CHAPTER THREE

Elizabeth Matthews gripped the steering wheel of her hire car like it was holding her afloat. Glaring at the automatic central heating dial that she blamed for the beads of sweat forming on her brow she huffed a loose curl away from her cheek and groaned loudly going over and over the threats her father had made to her if she didn't turn up.

She had begged and pleaded with her father not to send her there and he had not appreciated the points she had made that it was the modern age and Wolf traditions and politics needed a swift bout of updating. He also mentioned something about growing some balls but then that was her father. She suggested that perhaps a polite email or telephone call would have suffice and even at one point a carrier pigeon but in the end after many threats and tantrums off she trot, pout and all or face the wrath of her Marrok.

She had arrived at precisely 9am just as she was told to after an hour long car journey fully intending to go in on her own steam after giving herself some time to get the look of a petulant 15 year old of her face. She was there to introduce herself and ask for a rite of passage from the home town pack and as she knew they were going to say yes anyway it made the whole morning a waste of her time. She needed to be back at her apartment unpacking and home making, she had looked forward to being out of her father's domain so that she could revel in her independence not fall in line with another. After waiting in the drive for twenty minutes a leggy blonde female appeared at her window rousing her with a swift hard knock and a face full of white teeth. When Elizabeth turned to her the blonde showed her best charades trick and signalled for her to wind the window down. At any other point in time she would have toyed with her but the voice of her father rolling around in her conscience smacked her back into line.

"Can I help you?" Leggy said. Elizabeth decided that the name would suit this new player in her life; it wasn't a put down but a compliment some of her friends would die for the pins she sported.

"Yes I am erm…Lizzie, sorry ..." she cleared her throat trying desperately to remember her werewolf etiquette "Liz Matthews, I have an appointment with Mr Hauptman at 9am?"

"It's twenty past …you better come in and FYI…no one calls him Mr Hauptman. Adam is fine"

"Right "Elizabeth climbed out of the car as leggy stepped back, slamming the door behind her she didn't turn her back and kept eye contact at all times. Leggy smiled to herself and swung her arms behind her back as if assessing some new toy.

"So you're her eh?" Leggy swished her head around and her blonde locks followed into line with her, she was a walking L'oreal advert and Elizabeth started to feel inadequate, just one more reason she wanted to go home.

"Her?" she replied.

"Baby Marrok? Ha its ok, just thought you would be…I don't know...bulkier?"

"Right"

"Your full of words aren't you?"

"No not really, I don't have much to say." Elizabeth allowed her eyes to roam around as she followed behind Leggy's giant strides.

"Oh right…that would make a lot of sense?"

"Sense?"

"I guess Ben would prefer his woman silent"

The floor opened up and the world began to cave in. Elizabeth gasped for air at the name and a pain in her chest ripped away at her shell thrashing to be let out of an old prison locked away years ago for its own good. She felt a leak in its walls and she thrashed around for something to say…leggy stilled. No-one had mentioned that name in three years….no-one.

Benjamin? The instant regret at allowing it to be projected twice stung harder no tears, no weakness

"Lizzie? " A sudden voice pulled some of her attention as she gripped the lapels of her jacket trying very hard to keep it normal. As her name was repeated again she recognised its warmth and allowed it to help her build up those broken walls. She breathed in through her nose and out a slight gap in her parted lips as she turned to meet the voice.

"Lizzie this is Honey and she has a big mouth" he grimaced at Leggy and she walked away slowly waving a short salute style goodbye. Elizabeth preferred Leggy but Honey was just as good, it wasn't her fault and she probably wasn't even meant to come and meet her outside but wolves are just as curious as cats and the Greek goddess probably couldn't help herself. She pictured them all having a good laugh at her expense as he explained an old fling couldn't live without him and that he will have to do a runner for a bit until she was gone…especially if it interfered with his new project, might even be Leggy for all she knew.

More of the mental walls began to sludge away as she remembered him loudly discussing conquests whilst she was in hearing distance, he told her he was no good… she wished to god she had listened. She rocketed for her best form of defence as Samuels face took on a worried tinge. She could feel a warm dominant glow walk over her but she opted for her own brand of medicine and hate boiled up through her stomach to wash away the images of Benjamin in her mind. Hate kept her alive and would continue to do so until she graduated and left here.

Elizabeth threw her arms around Samuel and seemed to hang on for dear life. After a minute of weakness and a few nose nudges of reassurance in her hair she broke away fully composed.

"Samuel, thank god" Now it was just the two of them she began to feel she could relax a little more, surely Samuel will now understand why this whole thing was a bad idea. She hadn't even allowed herself to address the real problem as to why she shouldn't go there. As soon as she had made her mind up to go she scouted the areas in which she felt she would be safe and ignorant…and this house was NOT a safe place. In fact she black flagged it on a small map she intended to stick on her kitchen wall; with neat little lines she had marked this area out as the 'NO WAY JOSE' zone. She made a mental note to buy more flag pins.

"That bad huh?" Samuel continued to rouse her in conversation.

"Is there any way I can just go? I'm erm...I'm just not..."

"He isn't here, girl, relax"

She couldn't, she had tried but she knew why she was off and grumpy and it had absolutely nothing to do with unpacking. She had felt it since she took the turning on to the large back road leading here. Bleakness and silence echoed and she had found it harder to breathe as though she was fighting with some kind of altitude sickness. She felt like her heart was trying to take two beats and she couldn't remember when she last took a deep breath.

"Who? I'm just feeling a little tired"

"Let me take you to Adam, it will help." Sam was not buying any of it. He guided her through the living room and into a small office type space on the ground floor. As she walked through the large oak doors she noticed that they didn't match the fine interior. In fact she could see that with all the best possible will in the world the recent repair jobs that had been made to large holes in the wall and possibly a few windows made it clear that trouble often called at this house.

"So I spoke with ya Da this morning and he is in the total dark about this job you have lined up"

"Is he? I told him" She felt like she was back in the game, tormenting her father was always a good relaxing way for her to spend her time. She picked up a small tortoise shell egg that sat as a paperweight on the large wooden desk at the far end of the small room.

"No, what you said to him was you were working in a club" Sam placed himself on the corner of the desk so that he could fully face her and Elizabeth counteracted the movement by positioning herself so that he couldn't.

"Which I am" she replied toying with the smooth paperweight in her trembling fingers.

"Do you remember the time you told him you were popping out to the shops? They found you in Edinburgh"

"I didn't lie"

"But you didn't tell him the whole truth either"

She shrugged

"Is that what you think I am doing now?"

"ohhhh one hundred per cent, Lizzie, one hundred per cent" they both took a moment to look conspiratorially at each other with wicked grins. Samuel had visited her pack on many occasions after she was bought into it, and always as family. Growing up in a Pack when you are human means you have thousands of brothers and Sam was one of her favourites. He found himself on 'walkabout' many times in London and she enjoyed the harmony he restored to her father's eyes each time he visited. Samuel would take her on camping trips to the valleys and sometimes nights were pure joy as she watched his happy memories float over his eyes at being back in his homeland. This gave him a special place in her heart and a big reason why she wanted to choose the 'Moreton school of Dance' as her place of study.

"Sorry to keep you, I'm Adam Hauptman and I shall be your Alpha today" The over protective grilling that Samuel felt he needed to lay on her was interrupted by a large force of nature that strolled into the office space consuming every ounce of energy. Elizabeth had seen Alphas but none that commanded such a presence. As if being excused on cue Samuel hugged her goodbye and nudged her head with his nose a few times more for good measure. He invited himself for dinner on Sunday evening and departed with no fuss.

The large doors closed behind him and then it was just the two of them left in silence. Elizabeth put the paperweight down and turned around to address this Adam Hauptman.

"Mr Hauptman…."

"It's Adam…"

"Okkkk..Adam. I know you must have a lot on but I have had a very long journey and I have so much to do"

"Am I being dismissed, already?" the Alpha cocked his head to the side and grinned, she was not fooled she could see the warning in his eyes. Elizabeth had a feeling her lapse at manners was being overlooked because of her newness to not just being a werewolf but the sudden independence she had received, that didn't mean he was going to like it.

"Lizzie, may I call you Lizzie?" he started

"It's Liz…"

"Liz, you need to play nice. I'm not an Alpha who pulls rank a lot, I've never needed to and I'd like to keep it that way if that's ok." he finished.

That really wasn't going to work for her but she played along, only so she could get out. She lowered her eyes in response just enough to not look like she was talking to a shag pile rug.

"I apologise. It's not easy for me to be here sir."

"I understand. The reason why I asked you here was so that my pack could get your scent, you will need to run when you are called and we want you to feel at home here. I'm sure we can come to some way of working this out and I am sure that Ben will want the same? Besides all wolves in my jurisdiction are family and I wouldn't want you to miss out on that bond, you will need it."

Elizabeth had no intention of attending any family BBQ's so pushed on with what troubled her with Adams last statement.

"I was led to believe that Mr Hammond didn't know I was here? So are we going to discuss this with him?" her eyes momentarily flashed up to meet the Alphas and the honey brown that she saw pushed her back down again.

"I can see that's not what you want but I feel I need to speak for Ben. He is a trusted member of my pack and one who has proven his loyalty to me more than enough times for me to say that I am not comfortable with dismissing or holding facts from him in what I like for him to call a home, I think we both know that he hasn't had the most…traditional of upbringings shall we say and that trust does not come easily with him. I do not want to jeopardise that now"

"It's not that big a deal, sir. He would probably agree that we shouldn't cross paths also"

"Then let's let him decide shall we?"

Elizabeth screamed with frustration inside. She had seen pictures of a young girl on his desk and by his attempt at bluffing her she would assume he was every bit of a father as her own.

"I understand. I can see that this has all been a waste of time. Thank you for seeing me I will leave immediately." It was risky but she had to try.

"I hope that's a bluff Liz," he interjected her rather splendid attempt at a dramatic exit as her hands were on the door knobs about to pull them back "you two are shockingly similar it's a shame you can't work things out. He is out with Mercy at the moment but…"

"Mercy?" the stab of jealousy hit her hard. He didn't waste any time at all she thought probably off walking hand in hand through the snow spilling all his troubled life stories to her as she lapped it up like a love sick cub. Telling her all the things he could to make it clear he was being honest when he said he was bastard so you couldn't throw it back in his face later…breathe Liz…breathe …she urged herself calm just enough to hear his reply

"Mercy is my mate"

Or maybe not she sighed as her cheeks began to cool.

"Oh"

She caught Adam glance at her and the signs of an internal debate tripped over his brow. He was eyeing her as though he had found the answer to a puzzle and with a brief run of his hand over his chin he pushed the conversation aside as easily as he had walked into the room. She was expecting more of a fight.

"If I cannot make you change your mind then I will stick to our agreement. He will not know you are here from us if it can be helped and we will inform you of where you are free to roam when you are moon called. Deal?" Adam was back in the game with his own brand of guilt slapping but she didn't care she knew this meeting was over and she let them make their own opinions of her; she would never see them again so it wouldn't matter.

"Deal"

And that's how it happened, she was sure she hadn't made a great impression and Adam would congratulate Benjamin on a lucky escape. She drove herself home, ran out of her car and up her stairs to her front door. She fumbled in her bag for her keys and once in she slammed the door shut and dropped to the floor.

He will not break me again she repeated over and over until she fell asleep on the cold floor hugging herself safe. Her dreams confronted her and dragged her back having other ideas about what she would think about and since she arrived her dreams had been the same….happy and enticing memories replayed over and over again as if trying to send a message to her. But it wasn't one she wanted to hear….not yet.

"Dance for me"

"What now?"

"Yeah…dance for me…I want to watch you"

"I feel like a lamb when you watch me…those eyes of yours watching me like I'm prey. I can feel you sometimes even before I see you"

"That's called getting in too deep"

"I'm a good swimmer"

"You will need to be"

After all the years of hurt...she was still treading water.