Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, places, events, or items. I do however own a series of characters that have been used so far.
Thank you so much to my wonderful beta Rusty Weasley. All mistakes are of course my own.

Hermione awoke in a state of emotional confusion. Her muscles protested as she pulled at her chains. Tears started to cloud her eyes as the hopelessness of her situation set in. Last night, her head seemed so clear after Fenrir's visit. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she could think. It was like seeing the first spring flower after an extended winter. She spent hours afterward planning her escape. This morning she could barely remember the general plan, much less the finer details. The guilt over succumbing to Fenrir was in the back of her mind, reminding her how she had enjoyed it and hadn't told him to stop. She had actually begged him to be with her, she had felt complete while he touched her body. Now with the sun coming through the window warming her exposed skin, she had an unwelcome feeling of belonging. It felt as though she finally found the place she had been searching for her whole life. She hated it.

Hearing the door open, Hermione lifted her head to see Naomi letting herself into the house.

"Good morning, Madam Alpha," Naomi's cheerful voice greeted her.

Naomi continued on without waiting for Hermione to reply, which was probably best since she had no idea what to say in return. "The healer will be in shortly. She is just finishing up with Derek. I know you won't tell me anything but all the Alpha has allowed Derek to say is that he was hit by a curse. The healer says it was the Cruciatus Curse. I always worry when he leaves with the Alpha. He's very tough and makes me very proud, but as his mate, I still worry." As she spoke, she started a fire and cracked eggs in one pan as tenderloin fried in another.
Guilt hit Hermione hard as she realized that they were lying for her, probably to protect her from the rest of the pack. She had done something awful to a good person. "May I see him?" she managed to fit in before the other woman began her rambling again.

"The Alpha? Of course. He is out with the cubs today but I am sure he would come in if he knew you were asking after him."

"No, not the Alpha, but Derek. May I see him?"

There was a long pause where the only sound in the room was the irregular popping of the grease frying in the pans.

"The Alpha wouldn't like that. It is a show of disrespect to have another man in your home without your mate."

Before Hermione could state how utterly barbaric that was, the healer opened the door and entered. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions regarding your health, Madam Alpha?"

Hermione's annoyance with the previous conversation spiked into anger at the interruption, and she shouted, "STOP calling me that!"

A gasp came from the other side of the room as Naomi apologized profusely, "Healer, I'm so sorry! She has been pleasant all morning! I'm unsure of why she would act this-"

"DO NOT MAKE APOLOGIES FOR ME!" Hermione shouted again.

"It is quite alright, Naomi. She is behaving as I would expect. I must speak the Alpha now. Please try to get her to eat something."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, the healer closed the door behind her, leaving Naomi to fill a plate with the steaming food. She looked deep in thought for a moment before deciding to speak again.

"As you can imagine, some things are not talked about here. It's hard to know what to do at first. I'm here if you ever need help figuring that out or if you need to say something that you don't want to be repeated. I remember how hard it was for me when Derek first changed me."

A sense of calm instantly flooded Hermione at the obvious olive branch being extended. However, she wasn't ready to talk about what she was going through yet, so she refused the food offered to her and let curiosity take over, asking the woman what her past was like.

"Very poor actually," Naomi started while taking a seat on the small sofa. "My father died a few months before I was born. Heaven help my mother, she tried. Depression got the best of her and she became an alcoholic. She remarried when I was five. My stepfather, well, let's just say he wasn't a nice man and leave it at that."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I used it as motivation. When I was fifteen, I got a job. By the time I was eighteen I had saved enough to get a car and pay a few months rent on this nice little cabin in the woods. It was just an hour's drive away, but Lord it felt like oceans. Like I was finally free. Everyone was friendly the first time I went into town. They went out of their way to talk to me and make me feel welcome. That is until I told them where I was staying. After that, they would make their excuses and leave, and avoid me when they saw me. I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. That is until a girl let it slip that they didn't see the point in becoming attached, no one stayed in that house for long. Of course, I decided to start looking for faulty wiring, issues with the plumbing, just anything that would explain why someone would want to leave this beautiful home. However, the joke was on me. Turned out, no one ever moved out of that house, they just disappeared. The first full moon I spent there I had heard the constant howl of wolves. I just lay in my bed and listened to nature taking its course. When I showed up in town the next day everyone greeted me enthusiastically and told me how good it was to see me again. I didn't understand at the time, but I do now. The second full moon I spent in my kitchen, trying just to catch a peek of the wolves. I just wanted to see them. The next day when I went into town, I had long conversations with several people. Everyone invited me over for lunches and dinner. It was great. Then on the third full moon, I went out on the back porch in order to see them.I can't imagine now why I thought that was a good idea. I got a little more than I asked for that time. Almost instantly, I was thrown down on the ground. I was lucky that Derek was near and recognized me as his mate almost instantly. He killed the other wolf. That's how he became Beta, you know. The wolf that attacked me was the second in command at the time. He rose through the ranks simply because he needed to protect me."

Hermione felt an undeniable urge to provide Naomi some amount of comfort. Not knowing what to say, she directed the conversation on a safe path. "That's very touching. You two seem happy together."

"We are but it took time. I suppose that all relationships do. Not that our relationship was normal compared to any others I had. I can't say that any other first date was in peril of life and death. He bit me that first night. He dragged me into a cave. I thought he was going to kill me. All sorts of horrid things went through my mind. Yet all he did all night was sit at the mouth of the cave and fight off other wolves that stumbled upon us. I was so scared. When I moved too much he would growl at me. I was terrified of him, but also terrified that he would leave me to the mercy of the other wolves."

"Sounds very conflicting," Hermione said with a sad smile. Even though it seemed that Naomi was dealing well with everything, Hermione still wanted to pull this girl into a comforting embrace.

"Conflicting. Yes. I felt conflicted a lot when it came to Derek at first."

Hermione could tell that the young woman needed someone to confide in so she kept her silence. When no reply came, Naomi pushed forward with her story.

"I had fallen asleep at some point during the night. I was cold from sitting so still for so long, so sleep came a little easier than I would like to admit. Before I knew it, I was waking up to the commotion of him shifting forms. He makes it look so easy. He says it's about accepting your wolf. I have learned he is right. Those who fight it have difficult transformations. Whereas those of us who don't have fairly easy ones."

"You could kill someone while you are transformed, though!" Hermione interrupted, able to push her compassion for the woman away for a moment. She thought of her long-dead friend Remus Lupin and his own moral struggle with his wolf.

"You could also kill someone driving an automobile or not cooking certain meats long enough. It doesn't mean we stop getting around and stop eating. We just accept the risks and try to prevent them."

Struggling with the back and forth of her emotions, Hermione remained silent.

"He just stood there for a while, with his back turned to me. I know now that everything is so vibrant, so extreme when you first change. You have to remember to take a second to get your emotions under control. As I watched him, my body started to feel so heated. Here I was, held captive in a cave by what I thought a beast. I was suffering from the pain of the bite and terribly cold from the long night. My mind was screaming at me to run, to beg, to cry, or to do anything that might get me out of there alive. My body, though, ached to crawl to him, to submit to him. I can't describe it. It's just this incredible pull. Not from one part of your body like it would be if you pulled a rope but from all of your body as if you are the pull. I can only describe it as suddenly my life revolved around him like the planets do the sun. My body knew where it needed to be, even as my mind tried to fight it. It is more than confusing at first."

If the story had been told in any other way, Hermione would have disregarded it as foolish. However, the pure passion and love that showed in this young woman's eyes were enough for her to believe what was being told to her. Desperate to hear that they fell in love slowly and the romance was a coincidence, Hermione decided that she needed to hear more. She needed to hear that she had hope that she could get out of this without Greyback. "What happened next?"

"Eventually he did come towards me. The closer he got the more my body won. I could see the effect I had on him and I could see the lustful fire in his eyes. Yet, there was a tenderness about him, something I couldn't place my finger on. I saw him fight to the death more than once that night. He was covered in blood and looked terrifying. All the same, I felt a love radiating off of him. He knelt before me, and at some point, I wound up closing the small distance between us, crawling to him on my hands and knees."

"How degrading!" Hermione interjected, not being able to keep the shock at bay. There was yet again a pause as Naomi seemed to contemplate the other girl's outburst.

"No. Love is a balancing act. You have to know where your mate's power and weakness are so that you can try to cover the other ground. Like I was saying, he knelt before me, swept the hair out of my face, and told me that he had been waiting for me for a long time. When he kissed me, the last thread of protest I had snapped. For hours we cemented our bond in that cave. For the first time in my life, I felt worshiped. I felt like I meant something to someone. Eventually, he fell asleep. He was so tired. Can you imagine a change like that? Fighting with your brothers and sisters to protect something you would die without and then not to have rest for hours afterward. I drifted off for a while too. I felt so safe and protected in his arms."

"That's it then? You were together forever after that?" Hermione spat, holding on to her anger as not to admit defeat.

"No, not exactly. I woke up a few hours later with the need to use the bathroom. As I tried to untangle myself from him, he wrapped his arms tighter around me and mumbled for me to stay. I had kissed him and promised I would be back as soon as I was done. I felt so loved. As I walked away from him, slowly the pull on my body faded and my mind started to take over again. I was so scared. It's a terrible thing to feel that divided. I didn't know what to do so I ran. I ran home and packed a bag fast, always looking over my shoulder. I rented a room in a small motel, stayed there for a few days. I would see glimpses of him. There would be a shadow here or a noise there, always something driving me to the edge of my sanity. He was always just outside my ability to get a real look at him. I didn't know what he was waiting for and I felt so paranoid. Then one day I was eating at this little diner across from the motel. I was looking through the paper for new places to stay while I waited for my food when he sat down right across from me. My body felt like it was being torn apart. It was terrifying to see who I ran so hard from, yet so relieved that I wasn't running from shadows anymore and my body wanted to be near him again. I just sat there staring at him. I was itching to run and I felt glued to my seat all the same. Now he tells everyone that I looked like the mouse that was just offered cheese from the cat."

Hermione felt the edges of her mouth lift in a suppressed smile. Slowly it faded as she thought about her time with Fenrir and how her body and mind had felt just as torn as Naomi was describing. Would she end up like this one day? Sitting across the room from a woman tied to a bed telling romance stories? She finally asked, "Did you run?"

"Heaven knows I wanted to at first. Then he said something, something that just broke my heart. He just looked down at his hands, as if he couldn't stand to see the rejection on my face. 'You promised you would come back.' That sentence brought my whole world down. I felt my heart clench at the look on his downcast face and I said the only thing I could think of. I asked him why he had been following me. Brilliant, I know. Turns out that he hadn't been. I learned later that he spent those first few days in a competition of sorts. Fighting to keep his new title from those who challenged him. Not that he particularly wanted it but there's only one way to lose a title. He had to defend it to see me again. He tried to talk to me about the bond in that little diner, really he did, but I just wasn't listening to a word he said. I couldn't concentrate even if I had wanted to hear him out. I was just this constant whirlwind of emotions. Eventually he just got up and walked away. I moved hotels for the next two weeks. That's how long it took for me to run out of money. I returned to my little cabin, having nowhere else to go, mind you. After a few days, my paranoia went to a whole new level. I was constantly jumping at one sound or another. The full moon came and I changed. Right there in the middle of my cozy little living room, believe it or not. I don't know how I got outside or what happened during the night. When I transformed back I felt this flood of emotion. It was crippling and inspiring all at the same time. I was on top of the world and coming to my knees. Then I saw Derek and I wasn't split any more. I just knew that everything was right in the world and that we were meant for each other. It felt like common sense, I don't know what I was running from before. It was love at first sight. Well, first transformed sight. In an instant he was at my side checking me for injuries. That's when I noticed I was covered in blood. It stole my breath away when he smiled at me and told me that I must have defended my position well. We found out later that I had killed three other pack members who had challenged me. I never thought I would have it in me, but I guess I did."

The door opened, interrupting the rest of the story and the line of questions Hermione was trying to prepare in her mind. Fenrir and the healer walked in whispering softly to each other. Jealousy once again spiked in Hermione as she noticed how close they were leaning into each other.

Naomi stood from the couch she had been sitting on and bowed to Greyback, "Good morning, Alpha."

"Good morning, Naomi. Later today will you ask one of the young to come clean up?" Though it was formed like a question his tone made it very clear it was an order.

"Yes, Alpha."

"Good. You are excused now." With an incline of her head to show respect to Fenrir and the healer, Naomi hurried from the house.

"Madam Alpha, I would like to talk to you about the things you may be experiencing. Is that okay with you?" The healers tone was one very much like a person talking to a wounded animal.

"I don't see that I have much of a choice."

"Ah. Yes, your chains. That is as good a place to start as any. Today I will look over your injuries and make sure they are all healed. To do this properly we," at this she gestured between herself and the pack leader, "we will remove your chains and replace them with one that has several feet of lead for you. First we must talk about the bond."

"There is no bond. Just delusional, inbred, psychopathic beasts in the woods looking for an excuse for their debauchery. Don't stand there acting like you are doing me some huge favor by suggesting a new chain because in the end I'm still tied to the same Merlin forsaken bed against my bloody will!" Each of Hermione's words were emphasized with a rattling from her restraints at her attempted hand gestures.

Half way through her rant, the healer started nodding and looked at her sympathetically. "Yes, yes. I understand. You don't happen to remember me do you?"

At the odd question, Hermione took a long look at the woman in front of her. Straight black hair cupped her face and brushed her jaw; striking blue eyes peeked out of fashionable lenses, standing at what looked like five feet seven or so, and weighing no more than one hundred and ten pounds on a slight frame. It wasn't until she saw the light brown birthmark about an inch in size on her left cheek that recognition dawned.

"You're the healer that tended to me at the tent in the final battle."

Hermione couldn't help but think how much different this woman looked when she wasn't concentrating as she tried to save someone's life.

She could remember laying on a worn out cot as this healer, Healer Leverknight, worked to save her life after a run in with one of the Lestrange brothers. To keep the pain as far from her mind as possible she focused on that one birthmark that the tent light hit just right. It was a much safer gaze than the blood covering her medirobes. When she commented on it, the healer had entertained her with a story from her childhood. It was told in a monotone with many pauses in between words as she tried to concentrate, but at the end of her treatment Hermione knew the whole story about the day when she was very young and living in the states, that an odd aunt tried for hours to scrub it off, claiming it was most certainly dirt. It had felt so good to smile at such a silly story in such a dark time. "Healer Leverknight."

A smile lit up the healer's face, "Correct. I am so glad that you remember me, Madam Alpha. The Alpha made sure that I came to the battle. You see, I am not allowed to work for most wizarding hospitals. I am very skilled at my trade but no one wants a werewolf on staff."

"I heard that St. Mungo's offered you a position after the war."

"Yes, yes they did and as I hear that was greatly due to you. I appreciate that you tried to do something for me. However, the position they offered was very low in pay with higher-ranking supervisors that knew half as much as I did. They made it very easy for me to turn down. I don't mind though, I love being here for the pack. I work in the town just outside of these woods as an on-call midwife. I enjoy it very much. You see each person in the camp has a job. Some are pack related and some are outside of camp. Once you mate with the Alpha, your job will start. You will make decisions for the pack, most specifically in details concerning the cubs, housing, clothing, pack food…"

"Women's work."

"Well, yes and no. It is a very important job. Naomi has been filling in this position until a time when we have a Madam Alpha to concern herself with these things. You will also make all of the pack decisions when the Alpha is away. You must think of what is best for the pack in these times. If you make a wrong decision, a Beta or another pack member may challenge you. These are fights to the death."

"I don't want this position and I don't want to be here."

"Yes, you have made that clear. I am afraid that you don't have much of a choice in the matter. I notice now that you look as if you have a range of emotions going on. I would like to help you understand those. Werewolves live long lives much like wizards if it is not interrupted by outside forces. We were given increased strength, speed, and a pack mentality. Each werewolf has one mate. Some go a very long time before finding this person and some find this person right away. Instantly the werewolf is affected by the bond. If the bond is ignored, then slowly each party will perish." Here the healer held up her hand as Hermione tried to interrupt and continued on," This takes varying degrees of time to accomplish. One would hope that it would be quick. When it is drawn out, one loses their emotions, mental capabilities, and their body begins to shut down physically. I must warn you now that this has already begun on you. Your emotions seem to fluctuate very drastically. What worries me the most is that the physical consequences have started to appear also. From here, I can still see bruising on various parts of your body. The salve seemed to help but not much. It should have cleared them completely. This is also happening in the Alpha. I must warn you what the next steps are if they have not already begun."

Tears started to prick at Hermione's eyes as she stared at the ceiling, taking in all that the healer was telling her. "What will happen to me next?"

"Your liver will shut down and after a while, either your brain or heart. Depending on which is stronger. In your case I believe your heart will stop first."

"Is there no way to stop this?"

"None that you want to hear. The only way is through accepting the mating bond."

"You are saying that if I should accept this right now, everything would instantly be better?"

"No. You may have done permanent damage to your body, if you consummate the bond now it would keep you in a frozen state of being until the next full moon. The Alpha would have to infect you then. This will increase your state of being slightly. The next full moon will be the key to you improving. Your body will heal instantly once you are transformed."

"How much longer do I have?"

With a curse, Fenrir who was silent till this point, stormed across the cabin and out of site.

"That depends. The Alpha had kept the bond stable enough for all these years by having someone close enough to you in blood so that the bond was slightly detoured. It bought us time to find you. This was a very risky move. Being so close to your mate without the bond increases the speed of the deterioration. It was a very tricky loophole to find. It is not easy to trick things like these. Your cousin accepted the bond. She was a very willing participant towards the end. She was most jealous of you, I should say."

"Christine would never want that monster! She would never want to be here!"

"Hermione, do you say that raping your cousin would be an act you could not forgive?"

"Of course!"

"Then it would be impossible for the Alpha to do. You see, the bond prevents each party from doing something that the other would truly not be able to forgive. This is why the Alpha did not bed your cousin against her will and this is why he will not be able to save your life. He cannot take you against your will. I would also guess that this is why you cannot fully reject him. That would be unforgivable to the Alpha. You are both stuck at a deadly impasse at the moment. Should you continue the way you are right now you will be dead in less than a week."

"A week?"

"Yes, if you are lucky."

"You said us being closer is speeding this up?"

"Yes."

"How long would we have if I went back home?"

"It is hard to say. Six months would be the longest I could guess."

"What would happen if the bond was consummated but I was not transformed?"

"It would hold for a while, I suppose. Two months. Then it too will start to give."

"Are there any books that I could read to help me understand?"

There was silence for a long stretch of time before Fenrir answered her question. "It is forbidden."

"What is?"

"Writing anything that could make a werewolf brethren vulnerable to the outside world."

"Who exactly has forbidden this? I thought you were supposed to be in charge here."

With a growl, Fenrir stood and started pacing the small area that served as a living room. "The elders."