four walked outside with the old gray wolf the last words they heard him say as he laid down with his head upon his paws, Sunset, sunrise both good time to go but nothing beat freedom of outdoors with family to guard passage to next side.

The four stood a lonely vigil over Jutoh as he breathed his last. Grief coursed through them at the loss. Gammon led Mia inside and settled her in front of the fire before returning outside to lay to rest the man he had called father for so many centuries.

The men wrestled closed the door of marble mausoleum that would forever stand watch over the northern most part of the territory and turned to walk away. If their steps were not as strong and their carriage not as straight that twilight filled day, well, no one was around to wonder why and the path back was not so short.

Chapter Eight

Allison started when the phone rang. When she picked up she was surprised to hear Kate on the other end. “Oh wow, Kate, you would not believe this place. It is night around the clock and so much room. They gave us our own house?.”

“Your own house? Look how is Julie? Are they treating her right? Marcus told me Gammon’s pack had therapists and counselors and all kinds of different people to help her. But I don’t want some head shrink poking at her. Are you keeping those people away?”

“Well, the only person who has been around is a lady named Willow so far. They did station guards outside the house, but not to keep us in. They did it to keep some other lady out. No one told us much about that but I over heard them talking. I am concerned why they need to keep someone out.”

“Do you feel unsafe? Do I need to come up there?”

“No, no Kate, everything here is great. The guys who brought us up here sat as far away on the plane as they could and had a female driver come to the hotel and get us so Julie would not be around males right now. No males are allowed to approach her but they told me I could go anywhere on the compound I wanted. Just, well, you know Julie. They don’t and something Willow said made me think maybe she is the worst rescue they have ever had in terms of mental breakdown issues. Do you want me to put the phone to her ear so you can talk to her?”

“In a minute. First, you said you can go anywhere right? Well walk outside with the phone so she doesn’t overhear me. These idiots can be so overly protective of the females sometimes they forget we need the information they are finding out. I told Marcus from the get-go, before we made it back to his territory two nights ago, anything and everything they find out about Julie I needed to know about. Told him everything had to come through me first. He tried telling me everything concerning Julie was on Gammon. You know that went down like a lead balloon. Are you outside? Do they have any kind of fence around the place, cause you know, compound, fence go together.”

“Yes. I mean no. Yes I am outside and no they have no fence unless it is far from here. This place is like some small village. I don’t know why they call it a compound. This place is huge and out in the middle of nowhere in what seems like the wilds of Alaska. Saw a moose walking down the middle of the road yesterday when we came in. They stopped so the moose could just amble down the road. When I asked why they didn’t just honk the horn or something they told me moose don’t scare easily but they do attack. So what did you have to tell me.”

Allison had spent her time looking around the house since walking outside. She had made almost an entire loop around without seeing any guards. Though the sun was not shining, and would not for a few more weeks, the twilight gloom did not seem too much for her shifter eyes. From the dusting of fresh snow on the ground she could tell no one had wandered too close to the house since the snow fell either. All the tracks were on the path leading to the main road with some few crossing in front of the house as though someone had taken a short cut to other houses.

“Okay, get this, Marcus sent a small team to Australia before we left the prison two days ago now. Told them to use their discretion in finding out what or who the number led to Julie started mumbling. Now get this, the number wasn’t hard to track once they reached there. They called and a child answered the phone. They weren’t able to get the dad or mum on the phone because the dad was out on a muster and the boy said he had no mum.”

“Okay, stop there, a muster? What is a muster.”

“Not important. Just listen. The little boy gave them his Alpha’s number because, well I don’t know why but anyway, they called the Alpha and talked to him. After talking to the Alpha our people called other people who called other people and well all hell broke lose over there. Turns out the Alpha is pretty much anti-social about letting other packs around his territory. Won’t meet with anyone, doesn’t want anything to do with any other packs. But whatever they know about Julie has to be big because this Alpha called another Alpha and they talked for the first time in like decades.”

“Yeah, so now what happens? Come on Kate you can’t stop there.”

“I think they are headed to Alaska.”

“Who? Who is headed to Alaska?”

“Well, our Beta’s mate’s grandfather is on the High Council and he is meeting the Alpha named Trevor at the airport. Trevor is going to be the go-between for this unknown Alpha and the High Council guy. The unknown Alpha,”

“Crap Kate, quit calling him unknown, what is his name?”

“If you knew how many people I have met and been introduced to and been told the names of you would not ask. Geesh, I have only been here a couple of days ago. I don’t have his name. Now just listen. Ok Alpha unknown guy is bringing his Beta or brother or something with him. The brother, cousin or whatever is bringing his little boy with him. They want Julie and they want her pretty bad. Seems a couple of years ago the Beta or brother whatever met Julie with her parents and he fell in love with her but isn’t her true-mate. He was waiting to woo her until she was closer to twenty-one. She is nineteen now, he met her when she was almost eighteen and for the last eight months no one has answered his calls. When he came to the US to find out why, no one was at the house and he could find no trace of her. Since he is not her true-mate he could not track her. Now if you remember, they brought Julie to the prison just about eight months ago.”

“So, what? You think they are going to let these strangers have Julie?”

“I don’t know what is going on. Most of the talk is happening between this High Council guy and this Trevor Alpha guy. Once they got involved Marcus said it went out of his hands. His guys are headed home in a few days. This just happened within a few hours of them reaching Australia. They didn’t even get to meet anyone. Once they made contact things blew up.”

“So, what should I do?”

“I knew I could count on you. The thing is, if no one is her true-mate then you should be able to hide her. From my understanding it will take a few days for them to get there because they have to meet with this High Council guy first. So if it is going to take them a few days to get there, and you said they have no fence you can see you need to locate something you can hide her scent with and find a place to hide her. Do you think, if you tell the tree lady what is going on she will help you hide Julie?”

“Tree lady?”

“Come on Allison, I told you the last two days have been nothing but this is so-and-so and let me introduce you to so-and-so and hi my name is so-and-so. I have tried to use some kind of, any kind of memory tricks to remember names but you try meeting an entire pack plus and keep up with everyone’s names. I mean, for the love of kangaroos Craig is a favorite of the pack and they all thought he was dead. Not only did he not die thanks to our mating but I am a witch and he has my wolf to watch over him. This place is crazy with questions and visits and food. They have brought so much food to Craig’s place I ran out of room.”

“Oh, tree lady, you mean Willow. I don’t know, I mean, I don’t know who to trust here for something like hiding Julie until we know more.”

“Well, I hate to have to trust an unknown male, but Delany is your mate to be, I have figured out they bend over backwards for a true-mate. So Delany has to almost do anything you ask. I say almost because he won’t be your slave. But if he thinks something is making you unhappy, his wolf will drive him crazy to fix it. I understand more about my parent’s relationship than before thanks to this mating.”

“I haven’t even seen Delany since yesterday morning. Some kind of almost fight happened and Gammon made him leave I guess. Willow tried to tell me he had other jobs around here, and he must, but still. I am more than a bit worried. Willow stopped off this morning to check on us but she had an air of sadness about her and she didn’t stay long. I don’t see any guards standing around the house but with negative thirty degree weather I am not staying out long either.”

“Well get back inside if it is that cold out. Let me talk to Julie. I mean, put the phone to her ear. I know she won’t say anything but, I have to let her know I haven’t forgotten her. I would hate to think she believed I abandoned her after all the other things she has been through, whatever they might be.”

Just as Allison started to step back inside the house she caught the glimpse of a wolf laying on the porch next door. She giggled as she closed the door. They still had a guard of sorts, but the wolf had, of all things, a heater on the porch keeping him warm. And he seemed more concerned about keeping his eyes on a lady walking to another house rather than on her. The lady looked a bit familiar but Allison couldn’t place why she would. She had not met her yet. She wondered briefly if the lady was the one they were being guarded against.

“Julie honey, Kate wants to say hi.” Allison adjusted the phone so Julie could hear Kate. “Okay Kate, she has the phone.”

“Hey Julie sweetie, how are you. I miss you. I hope they are taking good care of you there. If anyone tries to be mean to you get behind Allison, she will protect you. Listen, I don’t know if you understand but I did not abandon you. If you want me to come visit you I will try to get up there somehow. The guys protecting you will hurt anyone who tries to hurt you.” Kate’s voice faltered to a a halt when she heard the faintest whisper through the phone.

Kate had seldom heard Julie say anything until she had started mumbling the Australian telephone number after their rescue. Hearing the whisper from Julie caught her off guard.

“I have a mountain too.”

Kate had met Gammon. She agreed with the others, he was a mountain of a man. Kate wanted to dance for joy at hearing Julie not only speak but speak words that showed she was aware of her surroundings to some degree. Hope rose in her chest.

“You sure do. Gammon is big enough to take on anybody and win. So don’t worry about anything because your mountain will not let anyone ever hurt you again. Allison?”

“Yeah, it’s me again. She has said that phrase twice since we got here. Hold on lemme step outside and see if it is snowing again.” Allison had headed for the door almost as soon as she moved the phone back to her own ear.

Looking around as she stepped outside she noticed the wolf was still in the same spot as before and watching the house the other female had been heading toward. She was going to have to get Willow to give up some more information about the situation. As protective as these males were toward females she thought it really odd to be protecting two females from another. What were they hiding?

“Okay, I can talk now.” Before Allison could say anything else Kate interrupted demanding to know why she had not told her at the beginning of the conversation.

“I am sorry. Things are just as strange for us as they are for you. But that is what I wanted to talk to you about. Did you hear what she really said? I have a mountain too. Now Willow said she may be identifying herself as being part of the pack and this could be her way of saying Gammon is her mountain also. But something about the way she says it seems, I don’t know, off somehow. You have spent more time with her than any other female at that place. Answer me honestly. Do you think she could be saying that as a way of acknowledging herself under Gammon’s protection? A way of trying to distinguish she is also part of this pack?”

“Wow Allison, way to lay it on me. I haven’t ever heard her talk before either you know. Oh, some mumbling in her sleep but nothing anyone could use to find out any information. Some baby-like talk but no conversations, not like we have. She can sometimes answer simple questions. Even then you don’t know if the answer is random or an actual answer to the question asked. I don’t think, I mean, wow girl, help me out here. What were you doing when she first said it? What made her make the comment the first time?”

“Is Julie her real name? I never asked you how you knew her name.”

“Her necklace had the name Julie on it when they brought her in that night. I cleaned her up and I had to take it off of her to get the blood cleaned off her neck. She wouldn’t talk so I assumed the name on the necklace was hers. Now, tell me what you know.”

“Willow and I had been talking about different things, nothing important, and as Willow was leaving Julie said, I have a mountain too. I thought she sounding a bit like a petulant child will when trying to one up someone, but Willow took it another way. You heard her this time. What do you think?”

“Honestly? I would start looking for her damn mountain ‘cause honey, I don’t think she was talking about Gammon. I agree, she did sound a tiny bit like she was trying to, I don’t know, establish Gammon wasn’t her mountain, she had one of her own? But if she has her own mountain, where is he?”

“You have seen the man right? I mean my god Kate, they don’t grow ‘em any bigger than than man. He is a tank. His mate is about my height but have you ever seen them together? He has to be two feet taller than her. I want to agree with Willow, except I can’t fully accept her explanation. Something about the tone of voice and the expression on her face for a brief moment. However, Willow is the professional around here so maybe she knows what she is talking about?”

“Maybe. Let me talk to Trina and get back to you.”

“Trina? Is she the one mated to Fido?”

“I am literally rolling over here. Yes, yes she is mated to Fido and I get the Ship Me Back Box Man. The pack may never let him live it down.”

“Kate? Quit laughing and listen. What is Fido’s mate gonna do.”

Allison stood grinning while Kate tried to catch her breath. A noise off to the left caught her attention before Kate recovered so she turned. What she saw caused her blood to turn cold and she abruptly told Kate she would have to call her back and hung up the phone.

The woman from earlier was facing off with two wolves who matched her no matter which way she tried to step. At first Allison thought the woman was in danger but soon realized the wolves were staying between the other female and the house where she and Julie were staying. The woman was looking right at her. As Allison stared back she could almost feel the blood drain from her face. She took one last look at the other female and jerking around dashed back inside the house where she slammed the door and took care to bolt it also.

She may not have been involved with Julie as much as Kate but she had been there when Julie was newly arrived at the prison. She had seen Julie with long hair and a full face. She remembered how utterly different Julie looked after Kate got her hair cut by the stylist at the prison. The weight Julie had lost in the last eight months, combined with the short hair, caused Julie to look completely different than she did back then. That woman standing across the way tonight could pass for Julie’s sister if Julie still had her long hair and healthy weight. As Allison looked from Julie to the door she felt for the first time since arriving she was in way over her head. She wished Delany was around. He would tell her what was going on for certain. He would have to or she would threaten to cry. No crying sounded weak, she would threaten something.

Chapter Nine

“They what? Have you lost your fucking mind? Hell no, hell fucking no. Not happening!” Gammon was not a quiet peaceful man at the best of times so the shouting barely caused Mia to blink. At the first shout she had gotten up and wandered down the hall to his office. He would probably appreciate her being there to calm him down. She wasn’t sure who was on the other end of the phone call, but from the expression on her mate’s face whoever he was talking about was a bare step away from dying. She hoped the person was not important. The politics with the High Council always got a bit ugly when Gammon went head to head with them. Though finding out one of the High Council was involved in the rogue faction had gone a long way to explaining the problems Gammon had with them.

She tried to hear what the other person was saying. She couldn’t which in itself was a the deciding factor in determining the person on the other end of the call was William. She knew of no other shifter who could pitch their voice just right as to not be heard by eavesdroppers on phone calls. She had been trying for years to prefect that trick. Not that she had any secrets to hide, but the ability would be an achievement. She had failed every attempt so far. At one point she had even asked William how he managed the trick. Unfortunately for her, he had been doing it so long even he wasn’t sure how to do it.

Wincing she watched as Gammon seemed to expand and couldn’t help but think whatever William was saying had to be terrible news indeed. Her mate was on the verge of exploding and he did not need this, whatever this was right now. After laying his father to rest in the early morning hours her mate needed some stress-free days and cuddles from her. She studied him a moment longer before she made her move. Turning around she headed for the front door. After she was done locking up she headed for the bedroom. She could hear the yelling from the office and she could just hope that no one tried to visit and find out what was going on till she was done.

Gammon was still on the phone sputtering with rage when she entered the office a few minutes later. From his side of the conversation she knew William had located someone who knew Julie and they were headed this way. The problem was they were not coming alone. William was bringing not one Alpha but two feuding Alpha’s, another male, and possibly one other. Possibly a child or young male she wasn’t sure and at the moment she did not care. When Gammon glanced and saw her in the doorway his rant slowly came to a halt as he stared at her. When she smiled at him he hung up on William. William wasn’t stupid, he would wait a couple hours before calling back.

The outfit was new, Gammon’s favorite color, and sheer. She had no doubts at all she could calm him down and put a smile on his face. He would be more receptive to whatever new hell William was bringing their way in an hour or two. When she twirled around and darted down the hall to the bedroom Gammon was right on her heels. By the time they reached the bedroom her arms were wrapped around his neck. By the time they reached the bed, her legs were wrapped around his waist.

…

Two hours later, when the phone rang again, it was William, and Gammon was in a much better mood to deal with the situation.

“So they called the number and a child answered. That child gave the number to his Alpha who is as anti-social as me. Now really William, I am not at all anti-social. I just have a low tolerance for idiots and bull-shit and most people fall into one of the two categories. If they are not an idiot they have honed the craft of shoveling bullshit and I have no time for dealing with either.”

Mia could still only hear one side of the conversation but she knew her mate was giving as good as he was getting from his words and the expressions crossing his face. She wished, not for the first time, that she could hear both sides of the conversation. The only option available was for Gammon to open their link and let her hear what he was hearing. Neither of them agreed with such tactics in situations like this one. Private conversations, regardless of whether or not he would later repeat them to her, were private.

“You are the shifter version of a politician, of course you can shovel the bullshit better than the rest. Are you telling me no one on the High Council even knows this other Alpha? You want to bring an Alpha into my territory no one here knows anything about? William, I don’t know Trevor so telling me Trevor can vouch for him even though they are feuding isn’t a high recommendation. This Edward character has never met Julie, neither has Trevor. Tell you what, why don’t you meet them, you get Trevor to vouch for the one who actually knows Julie, and you bring that guy with you. Come alone. I will have Dimitri meet you at the hotel and bring you and this other feller back to my office.”

Mia bit her bottom lip as she watched the color rise in Gammon’s face. He didn’t play games when it came to the safety of his territory. If William was not careful none of them would make it back alive. Whatever William was saying now had set Gammon’s back up again.

“Fine, you get that guy and the little boy and bring them. Leave the two feuding Alpha’s at the hotel. Maysia and her bunch will take good care of them while they are there.”

“No William. If you want this guy to come, and you bring him yourself, and if he wants his son with him, I will allow them to come, escorted by Dimitri. But you are not, I repeat, not bringing two feuding Alpha’s to my territory. Why do they even feel the need to come into my territory? If Trevor vouches to you concerning Edward and Edward then vouches for this other feller and the little boy, why in the hell do either Alpha need to come. Leave them at the airport.”

Gammon listened another minute before hanging up the phone. Scrubbing his hand across his face he turned to Mia. “Seems my reputation has reached Australia.”

“Darling, did you hang up on William again?”

“No, sweetheart, he had his say then he took the coward’s way out and hung up me.”

Mia giggled, “Why is it when they hang up on you they are taking the coward’s way out but when you hang up on someone you are not?”

When Gammon rounded the corner of the desk Mia jumped up with a squeal. Laughing she took off down the hall. “I was teasing baby I swear.”

When he caught her and swung her up in his arms he growled, “You know exactly why it isn’t the same.”

“I know, I know, I was teasing. Don’t tickle me baby. No, please, I was teasing. I love you.” Mia could not contain her giggles as Gammon ran his fingers across her ribs.

Gammon boosted her a little higher in his arms bringing her lips even with his. As he lowered his lips to hers he whispered, “I love you more than you can ever imagine. You brought sunshine into my life when I believed I would never have sunshine again. Thank you for being the other half of my soul.” With that he kissed her. The persistent knocking on the front door recalled him to the issue at hand and he lowered Mia down, sliding her the length of his body before releasing her.

“We have to let Dimitri and Nikita inside. Come on, you unlock the door and let them in and I will grab us some beer. Bring them into the living room. We can talk as well there as the office. I need to bring them up to speed on this latest cluster fuck William is dumping in my lap. Willow should be with them, best I bring them all up to speed at the same time.

Chapter Ten

“Willow, you said if something happened or we needed you to call. I think you should come over. Something has happened.”

Allison had no clue what she should do about her suspicion but she knew Kate was too far away and frankly not mature enough to help her. From what Willow had told her yesterday she had a couple of hundred years under her belt and had been helping females for several decades. She had some formal training in abuse and counseling also. Allison needed to see Gammon and tell him what she suspected. As the thought crossed through her mind she realized Gammon and the others must already suspect something otherwise why keep the one female away.

While she waited for Willow to show up Allison tried to think of any reason the others would try to keep two females apart who were so obviously related. She watched Julie hugging her stuffed bear and rocking and wondered what it would mean for her if the other female was related. Would she be able to turn to the other female? Would they get along? Would the other female have the patience needed with Julie or would she make it worse? Scenario after scenario played through Allison’s head as she waited on Willow. By the time she heard someone knock on the door she had come up with some pretty outlandish reasons the pack would keep the two females apart. She hoped Willow could shed some light on the situation.

When she opened the door she looked over toward where the confrontation had happened earlier. She didn’t see anyone over there now. The other female was gone and both wolves were also. Leaning out further she saw one wolf was again on the porch of the other house watching her. Putting up her fist she put her thumb up letting him know she appreciated him watching out for them. Even though she still had no idea why they would do that. Grabbing Willow she dragged her into the house and locked the door behind them.

“Okay Allison, what happened.” Willow had seen Julie sitting on the couch with what appeared to be no change in her actions from what she had been doing. Julie did not acknowledge her when she sat down.

“Well, a bit ago I was on the phone with Kate and I saw a couple out there, with a female. They seemed to be protecting this house from that female and I want to know why. She is the unmated female Julie may choose to live with but the situation is tricky if I had to make a guess.”

Willow’s eyes widened, “How did you know? Did she say something to you? Did she approach the house? Did she,?” Willow stopped talking and looked at Julie. As she tilted her head toward the door she asked Allison, “Would you like to see if it is snowing again?”

Allison glanced at Julie before she got up and walked to the door. She took the time to bundle up better against the weather than she had done previously. The wind and snow was not like she was accustomed to at all. She was familiar enough with snow having come from Colorado, but not the kind of biting cold of this state.

As the two women walked around the house trying to find a break from the wind Willow asked, “What happened? I mean, you knew we were protecting this house from another female, but something more must have happened. Seeing something you already knew was occurring would not have been reason enough to call me and tell me something had happened.”

“Let me ask you a question first. Have you ever seen that other female half starved with short hair?”

“No. She was sixteen when she came here and for all that she had been a prisoner, chained in a basement for years she was well fed and her hair was long. The couple who imprisoned her spent a lot of time with her, at least the female did. They planned for her to be their daughter-by-mating and she was being groomed to be a beloved member of the family by the mother. Why do you ask?”

“You have seen Julie. We were well fed at the prison but Julie didn’t eat much. After Kate realized Julie was not going to be able to care for her hair she took over the grooming of it, or tried to. Having someone behind her doing anything to her head would start the screaming. But the thing is, the screams were silent screams. We thought she was a mute for the longest time. Kate couldn’t handle watching the silent torturous screams, no one could. So Kate finally managed to get Julie’s hair cut short. You see, when Julie came to the prison eight months ago she looked like the lady I saw today. No one could mistake them for anyone but sisters. They may look nothing alike now, but let Julie gain the weight back and grow her hair out and not one person seeing the two of them, even apart, would doubt who they are to each other. Now I think it is time you started talking and telling me what is going on. Who is that lady and why don’t you want her around Julie? Seems to me she might be the best person to have around Julie.”

Willow drew a deep breath before she turned to face Allison. “I thought so at first myself. But you see, we don’t know what Julie has been through but we do know some of what Trisah has been through. She watched her family die. Mother, father and baby sister all died in front of her. Now it seems the sister may not have died, what does that mean about the parents. Did the three of them survive and make a new life without her? Did they think she was dead? Will she feel she abandoned them or they abandoned her? We don’t know what happened to separate the two and we are trying not to cause either of them to regress. What if we are wrong and they are just close cousins in the family tree but unknown to each other? They haven’t seen each other since Trisah was eleven if they are sisters. That is over a decade ago. If we introduce them and lead them to believe, based on our guesses they are sisters, and then we find out they are not, will they feel they lost their families all over again? You see Allison, we have to explore all options before we can proceed. Both of their mental and emotional states are at state. Both of them have lived through traumatic events and we have to protect both of them, even if it means we are for the moment protecting them from themselves.”

“I see. And the phone number? The guys coming from Australia? Where do they fit into this puzzle?”

“Well that is a bit more complicated. Marcus’ guys found out who the number belonged to and the guy is headed this way. It will be a few days before they get here though. Also, we aren’t real sure how that situation is going to play out. Seems the number belonged to a guy named Dennis. Ever heard Julie say that name before?”

“No. No one has ever heard Julie speak until we were rescued. I mean, other than some words uttered in her sleep. Those were mostly just incoherent mutterings though, so, not helpful.”

“Okay, well this guy Dennis claims to know Julie and that is her name by the way. But Dennis belongs to a pack not known for getting along well with others. His Alpha is the one who they called next. His Alpha, Edward, then called Trevor and asked Trevor to help him get his guy here. That is the short version. The longer version involves a High Council member and Gammon’s refusal to have two feuding Alphas in his territory. At this point no one knows what will happen next. A lot will depend on what William finds out about these two strangers when they land in the States. Dennis has a son, a little boy, he is bringing him along. Confusing yes?”

“Yes. So basically no one knows anything yet except the number did lead to someone who knows Julie.”

Willow nodded her head, “You got it in one. Until they land in the States and High Councilman William meets with them we can’t move on any of the information we have. We must know what Dennis knows about Julie before we can decide what to do about her and Trisah. We can’t afford a setback at this stage. I told Gammon about the I have a mountain too comment. Still in the dark about that also. It is a waiting game.”

“Wow. Who knew getting rescued would bring such uncertainty and so many questions.” Allison shivered before continuing, “I am starting to freeze. We might as well go back inside. Wait, does this Trisah person have any idea of why she isn’t allowed around Julie? Does she know anything at all?”

“Nope. We are so far fobbing her off and carefully not mentioning Julie’s name. She was not around to see the two of you come in and everyone in the pack who could say anything, who knows anything, has been sworn to secrecy. Trisah is part of the pack which means everyone wants what is best for her. Julie is an unknown and although they want what is best for her, they do not want it at the expense of one of their own. They are content enough for the moment to let Trisah think you are the only female rescued and brought here.”

“I see. So what you are carefully not saying is you would like me to keep Julie inside and out of sight?”

“I would like it if you could. But you have to understand if Julie at any point seems to want to go out, we will let her. We also won’t sacrifice Julie for the sake of another. We will not let her think for one moment she is a prisoner in any way. We are walking a fine line here and I for one will be glad when those guys get here from Australia.

Chapter Eleven

As the two women headed outside neither heard as Julie whispered for the third time, “I have a mountain too.” She resumed rocking. Her screams were silent in her head. She tried to communicate with the others, but each time her body would freeze up on her, her tongue stilled against words. Lately she had been able to remember a number. She could not think who it belonged to but she knew the person would help her. If she could just get to him he would protect her. Almost she could see him in her mind. She could see the picture of him and another, a mountain of a man. But the fragments of memories never stayed long enough for her to help anyone to figure things out. She remembered the bat coming down and she had bits and pieces of memory before that of her life. Mostly though she couldn’t remember anything from before. But she remembered a mountain of a man, the Alpha of this pack made her think of him. Before she saw him she couldn’t remember much of anything except the need for silence, screaming, blood, and the bat coming down.

Since that fateful day eight months ago she had slowly recalled bits of her life from before she was captured. Most of the images came so fleetingly she couldn’t recall them even as they flitted through her mind. She had tried so many times to say something to Kate, Allison, even to Dawn. But each time a frantic whisper in her mind told her to be quiet. Sometimes she could almost remember who the voice belonged to, but the memory escaped her.

The day they were rescued, and she saw Gammon, she thought her mountain had come to save her. But he was not the man from the picture. She didn’t even remember who the man from the picture was, not either man. But she knew the number would save her. If she could just call the number. But she couldn’t. Her hands would not reach for the phone. She had to be quiet or they would come for her. They would find her and this time they would kill her. When she first got the words out, I have a mountain, too, she just knew she had overcome her body freezing up each time she tried to talk. She thought she had finally beaten her mind and willed herself to come out of the silent shell. She was wrong.

Just like when she started repeating the number. Nothing had changed. She could whisper the number, she had but now she couldn’t. Almost as if her mind knew someone else was taking care of it so she didn’t need to be able to tell anyone the number anymore. And now this mountain sentence. She wasn’t even sure what it meant or why she was able to say it. Three times now she had gotten the words out. But nothing would follow those words.

If she could tell someone the number would call her protector maybe they would act faster. But it had been three days now since she was able to say the number for the first time. Maybe her ability to talk would come back a sentence or a fragment of a sentence at a time.

The others were careful about what they said around her, mostly. But sometimes they weren’t. She knew they had figured out the number was a phone number and they were working to find out who it belonged to, or she thought they were. She wished she could ask someone if they had found out anything. She thought maybe whoever the number belonged to would know more about her. Maybe they would know about her past. She knew the phone number would lead her mountain to rescue her. She just didn’t know if the number belonged to her mountain. She wished she could remember his name. Considering she couldn’t remember her own name remembering someone else would have been an achievement. Julie sounded right, felt right when everyone called her name. She was wearing a necklace with the name Julie on it when she woke up at the prison. Kate told her that must be her name, she didn’t know for sure though.

Caught up in her silent hell Julie had time to think about things. She listened to the other girls in the prison while they were there. She hoped after the rescue, when people were talking and the number came floating into her memory, the number would lead to her mate. Maybe if she had a mate he could help her break the silence her body had imposed on her tongue. She realized though the men from the picture couldn’t be her mate. According to the others a mate can find you no matter where you are in the world. She was okay with not having a mate. She was still too young anyway. She had no idea how old she was but she didn’t feel old enough and they said her scent would change when she matured.

She wished she could remember more. The last few days had caused a battery of images to filter through her mind. Sometimes she knew if she could call the number the man on the other end would save her. Other times she knew it was the giant of a man in the picture who would save her. One picture, two men, both would protect her, but she couldn’t remember why or how she knew this to be true.

She had no idea what Allison and Willow were outside talking about but she wished she could ask them to stop hiding things from her. She wanted to know what was going on. She needed to find someone who could free her from the silence imposed by that voice in her mind. She wanted to tell them she wasn’t a child to be protected. She wanted to scream at them that she was not mentally challenged. Except she couldn’t because she was challenged. There was nothing wrong with her intellect though. She knew she had a mental block on talking but she couldn’t break it. Not being able to talk or stand up for herself or do things without freezing up did cause her to be more fragile than the others. Her mind would blank out on her and cause her to forget how to do the simplest of tasks while the voice in her head told her how important it was to be quiet.

The voice, she hated the voice and loved the voice. After a few months she had figured out the voice must have belonged to someone important in her life. Someone who cared deeply for her and knew keeping quiet would keep her safe. But she had not been able to keep quiet. She remembered the blood, she remembered screaming, but she could not remember who the blood belonged to or why she screamed.

Chapter Twelve

“Trevor, good to see you again. Where are your, good god, it can’t be.” William stared at the two men who had gotten off the plane behind Trevor. Actually he stared at one of them. The other he did not know. He could never have forgotten the face staring back at him from the massive male. It had been centuries since he had seen the male. He believed the male had died, everyone believed the male had died.

“William. From your expression either you already know Edward, or you are as surprised as most to be confronted by such a large male.” Trevor shifted his attention from Edward to William. Clearly the massive size of Edward was not the cause of the startled statement from William. Which meant they must know each other somehow. He could have saved himself a trip if he had known.

William was staring at Edward as though he was looking at a ghost. Edward, for his part seemed as surprised to see William as William was to see him. With what he knew of the male staring back at him William suddenly knew beyond any doubt Gammon would let the male into his territory. What he couldn’t figure out, with all his experience and all his centuries of diplomacy, was how was he going to tell Gammon who had stepped off the plane with Trevor.

“Edward? So this must be Dennis and, I thought you were bringing your son?” The last was directed at the male standing slightly behind and to the side of Edward.

At the question Dennis took a slight half step to the side. His half step caused the small boy behind him to step to the side in order to stay directly behind. William nodded. Looking again at the trio of men in front of him he started trying to plan. First things first though, “Gentlemen, shall we collect your luggage and figure out our next step?”

“Next step? I thought our steps were already planned out.” Trevor narrowed his eyes while looking from William to Edward.

“They were, right up until I saw Edward. He changes everything. I apologize in advance but we have to make new plans. But not here and not now.” With that comment William turned and headed in the direction of baggage claim. At least the men had already been through customs at the last airport. The original plan had been to take the men to Marcus and let them meet Kate who would then fill them in on everything she knew about Julie. Now he wasn’t sure if it would be better to call Marcus first and have him warn his pack to keep their mouths closed or whether he should call Gammon and warn him. Either way things were about to get interesting. He wondered how much the other two men knew about the one they called Edward. He wondered if they knew he was born with another name. He wondered if they knew where the man came from before he settled in Australia. Most of all, William wondered how Edward was going to react to the information he now had to tell him.

While the men collected their luggage William called Marcus to inform him of the change in plans. He was careful not to go into any details as to why the plans had to change. Initially this caused some small problem with Marcus. Finally William had convinced him the change was necessary based on information he had found out as soon as the three men had arrived. He took time to arrange a hotel suite for the men and himself after he got off the phone with Marcus.

Once they arrived at the hotel and checked in William requested a one-on-one conversation with Edward. He had no problems getting it.

Chapter Thirteen

When Mia answered the phone she wasn’t surprised to hear William on the other end. What did surprise her was what he asked. “Is your mate around and in a good mood, a very good mood?”

“You know he isn’t in a good mood William. You are part of the reason he is in such a bad mood.”

“Yes, I am aware of that Mia. I need to speak with him and his Beta’s immediately, and Mia, please be prepared. I do not know how he will receive the information I have for him concerning the Alpha I went to meet at the airport. I will give you thirty minutes to get them all around a speaker phone and Mia? Make sure you furnish them with a hefty dose of alcohol even if our metabolism does wipe it from our system before we can enjoy the effects.”

“William, what are you about to do? You have never once made any request remotely resembling the request you made now. I have to admit if I am honest, you have me concerned.”

“I am myself concerned Mia. For all our problems I have the utmost respect for Gammon. I watched that boy grow up for the first twenty years of his life. Now I have to break some news to him and I frankly have no idea if the news will be welcome or how he will react. I would prefer to break the news to him myself so please, though I would love to let you carry some of the burden because as his mate you would be able to cushion the news, I think he should hear it first from me. I am the one who gave consent for these men to travel here and meet with him. Please just tell him it is of the utmost importance I speak with him and his Betas, without telling them anything more. I don’t want him to spend his time in idle speculation about something and a rage build up about imaginary scenarios.”

Thirty minutes later, the men had speculated plenty when the phone finally rang. Gammon answered and placed the call on speaker phone. For anyone else this would not have been necessary, but William was an expert at pitching his voice to be unheard by others on a phone call.

“So what is so important this time William. I am still not letting you bring two feuding Alphas into my territory so don’t think you can get my Betas on your side. You know better. Furthermore you can not advance an argument to get me to change my mind.”

“Gammon, so good of you to take my call. I have some disturbing news to relay about our visitors. Frankly I will be honest, I haven’t a clue how to tell you this so I will just come out and tell you straight since neither of us are ones for beating around the bush. I met the three at the airport. I found out I knew the Alpha named Edward. Gammon, you know Edward. The three of you know him by a different name than Edward. Edward was born Mikhail in a little village near Mangazeya on the Taz River in the early fifteen hundreds.”

Gammon, who had just raised his beer to him mouth carefully replaced it on the table in front of him. Without saying a word he got up and left the room. Moments later the three left in the room heard the front door close. William had not spoken another word after dropping his bomb. Dimitri and Nikita turned their attention from the direction of the front door to Mia and then toward the phone. Both men looked as shell shocked as Gammon had looked when he left the room. The expressionless look only a real shock can put on a person’s face. Mia tried reaching out to Gammon through the mate bond but silence was her only answer.

“What just happened? Who is this Mikhail and why did Gammon leave and why isn’t he answering me through our bond?” The questions, directed toward the two Betas remained unanswered.

Finally William spoke again. “I am sorry. He had to know. Please, when he returns I need to know his answer.”

Mia heard the click as William severed the connection. She turned to look at the two men left in the room. Neither had spoken and both seemed to be lost in a world of their own. She watched them as they both replaced their beers on the table and when they stood to leave she jumped up and headed for the door. Turning around she looked at the two men.

“Oh no, Gammon isn’t answering. William said he was sorry for telling him. You both know what is going on and neither one of you are leaving until someone tells me something. Who is Mikhail and why did his name cause such a reaction from the three of you?”

Dimitri reached out and carefully picked Mia up and moved her to the side. Having done so both men then proceeded to leave the room still without saying a word.

Mia had rapidly gone from concerned to terrified. Whatever bombshell William had just dropped had caused more of a negative reaction than she had anticipated. She thought whatever he had to tell the men would make Gammon angry. Angry she could handle. But the men’s faces, all three had lost all expression and now Gammon had left without a word to her and his Betas were doing the same.

“Please, Nikita, Dimitri, I can’t help him if I don’t know what is going on. He is my heart and soul. Who is Mikhail? Why isn’t Gammon answering me? Where did he go? Where are the two of you going? Tell me something, please.”

The men stopped but neither one turned around to face Mia. Finally, when Mia thought they would not answer, Nikita said “Mikhail is dead.” Mia stared at the back of the men, or where the men had been. Before she could collect her thoughts or ask another question she heard the front door close again as the two men left the house.

Sitting back down on the couch she muttered, “Well obviously he isn’t dead. But who is he?”

***

Hours later the three men were standing in front of the mausoleum where Jutoh had been laid to rest. The two men had known without asking where Gammon would go. They had not been far behind him. When they had reached the hallway, and seen the clothing, they had known Gammon had taken to wolf form. They didn’t need to ask him where he had gone. Some instinct had sent the men after their Alpha. Gut wrenching horror had filled their souls as they realized what William was telling them, and what must have happened all those centuries ago.

Chapter Fourteen

“It has been hours William. What exactly are we waiting on now? Are we heading to Alaska or Marcus’ territory or what?” Trevor had known William for a few decades. In those decades he had never seen the man at a loss for words or actions. He had known the man to be decisive and diplomatic. Whatever was going on between William and Edward seemed to have caused some kind of problem.

“We are waiting on Gammon to call back.”

“Look mate, I didn’t travel around the world to play nursemaid to Edward. Obviously you didn’t need an introduction, nor does it appear you needed me to vouch for him and I think after I dropped everything to come here to vouch for man you clearly already know the least you can do is tell me what is going on.

William looked at Edward who just shrugged. Edward still had the same stunned look on his face he had gotten when finding out about Gammon. Dennis had put his son to bed and returned to the room. From the sympathetic looks he kept giving his Alpha, combined with looks of worry and concern, Edward had filled him in on the situation. Turning to Trevor William started his story.

“I was born in a little village near Mangazeya on the Taz River a few centuries ago. I stayed there until I mated. In that time I watched Edward here grow up in that village and take a mate. A few decades later I watched his brother grow up. I left before Gammon mated, but everyone knew from the time the female child was born who he would mate. I think Jutoh knew before the child was even born. Everything else I am about to tell you is here-say. I wasn’t there to see what happened and back then news traveled slowly and sometimes not at all.

A few years after mating the Alpha’s daughter, Gammon, along with most of the males of the pack left the village to go on a hunt. Not so unusual back then. Edward here was one of those men. While they were gone human hunters attacked the village. Everyone in the village was killed. The men were too far from the village to make it back in time to help. The one’s who were true-mated, well, most of them did not survive.

Twenty males left that day but only twelve returned. Eight mated males died that day far from their village. The Alpha and his son-by-mating were the only two mated males to survive the loss. The details of the following weeks are a bit light on details but let’s just say the males were not in the best of shape mentally for some time. Gammon became the Alpha of the pack and slowly began to build the pack again.

Until today when I saw Edward I believed the story of the eight males who never made it back, the ones who died far from their village of mate-loss. Until I called Gammon he believed the eight males had been lost. Edward here is proof at least one of the mated males survived.”

“I see. So you told another Alpha he basically left a pack member to fend for himself after losing his mate. Now he has to be wondering how many of those other seven men could have lived. Now he will be trying to come to terms with leaving pack members behind and not even knowing how many he could have left, how many may have survived if they had help. I understand why we are still sitting here waiting on a phone call.”

“I have only ever known two other males to reach the size of Edward here, his father and his brother. His father was one of the males left in the village that day. They found his body trying to shield his mate.”

Trevor had nothing to say after William delivered his news. He did not know Gammon personally but he had heard tales. Gammon was said to be fiercely protective of his pack. Trevor would not want to be in either man’s shoes this day. He had wondered about the strange expressions on Edwards face throughout the day since William and he had their talk, but he didn’t know the man enough to understand what the expressions meant. He knew the man to be fiercely protective of the ones under him. He knew him to be highly territorial, more so than most Alphas. He understood a bit better why now. A man who had lost everything would be doubly careful of who intruded upon his territory.

“If that is the news you delivered to the man today, I don’t mind waiting for that phone call. With the kind of news you dumped on the man I don’t expect we will even get a phone call today. The trip here took over twenty-seven hours so I am going to call it a night, even though it is still early.” With that comment Trevor turned and walked into the bedroom he had picked out. Closing the door behind him he regretted once again agreeing to come. Especially since he wasn’t even needed in the end. He agreed because of the female. He did not know her, had never heard of her, but if a female needed help he would always agree to help. This time had been no different. Who knew, maybe his mate was living in that fancy school Gammon had up there in Alaska. They did not send their females to Gammon to protect, at least he didn’t know of any. But females were scarce in Australia also.

As Trevor settled down on the bed he thought about the story William had told. In all truthfulness he wasn’t needed anymore. He wouldn’t mind stopping off and meeting the Alpha of the little terror he had recently hosted with some of his pack. But if he requested to go to Marcus’ he could lose the chance to visit Gammon’s pack. The chances of him finding a mate were slim, but they had to be better at Gammon’s than at Marcus’. Decision made he closed his eyes. He could not imagine what the two men were going through and intruding upon the grief, sorrow, and guilt they must be working through was not in the best interest of the future Trevor was trying to build. Tomorrow he would talk with William about continuing on to Marcus’ to try to forge another deal.

Seems he spent half his life lately trying to forge deals with other packs to let males and females visit. He had no idea how Marcus would take to his idea but for the sake of the two unmated mature females, the one baby born recently in his pack and the dozens of unmated males he had to try. The longer the females stayed unmated the greater the chance a rogue would find them and take them. He knew the females had no mates in his pack, not even the baby had a male come forth to claim the right of protection so he had to find another way. The possibility existed one would be born soon for the baby, though in his memory no male was ever younger than the female, but he had to cover all his basis. If one of the small male children in his pack was a mate for the baby the boy would have already started camping outside the house trying to protect the house even if he had no understanding of what was going one.

One pack at a time. He would try one vetted pack at a time. He had William vetting the packs for him and from his understanding Gammon vetted them for William. Most of the time the Alphas he had spoken with did not want to allow his males to visit. If they refused his males he never even offered to send his females.

Well, he would just continue with his plan after a few minor adjustments. He had three Alphas to meet with in this country. Only two had been guaranteed, Marcus and Trey. Gammon had been a long shot from the beginning. He had heard Gammon didn’t allow other Alphas unless they were bringing a female to stay, or had a female at the school. Marcus did not have any unmated females except a couple of toddlers if William was correct. William wasn’t even sure of that bit of information. Trey also had a couple of underage females. In both cases, according to William, no mates had shown in their packs. Trevor knew if he started sending a male or two at a time to visit the others and they proofed for the mate-bond he would lose that pack member. He was prepared to lose some men if it meant they would find their mates. Who knew, after the female reached the age where the male went from protector to mate the couple might chose to relocate back to Australia. Of course by the same token he could gain a couple of males if the females he had refused to move. The males always went where the female felt the most secure. Maybe in the old days going to the pack most needful of the skills of the couple had been the way to go, but those days were long past.

He would have to make those arrangements first thing in the morning. Better a sure thing with two Alphas than a possibility with an Alpha like Gammon. Maybe Gammon would appreciate him backing out with the current event. He couldn’t imagine living with what Gammon must be going through right now.

Chapter Fifteen

Gammon leaned his head against the mausoleum. When he had left his house his only thought was to go to Jutoh. He had forgotten Jutoh walked the other side now. He wanted answers. He wanted to understand. He was halfway to the cabin before he remembered his father was no longer there to answer questions. He needed time though so he kept running. He could feel Dimitri and Nikita following him.

When he reached the cabin he had taken time to change clothes and wait for the other two men. They weren’t far behind. Now all three men stood outside the mausoleum, silent sentries to a man no longer with them.

“I felt them die. I felt their pain. How could Mikhail have survived and me not know? Why didn’t he call out? Did he call out to us? Were we so blinded by our own hurt we didn’t hear his? What will I say to him? What will we say? Eight, we left eight of our own on that snowy tundra that day. Did we condemn them to die by not searching for them? What happened to the other seven men?” The anguish in Gammon’s voice was an echo of the anguish in all three men’s souls.

Some bit of remembered conversation trickled through Gammon’s head. Jerking up he looked at the other two men. His best friends, his Betas and the only other two left alive who knew what happened all those centuries ago. If his anguish was great how much anguish must they be living. They had not lost a mate so in theory they should have been able to feel Mikhail still lived. They should have known if others survived. At least, Gammon was certain those thoughts would be the ones going through Dimitri and Nikita’s minds. His pain was great but theirs had to be equal to his. He could not change the past but he could forge the future.

“The little one, Julie, she spoke words other than numbers. According to Willow the little one claims to have her own mountain. Perhaps her mountain will have finally found someone to heal his heart and soul if we get him up here.”

Dimitri looked at Gammon, his mind still trying to cope with finding out he left part of his pack behind. At first the words Gammon had spoken did not penetrate his thinking, when they did he pointed out the flaw, “If he was her mate then he would have found her. He would have moved the earth to find her.”

“Not if she never met him. Mikhail’s Beta was the one who found her in the States. Found and fell in love with her according to William. But without the true-mate bond he could not track her.” Gammon turned toward the cabin as he spoke. He was too old to run away and if the shock had not been so great he never would have left his house. He sent a mental caress to Mia and let her know they were returning home.

While the men changed out of their clothing and closed up the house they discussed the situation concerning Julie.

“All I am saying is the little girl claims to have a mountain of her own. How many shifters have you ever seen reach the size of myself and Mikhail? Not counting our father.”

“Truthfully? None, I have never even met a human the size of you or your brother in over four centuries I have walked this earth. But if she never met him how would she even know about him?” This time Nikita was the one to point out the flaw in the reasoning.

“Sure, I will grant you we don’t know the whole story but let me ask you something. If you met a girl and fell in love who would you tell her about to convince her you could protect her better than anyone? Shit it’s cold. Shift now, we can finish this as we run. I am too old to stand outside in this kind of frigid weather discussing anything.”

The pack, I would tell her of the pack and the Alpha who leads the pack. I would … are you saying the guy Dennis probably talked up his pack and his Alpha, who is just as much of a mountain as you are and that is all the poor child has to go on and is using something she heard to claim protection from Mikhail? Shit I will never remember to call him Edward. I guess if I can learn to call you Gammon over the name you were born with I can learn to call Mikhail Edward. Now do you see why Dimitri and I never changed our names. Ought to stick with the name you were given when you were born is all I am saying. Always gotta make things difficult for other people. Nikita took a moment to throw in the old argument.

Kicking up snow as they ran the men were silent, mulling over the situation with Julie. A few miles had passed before anyone spoke again.

I admit Nikita and I have only second hand knowledge of how a true-mating works but I think you have to at least be in the vicinity for the wolf to know. The child is not mature and has never met Mik-Edward so how could she possibly link any talk Dennis may have had with her to having her own mountain? I don’t think she could have been talking about Edward. I think she had see you as her protection also. If Allison was going to claim you as her Alpha and by extension her protector and her mountain then Julie probably wants to fit in. God knows she couldn’t have fit in at the prison from what I have heard.

I don’t know. What did Jutoh say about how I was as a pup around his mate. Always underfoot and they had not even had my Natasha. We don’t understand and never have understood how the magic of true-mating works. I never should have been given a second true-mate. Everyone would have said it does not happen. But I have Mia and no one can deny she is mine.

Gammon, I never felt him. I mean, I felt him die, just like the others. How could he have lived and me not feel him? Did others survive and we left them to die? Dimitri could not hold his anguish in any longer.

Stop it. We failed our pack. We can’t fix the past. All we can do is forge a future greater than any our past could ever give us. Now we have to find out if Mikhail can ever forgive us.

Best learn to call your brother Edward. You know how touchy you were trying to get the pack to call you Gammon when you took a new name.

Nikita?

Yeah?

Shut up.

I am just saying.

Great you had your say. You have had that same say for over two hundred years. You don’t like the name, we get it. Guess what? I don’t give a fuck. I do have a plan though so speed up I want to get back to Mia. She is climbing the walls right now. The entire pack felt me blank out against everyone and she has done nothing but field phone calls for the last four hours. The two of you might want to open the pack bond back up. I am not the only one the pack is concerned about right now. Apparently we gave them a shock when all three of us went blank. Prepare to be bombarded though, I have been reassuring everyone we are still alive for the last few minutes. Perhaps we should not all three go silent on the pack again. Next time we get a shock like today what say we take turns dealing with it.

Yeah sure man. I will make sure to put that on my to do list. I have a better idea. Let’s not get anymore shocks like this one. Honestly bro, I don’t think I could handle it. Losing Jutoh yesterday. Finding out your brother is still alive today. My shock-o-meter is full for the next five centuries. I think William went above and beyond when meeting your challenge of not letting two feuding Alphas in our territory though. Next time you issue such a challenge try to warn us.

Nikita?

Yeah man, I know, shut up. Gammon?

Yeah?

You know how I always said I never wanted to find a mate because I watched what losing one did to you and Jutoh?

Yeah Nikita. We have also noticed you disappear every time a new female is brought up here. As if disappearing will make the mate-bond not stick when you do show back up.

Yeah well, whatever. Why you always have to give me grief about that? Anyway, I think I have changed my mind. Hey why did you stop? I thought we were in a hurry? Nikita slowed to a walk and turned around to stare at Gammon and Dimitri. Both wolves had abruptly stopped at his pronouncement and were just staring at him.

What the fuck did I just say about having enough shocks for one day?

Actually Gammon, you did not say that, Nikita was the one to say something.

Dimitri?

Nope Gammon sorry, not shutting up. Nikita, shut up. I am with Gammon on this one. No wait, no sorry Gammon, I really have to know why Nikita changed his mind. Go on Nikita, if Gammon gives you any more grief, we can take him. I mean, together, with a few more of the pack, while he sleeps, if Mia will tie him down first but we can take him.

Ok fine. I admit, I am curious also. Come on, if we don’t get back soon Mia will probably tie me down for you. Talk and run, talk and run.

Well, I have been thinking. You know when we get back the first thing you are going to do is go to Mia. She can’t fix your problems but she damn sure can hold you while you work through them. I realized today when we were standing outside the mausoleum, I have never known what it was like to have someone hold me through the rough times and celebrate the victories with me. I have pack and I have always considered pack to be all I wanted. But finding out about Mikhail was probably the worst shock and the best and worst news I have gotten in almost four hundred years. I wanted, just for a moment, to have that one person who is the other half of my soul to hold and tell me everything would be alright. Even if that was a bald faced lie, just to know they cared enough to want to fix it. So I have been thinking on the run back, I want to do a bit of visiting. Maybe I could find my mate if I visited a couple of other packs.

You would leave the pack?

Don’t be stupid Dimitri. If I can’t convince the female to move to the most secure pack territory in the world them maybe she isn’t the right one for me.

Dimitri? What about you?

Me? Oh hell no Gammon. I am not interested in looking for a mate. I know if one shows up here I will be happy and being mated will be all I want. But no need to go looking for trouble. No, if trouble is going to come to me she will have to find me here.

I will be sure to tell Mia you consider mates to be trouble.

Hey wait man. Now I didn’t say anything about Mia. I know what this is. She is cooking pot roast tonight isn’t she? Low man, very low. You know she cooks enough for me and Nikita every time. Why are you trying to cheat me out of my pot roast?

Chapter Sixteen

Mia looked around the table at the men. She wasn’t sure what they had been arguing about earlier when they got back to the house. She did know Gammon tried for the hundredth time to uninvite his Betas to supper. Every few weeks, when she cooked pot roast, Gammon tried to pick a fight with his Betas. She would have thought he would have tired of it after a decade or so. She was just glad the shock had worn off enough for the men to be back to some semblance of normality.

“Did you call William back?” Mia was glad Gammon had told her what was going on before he got back to the house. Waiting on him had given her time to curl up on the bed and cry for his pain and his losses. She wasn’t sure yet how to treat him and the other two. She could not understand what they must be going though right now. Gammon could share his pain with her, but usually he tried to mute it. Once he had opened back up the pain had washed through the entire pack and even Gammon had not been able to stop the wave of pain from reaching everyone. The phone calls that occurred after that made the ones before seem like idle chit-chat, and the constant mental conversations everyone was trying to juggle had given her a headache on top of the aching of her heart for her mate.

Without knowing the full story the pack was confused as to why their Alpha, after finding out his brother was still alive, seemed more hurt than happy. Most of them ended up chalking the pain up to lost and wasted years.

“I called him while you were taking up the food. Willow should be here soon. I filled her in on what I thought could be going through Julie’s mind in relation to her mountain of her own statements. William should be sending a picture of Edward and Dennis and the little boy soon. I asked him to send one of each and then all of them together. When we get those pictures I will forward them to Willow’s phone and she will go talk to Allison. I thought about calling Kate, but she wouldn’t know anymore than anyone else.”

“Why didn’t you invite Willow to eat with us?” The words were barely out of her mouth before three sets of eyes stared at her in disbelief. She watched as all three men pulled their plates a little closer and hunched over them a tad bit more. She loved making comments about inviting others during her pot roast dinners. She didn’t think the men even realized how they suddenly protected their plates as if she was going to take one and give it away. Every single time, without fail the men reacted the exact same way.

“No need, she said she was going to eat with Julie. Her mate is pulling sentry duty so she thought she could get some more time in with Julie and let Delany take Allison out to the restaurant to eat. The only way Allison can get time with Delany right now is for someone to stay with Julie. See love, it all worked out for the best. Besides, you hardly fixed enough for the four of us, much less anyone else. I wouldn’t have wanted her to feel as though she was making us do without.”

Mia looked at the three men then down at the table at what was left of the two pot-roasts. She then looked back at the men being sure to catch each one’s eyes. She wanted to laugh at the guilty looks the men were trying so hard to hide. Like little boys with a treat they did not want to share but scared they would get in trouble if they didn’t at least offer.

Before she could say anything she heard Gammon’s phone going off in the office. Jumping up she told them men to keep eating and she would grab the phone and come straight back. She needn’t have bothered. The men had lost all expression and now, instead of looking like guilty little boys they looked like grown men headed to the gallows. As she raced down the hall to get the phone she thought she understood the change in expression. The men were about to see a picture of someone they thought long dead. A man they felt they left to die. A man they all felt they abandoned when he needed them the most. It didn’t seem to matter to Gammon that he had been so lost back then he barely remembered the weeks and months following the attack. It did not seem to matter to him that just as he could not feel Edward, Edward could probably not feel him. Gammon didn’t see things that way. She had pointed out to all three men while she held Gammon that the pack bond worked two ways. Edward had probably thought they were dead also. He probably had the same thoughts they had when he first heard. He probably felt he had abandoned them to die, if he even knew about Dimitri and Nikita. Which Mia was not sure was the case since William had not said one way or another.

Mia grabbed the phone being careful not to look at the screen. She wanted desperately to see this brother of Gammon’s but she thought the men who suffered the most should be the first one to see the pictures. When she returned to the dining room the men were still in the same position, with the same expressionless faces. She gave a deep sigh as she handed the phone to her mate. The other two men got up and came around behind him and watched as he swiped the screen and opened the app. Mia heard a sharp intake of breath from one of the men but she wasn’t sure which one made the sound.

Finally she couldn’t take the suspense anymore. The men had been staring at the picture for at least a minute without moving. They had said not one word nor had she seen Gammon swipe to look at one of the other pictures William was suppose to send. Shoving Nikita she finally got his attention enough to get him out of her way so she could get close to her mate. When she reached for the phone Gammon turned it around so she could see the picture.

She couldn’t stop the gasp of surprise or the started comment, “He looks like you.”

“Well, since Mikhail is the oldest I would say, Gammon looks like him.”

“Potato, patato Nikita, and his name is Edward. You might want to try to remember that.”

“Yes Mia, sorry Mia. But you know I am right. The oldest can not look like the youngest because,”

“Nikita, shut up.” Gammon growled.

Before another argument could start someone knocked on the door.

“That will be Willow. Go let her in Nikita. We will meet her in the living room. I will grab us some beers.”

Chapter Seventeen

Willow knocked on the door and waited for Allison to open it for her. She was still reeling a bit from what Gammon and the others had to tell her. Gammon had sent the pictures to her phone but she was in unchartered waters with what she was about to try. She had considered talking to the other counselors and therapists to get their view of what she was going to try but in the end she decided to let the consequences rest solely on her shoulders.

“Willow, I thought you were headed home for the night?”

“I was, but something came up. I need to see Julie again. Is she still up?”

“Julie? Yes, she is, well come in, sorry I am still a bit excited about getting to spend the evening with Delany. So what happened? You said something came up?”

“Yes, I am going to try something. I would appreciate if you would sit beside Julie on the other side and I will sit here.” Willow settled down and pulled her phone out. “Julie, honey, I have a picture for you to look at on my phone. Look sweetie. Do you know this man?”

Julie stared at the phone. Her hand trembled as she reached out and touched the screen. The voice in her head was whispering for silence again. Touching the phone with her finger she tried to get the words out but her throat was locked up against all sound. The voice continued to beg for her silence. She turned her head toward Willow then back toward the phone. She knew that man. She didn’t remember meeting him, she didn’t know how she knew him, but she knew him. Memories started to flash through her head. A man, not this man, holding a picture. The picture had this man and the other man and a little boy. The little boy was laughing at the camera. She turned back to look at Willow but Willow didn’t say anything. She seemed to be waiting. Julie felt a tear trickle down her cheek.

Moving the phone slightly Willow brought up another picture. This picture had a sleeping little boy. The boy could have been the same as the one from the picture in her memory but it was hard to tell. Willow again changed the picture and this time Julie knew, she knew that man. A memory flashed, gone almost as fast as it arrived. The little boy being held in the man’s arms, laughing, reaching for her, kissing her cheek. The man, reaching out a finger and running it along her cheek. Both of them waving goodbye as they walked away. Julie struggle to remember more but the memory was gone again. She felt her shoulders slump. Willow again changed the picture back to the first man. Julie, seeing him again, felt if she could reach through the phone and touch him everything would be alright. No one could ever hurt her again. A name flashed through her mind then, “Edward.”

She heard Willow gasp. “Yes sweetie, that is Edward. Do you know him? Damn, don’t listen to me, that was probably the most incredibly stupid question I have ever asked anyone in my entire life. Of course you know him. You would not have said his name otherwise.”

Julie wanted to tell her she was wrong. She did not know Edward. But the words wouldn’t come. Allison was rubbing her arm. She could feel the excitement radiating from both women. Allison was bouncing a little on the couch.

“Julie? Look at me honey. Do you want Edward? Do you want us to get Edward for you?”

Julie looked back at the phone. She reached out to touch the picture again. Hope flooded her for the first time in what seemed like a life time. She nodded her head. She felt Allison jump up from the couch. When she glanced away from the picture she saw her reaching for the phone. Willow noticed what she was doing also.

“Oh my god girl I know you are not calling Kate. Honey, you are in Alaska. Do you know the time difference between where Kate is and here? Don’t wake her up. You can call her first thing in the morning. The news will not change.”

Julie watched as Allison reluctantly put the receiver back on the base. She didn’t blame Allison one bit. She wished she could call Kate also. She looked back at Willow and then down at the picture again and back up. She wished the voice would stop telling her to be quiet. She hunched her shoulder when she saw the bat coming at her head again. She knew it was a memory but sometimes it seemed so real.

“Oh honey, they found Edward for you. All three of those fellows are on the way here. They live pretty far away though so they won’t be here until tomorrow sometime. Are you going to be okay here tonight? You looked tired when I walked in but you look vibrant now. Not so much like a wilting flower. Can I have my phone back?” Julie had taken the phone and was cradling it like a baby. Willow wished she did not have to ask for the phone back but one of the other females might need her and since they were not pack they could not call through the bond for her.

Willow watched as Julie shook her head and held the phone tighter. Biting her lip she tried to think of a solution. She smiled as she realized, Shiloh was on duty tonight and he would do anything for this girl. Even give up his phone. Touching Julie’s arm to get her attention again Willow told her, “I will be right back, I am going to get you another phone and put the pictures on it for you. We will have to see about doing something else tomorrow. But for tonight you can use Shiloh’s phone.”

Jumping up Willow went to explain the situation to Shiloh. She knew Gammon had explained to Shiloh about why he probably felt the way he did around Julie, but why he felt the way he did about Trisah was still a mystery. The logical conclusion was love, if love could be called logical and if the reason Shiloh felt as he did was correct, anything with Trisah was out the window. Willow stopped in her tracks on the way back inside. Turning back to Shiloh she told him, “Gammon has new information about Julie, you need to get someone to cover for you and go see Gammon. Tell him I sent you. He will know what to do.”

Willow would bet Gammon had not for a second given one thought to how Shiloh would react if Julie followed these guys back to Australia. Shiloh was sure to demand to go with them. Of course, it was possible he would just demand to go once Julie gave birth to a female child of her own. That could be decades away, even a century or so since female shifters were fertile for the entirety of their long lives. Oh well, the males were not her problem, just the females. Except, Willow couldn’t lie to herself even if she wanted. The mental health of the pack was her business, both males and females. Well, she would just have to wait and see what happened.

Later, as she closed the door behind herself and walked to Gammon’s to update him she realized, Trisah was still a question. How did Trisah and Julie fit together? Hopefully this guy Dennis would have some answers. The biggest question she had now, the question all of them had, how did Edward fit into the situation. If Julie had never met him, was some part of her matching up with him or was she considering him her safety because he was Dennis’ Alpha?

Chapter Eighteen

The men were testy after yet another day of travel. Trevor had stayed behind at the hotel to wait for Jaden and Trina to come get him. He had told William his thoughts on intruding upon the family reunion and William had agreed. From the look on William’s face he was not looking forward to being part of so intimate an occasion either.

According to William someone would be meeting them at the airfield when they landed. From there to the edge of the territory was still some distance and even after they reached the territory they would have another forty-five minutes to the compound.

Edward and Dennis had talked through their pack bond for most of the trip. Edward still felt guilty about leaving his brother to die. He had no idea if his brother would be able to forgive him. According to William, Gammon, the name his brother was going by now, felt the same way. And if his guilt was not enough William said Dimitri and Nikita had also survived. Well, they had not been mated so their survival should not have been a surprise. But it had been. Edward had been so hurt for so long and so lost he never realized anyone could have survived. It stood to reason none of the unmated males would have died. But reason was long in coming for Edward back then. He could not help the guilt that racked him for not even looking for others from the pack. His loss had been so great, his hurt so strong, his mind had insisted everyone had died.

The only explanation Edward and Dennis had been able to reach was the attack had shattered the pack bond. No other explanation could explain why Edward did not feel his brother or anyone in the pack after the attack. Dennis had no idea how to help his Alpha. He had known the story of Edward’s past but he wasn’t around back then.

When the plane touched down at the tiny airfield and the men disembarked from the plane Edward had wondered who would be meeting them. William had told him he wasn’t sure. Dennis noticed William and the pilot did not get off the plane. Dennis, holding Kurt, stopped when he saw the men getting out of the SUV. He didn’t need anyone to tell him who was meeting them. He held back and watched as the four men met again for the first time in centuries. Looking at the expressions on the faces of the four men he didn’t think anyone would blame him when he turned around and re-boarded the plane. Some reunions didn’t need spectators even if the spectator was the Beta and right hand man for Edward. As he settled back down near William he noticed the man looking at him questioningly.

“All three of them met the plane. I thought that was one meeting I did not need to be in.”

“They will come for us when they are ready.” William settled back in his seat prepared to wait.

***

“So you are telling me you have never met the child, only Dennis and his boy met her? So no idea at all why the only name she has spoken would be yours?”

“None. To tell the truth I wasn’t sure about us getting involved at this point. Dennis isn’t her true-mate, he admits that but he does want her as a mate if she will take him when she reaches maturity. He realizes, we both realize how much she could have changed in the last eight months. She may not even want him anymore. She was favorable to the match before she was taken. I had spoken with her parents and given them permission to visit. But Dennis and I have spoken in length about the situation since we got the phone call. Don’t get me wrong mate, he still wants her, but he loves her in her own right. After all she has been through the only way she may ever heal is with a true-mate. You and I both know what a true-mating does for a couple. If she is as mentally and emotionally damaged as you say, Dennis will not be the best male for her no matter how much he loves her. We are not children to claim a toy just because it is pretty. She is to be treasured and protected, and the best way for us, or rather Dennis to help her may be to let her go. He is prepared to do so if it seems in her best interest. He is prepared to stay and help try to bring her out of her shell if your counselors think that is the best way to help her. Whatever it takes Gammon, we will help her. We did not come up here to try and take her away. Our place would be just as strange to her as here. If she was from our pack, or had ties to our pack other than the love of my Beta, we would request she be given into our care. But from what William has told us of your setup here I think at this point trying to take her away would not be in her best interest.”

Gammon nodded as his brother finished talking. “I am glad to hear you say that because we were concerned about how he would react. I am glad to find your honor is as strong today as it was when we were younger. The question is where do we go from here and we won’t know until Julie makes some sort of decision. Unfortunately unless she starts to talk she can’t make a decision. And the only things she has said so far is your name and one other phrase.”

“So we wait. We have waited eight months for word of her, we will wait as long as an honorable male would be expected to wait for her decision.”

Gammon laughed, “Which means until the end of time. We will cross my territory boundary just after that tallest tree up ahead.”

Two minutes later the laughter had turned to snarls.

“Both of you?” Gammon looked at Dennis and Edward in disbelief mixed with a bit of frustration a dash of aggravation and just a touch of anger. He also felt the bonds of guilt loosen just a little.

How is that possible? We have never had anything like this happen before. Both of them? At the same time? Who do you think mate-called their wolves? Dimitri asked.

We have eighteen unmated females, so it could be any of them. The only one we can mark off is Julie for Dennis. He already met her and knows she is not his mate. So now what oh fearless leader?

Nikita?

Yeah yeah I know boss man, shut up.

Gammon looked back at Edward to see him steady rubbing his chest and muttering impossible over and over.

“Apparently not as you can no doubt feel. As unexpected as this was, I can not say I am not happy.”

“Mate, if that is your happy face I don’t want to see your unhappy face.” Edward told him.

About then Dennis, who had uttered few words on the trip to the pack lands other than I feel my mate as the vehicle passed the boundary line looked over at his Alpha. “Well chief if you don’t want to see his unhappy face you should try to be a little happier more often. That is the face you show the pack most of the time. If you don’t like it you probably should stay away from mirrors also.”

“I see you have your own Nikita to deal with.” Gammon laughed.

“If she is underage she stays here. I will let you know that upfront. If she was placed here with her family she will be returned to her family as long as I feel the Alpha of her pack will protect her while you, either of you, do the proper thing. I will not and do not release a female to a male on his say so alone. I never have and I will not start now.”

Silence reigned in the car for the remainder of the trip. When Nikita pulled up in front of the office and everyone got out Gammon and his Betas watched Edward and Dennis. Edward turned toward the house with Julie while Dennis faced toward other houses. The house with Julie inside was at such a vantage point Gammon was almost certain Edward had just mate-matched with Julie but Dennis was less clear. They did not have long to wait though, and they did not have to go in search of the female.

While the men watched Trisah bolted out of her house looking around wildly. Gammon heard her voice through the bond, Gammon? My wolf just went crazy. What happened?

Almost the same instant he heard Dennis give a soft whisper, “My mate.”

William, watching all five males while holding the little boy heard three of the men start to swear. He watched Trisah approach and wondered how Gammon planned on handling this latest event. Life in the shifter world had certainly gotten more interesting in the last year.

Chapter Nineteen

“You don’t have to keep looking out the window. I told you Gammon will let us know as soon as he rounds the last bend. Every sentry so far as told us when they passed. The whole pack is waiting to meet the brother they never knew about so come sit down.”

Allison snorted, “He may let you know but I can’t hear the pack bond yet. Delany said I will probably not be able to until we go through the mating ceremony. We are on pins and needles waiting for word. Where are they? Look at Julie, she can’t wait either.” Allison waved her hand behind her in the general direction of the couch where Julie was sitting.

“Oh yes, I can see. Julie is bouncing off the walls waiting. You don’t happen to know what time the poor child, the poor sleeping child I might add, went to bed last night do you?”

Allison jerked around and stared at Julie who was currently slumped over on the couch holding her bear. Shooting a guilty look at Willow she shifted from foot to foot. “Uh, well, about that, you see what happened was, it was not my fault.”

Willow raised her eyebrows, “What was it that was not your fault, exactly?”

“Fine, what happened was after you left Julie handed me the phone. Now you have to realize how shocked I was for her to hand me anything at all much less the phone. I thought she wanted me to call this Edward character and I even told her I had no idea how to get in touch with him and if he was traveling I probably couldn’t reach him anyway. But she just kept pointing to the phone and doing her hunch-duck movement. You have seen it, like she is expecting someone to hit her. Well I can’t stand when she does that ‘cause if she does it enough you start to hunch and look up trying to see what is about to fall on you. Whatever was bothering her mattered enough she kept doing it. So I started going through names, short list but I asked if she wanted me to call you, Gammon, Mia, I am telling you every time I named someone she would look up and do the hunch-duck movement. By the time I finally asked if she wanted me to call Kate she had me ducking an imaginary attacker.”

“So you called Kate.”

“Exactly. I called Kate. Her mate was not best pleased with me for waking them up.”

“What did calling Kate accomplish,” Willow’s eyes widened, “Did Julie talk to her?”

“No, I wish. Apparently the phone call was so I could fill Kate in on everything happening and tell her about Edward. Of course that is when Craig got involved and then someone they call Fido, then Marcus got involved. Everyone wanted pictures of Edward. Then to top it all off Fido’s mate has a twin sister and Gammon is uncle by mating to them so Trina had to call her sister on three-way to us which got the sister’s mate involved. I lost track of the people at that point. Suffice it to say we didn’t get much sleep last night. But we did become the most popular females around for awhile since we had to scoop on Gammon having a brother. But don’t worry, I swore everyone to secrecy about Edward.”

Willow stared in fascination at Allison, “You woke up the Alphas from two different packs to tell them about Edward?”

“Don’t be silly. I only woke up Kate. Everyone else is Craig’s fault. Kate and I were having a nice little chat about all the stuff going on until Craig took the phone away from her. Freaky shifter hearing is not my fault. He had no business listening to a private conversation.”

“But, the Alphas from two different packs.” Willow stared in awe at Allison.

“I am telling you it was not my fault. I only called Kate.”

“So what did Julie do during this whole conversation which eventually involved the Alphas from two different packs.”

“She listened. She didn’t say or do anything. She just sat beside me and listened to everyone talking.”

“Me thinks Delany is going to have his hands full with you. Jumping out of helicopters, calling people in the middle of the night, waking up the Alphas from two different packs.” Willow started laughing as she considered the entertainment value the newest pack member had already brought to the pack. She could not wait to tell her mate about this one. She considered calling him through their bond, but she wanted to see his face when she told him this latest story. Before she could ask any more questions she heard Gammon announce his arrival. He had requested everyone give them some time before coming out to greet Edward. The plan was to come straight to this house so Julie could see the men. The hope was Julie would react favorably and if not they would have the rest of the day to formulate a new plan.

According to Gammon those plans had just changed. He did not sound pleased through the bond.

Chapter Twenty

“Inside, everyone inside. Dennis you might as well follow the others. Trust me when I tell you that one there will be inside shortly. In fact, I doubt I could keep that one out short of using Alpha powers to order her, and since you both feel the mate call even boosting my power would probably only slow her down. We didn’t think this next part would be very important at first. Dimitri, you and Nikita try to stall her. I still have to tell them about her and Julie. Dammit.” Gammon looked toward Trisah steadily closing the gap.

Mia opened the door just as the men reached it. “Come in and welcome to our home. We don’t often, as in never, get two males mate-match to two females at the same time. Willow is not going to appreciate one of those matings at all.” Turning toward Dennis she continued, “I don’t suppose you would like to relocate here so we don’t lose her?”

Dennis stared down at Mia with a half smile and just shook his head.

“Oh well, I will be able to tell Willow I asked.”

Dennis barely heard her. Something Gammon had said finally penetrated his thoughts. Turning his attention back toward Gammon he asked, “Both? She felt the mate pull? That is the reason she came rushing out of her house? So she is a mature unmated female. I am one lucky bastard I am.”

“Well that remains to be seen.” Gammon muttered. “Left, take a left and follow the hall. Mia, darling, if you would be so kind as to lead the gentleman to the living room. I will be there shortly.”

When Gammon opened the door he found both his Betas blocking the door from Trisah who was steadily trying to push them out of her way. She was not successful.

“Trisah, go home. That is not a request. I am not asking you. I am ordering, as your Alpha, go home. One of the men in the house is your true-mate but we have a serious problem and I have to take care of it before you can see him. Yes I know it sucks, yes I know I suck, yes I know I am an ass. Did I miss anything you may have been thinking of throwing my way?”

Gammon watched her stop pushing on his Betas. She froze in place for a moment before whispering, “Mate? That is why my wolf went crazy?”

“Yes, mate. Now go home. I promise you can meet him soon enough.”

“Mate? No, I don’t want a mate, no Gammon you promised I was safe here. No.”

Dimitri, take her home, she doesn’t look like she will make it safely back to her house. I will send Carolyn to stay with her. I hoped she would be happy. Apparently, I was wrong.

When Gammon once again entered the house and made his way down the hall he was surprised at what he found.

“Why are you staring at my mate like she has three heads?”

Edward turned to face his brother, “Because William said she was your true-mate. Impossible.”

Gammon smiled. He saw Dennis flinch. For some reason his smiles caused the same reaction in every stranger he met. “As impossible as you finding a true-mate again? Believe me, no one knows how impossible it was to be given two true-mates in one life time better than me. I fought mine, refused to believe it and almost lost Mia. If you try to fight yours I will personally take great pleasure in finding out who has kept the better fighting skills these last four centuries. Now, possible or not, it happened. You know the magic is never wrong. Look around our race and be damn thankful for such a gift. I know I am. Now let’s discuss Julie and Trisah.”

“Wait, why?” Dennis looked at Edward then back to Gammon, “If I am understanding you right, you believe Edward just mate-matched to Julie?”

“That is correct. The house he was facing has three females inside, currently. One is mated to one of my Sentries, once was a rescue from the same prison Julie was rescued from and she mate-matched to one of my guys and then you have Julie. Julie you may remember has said one name the entire time we have had her. Julie has only said one phrase if you remember me telling you? That phrase I have a mountain, too was misunderstood until we found out about Edward. Edward may doubt the mate magic, but that doesn’t change the fact the little girl in that house has four times now indicated she is familiar with Edward and feels safe with Edward. No one understands how the magic works so however she knew about Edward she appears to be waiting for him to come to her. Moving on. Trisah and Julie, if the two of you had to mate-match females in my territory you could not have picked a more suitable pair, we think.”

For the next hour Gammon, with the help of Mia, filled the others in on what relationship they thought the two females might have, what they knew of the past of each one, and why they had not yet brought the two females together. When he was done Edward looked at Dennis. Everyone looked at Dennis.

The silence stretched out for a minute before Dennis realized everyone was looking at him. Snorting he told them, “And you want me to tell you more of what I know about Julie to help decide which way to jump. Except, it don’t much matter mate which way we jump does it? The two are sisters or not, mate-matched to the Alpha and Beta of the same pack. Good blood or bad blood, good memories or bad memories we will have to live with what they went through and we will be the ones who have to help them heal. That may not be as hard as you think. You see, Julie had an uncle, and the uncle apparently managed to pull a fast one over on her parents. He was supposedly keeping Trisah the night the house fire occurred. He told her parents she wanted to go home though so he had taken her home and used his key to open the house. The parents, not knowing she had returned home did not go to wake her when the fire started. What I want to know is, if Trisah did not die in that house fire, where did she go? Her parents told me about the charred remains found in the house. The charred remains the size Trisah was back then. If that female is Trisah, and she did not die in the house fire, I want to know what happened to her and where she went.”

“The uncle sold her.” Gammon told the others what they knew of Trisah’s past from the little they had been able to piece together before Trey had found her.

“Fuck. I assume someone found the uncle and killed him?”

“We don’t let ‘em live long here. Some males need killing, he was one of them. Trisah believes her family died in a fire, all of her family. Her uncle saved her and sold her. I don’t think we have any doubts left about the two girls. Dennis, do you know how old Julie is at the moment?” As soon as Gammon asked he started laughing. It wasn’t but a moment later the the other members of his pack in the room started laughing. The other three men looked at each other and back to the laughing men and Mia. Whatever the laughter was about had obviously been shared through Gammon’s pack bond. William watched the men and played back the last few sentences in his head. He almost managed to conceal the smile when he realized what must have already occurred to Gammon.

No matter how old Julie was at the moment, in the shifter world her guardian would become the nearest kin old enough to protect her. In this case Trisah was old enough but could not protect her sister. Once Trisah mate-bonded then the guardianship would naturally fall to Trisah and her mate, assuming the couple were the best ones to protect and guard her. Which in turn meant the Alpha of the pack would have to ask permission from his Beta to date Julie. William saw the minute Edward realized what the laughter was about when he turned to glare at Dennis, who just grinned and winked.

Chapter Twenty-One

Willow? We are coming over. This is what we know about Trisah and Julie. Gammon filled Willow in on the recent developments while Mia called Carolyn to bring Trisah to the house. By the time he was done Trisah and Carolyn were sitting in the living room being filled in on what Dennis knew of Julie’s past. The magic of the true-mate bond was never wrong and nothing could have proved it more than watching Trisah deflate and seek solace in the arms of her future mate.

Watching his broken female start to really heal for the first time in over six years confirmed in the hearts of not only Gammon but every shifter in the room, the cost of keeping one safe to find their own path would always be worth the sacrifices.

“I want to see her. I want to hold her. I want, wait, if Dennis is my true-mate, and Edward is Julie’s true-mate, what about Shiloh?”

“Who the hell is Shiloh?” Dennis and Edward both growled.

Gammon started laughing again. This time Dimitri and Nikita did not have to wait for an explanation through the pack bond. Looking at Edward with what could only be described as an evil grin Gammon told him, “Julie is Shiloh’s Sasha.”

Edward narrowed his eyes and stared back at Gammon. Trisah, Dennis and William’s eyes bounced between the two men. Edward did not say anything at first. Edward was a few decades older than Gammon and would know what had happened all those centuries ago. When Edward finally came to the correct conclusion he shot to his feet. “Oh hell no mate you better keep your boy at home and away from my daughter.”

Dennis sent a startled look to his Alpha. “Edward, you never mentioned a daughter.”

Edward growled.

Gammon started laughing, it was a minute or more before he was able to tell Dennis, “That is because she hasn’t been born yet, but she will be, won’t she Edward.”

“No. You keep that boy in the States. I won’t have another male under my feet trying to protect my mate just so she can give birth to his mate. No. I watched that shit with you and Jutoh. I forbid it.”

“You can forbid all you want but in the end you might as well find out what the boy, who by the way is not a boy and hasn’t been for a good century, best find out what he wants. Otherwise he will just follow you back and camp on your porch. You can’t kill him you know. Not if you know he will be the true-mate of your daughter. You want to be the one to tell your daughter you killed her true-mate?”

“Maybe she will have a different true-mate.”

“The question you have to ask yourself is, are you willing to take that risk?”

“Would someone like to explain to the rest of us what you two are talking about and why your people find it so funny Gammon?” William spoke up.

“Sometimes the mate-magic is a little more powerful than expected. Sometimes something about the female calls to another male not her mate. He feels the need to protect the female beyond all rational thought or actions. Edward here was around when I acted so with Sasha who eventually gave birth to my Natasha. Jutoh eventually figured it out and took me in as his son to raise.

“He might as well have, you never went home anyway.”

“This is not anything I have ever heard before.” William muttered.

“Is that how you knew what was going on with Keven?” This time it was Dennis who spoke up.

“Who is Keven?” Gammon asked.

“Yes that is how I knew. Dammit mate you should keep your mouth shut sometimes. Edward turned to the room and told the story of Keven.

“Keven was four years old when his mate was born. That mate-matching was interesting. The boy learned to unlock doors and could be found huddled under the window of the baby, or curled up on the porch when Suzie’s parents woke. Everyday Michael would carry the screaming toddler back to his parents with the demand the boy be kept away from Suzie. It took most of the pack to convince Suzie’s parents that far from trying to harm Suzie or take her Keven was trying to protect the baby. Unlike most males who understood what was going on Michael had taken offense. Believing the pack was on the side of the boy meant, to him, that the pack did not trust him to care for his own daughter. I spent hours trying to knock some sense into the man. Maybe if Michael and Diane had been true-mated he would have understood the toddler’s need to protect the baby. But I knew to expect it even before she became pregnant. Keven would toddle over to Diane every chance he got and cuddle with her. He had already caused problems with Michael before the arrival of his mate. Michael had found the boy on his porch multiple times. I told Dennis what was going on but until the baby was born, and he could see for himself, well let’s just say unless you have seen it firsthand it is far-fetched.”

“How often does something like that happen?” Trisah demanded to know. She had just found out her sister was alive and had a mate-to-be and would have a daughter one day and to top it all off the daughter would be mate to the very shifter who had driven her nuts with his attention for the last year.

“Until Shiloh I had never noticed it with another before. That isn’t to say it hasn’t happened but most people don’t think that far ahead. If a boy took an extra liking to a grown female, well you would just think to yourself she was really good with children and would make a good mother herself one day. It would never occur to you the male was attaching himself to the female because she would one day give birth to his mate.”

“I have seen it a few times, it is rare, but you have to remember I watched you from birth get attached to Sasha and I was there when Jutoh come to visit and explained to our parents what was going on. I knew to watch for such actions.”

“I see. Well that doesn’t explain why he was so attached to me though does it?”

Gammon looked at her and shrugged, “Aunt-by-mating?’

Trisah looked at him, “Seriously? That almost sounds a bit sick. He fell in love with me because I will be his aunt one day?”

“No, I would bet he loves you because his mate will be a lot like you. Or perhaps he loves you but without a passion to it as one would love a sister. You know, if you have never loved someone with passion it would be easy to mistake the two loves. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter right now does it? What matters is going over and finding out if we can help Julie start to heal. I suggest we do that now since Willow says she is awake again and seems to be looking for Edward.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Allison yanked the door open before the men even reached it. Willow was sitting on the couch holding Julie’s hand waiting. William, being a stranger to Julie, had stayed behind with Gammon. As soon as little David saw Julie sitting on the couch he went running to her screaming “Julie, Julie.”

The involuntary flinch and ducking motion escaped no one’s notice except the child’s. He scrambled into her lap and hugged her.

David and Edward entered more slowly.

Edward could not stop the heart-wrenching pain that flooded his body when he saw the lost look on his mate’s face. As much as he wanted to pick her up and cuddle her close and promise nothing and no one would ever hurt her again he knew he couldn’t, not yet. He watched her drop the bear she held and slowly, tentatively reach one arm around David and start rocking him. He noticed the wince on Willow’s face and saw the whiteness of her hand. He wondered how tightly Julie was squeezing. When Dennis realized all of Julie’s attention was on Edward he stopped. Looking around he lowered himself into a chair. Close enough she could see him but not so close he would make her nervous.

Edward watched her face as he slowly approached the couch. Just before reaching it he dropped to his knees. He still loomed over her but she did not protest. Gammon had filled him in on everything they knew since Julie had been rescued. Dennis had told him everything he knew. Before leaving Gammon’s house Edward had requested Kate be called. He did not want to question Allison or Willow in front of Julie.

Mia, who had eased into the house behind the men had an open line to Kate on her cell phone. Kate had begged to be included in the meeting. She had been the one to suggest the order the men entered the house and given all the suggestions for the meeting based on what little she know of Julie. She had explained to Edward the goose-egg on Julie’s head when she was first brought to the prison. The assumption being she had been attacked from someone either taller than her, or possibly standing over her. The knowledge helped the others to understand the hunching and ducking Julie did on a regular basis.

Edward watched her carefully as he slowly reached out one hand toward her. He saw when her eyes involuntarily looked up just as she ducked as though evading something falling from above. Out of the corner of his eye he realized Willow had instinctively ducked the invisible foe also. He dropped his hand back to his side while he studied his little mate.

“Willow, move I want to try something.”

Willow looked at Mia who nodded before she slowly tried to ease her hand from Julie’s grip. Edward reached his hand toward the two and felt his heart stutter in his chest when Julie let go of Willow’s hand to grab his. One obstacle down and a hundred more to go. Julie had not noticed Trisah standing behind Mia watching everything unfold. Trisah had silent tears running down her check and she could feel waves of warmth and love coming from Dennis. She wanted to run to her sister and grab her and hold her tight and never let go. But she knew what she wanted wasn’t half as important as helping her sister.

Willow eased away from Julie and Edward slowly turned his bulk around and slid onto the couch in the vacated spot. As soon as he was in place he took his free hand, reached over her head and eased her under his arm. He hoped his plan worked. He felt his breathing hitch in his throat as Julie burrowed against him. Little David protested when the rocking motion stopped and lifted his head. Realizing his Alpha was towering over him he reached up and rubbed his hand over Edwards face and giggled. A soft whispered “Edward” was heard by every shifter in the room.

Little David looked around the room and saw every eye was on him. When he started nervously trying to burrow into his Alpha’s arms Dennis called to him. Abandoning his friend he climbed into his dad’s lap and hid his face. So many new people and so much unfamiliar in his young life in a handful of days had shaken the little boy.

Edward lowered his head so his mouth rested on top of Julie’s head and began the time honored tradition of promising his mate anything and everything under the sun with the moon and a possible planet or two thrown in for good measure. He felt the tension in her young body began to ease. Keeping he under his arm, his lips against her head he angled his body to block her from the others in the room. Soon he had her cocooned. Calling to Dennis through their pack bond he asked for a blanket. He hoped if he could make her feel no one in the world could touch her she would feel even safer. He heard the whispered request from David to Mia. Soon a blanket dropped on his knee.

Trying to wrap the blanket around both of them, without letting go of Julie proved impossible. He smelled the one who opened the door approach and take the blanket from him and spread it over Julie with a portion draped across him. Soon the only thing anyone could see of Julie was a small sliver of her face. Edward felt her relax into his body even further. He had hopes helping to hide her would give her an even greater feeling of security than before. No one was more surprised than him though when they heard her soft breathing change. He slowly eased his hand from her limp hand and gently picked her up to settle her on his lap. His gruff voice ordered everyone from the room. No one would be allowed to disturb his mate while she slept.

Love for a mate flooded his heart for the first time in centuries. He would destroy the world before he let anyone hurt his mate again. He would start with the rogue faction who had taken her. The United States government would have one less Senator by the time he was done. He heard the door close but knew everyone had not left. When he looked up he glared at Dennis who pointed at Trisah standing by his side.

“Out. You saw her. Please, I know you hurt, but my hurt is greater. Look at your heart and imagine Dennis hurt. Can your hurt be greater for her than a mate for a mate? Please.” As Dennis wrapped his free arm around Trisah and tried to balance his son and turned his mate toward the door Edward saw Allison standing behind them.

He raised his eyebrows at her.

She smirked and raised her eyebrows back, “I live here and it is cold out there, gigantosaurus.” Holding up her hand she showed him the phone with the open line to Kate before continuing, “Besides, do you want to tell the witch you are kicking me out?”

The both heard the shriek over the phone as Kate screamed, “You tell gigantosaurus I will come up there and fry his ass if he kicks you out.”

Allison turned started eyes toward the phone, “Can you do that?”

“Well if I can’t I will learn. Tell him he doesn’t want to upset the witch-wolf. His future would look grim if he upset me.”

“Well gigantosaurus, you heard her. I get to stay. Besides, like I said, I live here. Now I am going to lay the phone right here so Kate can hear everything and I am going to go in the kitchen and see what I can find to cook. Julie did not eat breakfast and she did not eat lunch. She has to be starving by now.”

“Take the phone with you. I don’t care about your threats. I don’t care about your desire to know everything or your friend’s desire to know everything. The only thing I care about is my mate. What I say to her is no one’s business. I can’t keep you from hearing, but I have no desire to share with the entire race what I say.”

From the phone the two heard a males voice ring out, “Fair enough, Kate hang up the phone. Would you want everyone to hear the words I say to you when I give you comfort? If anything happens I am sure Allison will call you immediately and tell you everything. Hasn’t she been whispering every step the man has made so far? Come on sweetheart, let the man protect his mate.”

Edward stared in fascination as the next words came flowed through the phone line, “Oh shut it box man or I will put that shipping label on your box and send you back and you can give all the bad reviews you want for the vacation you didn’t get. You are a fine one to talk after letting everyone see you trying to crawl away from me to escape our mating. Remember the blood covered floor you left as you tried to crawl to safety from the big bad mate you had in your bed?”

Allison, after a startled glance at Edward, sat down in the chair recently vacated by Dennis as the squabble on the other end of the phone continued. Edward, for his part, wondered what in the hell he had gotten himself into by finding his mate.

“I was on drugs. You know that. Heavily medicated. Dying even. What did you expect when you stared at me with flames in your eyes?”

“Well if you had just let me sleep you wouldn’t have had to worry about it would you?”

“It isn’t like I knew you. How was I suppose to know you needed sleep? I hadn’t even met you yet.”

“We were mated. If you had just listened to your wolf I could have been sleeping and you would not have hurt yourself trying to escape me.”

“Well you should have been happy to wake up and see your mate instead of getting so upset at me.”

As the argument raged on Edward looked at Allison with disbelief in his eyes. Finally he exclaimed, “Damn you yanks are insane.”

The slight bastardized accent changed to a heavy Australian accent as the voice on the other end stopped arguing and said, “I will have you know I am as Australian as you, mate.”

Edward and Allison stared in fascination at the phone as the argument took a different direction. “I wish you would quit calling people mate. I am the only mate you have and I will always be the only mate you have and I don’t give a damn what it means in your home country. You just do that to aggravate me. I have watched tv, females don’t call other people mate. That is a male thing.”

Edward and Allison heard the indrawn breath but the phone call came to an abrupt end as the call was disconnected from the other end.

Edward raised his eyes back to Allison who shrugged, “Don’t look at me. She was always kind and caring and gentle at the prison. Well, except for the one guy she killed.” She nodded toward Julie, “But he deserved it.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Edward gently shook Julie and called her name to wake her. Allison said she never ate much and had not eaten at all today. He hoped he could change that. He was startled to realize Allison did not have a mental bond with anyone in the pack, though he should not have been. He knew she was a recent rescue and not yet old enough to mate-bond. Instead he was the one left relaying things to his Beta who then relayed what was happening to the others. For the moment everyone was gathered at Gammon’s waiting for any word on what was happening with Julie.

He had not paid much attention at first to how old Julie was, if anyone had even mentioned it. He knew Dennis had been waiting for her to reach maturity to make her final decision about tying her life to his. He knew also she was close if she had been going on eighteen when Dennis met her. But Trisah was the one who knew her exact birth date and Edward had been pleased to find she had just turned twenty in November. With it being almost February he figured he should be able to woo her in the ten months before she reached maturity. But first, he had to get her to come out of her shell.

He watched her open her eyes and stare at him in wonder before she lifted her hand to his cheek. He had her enclosed in his arms and she had not yet protested. She also had said nothing beyond his name.

“Hello sleeping beauty. Allison has created a wonderful dining experience just for the three of us if you would care to dine with me this evening.”

“Oh my god Edward, I fixed hamburger helper. You make it sound like I created some fancy dish.”

Edward tucked Julie’s head closer to his body as he raised his head and glared at Allison.

Allison rolled her eyes, “Fine, Julie sweetie, I have created for us an amazing dish of braised beef over a bed of pasta topped with a savory tomato sauce with just a sprinkling of cheese. Would you care to sit at the table with us?”

Edward’s heart skipped a beat when a soft giggle emerged from under his chin. He watched Allison’s eyes widen in disbelief and the smile on her face could have lit up a room. Smiling back at her he raised his eyebrows.

“Also for your dining pleasure tonight we have scoured the finest vineyards to bring to you the best selections of beverages guaranteed to tickle your palate. We have Coke, we have Dr. Pepper, we have the finest glacier water, lemonade and even, yes, we even have tea made fresh from the finest tea leaves Lipton ever harvested. Shall I place your order with the chef? Dinner for three perhaps? We have the best table in the house strategically placed to as to create, just for you, the most pleasurable dining experience you could ever experience.”

If Allison and Edward’s eyes had a bit more moisture than normal when the peel of laughter rang out across the room, well, no one could have blamed them. The dust in the house was atrocious. Or so Edward would later claim.

The laughter stopped abruptly though when Edward attempted to stand and lower Julie to the floor. Sinking back to the couch he tightened his grip on his mate and shifted her slightly so he could look down into her face.

“Of course, I quite understand. The dining experience offered is not up to your standards. Rest assured I will be certain to let the chef know we will be finding other accommodations. Why, you should only dine in the finest of places. I am thinking a spring meadow with a blanket spread out on the grass beside a gurgling creek, surrounded by the most fragrant of flowers. A warm spring breeze ruffling your hair while I feed you tiny morsels of food to tempt your appetite.”

“They tried to kill me.”

“Oh my love, when I am finished with them there won’t be enough pieces left to bury.” Reaching out he placed her hand on his heart. “Do you feel that? You are the very heart that keeps me alive. You are the other half of my soul. No one will ever hurt you again. I will destroy them so every branch of their tree withers and dies. Look at me love, do you think anyone can go through me to get to you ever again? I will protect you until the stars fall from the sky, until the sun ceases to shine. Nothing and no one will ever hurt you again. I will take you far from this blighted land into a land where the roos play in the sunset. Where the wallabies waddle, where the echidnas trundle across the bitumen.” Before he could continue Julie reached up and placed one finger on his lips. He immediately kissed the finger.

Allison stared in fascination to hear such a large man utter such softly spoken words. She could not have looked away from what she was watching if a moose had wandered through the front door and walked in front of her.

“They killed my parents.”

“I know love. I am so sorry. They will pay for hurting you.”

“They tried to hide me. Daddy dumped some horrible smelling stuff on me. Mommy told me to be quiet. Not say a word, never say a word. I have to be quiet so they don’t kill me like they killed mommy and daddy.”

“Shhh oh love, they will never be able to hurt you again. You can be as loud as you want. You can scream to the heavens or sing at the top of your lungs and no one will ever hurt you again.” Edward rocked her as the words came spilling out of what she had gone through. The more she talked the greater his rage built. When she reached the part of almost being raped before even reaching the prison Edward was barely holding himself together. He was not able to conceal his emotions and it wasn’t long before Dennis came bursting through the door with Trisah hot on his heels. Gammon and his pack could feel the rage radiating from the small house. Soon the clearing around the house was full of agitated shifters all trying to get the full story. Gammon was standing guard at the door Dennis had busted open in his headlong rush to get to his Alpha. Julie was so caught up in reliving the past she didn’t even notice the commotion going on all around her. The first she knew anyone else was around was when soft hands reached in and a voice she had not heard in over a decade filtered through her story. Memories came rushing back of the past, playing in the yard with her sister, dancing around the house to the music on the radio, sliding down the banister.

At first she thought the voice was in her head but she soon realized the soft hands trying to cradle her belonged to another female. One she recognized yet didn’t at the same time. A face similar to the one she used to see in the mirror before the attack.

“Trisah?”

“Yes Julie-bug, I am here. No you are not going crazy. Uncle Remey kidnapped me. I didn’t die. I thought, he told me you and mom and dad died. He took me away and sold me. Oh Julie-bug, I can’t believe you are alive. I cried so much when I was locked up in that basement. I missed you so much. Please, can I hold you. Your big mountain won’t let go. Tell him to let go so I can hold you.” Trisah tried shoving at Edward’s arms again. She had tried already but he didn’t budge.

Julie turned her face up toward Edward’s “I want to hold her. She won’t hurt me.”

It took ever ounce of discipline Edward had accumulated to loosen his grip around Julie and let her reach out to her sister. Since she didn’t get out of his lap he soon had two females curled up in each others arms in his lap and his Beta had started growling.

Knock it off. Look at them. I am not going to hurt your mate but if you don’t get a grip on yourself I can not say the same for you. What the hell do you want me to do, shove them on the floor?

I can’t help it Edward. My wolf does not want you holding our mate. Do something.

Again, what do you want me to do?

Fuck if I know, you are the Alpha, you figure something out.

No sooner had the words left his thoughts than Edward started speaking. At first no one realized what he was saying, so intent on the reunion between the two females they didn’t pay him any attention, until he got to the part of the mating ceremony where the wolf rose. As soon as Dennis and Trisah’s wolves rose all attention turned to Edward. Trisah almost stopped him but she had done some thinking while they waited for Julie to wake up.

If Edward was the Alpha of his pack in Australia then Julie would be moving to Australia. The female always chose, unless the male absolutely could not move to her pack. Edward could not move and Trisah would not be letting her sister out of her reach ever again. She had seen enough and learned enough over the last few years to know the happiness a true-mate brought to a couple. She had never wanted a male, not after what she had been through. Not after knowing her value was only in her being a female. But if Dennis was the Beta of the same pack, she would never have to worry about being separated from her sister again. She had decided to allow the mating ceremony as quickly as possible once she found out she and Dennis would then become the guardians of Julie. She would live with them until she reached her maturity. It helped that Dennis had sworn to date her and let her learn to love him for the person he was and not the mate the magic decreed.

By the time the wolves wrapped themselves around each other and merged together not a single other person could fit in the living room. No one had wanted to miss seeing their little Trisah become whole. Before the jubilant cheering had stopped Edward had leaned down and whispered some words in Trisah’s ear. Trisah had looked at him in surprise before turning to look at her Alpha. At his nod she turned back to Edward and gave her oath to the last Alpha she would ever have.

As soon as the last word of the oath fell from her lips she heard shouting in her mind. Turning in wonder to the man who had just became her mate her lips thinned. “Oh yeah? Well let me tell you one thing buddy if you think for one minute you are going to stand there and give me orders you have another thing coming. You better tell your wolf to shut the hell up before I throw something at you. How dare you growl at Edward for letting me hold my sister.”

The entire room had fallen silent with most of the spectators holding their breath and their glee at the sight in front of them. Without realizing it Trisah had gotten up from Edward’s lap and proceeded to stalk Dennis. Shaking a finger in his face she proceeded to rip into him about his loyalty to Edward, his trust in his mate, her sister’s well being and then she turned to the sacrifice she was making by moving to Australia to be with him. By the time she was done his wolf was whimpering, he had run out of room to back away from the little hellion in front of him and Edward was laughing his ass off.

Gammon, laughing as hard as Edward, made the remark, “Good thing you are such a lucky bastard right?”

Dennis, without taking his eyes off the little hellion he had just mated turned his head in Gammon’s direction, “What the hell mate? You could of warned a bloke.”

“I did, I believe my exact words were that remains to be seen, if you don’t call that a warning I don’t know what else you could call it.

Having put her mate in his place regarding his attempt to put her in her place Trisah turned her attention back to Julie. She sent a worried look toward her sister but far from getting scared Julie seemed energized by the altercation. Well Trisah had found being able to boss the males around without serious repercussions had gone a long way toward helping her to heal. Looked like her sister wasn’t much different from her after all. When you knew you were protected so much by the ones around you, and loved so much by your pack they made allowances for you and accepted you as you were it was hard to stay in a shell of protection. Trisah had found over the years she could not protect herself nearly as much as the pack around her. All she had to do now was teach Julie how to be strong.

Epilogue

“No, don’t open your eyes yet. I saw you trying to peek.”

Julie giggle, “But Edward, you have been saying that for the last hour.”

“No, only a few minutes. I can’t surprise you if you peek love.”

“Well hurry up then and you won’t have to worry about me peeking.”

“We are almost there miss impatient. Another few minutes. Wait, hold on don’t look yet.”

Edward walked around the Ute and slid his arms under Julie. He watched her face as he lifted her out and started striding toward the blanket on the ground. They had stayed at Gammon’s for a few days while Trisah had gathered up her things and prepared to move.

They had been in Australia for four months now and Julie was just starting to heal enough for what Edward was doing. She still had problems around certain smells and the young ones in the pack had to find a new place to play baseball. He had tried to ban all bats in the pack completely but even Julie had not thought that was fair to the young ones. He still thought she should have let him. He offered to buy the kids horseshoes to play with, or balls, anything but baseball bats. He had finally given in to the demand of the pack to allow the kids to play baseball, but not around Julie.

He had threatened any pack member who so much as mentioned baseball or bats with permanent banishment to a deserted island. He was sure no one believed him but if anyone hurt Julie he was equally sure he would find a deserted island somewhere and dump them on it.

“Okay love, open your eyes.”

When Julie opened her eyes she was staring right at Edward who had forgotten he needed to lower her to the ground and spin her around to see her surprise. She giggled, “Oh yes Edward what a wonderful surprise. I do love your face but I also see it every day already.”

Edward could feel himself blush as he realized he was so busy watching her face he had in fact forgotten the surprise. Sliding her down his body he let her feet touch the ground before taking her shoulders in his hands and turning her to face away from him.

“I do believe I once promised you a spring meadow with a blanket spread out on the grass beside a gurgling creek, surrounded by the most fragrant of flowers. A warm spring breeze ruffling your hair while I fed you tiny morsels of food to tempt your appetite. Now I do realize that May is not springtime here, but unless I am mistaken, which you remember I told you never happens, it is springtime back in the States. So I was thinking, fall is close enough to the proper weather. Would you care to dine with me milady?” Edward held his arm out and waited for Julie to take it.

Julie’s eyes shone with happiness as she performed a curtsy and placed her hand on the arm of the one man in the entire world she trusted beyond all measure. She could not wait for the next six months to pass so she could take him as her mate. She had fallen in love with him and although the nightmares still came, they were not as frequent as before nor was the whispered voice in her head as quick to urge her silence as it had been.

“I would be delighted to dine with you.

Author Notes

You may think this story seemed out of place with what was going on in the Safe Haven world. And in a way, it was. But you see sometimes the characters take on a life of their own and demand their story be told. And sometimes you find you left some questions in previous books that just needed to be answered. As strange as it may seem if you have never been a writer, sometimes you just don’t know the answer until you start typing.

I have known other authors who just don’t get it. They don’t understand how another writer can sit there and say I had no idea what was about to happen. That was not at all what I planned on writing. I don’t say these people have no imaginations, although I do believe one said recently those of us who could make the characters come alive for us were borderline delusional and verging on having serious mental problems.

I disagree. No one thinks it at all strange when their small child invents an imaginary friend with various characteristics. I mean, I for one was certainly surprised to meet Joey when my daughter was small. Joey, you see, could fly. And Joey was the one who helped her climb into the playpen of her baby brother. Climbing into the playpen was very much against the rules. Not only was she much too big to be in there, but the playpen was one set of protections in place to keep her from accidentally hurting her baby brother. But every single time, Joey did it. This from the mouth of a two year old. But yet we nurture and encourage these imaginations. We tell the child how beautiful is the drawing of the dragon they handed us. Even though we turned the paper upside down and the child had to turn it around for us. Oops.

But once you reach a certain age that imagination is discouraged. You can not talk to your characters. You certainly can not have your characters tell you what happened. No, you are the writer so therefore you are in complete control. But, we aren’t, you see these stories we tell are not ours. They belong to the ones we create. We give them life and they in turn tell us their story. And woe to the writer who refuses to listen to their characters. My entire Deyarian race went on strike because I was going to kill off another race. I had to promise to save them. And do you think they believed me? No, no they did not. I informed them I was the writer and I could do what I wanted! And I sat at my computer and stared at the blank screen trying to figure out what to type next. And I sat, and I stared because I was in control. I was the god of my creation and they would bow to my wishes.

And… of course, being the writer meant I knew exactly what I was doing. So, I continued to stare at the blank screen with blank thoughts and what the world calls writers block. But eventually my characters caved to my command and ended their strike, because I am the writer! I am certain the fact I had 14,000 words written of the book which would tell of saving the other race had nothing to do with them ending the strike! They have allowed me to write 3 books and a short story since then in that universe without having to go back to the book saving the other race. Of course, I had to put details in the other books that mention saving the others. And they knew I would not want to waste 14k words.

So many times what we think is going on isn’t what we planned. I thought, as twins Trina and Gabby, who are identical, would have identical wolves. They don’t and wasn’t I surprised. Trina, a force of nature all on her own, has killed to protect herself. The others think she is just talk. But two men know her brave talk isn’t just talk. Will that secret ever come out to her mate? I don’t know. They haven’t told me.

Gammon is so protective of the mate bond he will not kill one who shows them self to be a true-mate to another. Why? Because he lost his own mate. I had no idea!! I had to go back and rewrite some things when that came out. I had no idea he had a brother, no clue he moved from Russia. And certainly no idea he brought his former father-in-law by mating with him when he moved.

Some twists are just as much a surprise to the writer as they are to the reader. In a way you might say some of more of a surprise because we get an idea in our head of how something should go and we begin to type it and BAM … wait… what just happened?

These stories continue to surprise me each time I start the next one. Dawn was started before Julie and I actually had to have my wonderful cover artist Megan change the cover to make it number 5 instead of number 4.

I hope you enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book. I am in awe of the storyline in Miranda because of all the story lines and all the lives I must say hers took me the most by surprise. But before she can come into the scene, the others must have their stories told.

If you would take a moment to leave a review I would appreciate it so very much. And if you started this series after Christmas you may wonder why the reviews on Gabby are so harsh when it comes to editing. They were well deserved. The first two editors were not so great. The last one was wonderful. So leave a review for Gabby while you are at it. Because I figure if you read this book you are one of the 51% of the readers who liked the series enough to continue to Trina, making you one of the 92% who loved Trina enough to continue to Kate. You see, you may not realize this, but sometimes those reviews mean the difference between letting a series go and writing the next book. I know writers who will drop a series because they have no way of knowing if the readers really enjoyed them. But the numbers tell me 92% of the readers who read Trina continued on to Kate. And those are some mighty fine numbers for an author to have. But I lose a lot of potential readers before they even pick up the book because they have no idea I corrected my mistake with the editor problem with Gabby. So they will never pick up Gabby and they will miss the story of Miranda. I think that is just sad. Because Miranda is just such a complete shock.

Thank you to the many readers who love this series. The first few books were written because I had an incredible man at my side encouraging me. But these last few books have been written because I have some mighty incredible fans waiting on the next book. You can never know how much it means to me when one more person(s) falls in love with my books, with my characters. (Just for the record, Stormie annoys me also but it is not my fault!! She came up with her personality herself.)

You can laugh about that, I hope you do. But remember, sometimes the writers you love the most never lost the ability to let their imagination soar. And when that imagination takes off, you get new characters and new stories. After Miranda I will be taking a short break from Safe Haven Wolves because my mother threatened to choke me if I do not write more in my Deyarian Universe for her. (Ok, she did not threaten to choke me… she actually backed me against a wall with her hand on my throat and demanded I finish the other books. And wasn’t that cute. She only stands 4 foot 9 inches.) And I have to kill off a few people in another book because I told them I would. One my friends left a cliff hanger in the book I was reading! A cliffhanger!! Now she has to die and her co-author has to die also. Sometimes another writer does something and so we stick them in a story just so we can kill them. Hey, it happens. So far I have about six people who need to die in as many books as I can stick them in because, I am a writer, I can tell lies and kill people all day long. Mwahahaha. Too much?

If you have questions, suggestions, think I left something hanging you would like to see resolved let me know. I love hearing from my fans and Safe Haven Wolves does have a facebook page.