Hey guys! I'm finally back. Long chapter! Woo-hoo! And I kind of love this chapter. I am so sorry it's been forever. I'm in the middle of a move and transferring schools...it sucks. But I also decided to start getting more characters involved so I had to dig up my notes on the kids and ages, and then read through this one for the timeline since I've been gone so long. We see more of Will, Shelby, Jacob, a little of Ness. Also Ryell gets thrown in. Love her. And there's a surprise at the end of this one. I can't tell you and DON'T GO READING THE END! I'll be very mad!

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

PiperPOV

The next morning, I woke up feeling weird. And not because I'd shifted the night before. Yeah, my body was sore everywhere like it did after a really heavy fight training session, but I was used to that.

Frowning, I stretched out, keeping my eyes closed. And then I realized why I felt weird. I was feeling the sheet in places on my body where I'd never felt a sheet before. Because I'd never slept naked before. Not in a house with my dad and brother.

Sitting up, I pulled the sheet away from my body. Yup, still naked. And I'd gone to sleep next to Jason. In his arms. Against his body.

My cheeks flushed as I remembered him touching me, both in the bathroom and in the bed. I'd forced the touching in bed, and hadn't minded in the least because I'd imprinted on him. The guessing game was all over.

Clutching the sheet to my bare chest, I listened, stretching my hearing out. God, I could hear so much more now. I could hear the little animals out in the woods foraging for the day. The faucet dripping in the kitchen. Jason's breathing and heartbeat. Sounded and smelled like he was cooking breakfast, and my stomach nudged me, letting me know it was hungry.

Just as I was about to swing my legs over the side of the bed, another presence in my head let itself be known. Closing my eyes, I looked inward. My wolf was stretching and yawning inside me, loosey-goosey from our hunt last night.

When she looked up at me with pale green eyes, there was a rushing in my head, and suddenly, I could remember everything. Dad trying to attack me and Jason taking the hit. My rage forcing me to partial shift and get the two apart. Jason carrying me into the woods. And then the two of us shifting. After that, Jason had cleaned us, me and my wolf. I knew from her that it was a show of affection. Then, Jason had taken us hunting where the two of us, Jason and I, took down a large buck. Once I was done eating, I'd shifted back.

I felt a tidbit nauseous at that. Quileute pack didn't have to feed after phasing. Did the fact that I hunted and fed mean that I was more like my mother's side?

After that, it was all blurry. I vaguely remembered him carrying me back to the cabin and putting me in the bath. I'd watched through slitted eyes as he'd bandaged the cuts Dad had left behind on his chest, and then he'd shaved. When he was done, he'd taken me out of the bath and dried me off.

I shuddered as I recalled how he'd kissed my backside so softly. But he'd been a complete gentleman. No fondling or pushing of any kind. Once we were in bed, I'd been more awake and known why he'd gone to the bathroom. As soon as he was in bed with me, I'd needed to touch him, so I'd pressed back into his hips and put his hand to my breast.

And then…he'd told me he loved me.

My wolf let me go after that, the memories cutting off suddenly. Luckily I was in bed because I swayed a little.

As soon as my vision cleared, I stood up, wrapped the sheet around me, and rushed out of the bedroom. My body was tight and not happy, but I didn't care. Out in the living room, the TV was on, but low on volume, no doubt so he could hear if I called for him.

Jason himself was indeed in the kitchen. His golden skin glowed in the morning light coming from the window above the sink. That dark blonde hair was a mess, sticking up here and there. I grinned, biting my lip. He was adorable standing there in just his underwear, just like a couple nights ago.

He was just tossing a pan into the sink when I ran into the kitchen. Shock colored his expression before I threw myself into his arms. He held me tightly to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed our mouths together hungrily.

He met my kiss, nipping and licking at my lips. But all too soon, he pulled back, staring down at me with a frown.

"What?" I asked. "Too fast after our admissions?"

Jason let me slide down his body so that my feet were on the floor again, but he leaned down to kiss me. Pulling back again, he smiled and brushed my hair from my forehead. "No, it's fine, baby." He opened his mouth like he was gonna talk again, but he made like a fish out of water. Open, close. Open, close.

I pulled away a little. "Okay, what is it? What's wrong?"

Opening his mouth again, he shook his head and turned away, putting a plate of food together. There was only enough for one plate. Almost as if he hadn't expected to be eating with someone else.

Turning back around, he took my elbow and herded me toward the table. The chair he put me in was in front of the setting where he put the plate. "Eat. You need food after…last night."

Crossing my arms over my stomach, I raised my eyebrows. "This was supposed to be your breakfast. What about you? And why aren't you telling me what's with your frown?"

His blue eyes were actually stern…and worried. "Eat up. I'll make another plate, and then I'll talk."

He shoved a fork in my hand and looked pointedly at the plate.

I really was hungry. And so was the wolf.

Flipping the fork around, I dug in. And it was heavenly. I groaned and moaned the whole time.

By the time I'd licked the plate clean, Jason was putting another in front of me and sitting down with his own. We ate without talking, but I could feel his eyes on me the whole time.

He finished before I did because I was savoring this portion. Sitting back in his seat, he crossed his arms over that broad, bandaged chest, and watched me closely, his eyes flickering between blue and amber.

As I was chewing on my last piece of bacon, I sat back, too. "So we're done. Talk."

A smile flickered at his lips before it disappeared. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up even more. "Piper, you shifted back to human less than twelve hours ago. By all accounts, you should be passed out until the early hours of tomorrow morning. I mean, I could honestly handle you being awake, but…you should at least not be moving like you are. To be honest, nothing about what happened with you should have happened. Or at least, it's not normal for one of us."

I frowned. "Well, tell me all of it. Please. I don't understand."

Leaning forward, he put his forearms on the table. "You know our culture, Piper. Did nobody talk to you about shifting?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm not understanding why you're so worried. So, start from the beginning. I want to understand."

Nodding, he cleared his throat. "Okay. Ah…alright, do you remember last at all?"

I nodded. "I remember everything."

His eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Oh, okay. Well, um, you remember how I said that I'd never seen anybody do what you did? That it was alpha power?"

I nodded again.

"Well, just remember that as I talk." He sat back, drumming his fingers on the table. "First off, the partial shift? There's never been an account of a first-time shifter ever pulling off a partial shift, before or after their first shift. That's…pretty powerful stuff. And then your actual shift…" he shook his head. "I have never seen anything like it. It was smooth and…utterly silent. I remember thinking that it was like watching a silent movie in color. And it was almost like a cross between shifting and phasing. Like phasing in slo-mo. You didn't look like you were in any amount of pain at all. And when you shifted back, you were still conscious. And now, you're awake and moving after less than twelve hours of sleep. Absolutely none of that is normal."

Frowning, I bit my lip.

Jason hurried on, reaching across the table to take my hand. "Don't get me wrong. I'm ecstatic that you're not in that bed writhing in pain. I really am. I just think that, for today, we should lay low and stay in here. I don't want anyone asking questions."

Looking away from him, I fingered a wrinkle in the sheet. "I thought recovering quickly would be a good thing. You're acting like it's not."

Reaching over, he put his fingers under my chin. "It's not bad to me. I love knowing how strong you are. But the shifting process is usually very strict. Even with variations in certain people, the process doesn't completely change. With you, it did. I think it's because of your mixed blood. But if we say that, others would counter it with your brother. While he thinks and acts like a Child of the Moon, he phases like a Quileute wolf. Perfectly logical for a half-breed. I just don't want the pack to ostracize you until we can come up with an explanation. Let's just stay in today and relax, take it easy. Please."

I gripped his wrist, rubbing over his pulse. "Okay," I said softly. "Whatever you think is best. I could use a day just the two of us."

He smiled. "Me, too. Especially with you wearing only a sheet with my scent all over it."

I looked down at the sheet. "That's a thing?"

He shrugged. "For now, it's just my scent. But after we mate for the first time, it'll change."

"How so?"

He chuckled. "We call in the marking and it only happens with true mates. Males in the couples will…mark…their females. The scent is kind of a warning to other males, letting them know that she's unavailable. After it happens, if any males try to make a move on you and I know about it, I'll become very dangerous and violent."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah, it can get intense." Leaning back, he ran his hand through his hair again.

Sitting back, I studied him. He was an intense man, very honest. But also…kind. He'd taken care of me last night. And it was clear he cared for his sisters and brother. I did love him already.

"I like you when you're intense," I said softly.

He looked up at me as if he didn't believe it.

Getting up, I walked around the table and straddled his thighs. I put my elbows on his shoulders and ran my fingers through his hair, smoothing it out. His hands ran up my thighs over the sheet.

"I'm serious. I've always wanted someone to be like that for me. My brother is for Jules. Walker is for Hunter. I know my brother is protective over me, but I've always wanted this," I said referring to how close we were. "I love this intimacy that we have, and we haven't even had sex yet. It's good to know that you feel as strongly for me as I do for you."

Putting his hands up to sides of my face, he brushed my hair back. "I'd kill for you, Piper."

"I know," I whispered. "And I for you." The revelation actually didn't bother me. This was my mate, and I would in fact kill for him.

Moving one hand to the back of my neck, he pulled me forward so that our foreheads rested against each other.

For a long time, we just sat there, staring.

BraydenPOV

I couldn't breathe.

Opening my eyes, I realized why. My face was buried in Jules's pillow, inhaling her scent. I was on my stomach, arms and legs splayed out everywhere, and Jules wasn't around. I could hear dishes clanking and something sizzling on the stove.

I frowned as I rolled over. She wasn't ever up before me. And I didn't like it that she was now.

Rolling out of bed, I grabbed my jeans and stepped into them.

There was a fire going in the fireplace, but the TV was off. Instead, she had music playing.

Her copper hair was pulled up into a knot on top of her head, and she was wearing one of my t-shirts. My body got hard in an instant. I'd never seen her in my clothes, and I couldn't say I didn't love it.

Going up behind her quietly, I wrapped my arms around her waist and put my lips to her neck. She jumped a little. "You know, you did bring your own clothes," I murmured against her skin.

Turning her head, she kissed my cheek. "Yes, baby. I know. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Good. I'm almost finished." She flipped the omelet over. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I've gotten some sleep." I hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry for falling apart like I did. And crying all over you."

Tossing the finished omelet onto a plate, she turned the oven off, and turned in my arms, her hands resting on my chest. Her aqua eyes were bright in the morning light. "Baby, why are you apologizing? You've witnessed your dad losing himself and your mom's pain over it. Plus Piper shifting. It's a lot to take in, Bray. And as your imprint, it's my job to let you cry all over me. It's not just you who gets to be a caretaker."

I pulled her against me. "And this is why I need you. And why I love you." Leaning in, I kissed her. "I do love you, Jules. Thank you."

Her grin was bright. "You're very welcome." Turning away, she grabbed the plates and moved around me to the table. "Dad called this morning."

"And?" I asked as I sat down, pulling out the fork.

She frowned down at her plate. "She managed to get him to calm down, but she also mentioned Piper. Apparently, your sister has some serious mojo. Somehow, when she did what she did, she beat him into some kind of submission. He hasn't been aggressive since Jason left with her."

Slowly, I put my fork down. "But he's not back to himself, is he?"

She shook her head, her aqua eyes sad. "No. Mara said there's recognition in his eyes now, that he knows who everyone is, but it's like he's trapped in his own head. The animal has taken over and Uncle Seth can't communicate."

Suddenly, the air got so thick that I couldn't breathe, and the world started to spin.

Jules must have noticed because she stood up and came around the table to plant herself in my lap. Taking my face in her hands, she made me look up into her aqua eyes. "Listen to me, Bray. Mara and I are going to do everything we can to help him. I promise you that I won't stop until I have my uncle back. Do you hear me? Tell me you understand."

Swallowing hard, I nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Now finish eating. We'll stop by to check on Piper before we go to the cells."

The authority in her tone had me doing what she ordered, which was odd. Being a half-breed I could choose what orders to follow. That I wanted to follow hers and please her was a testament to my imprint and respect for her.

We quickly finished eating and got dressed in relative quiet, both of us stuck in our own thoughts. At the front door, Jules reached for my hand and squeezed it as we walked out. She led me over to the cabin next door and knocked on the door.

From inside, there was some whispering and shuffling before I heard Jason call out, "Just a sec."

More shuffling, a little giggling from my sister and laughing from him. And then the door opened.

Jason was standing there in a pair of low-hanging jeans, messy hair, and nothing else. His eyes were shining with amusement. "Hey, Jules. Bray. What's up?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "Checking on Piper. Is she okay?"

He looked back over his shoulder and let out a laugh. Shaking his head, he moved aside and motioned us in. "I wanna talk to you about that. I knew you'd come to check on her."

Jules smiled up at him as she slid inside. "It's nice to see you smiling, Jason. Looks good on you."

I gave the back of her head a look as the wolf in my head raised his hackles at her noticing another male. Mentally, I scolded him and told him to shut up unless he wanted us to be put in the dog house. He whimpered but complied.

I nodded to Jason as I passed him. When he just grinned, I narrowed my eyes at him.

Piper came out of one of the back rooms pulling her shirt down over her flat stomach. She grinned and moved to hug Jules. "So how was your first night alone with my brother?"

Jules flushed but shook her head.

Piper pouted playfully, then winked at me.

I shook my head, and stayed focused on her and not the fact that I hadn't had sex with her best friend. Going forward, I hugged her carefully. "For some reason, I was led to believe you'd be comatose the day after your first shift. Or at least in massive amounts of pain."

Her grip on me tightened as she buried her face in my chest. "I'm fine, Bray. But that's what Jason wants to talk to you about. Apparently, me being awake and mobile isn't normal."

Behind us, I heard the door click shut. We all turned as Jason came toward our little group. There were four long furrows across his chest starting at his left shoulder and trailed down under his right nipple. The nipple itself had gotten caught with a claw. All four marks were dark and scabbed over. Healing, but slower than what the Children were capable of.

I jerked my chin toward him. "You okay?"

He looked down and carefully ran the tips of his fingers over the wounds. "I will be. They'll be gone in a couple days. Hopefully there won't be scars, but I won't complain if there are. At least I'm alive."

"Thank God," Piper breathed.

I looked over at her to see clear love and relief in her green eyes as she stared at her mate.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets as Jules beamed at them. "So imprint and true mates, huh?"

Shrugging, Jason ran a hand through his hair, making it that much messier. "Guess so. Which brings me to the topic at hand." Dropping his arm, he was suddenly the serious enforcer. "I went over it with her this morning, but nothing that happened with Piper was normal. From the partial change, to her shift, to her being conscious right now. It's serious power, alpha power."

Jules and I shared a look before I stared at Jason. "Uh, you gotta give me more than that. You make that sound like it should be epic."

Jason nodded. "It is. There's rarely a wolf born with this much power."

Piper looked at me and Jules. "Jason, you might need to tell them what you told me, babe."

He took one look at our lost expressions and nodded. "Right. Okay. So when we're born or infected, we all sort of come into this world on equal power grounds. It's like we start off neutral. Those who stay betas are alright with being led and are just go with the flow kind of wolves. But those who become alphas or dominants get that way because they get pissed off at leadership. They gain power as they fight up the pack ranks. Now, what makes a pack leader so powerful is the power he gains from the pack. It's some sort of metaphysical shit none of us really understand."

"Like a symbiotic relationship," Jules said.

We all looked at her.

She shrugged. "Something Mara taught me. While a pack leader is supposed to be in charge, he can only truly rule if the pack accepts him and follows him whether through love or fear. And if the pack accepts him, they expect him to take care of them with the power he's gained. They need each other. Symbiotic."

Jason nodded, looking at her with respect. "Exactly."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "So what does this have to do with Piper?"

When Jason looked up at her, my sister moved across the room to stand with her man. He wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close. There was a type of relief in his eyes the moment she was against him. I briefly wondered if I had the same look when Jules touched me.

After kissing the top of her head, Jason said, "I've looked back over our histories. Someone had the good sense to upload them to a private website that was made for the pack. There are some accounts that were actually written down of wolves infected or born into alpha power. They're rare, but it happens."

I frowned. "What about me?"

Jason shook his head. "It's not bound by siblings. It's just a thing. You're dominant enough because of your parents. But I think Piper's like this because of your dad."

"What about our dad?" Piper and I asked at the same time.

An "oops" expression crossed his features.

Piper stepped away from him. "What about my dad, Jason?"

Jules stood up to come over to me.

Agitated, Jason ran his hand through his hair again. "I can't believe they haven't told you," he muttered.

"Told us what?" I demanded as Piper came to stand on my other side.

He didn't answer, just kept scrubbing his face and hair with his hands.

"Jason," Piper said, "if you know something that could help-,"

Jason looked up at her. "It's nothing that Mara and the adults don't already know."

"Baby, please."

Sighing, he reached back to brace his hands on the counter. The scratches on his chest pulled as he breathes, little beads of blood pooling up around the scabbing. "I really can't fathom why nobody's told you this. But before you were even conceived, Piper, Seth died in a pretty epic fight."

Jules, Piper, and I just stared at him.

"Bullshit," I called after a heavy silence.

He shook his head. "I'm dead serious. Brayden, you were still a baby. The coven up north had gone missing. Jacob took his and Walker's packs up there. They were ambushed. And in saving Jacob's life, Seth took the killing blow. He was gone for a good day from what I was told."

In total disbelief, Piper and I shared a look. Neither one of us had ever heard of anything like this before. But Mom had talked to us about a darkness that Dad had about him.

Piper took my hand and squeezed it hard as she looked back at Jason. "Well what happened?"

Jason put his hands on his hips and frowned, looking down at the floor. "Your mom wanted something of her to burn with him on the pyre so she cut their palms and mixed their blood. Somehow, her infection brought him back. You'd have to talk to your godfather about the particulars. But when he came back, something else came back with him. It was really dark shit, too. Cricket called Mara in for a favor since the witch is a healer. She helped your dad deal with that darkness. And then you were conceived, Piper. That's why I think you have so much power. That something that came back with Seth was dark and very powerful."

Still unable to process, I shook my head. "How come you know about this?"

He shrugged. "My dad told me. For some reason, I don't think he told my siblings though, just me."

Unable to handle the load, my knees buckled and I landed in a chair. "Why didn't anybody tell us before now? Why didn't Mom or Dad say anything?"

Jules was next to me, rubbing her hand across my shoulders.

Nobody answered me but Piper gasped, her eyes going wide. "Daddy," she whispered. "I-I can't believe I…oh my god, how is he? Has Mara seen him yet?"

Jules went to her and hugged her hard. "Mara's here. She's doing what she can. Whatever you did yesterday, it made him stay calm. And they said there's awareness in his eyes. He recognizes people but can't communicate. I'm going to go see what I can do to help, alright?"

With tears starting to fall, Piper nodded and hugged Jules hard. They held onto each other for a few good minutes while Piper cried. Jason watched my sister with helplessness. This was one thing he couldn't fight to stop her pain. Instead, all he could do was be there for her. Kind of like me with Jules's nightmares. I couldn't fight them. All I could do was hold her, let her know she was safe with me until they released their grip on her.

Jason met my eyes over the girls' heads. We shared a nod before we went back to watching them.

Now that I was getting my thoughts in order, the first emotion I felt was pure anger. There were so many people that we were close to. None of them had even hinted at anything this dark happening to our dad. And they were sitting there with their sympathetic looks saying we'd figure out what was wrong. Well, what I'd just heard was part of the fucking problem, wasn't it? Whatever was going on had screwed with that dark side of my father, the dark that had come back with him from the fucking dead.

Pushing up off my ass, I went for the door. "Fuck this."

"Bray!" they yelled behind me. It was too late. I was already out the door and heading for the center of the compound.

When I managed to get out of the woods, I somewhat surprised to see that other members of the pack had come up. Luckily, my godfather was one of them. And Uncle Jake was there, too.

Hands grabbed my wrist, pulling my arm. "Bray, please! Just stop for a second!"

I kept up the pace even though she was hanging onto me, putting her weight into stopping me. "They lied to me, Jules!"

"I know, but please! There's a better way to handle this!"

I shook her off and kept going.

Uncle Jake turned and frowned as I made a very angry beeline for Caden. Growling, my fists were clenched as I moved across the field. "Bray?" Uncle Jake asked.

He must have realized what I was about to do when I ignored him and bared my teeth because he lunged for me. But it was too late. As soon as I was close enough, I swung out, my fist connecting with Caden's face.

The world froze for a moment, as if someone had pressed pause.

And then it exploded.

"Brayden!"

"Son of a bitch!"

"Dad!"

Uncle Jake grabbed my arms and locked them behind my back. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Aunt Leah was cradling her mate's face, staring at me like I'd lost my mind. "Brayden Clearwater! What is wrong with you?"

"You knew!" I yelled.

The clearing went quiet again as they stared at me.

"All of you! You fucking knew my dad had died and none of you could think to fucking tell me?!" I struggled against the hold around me, trying to break free.

Uncle Jake's grip tightened. "Easy, son," he said in my ear. "Who told you?"

Finally, I calmed a little. "It doesn't fucking matter who told me."

He jerked on me. "Hey! Hey! Watch the language, Brayden. I get you're pissed, but you need to calm down."

I wanted to. I really did. But if I calmed down, I was going to break down completely. Struggling against my uncle, I let the anger go and let my knees buckle. He went down with me. Eventually, he let go of my arms to wrap his around my chest, holding me against him. The tears came fast and hard.

"It's okay," Uncle Jake whispered. "It's okay."

He held me to him as I started to yell. It was better than sobbing.

"Back up. Get away from him."

I didn't look toward that voice I knew so well. I just waited until she was standing in front of me and then kneeling.

Jules was holding her tears in check by force of will alone. Pulling her shirtsleeve over her hand, she used it to wipe my face. Then she leaned in and chastely put her lips to mine. "I won't tell you it's okay. I won't lie to you." Her aqua eyes were angry as they looked up at her dad. Clenching her teeth, she said, "It's not okay that they lied to you, that they didn't tell you. But it is okay to hurt."

I stared at her. "I can't be here right now."

Nodding, she looked at her dad again. "Let him go, Dad. Please. It's the least you could do."

Slowly, the grip around me eased up. As soon as I was able, I jumped up and raced for the woods. I couldn't be around anybody right now. And I didn't want to hurt anybody else.

JacobPOV

I felt like the worst uncle on the planet as I watched Brayden rush into the trees.

Seth's death and resurrection had been a topic in the adult conversations for years. Seth and Shelby had always said they'd tell Bray and Piper, but not when or how. Clearly, they'd never gotten around to it.

Getting to my feet, I couldn't meet my daughter's eyes. "Caden, you alright?"

He nodded, moving his jaw around. "Proud, actually. Kid's got one hell of a right hook." His English accent was thick around the swelling. Leah and Gage were hovering around him. He gently brushed them off, reassuring them that he was okay. His amber eyes looked to Jules. "Wonder who told him."

Jules just glared at all the adults in the clearing. "It doesn't matter," she snapped. "All of you should be ashamed for keeping something like that from him, from all of us."

I reached out toward her. "Jules, baby, it was his parents' story to tell. Not ours."

She turned on me, moving out of reach. Her eyes were fierce. "Just like it was your story to tell Mom you'd imprinted on her? Oh, wait. Someone else had to sac up and do it. Isn't that your saying, Dad?" She went back to glaring at all of us. "How could you? How dare you?"

The door to the cell cabin opened and Nessie came out looking around. "What is going on out here?"

"Nothing," Jules snapped before pushing her way past her mother.

Ness turned to watch her go in with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, and then turned back to us. "Someone want to explain the 'tude?"

Shelby moved up behind my wife, looking exhausted but alert.

I sighed. "Brayden found out about Seth's death."

Shelby gasped, her hand going to her mouth.

"He took it out on Caden, probably because of the godfather part."

Shelby moved outside for the first time since Seth went into the cell. "Where is he? Where's my son?"

I motioned to where he disappeared. "Walking it off, probably."

She rushed out of the building and towards the woods.

"Uncle Seth died?" Gage asked, stepping away from his parents and looking at them like he couldn't believe they hadn't told him. His best friend, Tate, moved with him.

We all looked to him. And then the adults started looking at the other kids that were here like Ryell, Henry, and Leila. They were all staring at us, at me.

Taking a deep breath, I realized we'd made a mistake in not sharing pack experiences with them. They were older now and trust was a big thing in the pack. Henry and Leila were holding hands and had moved closer to Gage and Tate.

Looking up at Ness, I asked her with my eyes what we should do. Swallowing hard, she nodded, looking sad.

I swung my gaze back to the kids who were looking at me with hurt expressions and expectations.

ShelbyPOV

Trying to keep my cool, I pushed through the trees and shrubs, following Bray's scent. Mara was working on Seth and had already made a little progress. She said his mental shields were coming back intact which was why I could see him back in his eyes. But the rest of him? She said something had caused him to relapse further into that dark place he'd been, further than he'd been in the past. I knew he was scared. I could see it in his eyes. And I cried every time I saw the expression.

But Mara had been right when she said that I needed to check on my kids, that they needed me. I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid to just drop everything when Seth went down. I was still a mother and had responsibilities.

My nerves cooled just a little when I finally found Bray sitting on a fallen tree, his head in his hands. His black hair was spiky as though he'd been running is fingers through it over and over.

Hearing me, he lifted his head just a little to say, "I don't wanna talk. Just leave me alone."

I smirked. So much like me. "Not even to your mother?"

He spun around, surprise clear on his face. "Mom?"

Aaand that hurt. I'd neglected them for two days. Wrapping my arms around my torso, I walked over and sat down beside him. "I'm a crappy mom, huh?"

"What? No! I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." Looking over at him, I wanted to cry. He looked so much like Seth that it was eerie. Except for those eyes.

His expression softened. "Mom-,"

"How's your sister?" I asked, cutting him off. "She shifted?"

For a moment, he just stared at me like he didn't want to let the bad mom topic go. In the end, he licked his lips and nodded. "Yeah. Jason's taking care of her."

I nodded. "Good. That's good."

"Listen, Mom…about Piper…"

His hesitation had me worried about my little girl. "What about her?"

Frowning, he turned to me, rubbing his hands together slowly. "She's different."

My turn to frown, I asked, "What do you mean?" God, I was a terrible mother. I didn't even know what was happening with my own children.

"She shifted yesterday for the first time. By definition, she should be passed out cold or writhing in pain. But, Mom, neither is happening. Jules and I went to check on her and Jason this morning. She's up and around, perfectly fine if a little sore. Last night, she was conscious after shifting back. I heard her talking to Jason when he took her back to their cabin. And Jason said that the shift itself wasn't normal. That it was slow and silent, like watching a Quileute wolf phase in slow motion. He…he thinks she has that much power because of what happened to Dad. And what came back with him."

Now he looked away from me and I understood. Jason had told them what had happened. Of course, Brent would know. He may not have been involved but as head enforcer, he'd have been informed.

"Bray-,"

"Why, Mom?" he asked, finally looking straight at me for the first time. His green eyes were shining from hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Reaching out, I was surprised that he let me stroke his cheek and jaw. "Oh, Brayden. We were going to tell you. We were planning for when you first phased."

He gave me a look and held his arms out, like "uh, Mom?"

"I know, I know." Pulling back, I put my face in my hands, trying to force the tears back.

Gently, he held my wrists and pulled my hands away so he could see me. "Was it because you didn't trust me? Or didn't think I could handle it?"

I felt like a terrible, horrible mother. "Oh, no, baby. Not at all. It's just you were so happy when you phased, not as quiet. And you were doing so well in school. Then Will went through his phase and the Hunter stuff." I put my hand on his arm. "And then Jules! We were so happy for you, Brayden." When he gave me a look, I went on. "I'm not saying that that's an excuse. We were just so happy to see you like that. We didn't want you to feel like you had to worry over something that was over and done with."

He pulled back and looked out at the trees. "Well clearly it's not over, Mom. If I had known, then maybe I could have noticed that he was getting bad again."

I gripped his arm. "Please don't do this to yourself, Bray. I didn't notice. This isn't natural, baby. Something happened to cause this sudden change in him." Taking a deep breath, I dove into the past. "Not long after he first came back to us, he started getting…more aggressive. And then the nightmares came. Those were the worst. He always dreamed he was going to hurt you or me. You were just a tiny thing back then. And then he asked for help. Ness talked to Cricket and then the next thing I knew, Mara was in our house. She brought him back to me, to us." I smiled. "The day I met her was the day she told me I was pregnant with your sister. Ness was pregnant with Jules. Anyway, after that first day, she and Seth worked together all the time whenever he felt himself start to slip. And then, after the mess with Tristan, after I survived the fight, he seemed okay. Mara taught him how to deal with everything. The aura, the nightmares, all the energy. I never understood that mumbo-jumbo but your dad did. Does. He does understand."

"And that's what Mara's trying to do now, right? Help bring him back?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She's trying to figure out what happened, too. What caused it. And I saw Jules go in, so hopefully she'll have some insight."

"I want to apologize, but I don't want you to think that I'm okay with you not telling me this. Dad died, Mom."

Breathing in deep through my nose, I let it out through my mouth and looked at him. Reaching up, I rubbed his neck, scratching the hair at the nape of his neck. "I know. And I don't blame you for being pissed. I would be, too. Hell, I still can't help but sit here thinking I'm a terrible mother. I just left you and your sister to deal alone for two days."

He captured my hand and kissed my fingers. "You're not a terrible mom. You and Dad are amazing. Piper and I wouldn't know what to do without you. And we have a support system. We just want you to be open and honest with us. That's how you raised us to be and that you keep things from us shakes up the trust we have in each other. We're part of the pack now."

I squeezed his fingers. "I know, baby. Dad and I are so proud of you. And he'll be proud of Piper once we get him out of this funk and can tell him."

His brows pulled down low. "Why don't we go tell him now?"

"What?"

My son shrugged. "It might have a positive impact on him to hear good news about his kid. His baby girl is now capable of protecting herself. And she has a very protective mate who can also protect her."

In that moment, I was so proud of the man he'd become. He'd talked out his issues, told me where he stood, and now he was moving forward. If he could pull through this, then I should be able to follow him. With Seth out of commission, Brayden was the man of the family even with Jacob watching over us.

Gripping his hand, I nodded. "Alright. Let's go talk to Dad if Mara and Jules haven't knocked him out yet."

WillPOV

Walking out of the bedroom, I scrubbed my hair with a towel as I made my way down the hallway. It was my day off from the shop and I'd spent the morning lovin' on my mate. Hunter had already taken her shower and was in the kitchen making up some grub.

With the way our place was set up, the hall spit me out into the dining room which had a direct line to the kitchen. I laughed as I walked in, seeing Hunter standing there with her face all scrunched up as she stared down into a container of some left-overs.

"What is it?" I asked, moving around the bar/counter and throwing the towel around the corner to the laundry area before wrapping my arms around her.

She opened her mouth, closed it, and sniffed the container again. "I can't tell if this is still good and the pregnancy is making it gross or if it's actually bad," she said in the thick accent that matched her father's.

I chuckled. "Either way you're not gonna eat it, right?"

Her face scrunched up even more while she shook her head.

Taking it from her, I said, "Well, then, why bother?" I gave it the sniff test. "And it's still good, by the way."

"Yuck." Reaching down, she drummed her fingers on her belly. "Alright, child. We need to have a talk. Your mum likes chicken, so get the memo and let me eat it."

Grinning, I kissed the side of her neck under her hair. Only a month along and she was already talking to our kid. Hell, we both were. At night, I'd curl around her stomach and press my lips to her skin, just talking. I'd talk about our families and Grampa Billy, how much I missed him and what he'd been like. I talked about Mom and Dad. Hunter loved it when I'd tell the tiny baby inside her how much daddy couldn't wait to hold her. We'd only found out a couple weeks ago that we were expecting, but already I was in love with the idea that I was going to be a dad. Sure, my nineteenth birthday was in another week and Hunter was turning twenty in another couple of months, but we were ready for this. Dad had let me off alpha duty for a little while so that I could spend more time with Hunter this early in the pregnancy just in case she started getting sick and so we could just bask in the good news.

I was scared to death that I was going to be terrible, but then I thought about Uncle Walker. He'd adopted Haleigh at eighteen and she'd turned out just fine. Hell, she was the alpha female of the neighboring pack to the south, her mate the pack leader. She'd had their first kid earlier in the year. Aunt Shelby had had my best friend Brayden at nineteen. He was one of the best people I knew and was imprinted to my sister. I couldn't have asked for a better brother-in-law. Not to mention the support we'd have from both packs and our parents.

"Will?" Hunter asked, rubbing her hands up my arms.

"Hmm?"

"Your phone's ringing, luv."

Planting another kiss to her neck, I pulled away and went for my phone in the bedroom. After seeing who it was, I answered with, "Hey, little sister. What's up?"

I could hear Jules take a deep breath on the other end. "I wish this was a pleasant call, but Bray needs you."

I frowned, taking the serious tone in her voice. Sitting down on the bed, I asked, "What do you mean? What's happened?" Reaching out, I ran the purple ribbon on my unborn daughter's booties between my fingers. They'd been a gift from Aunt Alice, Aunt Rosalie, and Grama Esme as well as ome mittens and a hat.

"Well, what's the last drama that you remember?"

"Uh, being up there for the fire. Why? Something else going down?"

She snorted. "Oh yeah."

My frown deepened as Hunter leaned in the doorway. "Everything alright?" she asked, arms crossed over her stomach.

"Jules, I'm gonna put you on speaker phone." Hitting the screen, I did and then said, "Okay, talk to me. Hunter's listening."

"Oh, hey, sis," Jules said in greeting.

Hunter smiled. "Hey, Jules. What's going on?"

"Well, my boyfriend punched your dad in the face."

"What?" she and I said at the same time, giving each other surprised looks.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded.

I heard her take a deep breath and then let it out. "Alright. It's been a long couple of days but I'll give you the rundown. So that night at the house, when we were all there, Bray and Jason got into it, so Piper and Jason went back to the compound. Uncle Seth got freakishly pissed. According to both Jason and Piper, he got rough with her when he went to drag her back home. Jason tried to stop him. They fought. Uncle Seth nearly killed Jason, Will. It was bad."

Hunter sat down on the bed next to me. "What happened?" I asked. "He just snapped?"

"Hold on, big brother. Let me continue."

"Go for it."

"Uncle Seth went crazy when a group of guys tackled him. So they put him in the cell cabin. Bugh." She shuddered. "Anyway, Dad called Mara in to look over him. You know, because she helped with issues in the past right?"

Hunter and I shared a look. "Right?"

"Okay, so yesterday, Piper, Jason, Bray, and I went to visit before Mara got here. Will, there was nothing human in him that I could see." The breath she took in shook, and I could hear it. She was rattled. "Anyway, Piper got too close to the cell and he tried to attack her. Jason took the blow for her, which triggered her inner wolf."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "She phased?"

"Correction, she shifted. A partial shift at first, which, according to Jason, isn't supposed to happen. Look, he says that nothing about her shift was normal, like she's really powerful given that she got Uncle Seth to calm down even in the animalistic state after he went after Jason. Oh, and speaking of our friendly neighborhood enforcer, he's now going to be Brayden's future brother-in-law."

Okay, this was all making my head hurt. Planting my elbow on my knee, I put my forehead in my hand and rubbed. "Get to the point about Bray needing me. What happened?"

I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "Slow your roll, bro. I'm getting there."

"Go a little faster."

She sighed. "So impatient. Alright, so this morning, Bray and I went to check on Piper. She's fine, by the way. But Jason has a little theory about why she's so powerful. He's convinced it has something to do with Uncle Seth."

Hunter could see that I was getting irritated so she took the phone from me and rubbed my shoulders. "What about him, Jules?" she asked.

My sister was quiet for a long moment before she said softly, "Will, did you know that Uncle Seth died a long time ago?"

Lifting my head, I stared at my phone. "What?"

I heard her swallow. "Yeah. Bray was just a baby and you weren't even born yet. The packs got into an epic fight and Uncle Seth took a blow for Dad. Aunt Shelby mixed their blood when they brought his body back and somehow, he came back. I got a little of the story from Mara just a few minutes ago. She said that when his soul went back into his body, something else went with it, something dark. A dark energy because of the violent way he'd died. By the time she was called in, Mom was already pregnant with me and Aunt Shelby was just pregnant with Piper. Piper was conceived after he came back."

I just stared at the phone for a moment, utterly speechless. "How…I mean…why do we not know this?"

"Because nobody told us, doofus."

And then I thought about her opening line. "Shit," I whispered. "Bray. He didn't know either?"

There was a sound like she was shaking her head. "No. I seriously doubt any of us kids knew. Jason only knew because his dad told him for some reason. Will," her tone turned sad, "he needs you. I can only do so much and Aunt Shelby is too worried about her mate to be any good to him right now. I mean, she went to talk to him, finally leaving this building, but she's too distracted to be of much help to both Bray and Piper. Right now, Jason's taking care of Piper, so she's okay. But I'm trying to help Mara with Uncle Seth. We've made a little progress. But he really needs his best friend, Will."

Hunter looked worriedly over to me. "Hold tight, Jules. We've already gotten some stuff packed for our temporary stay up there. We'll be there in a bit."

"Please make it quick. Bray just left after talking to Uncle Seth about Piper shifting. It helped, but he's raw and feels betrayed by the adults, especially Dad and Uncle Caden."

"Where are the twins?" I asked.

"Down on the rez helping to clean up and set up the community center. They're staying with friends but will probably be up here soon."

"Alright, we're gonna grab some stuff get up there."

She fell quiet for a moment before I heard her sniffle. It was far off like she'd held the phone away from her so I wouldn't hear.

Beside me, Hunter swallowed hard, her eyes shimmering. Turning away, she did her own sniffling as she wiped her eyes. She and Jules had become so close that I had a feeling that my sister's pain was my mate's pain in return.

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close. "Jules, we're coming, alright? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good," she croaked. "I need you, too, big brudder."

Her old nickname for me pulled at my heartstrings. "I love you, Jues. We'll get this figured out. I promise."

"Well stop talking. I need a hug."

Choking out a laugh, I said my goodbyes and hung up. Without a word, Hunter and I went for the bags that were already packed and went for the car. I wasn't thrilled with her carrying stuff, but we'd already had the conversation where she gave me a stern look to tell me that she wasn't going to be a useless breeding mare for me. She was still going to do things until Carlisle told her not to. Which meant carrying luggage to the car. And since she'd practically died in my arms nearly a year ago and she was now alive and healthy carrying our child, I wasn't going to fight it.

It didn't take long to get the Jeep packed and us on the road. Hunter held my free hand tightly in both of hers, and I knew she was eager to see Jules and Piper. The three had formed some sort of bond after our whole ordeal with Melice.

We pulled up to Uncle Walker's dirt parking area the same time as Ava with her parents and Uncle Embry with his family. We didn't bother unpacking the car yet, not until we made sure everyone was okay. Coming over to us, I could tell that Ava was pissed. Her scowl was deep, jaw clenched. And she kept shooting her parent scathing looks. I'd never seen her angry with…well, I'd never seen her angry. Her little sister, Linley, followed her. Their younger brother, Dane, stayed with their parents. He wasn't really aware of what was going on. Nechole, Katie, and Parker had differing expressions. Nechole wasn't happy. Katie looked confused, like she didn't know how to feel. And Parker had tear tracks on her cheeks. Apparently, everyone had dished the story on the way up here. We kids were going to be angry with the adults for a while. That much was clear. The moment the three Call girls saw us, they moved away from their parents to walk with us.

"Hey, guys," I said solemnly.

Parker gripped my free hand tightly while she sniffled.

"I can't believe they kept that from us, from Brayden! And Piper!" Nechole fumed. "I can understand when we were younger or not telling Parker right now because she's twelve-,"

"Hey," she sniffled beside me. I squeezed her hand.

"But me and Katie now?" her sister went on. "I'm already close to phasing or shifting. Katie's not far behind. We're all a part of the pack now!"

Hunter and I exchanged a look while she stomped down the trail with us following.

"And I agree," I said calmly. "Especially about the Bray and Piper part. That's why I'm gonna call a meeting for all us kids and I want you guys to be there."

Nechole and Katie looked back at me. "Really?" Katie asked.

I shrugged. "Your sister said it. You guys are as much a part of this pack as I am. I know you haven't phased or shifted but I want you there. You deserve to know."

Ava and Hunter grinned over at me.

The trail finally spit us out into the huge clearing that held all the cabins. There was a big group in front of the one that I knew was used for prisoners. On the outside, it looked like a normal cabin. But on the inside, it looked like all the jails we'd ever seen on TV.

Jules was part of that group, looking very angry. Piper had apparently come out of hiding with a very grumpy-looking Jason shadowing her. His dark eyes watched anyone who got too close to her and he'd push them back. She'd smile up at him lovingly. It was nice to see she'd finally gotten the kind of care and love she'd always wanted and deserved.

But it was Jules who caught sight of us first. Her eyes watered as she slowly unfolded her arms. And then she was running for us. "Will!"

All the girls fanned out around me to give me some room. It didn't take long for Jules to reach us and slam into me, wrapping her arms around me. I just held onto her as tight as I could while she cried into my shoulder. Hunter came up to pet her hair. The others gathered around, touching her here and there, offering comfort and forming a circle around us, letting others know they weren't welcome.

I buried my face in her neck. "It's okay, Jues. It's okay."

It was a while of me just rocking her while she cried. My sister was always quiet when she was emotional. No dramatic sobbing or weeping for her. Yeah she hiccupped some, but no wailing. It was a strength of hers, but sometimes, I wanted her to shout and yell her pain. It would have been easier to deal with than seeing her keep all of that inside so she "wouldn't be a nuisance".

After a few minutes, she pulled back. I let her fall to her feet so she could breathe and wipe her face. Pursing her lips a little, she let out a deep breath. Even though she was calmer now, her eyes were still puffy and pink.

I brushed her hair back. "Anything else happen?"

She shook her head. "No. It's just…I've had to be strong for Bray. My own emotions got pushed back."

"You can't do that," I said, catching a stray tear from her cheek. "Bray would understand."

She sniffled. "I know. I just…he needs strength right now. That's why I called you. Helping with Mara, being that close to Uncle Seth, it's hard."

Behind us, our aunts and uncles stepped into the clearing. All the girls turned their angry gazes away from their parents, crossing their arms. I met Uncle Embry's gaze. He wasn't happy that he was being ignored by his girls. Aunt Tricia didn't look any better. Aunt Rachel and Uncle Paul kept Dane close to them but tried to keep their expressions blank for their son. I doubted they really knew how to handle an angry Ava. Literally nobody had seen her this pissed before.

Uncle Embry looked at me. "Take care of them. Please."

The more I looked at them, the angrier I got. "I won't lie to them. And neither will Jules or Hunter or Bray or Piper." It was a cheap shot, and I knew it. But I didn't take it back. The adults had raised us to be open and honest about everything. That way we could all handle it as a pack, as a family. And here they were keeping secrets from us. We'd all known that Uncle Seth had had issues after a particularly brutal fight that had started as an ambush, but none of us had been told that he'd died. Let alone that it had happened while saving my dad's life.

None of them said anything. They just looked at each other and then started walking for the group.

Piper and Jason joined us a moment later.

I went to hug Piper gently. "I heard the news. You okay?"

She nodded as she pulled back. "Fine, although I shouldn't be for a few days apparently."

I just grinned at her a tugged a lock of her hair. "Eh, you always were too stubborn to follow the rules."

Her grin was brilliant in the weak light of the day.

Jason came up behind her and we shook hands. "So you're the one who started all this, huh?"

He shrugged. "Didn't mean to cause a war between the parents and kids. I was just trying to find an explanation for Piper."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "It's not a war. We're just very angry. Besides, I'm glad you aired that laundry. Who knows when they would have told us, if ever if they got Uncle Seth up to par without having to tell. We needed to know."

He nodded. "Glad I could help."

"So where's Bray?"

"Probably our cabin," Jules said.

My eyebrows went up at "our".

She smiled sheepishly. "Where he goes, I go."

I nodded in complete understanding. "Alright, let's go brave the 'rents and then go check on him."

As a group, we all turned and started walking for the group of parents and younger kids. Ryell was standing with her parents but didn't look happy about it. Arms crossed, she kept glaring up at her dad. When we got close enough, she moved to stand with us, making her brother stay with Walker.

She rolled her eyes. "Can you believe that? Ugh." She shook her head, her strawberry blonde hair flying around her shoulders.

I chuckled as she came to stand by Hunter, her tutor.

The parental group finally noticed us and I was faced with my dad. Our group sort of fanned out so that I was front and center.

Neither Mom nor Dad seemed upset that I was standing against them right now. They just seemed really tired.

"Will-," Dad started.

I shook my head, knowing that tone. "If you're about to apologize, don't. It won't help." I slipped into my alphaness like it was a glove. It was either that or my haughty teenage attitude. Either way, I used it. Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked around at the older generation that had fanned out around Dad. "That was a pretty big secret that all of you kept from us, especially your kids, Dad. We're supposed to take over someday, and yet it seems like we don't know things we probably should know. Ryell should definitely know. And I wonder if Haleigh was ever told. Oh, wait, what about Henry and Leila? Surely they're old enough. I mean, of course, if that's what you were waiting for. Age."

Mom stepped up beside Dad. "It was never about age, Will. It was the fact that it was a very personal situation to the Clearwater family. What were we supposed to do? Just throw it out there?"

I shook my head, surprised that I was actually angry at my mother. Surprised that I could be angry with her. "I'm not suggesting you should have driven around shouting it out to the world. But in privacy? Yeah, you should have told us. We'd have kept our traps shut."

"He's right."

We all looked toward the cabin. Aunt Shelby was standing in the doorway. Bray was with her. He swayed on his feet like he was drained in all ways possible. He looked awful and my heart hurt for him.

Aunt Shelby walked through the group to stand on the other side of my dad. She put a hand to his arm. "He's right, Jake. We should have told them."

Bray had followed his mother, but came to our side to stand with Jules. We met eyes, and the pain in his just shot my anger higher.

I turned back to our parents. "You know, it's not that you didn't tell us. I think I'm more pissed about the fact that you didn't Piper and Bray. Your own son and daughter. Especially since Bray helped him come back and find help. And Piper? She was conceived after he came back."

The group around me all nodded in agreement. They moved closer in a circle around us, protecting Piper and Bray.

Mara decided to show up just then. "I told them their daughter would be healthy." Mara was a strange woman. She had white and purple hair. White irises that were separated from the rest of her eyes by a thin black line around them. Her pupils were purple as were her lips. And her eyebrows were only a couple shades darker than her paper white skin.

Behind me, Jason snorted.

Turning, I motioned for him to talk if he had something to say.

Giving Piper a look, he moved up. "Yeah, she's healthy. That's not my problem. My problem is how powerful she is. Did you ever even consider the side effects other than health?" He pointed to the cabin. "Whatever he brought back with him gave his daughter some serious power. Her shift was nothing like I'd ever seen before. If she's up and around the day after her first shift, what else might she be able to do? What about her kids when she has them? Make no mistake that I'll protect her with my life because she's my mate, but what I've seen from her so far? She could end up more powerful than any alpha I've ever seen or heard about or read about."

Putting her hands on her hips, Mara lifted an off-white eyebrow. "And you're complaining, why? If I can see correctly, you knew about Seth's story, so what, pray tell are you bitching about?"

Jason shook his head. "Yeah, I knew. The night I fought him, I saw that darkness. He almost fucking killed me. I'm talking about you, witch. If you knew about and helped Seth with all of this shit, you should have been warning him and Shelby about what sort of power their daughter could have. The protectors should have been warned so that we could watch over her. What I saw was a big goddamn surprise when she shifted for the first time the other night. Nothing I was prepared for."

Mara lost her high and mighty look, her eyes becoming wary.

Jason noticed. "Yeah, you know you fucked up."

"Jason," Brent scolded from the other side.

"Oh, shut it, dad," Jason snapped. "This my mate we're talking about. Of course I'm pissed." He looked back to Mara. "You knew that the healthy remark would keep them complacent because that's what they were most worried about."

As he spoke, my parents and Aunt Shelby all looked at Mara as if they'd never met her before.

Jason just kept talking. "As a witch with power, you knew, didn't you? You knew that if that energy had been present with Piper's conception, she could end up the most powerful of all of us."

The witch shook her head. "I didn't know-,"

Jason sneered. "And now you're lying. Really? To a werewolf?"

The acrid scent of her lie floated around us.

Aunt Shelby gripped her arm and turned her around. "Did you know?"

Mara swallowed hard. "It's not like she's in danger. The energy just added some…kick to her genes."

This time, it was Piper to step forward. "You said the energy was a dark one. Does that mean I could turn like my dad did?"

Jason stepped closer to her protectively.

Mara shook her head. "No."

"How can we trust you?" I asked.

Now she was angry. Sparks started flying at her fingertips. "Yes, I may have left some information out, but I never lied."

The scent of truth wafted from her.

"Piper is healthy. And I swear to you that there is no darkness within her. All those years I stayed here while you were growing up, I constantly read her, looking for it." She looked to Jason. "Yes, I was aware of what could happen, but it hasn't. Her soul is pure."

"What about our dad?" Bray asked finally speaking up.

"This time, what happened to him wasn't natural. I still haven't heard your version of the events, Jason, but from what I have heard, the flip was too fast. If it had been him naturally slipping, there would have been warning enough for me to get here to help him. There wasn't. I'm trying to find something, anything that can tell me what did this, but it's slow. His cooperation is sparse and it's better when he's conscious."

So done with all of this shit, I clapped my hands together. "Alright, well, I think we've heard all we want to hear for now. We're just gonna go and have a meeting without the adults. Henry, Leila, you're more than welcome to join us."

My cousin and his mate moved to walk with us.

"Will," Dad said.

I shook my head. "I'm done, Dad. For today, I'm done."

As we walked, our group grew to include Gage, Tate, Arden, and Cecily. Once we got into the woods, Ryell pointed to a cabin. "You and Hunter can stay there. Bray and Jules are next door. And next to them are Piper and Jason."

I nodded. "Thanks. There a place we could talk?"

She nodded. "There's a clearing some yards back."

"Good. Get everybody out there. Bray and I are gonna stay here for a sec. Also, could you text my brothers?"

"Sure." She gave me a smile before turning to the group. "You heard your alpha. Move."

Shaking my head, I realized why she didn't talk that often. She was a tough cookie.

Piper hugged her brother before following. She was taking the news better than Bray was. Then again, Piper was a loner. She had her way of dealing with things in private. Bray liked to wear his emotions on his sleeve because he didn't know another way to do it. For years, he'd thought he needed to feel for both him and Piper when she would hide inside herself.

Hunter kissed me and hugged Bray before following everyone.

When they were away from us, I turned to Bray. "Hey, man."

"Hey."

He was having trouble meeting my eyes so I pulled him to me and hugged him. It took a moment, but he hugged me back. It was a total girl hug, but I didn't care as he gripped me tight.

"Will," he choked out.

"I know, brother. I know. He's alive now and you got to grow up with him. Mara will figure something out. She has to. She helped him then. She'll help him now. And now, she has Jules as an assistant. With those two together, anything is possible."

His fists gripped my shirt. Seemed like it was a day for crying. Him and my sister. His body shook, breathing hitching. I just held him tight.

"I can't deal, Will."

"Yes, you can. You're not alone in this. That group wasn't standing there just for themselves. They're all pissed that you and Piper weren't told. As am I and Jules. You deserved the truth as soon as you were old enough to truly understand and appreciate the circumstances."

Pulling away from me, he scrubbed at his face. "Mom told they were going to spill when I first phased. She said they didn't because I was so excited and more outgoing. She didn't want to ruin that."

"Understandable, but not a great excuse. They still should have told you."

"Will!"

We turned to see Dox and Ash running for us across the compound. They didn't even stop to say hi to the 'rents. Guess Ryell added that we were all pissed on principle.

Bray cleared his throat and scrubbed at his face again, turning away.

I gave my brothers a look as they skidded to a stop beside us, breathing hard. "How'd you guys get here so fast?"

They both put their hands on their knees to pant.

Ash answered. "Cole...gave us…a ride."

"Ryell…said…emergency," Dox panted.

I chuckled. "Of course she did.

He glared up at me. "Not an emergency?" he asked, straightening up and stretching his back.

I shook my head. "Not really. Pack meeting, just us kids."

Ash stretched, too. "Gonna have to have a talk with her about what the word 'emergency' means."

Bray chuckled, clapping a hand on his arm. "Pretty sure she knows. She did it on purpose."

Together, the four of us walked around the cabins down a trail. It led exactly to the clearing where everybody else was gathered. Ryell was standing above the crowd on a flat rock. Jumping down when she saw us, she walked over.

"All yours, Chief," she said to me.

"Thanks."

Dox looked at her. "We gotta talk about this emergency business."

She grinned. "Like that, did you?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "No."

Giggling, she bumped her arm against his.

My eyebrows went up as Bray and I exchanged a look. Crush alert, anyone?

When she saw us staring, she glared. "What?" she snapped.

Holding my hands up, I widened my eyes at Bray and moved toward the rock. When I hopped up, everybody went silent. I rubbed my hands together. My first pack meeting as an alpha.

Hunter grinned up at me, her hand on her still-flat belly. I smiled back before looked at the group.

"Alright, this has been a pretty intense day to say the least. And it's going continue to be intense. But we need to remember something. At the end of today, most of you have to go home with your parents. Yes, it'll be awkward and challenging. But they're your parents. They now know that they messed up and that we're well and truly pissed off for what they did. They kept something that big from us about a family that we all love, especially Uncle Seth. He helped raise me. He's one of the best men I know. However, we have to remember that they kept it from us because they thought they were doing the right thing. We all make mistakes."

Some of them grumbled.

I raised my hands. "Hey, I'm not saying you can't still be pissed. Go for it. Stay angry. We are the future of the pack and we have to show some backbone. A lot of you are close to phasing or shifting. It's not right for us not to know things that could affect us. All I'm saying is be diplomatic. Choose your battles. Just because we're on the moral high ground doesn't mean you get to milk it for all it's worth."

Ryell raised her hand. "I have a question."

I nodded to her.

Stepping forward, she looked at Henry. "What about the missing teachers and students? Any news on them? I now don't trust my dad to keep me informed. I think we're looking to you guys now."

Henry stepped toward me and turned to the group. "It's a good question. Unfortunately, there's nothing. Taking into account of the past battles, we've stretched out the patrol perimeters well into the woods. Still, no trace. Those of you that went to school on the rez, especially the high school, I understand you're worried about image. About abandoning them." He looked to Ash and Dox, shaking his head. "Don't. Will is right. We're better off running those patrols down there without having to worry about you guys. It's awesome that you're helping get everything set up. Really, it's commendable. But once all that is done, I'd advise all students with immediate pack blood to come up here. Test out of some of your classes and train up. All of us have been trained since we were kids so once a lot of you phase or shift, we'll be utilizing you if that's what you want. Patrols, escorts, teaching. Once you shift, that's it; you're pack. Technically, you don't need you parents' permission."

I nodded in agreement. "We're young, guys. I get that. And some of you are scared about what's going on or who to follow. That's fine. But after today, I'm going to sit down with my siblings and Henry and Jason. We're going to put this pack together. Some of you don't want to have to pick between your parents and us. That's fine. But what is said in this group needs to stay in this group. Another thing to remember, though, is that the adults apparently don't deem us worthy of the truth. Every story they've ever told us probably has pieces missing. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, all my aunts and uncles. I really do. But this, today, has opened my eyes to the fact that they've kept things from me. Hell, I've moved out, started paying my own bills, and am going to be a father in eight months, maybe less. And still, they didn't tell me this huge, huge thing. It doesn't inspire much confidence. I know our parents love us. That much we all know. But we need to prove to them that we're more than just a bloodline. We're the future of this pack, of both of these packs."

Every single one of them cheered.

Ash jumped up with me. Putting his back to the crowd, he leaned into me, whispering, "What happened to Uncle Seth?"

"We'll explain later. Promise."

Taking me at my word, he nodded and then turned to the group. "Whoever is interested can come up to me. I'll make a list in my phone so that we can copy you guys to any updates. The rest of you who don't want to stay with us are free to go."

We all looked to my brother in surprise. He wasn't really one to take control. It was nice to see the alpha come out in him.

One by one they all came up to put their name in his phone. When it was done, he texted me, Bray, and Henry the list.

"Just one more thing," Jules called coming to stand up with me and Ash. When everyone turned to her, she went on. "Please make sure to test out of your classes before starting training. That's one thing that nobody needs to get in trouble for. If you need help studying, I know I will happy to tutor."

Ash and Dox nodded in agreement

After that, everybody broke up to start talking.

My siblings and I stood there on the rock, watching as the new generation started to think for itself.

PiperPOV

Later that night, after taking Will to see Uncle Seth, Jason and I finally made it back to our cabin. I knew he was still mad that I'd decided to go to the big showdown, but I couldn't help it. I'd needed to be out there with my brother and Jules.

But as soon as we made through the door and he closed it behind him, I flung myself at him.

"Whoa, what the-,"

He didn't finish because I pressed my mouth to his. After he got over the shock, he wrapped his arms around me, deepening the kiss.

The only reason we surfaced was because we both needed to breathe.

"What was that for?" he panted.

"Everything you said and did today. The way you stood up for me and my brother. I know he really needs it." Bray had always been the more openly emotional one out of the two of us. Since internalized everything, he always tried to feel what he thought I was feeling. That trait crippled him sometimes, but I also knew he was pissed off and upset about Dad. I was, too. I loved our father very much and we'd always been told that he'd gone through a rough time a long time ago. We just didn't know to what extent rough meant. Now we knew and he didn't know how to handle both the information and the deception of being lied to about it.

He brushed my hair back, letting my slide back to my feet. "You both do."

Shaking my head, I traced his collarbones through his shirt. "You wanna know what I really need?"

His eyes darkened as if he already knew. "What's that?"

"For you to make me yours."

"You are mine," he growled, purposely misunderstanding.

Going up on my toes, I bit his bottom lip, making him groan. "I think you know what I mean."

Without any more words or "are you sures," he leaned down to grip my thighs and pop me off my feet. Giggling, I wrapped my legs around his waist as he made his way back to the bedroom. His kiss was hard and territorial, teeth biting at me. And then he buried his face in my neck, nipping at my skin. I put my head back and sighed.

When we made it to the bedroom, he gripped my hips and tossed me away from him. I made that high-pitched girly squeal as I bounced on the bed. Jason stood at the foot, eyes turning amber. Staring at me, he pushed out of his boots, slid out of his shirt, and went for his belt.

"You're not fond of that shirt, are you?"

Panting, I shook my head. "Not enough to give a shit."

"Good." He stripped down to his black underwear and crawled onto the bed. Straddling my thighs, he gripped my shirt at the V-neck and pulled, ripping it down the middle. My body jerked with the movement as we maneuvered to get the cloth away from my body. Once it was thrown over to the corner, he gripped the back of my neck, pulling me up to his mouth. But my lips weren't what he was going for.

Growling, he set his teeth into the meat of my breast that was pushed up over the cup of my bra. I let out a gasp and brought my hands up to cup his head while he was bent over me. There were no nerves this time. I was ready for this. I contributed that to the fact that we now knew for sure that he was mine.

His hands moved up my back and froze at the clasp of my bra. He pulled back, breathing hard.

I looked down to see a perfect imprint of his teeth in my skin. It made me shiver.

Through his breathing, he looked down at me. "I'm only going to ask you this once because I'll be too far gone to notice anything else. Are you sure?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

He shook me a little. "Say it."

"I'm sure. I want you."

He calmed enough to assess me. His eyes dulled from a bright amber. "You don't have the body heat of a Quileute. I can use a condom."

He made that last sound like a question.

I shook my head. "I just want you, Jason. Right now. No second thoughts or regrets."

With a low growl, he ducked his head in a nod and unclasped my bra, skimming it down my arms and throwing it with my shirt. Now, I was under him in just my jeans and panties, knowing that they wouldn't be on my body for long.

Jason gave me one last look, assuring himself, before he bent his head over my chest. Now that I'd given my consent, there was no hesitation to him. His soft lips closed over my nipple. The sensation had my head thrown back, my chest heaving with my breaths. Every nerve-ending in my body fired up at the same time, shooting pleasure from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. He growled and groaned as he tasted me. Eventually, his tongue and teeth came out to play, tugging and lapping, tasting.

"Oh my God," I gasped, as I laid back into the pillows. Jason followed.

While his lips were busy, his fingers went to the button on my jeans. It didn't take long before he was shucking them down my thighs as far as he could reach. When he couldn't go any further, he pulled away with a growl and stood up. Gripping the bottoms of the denim, he yanked until they came off me. My panties had pulled down low with the tugging. His eyes glowed a bright, pulsing amber.

With a shot of bravery, I wriggled out of them, using my legs and feet to get them down my legs. Once on my toes, I straightened my leg, holding them out in front of him. There was nothing human in the snarl and growl as he snatched them up, putting them to his nose. His eyes and body scrunched up as though he were scenting the most beautiful flower. And when he opened his eyes again, the look in them was pure, raw sex. Those amber eyes moved down my body like a touch, and when they landed on the apex of my thighs, I full-body shivered.

Quickly, he shucked his briefs and threw them and my panties into the corner.

My throat dried up so fast I thought I'd have a coughing fit. His erection was long, thick, and proud. Heavy and potent as it hung from his body. Going low, he crawled onto the bed between my legs. When his face was even with my core, he quickly dipped down and gave me a long a lick.

Gasping, I sat up and sensation flooded me. The bottom half of my body clenched up tight.

Closing his eyes, his mouth worked as though he was trying to suck on his own tongue. "Mmm, sweet and thick." He opened his eyes. "I want more, but it'll have to wait. I need to be inside you now."

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

Slowly, he crawled up my body. The higher he got, the lower I went on the bed until I was looking up at him. I opened my legs as wide as I could as he reached between us to position himself. "Ready?" he asked breathless.

Nodding, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

With one solid push, he was inside me. He swallowed my gasp with a kiss, but didn't stop to see if I was okay. And that was perfectly fine with me. Though the intrusion initially hurt and was uncomfortable, I quickly grew used to it as my body quickened, offering up enough wetness to coat him, making his glide easier. The kiss turned deep and hungry as he kept up a slow but hard pace, his hips slamming into mine. He grunted with each one. I tilted my pelvis up to meet him and it caused the most delicious friction. Breaking away from his lips, I pressed my head back and moaned to ceiling. His head dropped into my neck. I could feel his breaths as they puffed against my skin.

"Oh, God, Piper."

When he lifted his head, his eyes were closed tight, face tensed up as though the pleasure was too much. His hands tightened in my hair as his body gave a huge jerk, throwing the rhythm off. Gasping, he moved up onto his hands and I had a direct line of sight to the point where we were joined. The sight made me groan.

Reaching down, I gripped him on his withdrawal, pulling him out of me. He hissed and went to his knees. "Piper-,"

With both hands, I gripped him and worked him. He was beautiful. Slick with my body's honey and a little bit of blood, the glide of my hands was easy over all that soft skin. He jerked in my hands, his stomach undulating, twitching.

"Fuck," he breathed. "I need back inside you. Please."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me through his closed lids. "One condition."

"Anything," he said immediately.

"Harder. Faster."

Eyes snapping open, he stared down at me. "Whatever you want. Just don't stop this."

Shaking my head, I laid back. "Never." With one hand, I guided him back to me. With the other, I pulled his head down to me for a kiss.

Once the head of him was against me again, he slammed into me hard, making me arch up. "Jason," I breathed on a sigh against his lips.

"Oh, God…say it again. Tell me you need me."

I cradled his head as his lips sucked at the skin of my neck. "Jason Govain, I need you. I need all of you."

"Fuck yes," he breathed.

And that was all she wrote. Dropping his head to my throat, he set a punishing rhythm that rocked us both. His shoulders were the only thing within my reach and I scratched him, trying not to draw blood. But it was hard. The pleasure really was too much. Every stroke hit the right spot inside me, making me jerk. I wanted to pull away from him and throw myself at him at the same time. My whole body was twitchy, ready to reach that last drop that it needed to explode.

My whole body was wrapped around his taking everything he had to give. My feet were wrapped around his thighs, holding him close. And my nails were set into his shoulder blades. The only thing that wasn't on him was my mouth.

Well, what the hell?

On a particularly deep thrust, my upper body jacked up, putting me directly at the spot where his neck his shoulder. The cords in his neck were straining with his effort as he pounded into me and I could feel my body warming tight and fast. And the wolf inside me shook awake. The moment she realized we were mating and how good it felt, she wanted to bite him. Baring my teeth and letting out a growl, I set my teeth into that smooth skin and straining flesh.

Jason let out a beastly roar and pounded harder, if that was at all possible. And I didn't let go. His blood was the finest elixir on my tongue, bursting with energy.

And then he reached between us. Stars ruptured behind my eyes as his thumb pressed into the top of my sex, frantically massaging. In a matter of seconds, I flew higher. The drops of pleasure became a heavy flow, and I knew I was close to coming. I just needed something else. One last push.

And he gave it to me.

With his thrusting and his thumb pressing, he sank his own teeth into my shoulder. That was it.

My entire body exploded around him. I let go of his shoulder and screamed to ceiling as I flew apart, his thumb on my sex drawing it out.

As I was coming down, still twitching, he thrust one last time and stayed. He growled and jerked, his teeth still in my skin. And then I was warm, feeling his release inside me, hot and thick. I moaned at the feel, lifting my hips to his.

Growling again, he put his weight on me, forcing me to be still.

It seemed like hours before the tension left him. His weight was dense on top of me but I didn't mind. He pulled his teeth out of my throat and breathed heavily in my ear. I could feel the blood from his shoulder smear between us, thick and warm. My own blood was oozing over my shoulder and into my hair, probably getting on the sheets. Neither of us cared. We were just trying to catch our breath and come to grips with the fact that we'd just had sex.

Oh my god! My virginity was dust! And with my imprint no less.

Sighing with contentment and some sort of relief, I collapsed back and started laughing into my mate's neck.

"What so funny?" Jason croaked.

That had me laughing harder. "Nothing. Everything. I don't know!"

He pulled back a little to look down at me with an amused expression.

But I couldn't stop. Covering my eyes with my hand, I just laughed. Really laughed, letting it out. Giggles spilled between my lips.

Jason moved his upper body so that he was lying to the side, watching me.

Using both hands, I covered my eyes and laughed until tears spilled down my cheeks.

When I felt his finger come up to rub them away, I looked at him, grinning ear to ear.

Smiling, his eyes now back to that dark blue, he asked, "What is it, baby?"

Shrugging, I threw my hands up. "I don't know! I just feel so…relieved. And faithful. I mean, I know I should feel mopey and depressed but, I just don't. I feel surprisingly optimistic." Frowning, I looked at him. "Is that usually how people feel after sex?"

He shook his head. "I didn't…until today."

That made me grin. "I feel like I can breathe, you know? This is going to work out just like it did last time. And now, I have you by my side. My virginity is caput and now I can move on. Jules and Mara are going to fix my dad. Will and the others are finally leading us. And I have you. Did I mention that already?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I don't mind hearing it because it's true." Leaning in, he kissed my shoulder. "You have me. Always."

I couldn't stop the smile even as I fingered the bite marks on his neck. "Does it hurt?"

"Do yours?" he countered.

Under him, I wriggled around, moving my head and body. He was still inside me and only partially erect, but if it didn't bother him, it definitely didn't bother me. "Not really, no."

"With any luck, they'll scar."

"That's a thing?"

He shrugged. "Depends on the couple. I'm a dominant male, so I want people to know you're mine and that I can pleasure you. My mark on you shows the first. Your mark on me is the second. It means we pleasure each other well, that there's passion."

I sighed dreamily. "Definitely passion. Is there a way we can get them to scar?"

His eyebrows went up. "You'd want that?"

I fingered the edge of the bite I left on him. "Well, we're together right? This wasn't a one-time deal?"

Growling, we went up on his elbows over me. Looking me dead in the eye, he said, "You're mine. This is it. Nobody can change that except you."

"I don't want to change it."

"Me either. I want you in my bed every night. I want to wake up to your beautiful smile and have you welcome me into your beautiful body. I want your gorgeous mind to challenge me, piss me off, and astound me. All of it, Piper. I want all of it. With you."

This time, my eyes watered for a very different reason as he cupped my cheek. I cuddled into the touch.

Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of my mouth. "I'll be right back," he whispered before pulling away.

Without his warmth on top of me, my body chilled in the cool air coming from the vent.

But he came back a couple minutes later, his naked body graceful and lithe as he moved. He was carrying a glass of what smelled like saltwater and a towel. He handed me both when I sat up and then laid down next to me on his back.

"You do me first. I want you to know I'm serious." Taking the towel from me, he folded it up and put it under his shoulder so that the water wouldn't get on the bed and then turned his head away from me so I'd have a clear line to his neck.

Taking a deep breath, I went up on my knees and leaned over him. My body was starting to get tight from the sex but I ignored it. I'd stretch later if Jason didn't beat me to it. "Are you sure?" I asked him. "This is pretty permanent."

Turning his head to give me a look, he said, "I am absolutely sure. You and I are pretty permanent unless you kick me to the curb."

I shook my head, my hair falling around my shoulders. "Never."

He turned his head again. "Then do it. You don't need much. And then I'll do you."

I couldn't help my remark. "Pretty sure you just did."

Now he laughed, his teeth bright in the tan of his skin. "Woman, just pour the water on me."

"Okay, okay." Leaning up again, I tilted the glass with two hands.

Knowing this was going to hurt, I just got it over with and spilled a good bit over his skin. Hissing, he gripped the blankets, but it wasn't even a minute before he calmed down. Before my eyes, the wounds sealed up over the bite marks, leaving a perfect pattern of my teeth in his skin.

Stretching out his shoulder from his neck, he rotated getting used to the feel. "That wasn't too bad."

When he sat up, I put my fingers to the scars. They were pink and shiny the way scars usually were when they're fresh.

"Your turn," he said in a low voice, taking the glass from me.

There was a challenge in his eyes. He was waiting for me to chicken out.

Well, too fucking bad. He needed me as much as I needed him.

Keeping eye contact, I grabbed the towel and pulled it across the back of my head as I laid down on the pillows. He nodded in approval.

With the way we were situated, I had to turn my head toward him, which put me face to face with his junk. Another laugh spilled through my lips as he brushed my hair out of the way. On his knees, he looked down to see what I was laugh at.

And then blushed. "Sorry."

Reaching up, I stroked his thigh, playing my fingers in the curls on his legs. "Don't be. One day if not now, your erection and my mouth are going to get well acquainted."

In front of my eyes, he hardened.

I laughed again, but this time it was darker, sexual. "Like that idea, huh?"

"Maybe," he growled down at me.

Okay, time to calm it down. We were trying to have a couple moment.

Smiling softly, I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing. "Okay, I'm ready."

I gripped the bedding just like he had done, preparing for the burn.

The burn did come when the liquid hit my neck and I did hiss, but it didn't last long. I could hear the marks sizzle as they sealed shut. But if Jason's hiss lasted less than a minute, mine lasted even less than his.

"Holy fuck," Jason breathed.

My eyes popped open and stared up at him. "What? Did it work?"

Sitting back on his heels, he nodded, reaching back to set the glass on the table. He was staring at me in stunned disbelief.

Putting a hand to my neck, I wiped off the water and sat up. "What? What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Uh, nothing. It's just…I've never seen any scar seal up that fast. I mean you saw mine, right?"

I nodded.

He met my eyes. "Yours lasted a fraction of that."

"What does that mean?"

"I want…I mean, can I test something? It involves you getting cut."

I frowned. "Um…"

Cupping my chin, he lifted my face. "Do you trust me?"

Licking my lips, I nodded. "Yeah."

Turning, he reached into the drawer of the bedside table and drew out a knife. I recognized it as one he usually kept on his person. Unsheathing it, he put it to the inside of his left arm just under the bend of his elbow. Applying pressure, the blade sliced clean and easy through his skin. Blood welled up, but a couple minutes later, it sealed right back up.

"Okay?"

He held his hand out for mine. I gave it to him, palm up. Stretching out my arm, he put the blade to the same spot and sliced down. My blood welled even less than his because the cut healed almost as soon as the blade left my skin. We both stared at the smooth flesh where not two seconds ago, a line had been cut into it. Leaning over, Jason licked up the little bit of blood.

"I take it that's not normal?"

He shook his head. "Not in the least, but I have a feeling it's because of your dad. Maybe your shifting was so easy because as soon as it broke, it healed. This is incredible."

"Well, at least whatever that dark energy was, it gave me some power. Maybe we can find a way to use it."

"Possibly." He frowned. "Can we not tell anyone about this just yet? For real, this time?"

My turn to frown. "But Jules-,"

"I meant the adults. Our group, I'm okay with."

"Oh, well, of course. Yeah. No, I won't say anything."

He nodded as if my answer relieved him. "Good deal." And then he smiled, pulling me up off the bed. "Come on."

Laughing, I followed as he helped me down. "What are we doing?"

He dragged me, naked and giggling, into the bathroom. Turning me around, he held me against his chest so we both faced the mirror. His grin was bright. "We match."

His arms wrapped around me as I looked at our matching scars. Mine on him were much smaller but still clearly visible because he didn't have long hair. His marks on me were huge over my shoulder. Both his and mine were on the same sides, our right sides.

Meeting his eyes in the mirror, I grinned. "I love it."

Leaning down, he kissed his mark on me. A low, territorial growl came out of him. "You're mine now, Piper. Other wolves will look at this mark, smell my scent on you, and know who you belong to. Any male who dares make a move on you will know who's going to be coming after him for even thinking he could have you."

Sighing at the dominance in his tone, I leaned me head against his shoulder. "Does it work the same for the females and you?"

Looking down at me, he nodded. "Your scent is all over me and will intensify the more we touch. The more we sleep in the same bed. The more we…fuck," he whispered in my ear.

Most girls would have been offended at his using "fuck" instead of the mushy "make love". But not me. I loved the promise of pounding sex in that one word. He wanted to dominate me, show me he loved me by his loss of control in bed. No doubt, with all the human girls, he'd had to force himself to be softer, even if they liked it rough. Their version of rough was his version of soft. But with me being a wolf, he didn't have to be soft. He could fuck me into next week and I'd still want more. I didn't want mushy from him; I wanted honesty. And I'd come to realize he was at his most honest when he was at the point of using foul language.

His lips were making their way up my neck. Against my ass, I could feel him getting hard again. His hands roamed by body, petting and teasing.

"Mmm, take me back to bed."

He met my eyes in the mirror.

"I know you're not done with me yet. Give me more."

Gripping my hips, he pulled me back so that his erection was wedged between the cheeks of my ass. He pumped his hips a little as he buried his mouth behind my ear. "Whatever you want, my female. All you have to do is ask."

Scratching my nails up his arms, I said, "I'm not asking. I'm telling."

Growling, he picked me up and carried me back into the bedroom.

It was well past dawn before we collapsed, naked, sweaty, and sated onto the bed.

With our breathing still heavy, Jason curled around me as we fell asleep to the sound of our thundering hearts.

*clears throat* WHO ELSE IS SINGING HALLELUJAH?! I was so excited when I realized where this chapter was going! Please tell me what you think! I love and have missed all of you guys so much! MUAH! xoxoxoxo