Taking a gulp of water, Ava let her eyes scan the room, trying to get use to all the new faces. More than half of them wouldn't make it, and the half that did probably would never get to the point of facing her, but it was nice seeing the looks of determination that all newbies first held.

Nice enough that she wouldn't mind this being her new workout place, lord knew it was perfectly stalked with equipment. After all, it was Triple H's playground, home of the Nxt future superstars, the performance center.

Or maybe not.

After all, she wasn't here by choice, was she? She got called in by Triple H to discuss her future career with William Regal. Not exactly a good thing or what she wanted o hear, so yeah, she was a little bit nervous. And after a half hour of being told they'd be with her a moment, her nerves only rose.

Finally, finally, she got called back and led to the very back of building and into the room many referred to as the canned room. For good reason, but she doubted they were going to fire her. Today anyway.

William Regal and Hunter were already there, the latter standing while William sat reclining in a seat, hands folded across his chest, looking completely at ease. Glad one of them were.

Her wolf huffed in agreement.

"Ava, sit down please," Hunter said, leaning against the table right next to said spot. He waited until she did to continue. "I'm just going to cut to the chase. There is a current debate about you being shipped back down to Nxt."

It took her less then five seconds to understand the words, ten to be pissed, and fifteen to jump from her seat, eyes blazing. "Fuck that," She began, but Hunter's hand snapped out and landed on her shoulder, instantly pushing her down and leaning over her.

"That's enough," He said lowly, warningly.

Teeth clenched, she glared up at him, only momentarily put off.

"Why don't we all take a breather?" William said, speaking for the first time. "Hunter, why don't we sit down for this, hmm?"

She'd be amused in other circumstances, seeing Hunter follow someone else's order, but her heart was racing to fast for her to focus on something else then rage.

William unfolded his hands and leaned forward on the table, gaining Ava' attention. "Are you happy here Ava?" He asked, soft blue eyes starring intently at her, truly trying to reassure her, nothing else.

But Ava didn't like it, didn't trust it, didn't trust them. But given the current situation, he might be her only option. "I'd prefer to be in the title picture but pinks not my color."

Hunter growled slightly, clearly not amused, but she didn't spare him a look.

"Not where you are in the company Ava," He said gently, and she found the more he spoke, the more gentle and quietness of his nature pissed her off. "Are you happy in this pack?"

She imagined she looked the same when Hunter told her why she was here, but this time it lasted longer. Of all the things she was asked arriving here in the company, all the things she asked herself, this wasn't one of the questions.

"We heard about the Paige incident," Hunter spoke up. "And I don't know whether I should be pissed off or sad that you think that little of me."

"It wasn't"

"Yes is was," He interrupted. "That was directed at me and at your pack, especially if you think so little of us."

She had nothing to say, to either of them. Couldn't look at either of them and Hunter took that as a sign to continue.

"The Nxt move isn't about your in ring ability. Its about your position in this pack. Maybe by being by people who are new will help you learn to trust us, because I can't have someone who doesn't trust me. So unless you give mean not to, this decision is final."

She should say something. Come up with anything, even if it was complete bullshit. Yet…. Yet she sat there, under the watchful gaze of her alpha, and soon to be coach, and said nothing at all.


Another day, another Raw. Though she wouldn't be able to say that any more, would she? This was her last Raw for who knew how long, and while she wouldn't describe her mood as sentimental, it was something.

Having to pack all her gear up unsure of when she'd put it on was a little depressing. At the end of the day, she was here for wrestling, not a pack, but pack issues were forcing her to back track. It pissed her off, especially knowing that there was no Nxt plan for her.

She caught herself starring woefully at her gear, immediately scowling and shoving it in the bag, about to slam the door shut when a hand shot out and grabbed it. Another hand yanked her bag out of her hand and roughly began to throw her stuff back in her drawer. She jerked back in surprise at the close proximity of the person and moved back further when she saw who it was.

Dean. Who's jaw was ticking, muscles flexing as he put everything away.

"What are you doing?" She asked once she finally recovered. "I need to."

"You aren't going anywhere," He snapped.

"I think I am. Hunter"

"Things changed, you ain't leaving," he growled, throwing her bag down.

Wait…what?

She blinked in confusion, suddenly grabbing his hand and arm forcing him to look at her. She trembled slightly under her fiery gaze, quickly reminding herself that that wasn't the time or place. "What are you doing?" She repeated. He looked down at her hands on him and looked back up, eyes glowing but she wouldn't back down. Not with her career.

"You aren't anywhere," He growled, voice rising. "We won't allow it."

Her hands fell off of him and watched as he slammed her drawer shut with a loud bang, turning to face her, muscles tense, shoulders leaving, head titled slightly down as his eyes glowed. It should be intimidating. Would be on any other occasion, but Ava found herself wanting to cry. They saved her, no doubt putting their asses on the line.

"Dean," She began.

"Don't ever use his wolf against him," He hissed, and she instantly sobered and knew who he was talking about. She opened her mouth, about to ask if he was mad at her, but knew exactly what his answer would be. So instead, her shoulders slumped and she had to turn away, shuffling over to one of the storage crates and sitting down.

After a moment, Dean did too. And waited.

She was beginning to understand more about this man, like he wasn't as bad as she originally thought. Wasn't such an asshole and cared in his own little way. Her wolf whined in confusion, not understanding all these emotions that were so human.

"I'm not use to this," She revealed after a moment.

"This?"

"Everything," She said, exasperated. "This whole, whole pack think! Dealing with alphas and having to be nice to people. Dealing with girls and their witchcraft bullshit called friendship!"

Dean snickered at that one, and she glared at him. "Heard about that Paige thing. Pretty fucked up."

"If this is your way of flirting with me, your method sucks," She grumbled.

He laughed at that, a full belly laugh that caused a silly grin to spread across her face, immediately wiped off by her wolf.

Mate? She asked slowly coming alert.

No, Ava thought firmly, and just her wolf asking made her realize she'd gotten way to civil with him. Too cozy. Showed her wolf he was okay.

Maybe he thought the same thing, because he stood up, offering her his hand. She took it, mind still elsewhere, when he pulled her right against him. Every muscle clenched, including one she'd rather not admit, his scent making her wolf fully awake.

Ava could almost see her, pacing around the small confinement of her mind, huffing in impatience, ready for action. But Ava wasn't, so she began to pull away only for Dean to tighten his grip.

"I know you feel it," He muttered, lowering his head to the point of their lips almost touching. She did, and that's what scared her. She felt the call, wolf to wolf, hers caged and impatiently waiting, his egging her on.

She flinched at the pain in her head, the closer they remained the more intent her wolf was to get out. Damn him. Damn this. She needed to get away, needed…

And Dean let her go, let her stumble away but keeping a grip on her so she couldn't run.

"We'll let this play out Ava," He rasped, "but one day, you're ours."


She shouldn't be in here. She should leave. It wasn't like she had to change, she didn't have to go on TV since her storyline was out. And she'd kept all of her suitcases in her rental. So by coming in here, she was opening herself to rejection and looking pathetic. Both of which made her wolf growl in disapproval, something they both could agree on.

To make matters worse, everyone seemed to be in the locker room today, and Paige sitting in the middle of them. She kept reminding herself that she had to do this, it was for Paige. It was closing a current tab left open, aimlessly flopping, unsure if it should be open or close. Ava was about to find out.

She waited it out a few moments, waited for some to clear out, before she approached Paige, trying her best not to look completely like an awkward fuck.

"Can you stay behind a few minutes?" She muttered quietly. Paige still looked guarded, slightly shocked Ava was talking to her, but nodded never less.

It took a little while, and Ava couldn't help but think part of it was a punishment, but she couldn't exactly complain, could she? After all, she was in the wrong here. When Paige finally did join her, she didn't say a word, waiting for Ava to talk first.. All for the better.

"I know there's only so many times someone can say sorry," She began.

"And yet?" Paige interrupted, setting Ava on edge.

"And yet I'm sorry. It was a shitty thing for me to do."

"That's all you've got to say?" Paige asked after a minute.

She had to close her eyes and bit down on her tongue to prevent her from saying something that would make it worse. She stood up, finding that she wouldn't be able to stop herself, and headed for the door.

"Look," Paige said, causing Ava to stop but not turning around. "I get where you're coming from, but we're a pack. And until you accept that, this can never be better."

Air hissed out between her teeth and her eyes clenched shut. She didn't understand why this upset her so much, why it felt like Paige punched her in the stomach, but it did, and this did suck.

But like Paige said, this couldn't be fixed until she accepted they were a pack. That seemed ot be the solution to all her problems, didn't it? But funny how it also seemed to be the cause of all of her issues too.


Slamming the trunk shut, Ava brushed her hands off on her jeans and headed towards the drivers seat. Her hand had just grabbed the handle when her name was called.

"You aren't driving alone, are you?"

Dean. Followed by Seth and Roman.

She avoided Roman's gaze, just because of how intense it was, and she avoided Seth because of the recent issues, unsure of how they stood. All three sauntered over, Dean with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to answer.

Her eyes narrowed. "What happened to letting them go?"

Seth leaned against her car, momentarily gaining her attention. It was just enough that she lost sight of Roman, which was ridiculous considering how large he was, and suddenly her back was against the car door, large hands braced on either side of her head, and a large Samoan towering over her.

"And who said that?" He rumbled.

Her breath was momentarily taken and her guard came down by the sudden proximity, her wolf coming out. Or at least trying to. Ava trembled, her wolf on the edge of the surface, almost out.

"Dean," She managed.

"I'm not Dean." And he was closer, his chest pressing against her, a leg slipping between her. And to Ava's horror, she couldn't hold her wolf back anymore, and she pushed forward. It was like she was there, she felt everything, felt Roman, but she couldn't control her actions. Her emotions and thoughts were separate from her wolf, and so were her actions.

Their eyes locked, Roman's grey eyes, and her wolfs burnt orange, and then he smiled, a hand slipping down her side, squeezing her hip before continuing down and grabbing the back of her thigh, tugging it up and around his waist.

She gasped at the feeling, her wolf still in charge, confused at what this meant, but knowing that the way the alpha's chest rumbled meant he enjoyed this.

It made her happy, and Ava found herself wondering why the hell this felt good. "Sstop," She stuttered out, followed by a pained groan, head falling back as the wolf reared her head. All the while, Roman hungrily watched her, both man and wolf interested in this power struggle. Her wolf was ready, ready and willing to submit, while she wasn't ready to accept her wolf yet.

He was tempted to pull away, not liking her in pain, but at the exposure of her pale neck, he couldn't resist. He latched his mouth on and gave a long suck. Ava collapsed against him, hands curling into his shirt, and whether realizing it or not, arched her hips into his. He growled and suck harder.

The thought of his mark on the column of her neck sent a deep wave of satisfaction to him, making it harder to resist her. He was quickly getting lost in her scent, her taste, all of it so familiar, yet foreign. He felt like he was getting drunk off of her, all of his sceses being taken over.

A low growl from Dean made him aware of their surroundings again, and he reluctantly pulled away, whole body rumbling in satisfaction at the large purple bruise on her neck. His mark.

His lips tugged up in a smirk as he watched her regain awareness, taking control of her wolf. "We'll be seeing you later."

She snarled, still not fully there. Her wolf was satisfied, clearly enjoying what Roman did, even if she didn't. Even if the dampness between her thighs said differently. Her eyes casted down once Roman moved away, blinking away the dizziness she felt, scowling at the purring in her head from her wolf.

Bitch.

She straightened up and turned to once more get in her car, what she was trying to do in the first place, but then remembered something and bit the bullet.

"Seth wait!" She called out, turning to find they hadn't gone far. He paused and turned, surprise clear on his face. "I uh… I'm sorry. About the whole wolf thing," She said, flinching at how lame that sounded, but he smiled at her. A smile that reached his eyes and reached her heart.

She found herself smiling back, even if he was already walking away and couldn't see. It was good enough for her.


Maybe it was a suicide mission, a huge, gigantic mistake, but she was on a mission. For the first time ever, she was purposely seeking out The Shield. One member to be specific.

Roman Reigns.

She should be avoiding him, running far, far away, especially after last night and just how excited her wolf was at the prospect of seeing him again. But she dared her wolf to try her.

Today wasn't the day to mess with her.

She found him messing with his cousins the Usos, laughing and obviously having fun with them. Should she really interrupt them? Was she really bothering to ask that questions?

"Can I talk to you?" She asked, interrupting one of the twins and causing all the attention on her. The twins exchanged a look, but Ava kept her attention on Roman. He gave a curt nod and grabbed her arm.

"Excuse us," He said to his cousins and leading her away.

She didn't let him take her far, wrenching out of his grip and spinning to face him. "You want to explain yourself?" She hissed.

On any other day that night have drawn out his wolf, but she was his mate even if she didn't except it, and her anger only amused him, especially after last night and her want for him was obvious. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her with amusement.

"What the hell is this?

His gaze drew down to her now exposed neck, eyes going heated at his mark. His chest expanded and he dropped his arms to his side, causing her to take a step back. Smart girl. "You've never seen a hicky before?" He asked.

She scoffed and moved her hair back over the mark, making him frown. "Of course I have, doesn't change the fact that you should never have…" She faltered, eyes growing wide when he grabbed the hand still fixing her hair, followed by the other and slowly pulling them behind her back.

"Shouldn't of done what?"

She had to look up with how close he was, but she still could barely keep eye contact. "Can't do this," She muttered, eyes slipping close.

He pulled back, eyes flashing, growling at the thought of her telling him what he couldn't do, and opened his mouth to tell her exactly how he felt when someone cleared their throat. He slowly glanced over, seeing Hunter standing a few feet away, hands buried in his pockets.

"I need to speak with Ava," His tone said this wasn't a question, and despite how unhappy he was, he let her go.

Ava on the other hand, had never been so happy to see her pack leader. She struggled to look away from Roman's retreating form, still feeling captivated by his stare. Despite how pumped she was and determined to tell her wolf to fuck off, one look from him and it all flew out the window.

Dammit.

She closed her eyes for a minute, and when she reopened them, Hunter was standing in front of her. "What's that all about?"

"Nothing is going on," She said, immediately on defense.

"Alright. Though going up to bat and threatening to quit is a hell of a lot to do for someone with nothing going on."

Damn him and his knowing look. "I can't" She emphasized, squeezing the hair at her scalp. "What did you want anyway?"

"To make sure you're off your suppressors."

"Does it really matter?" She asked snipply.

"Yes," He said, eyes darkening.

"Yes dad," She said sarcastically. "I'm of the things. Happy?"

"Why aren't you?" He asked evenly.

She had to look away. "I'm not talking about this with you."

How could she when she didn't completely understand it herself? Didn't understand why her skin crawled without them. Why the closer she got into heat, the more nervous she became. No. No, she could explain it, but that would mean opening herself up in a way she wasn't ready to.

"I thought we were improving here."

She hated how disappointed he sounded, and hated herself even more by her inability to say something.

"Cover that mark before the show."

The talk rattled her, she realized walking back to the locker room. Not the Roman one, that one pissed her off, but her talk with Hunter. Because she thought she was improving too. She'd open up to Paige, went out on a limb with her. Wasn't fighting and completely avoiding The Shield. He obviously saw her hicky and had to realize she stuck around to get it, even if it was unwillingly under her wolf's control.

She scowled as she went into the locker room and pulled her makeup stuff out, wanting to avoid the makeup ladies questions. His words got under her skin, just like the Shield did. She couldn't deny it, not when she was covering up the mark.

"Fuck!" She hissed when she realized she messed everything up. She grumbled as she removed all of her makeup, although it wasn't much, just to ensure nothing was off, and ignored the thoughts that came to mind as she realized she had to cover up both marks. One from her previous mate, and the one from a possibly new one.

She was just about to move on to her hicky when she heard a door opening. She paused and took a moment to look around, swearing she heard something. But when she didn't see anyone, she shrugged it off and went back to doing what she was doing. There were more important things to worry about.

Or are there? And as promised, Roman! Still working on his character and adding depth, but I hope i got a good start on him and its coming across well. As always, your support blows me away and I appreciate it all so much!

Special thanks to

Debwood-1999: Better late then never, I appreciate your review! I can appreciate a cute love story where the guy saves the girl, but Ava's part wolf, she isn't fragile, I couldn't have her just fall right into the Shield's arms, though it is tempting with how manly they are.I was almost a little too proud of my title idea as well, so glad you appreciate it! And I loved your ideas, would love anything else you have!

ambroserollinsgirl: Glad you enjoyed,a nd I hope you loved the scenes with her and Roman just as much!

Thewardensrose: Your review just about made my day hearing how you love this story, seriously, reviews like this keep me going, so I'm glad my story does the same for you! And yes, its Dean, glad someone else gets it! And hopefully the Roman and Ava interaction was just as great as you imagined!

msaju17: Full bitch mode will return, she's pretty aggressive! But glad you enjoyed!

Allison: I almost didn't throw the Seth thing in, but between the two other boys, I always felt Seth was different, especially being younger. I don't want to say weaker, but in a way thats how I viewed him, so I'm glad you enjoyed the little curveball :)

freayamichaelson: Seth is pretty special, isn't he? And the Paige thing, I almost didn't add in her mate, but I didn't want her to be the typical party Paige, I wanted her to be different and almost the matured one in this story? Glad you enjoyed!

Until then, see you guys next time!