A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! This is my gift to everyone the next chapter to my story though it won't have anything to do with Christmas sorry. Either way please enjoy!

Chapter 10

"Loken!" a cream colored wolf screamed out as she saw her mate fall to the ground unconscious.

Xena ran to her mate's side, afraid she may just have lost the second love of her life. She could barely hear any of the other wolves around her, each trying to rouse her prone mate. She notice her daughter however and they both looked at each other, both sharing the other's worry for they both felt as if they were losing Loken just as they had lost Xander.

Xena did not want to lose her mate again as much as Armel did not want to lose her father.

"Move Damnit, give that wolf some room to breathe!" a voice roared out breaking through even into Armel and Xena's worries making them step away from Loken along with everyone else who had gone to see if he was alright.

After Loken was cleared two wolves came up and began administering to him. "Marcus, Dalia, is her alright?" Xena asked the two healers of the Rock Hound Clan.

Marcus did a few more checks and turned to talk to Xena. "Ma'am he'll be fine; he seems to have just past out, but we are going to take him back to our den so we can keep tabs on him." Marcus said in a tone of voice that provoked no argument and his eyes said the same.

Xena knew Marcus long enough to know better than to argue but there was something she had to say.

"Alright Marcus, but I will be in a little but to check on him whether you like it or not…I'm not losing another one whom I love." She added softly.

Marcus's eyes soften slightly and he replied "Don't worry ma'am, he'll be fine if I have anything to do about it. Alright let's start getting him back to the den, Dalia." Marcus said in an aside to his mate and the two of them bore Loken off to their den on their backs.

Xena watch as she saw her love being taken from her and she hoped that what Marcus said was true and that Loken was alright. "You need to stay calm." Xena heard a voice beside her say and she turned her head to see Nathan staring at her calmly while sitting next to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Nathan looked at Xena, keeping his face completely emotionless but on the inside his mind was working out what on earth happened and if his suspicions were true but he kept these thoughts hidden from Xena.

"This whole crowd is a powder keg and we need to defuse it before wolves start panicking that one of their leaders has all of a suddenly collapsed on the wedding day of two clans joining together and start putting two and two together and get seven. Drake is already telling Armel and Justin what to do; now you need to trust me." He said.

Xena looked at her friend and nodded knowing that Nathan was right and that the best thing right now would be to keep everyone calm and to keep this from escalating into something worse.

"Ok Nathan, what you need me to do?" she asked.

Nathan quickly thought of something and replied, "I need you to tell your wolves that Loken will be ok- and from what I have been hearing this has happened before." Nathan said remembering what a few wolves had said about Loken fainting again.

Xena nodded, knowing that was true.

"Ok then I needs you to tell them that the after party will go on and that to enjoy the evening- this way wolves will begin to calm down and forget about what just happened and by the time they do remember Loken should be up and about. Not to mention after a little while or so you can go and check up on Loken." Nathan added with a faint smile.

Xena rolled her eyes and replied, "I'll do it, and by the way you don't have to bribe me." And walked off yelling to get the attention of the previously talking crowd and told them of what the plans were here on out for the day.

This was met with some enthusiasm that redoubled when the newlyweds began to lead the way to the main den where the party was being held.

Nathan watched as the progression walked past but his eyes always fell on his son, Drake.

Nathan sighed as he knew what had really caused Malcolm to leave two years ago and felt a stab of guilt at what he had done to Malcolm's heart. He still hated himself because every time he looked at his reflection he remembered what he ended tricking Malcolm into doing and was constantly reminded of it.

But none of this showed on Nathan's face because he had always been capable of hiding his emotions. And yet in the back of his mind he heard; 'it's your fault.'

He shook himself; he needed to focus. That was when he realized he was the only one left in the clearing and made his way quickly to the party.

As he entered he thought of Loken amongst the babble of conversations. The wolf looked far too much like Warthorn to be a coincidence. Besides it could very well be him considering they had never found his body and had just assumed scavengers had taken it after the battle that had wiped out the majority of the War-eye clan.

So it was a possibility that he could have survived and may very well have forgotten who he was since Grage had stomped on his skull since both his sons had seen that happen to Warthorn.

Though why would he choose to go by the name Loken was beyond him. Loken was Warthorn's grand sire who had died shortly after Warthorn had taken control of the clan and after he had gotten rid of a couple of arrogant idiot pack lords.

He shrugged, 'He may not have had much of a choice at the moment.' Nathan mused.

"Hey Nathan! Are you going to join your in-laws or sulk in a corner?" a voice said interrupting his musings and he looked over to the side to see Xena waving to him and he made his way over to them; noticing that Xena seemed to be in a cheery mood. But what she said to him after he sat next to her revealed her anger at him for making her stay for the party.

"If my husband dies while I'm here Nathan, I promise you I will kill you." Xena said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes which Nathan saw were ice cold.

"I'm sure he's fine." He said calmly, and then frantically prayed in his mind that was true.

(Three hours later)

Xena had had enough; she'd been at the after party for three hours. She felt it was time to go check up on Loken and if anything had happened to him while she had been here and she couldn't be there for him she would kill Nathan.

She weaved her way through the crowd to where Nathan was talking to a few wolves and sat nearby waiting for them to stop talking with a fake smile on her face.

Finally the three wolves left and she walked up behind him where Nathan seemed not to even notice her presence and for some reason that annoyed her.

"I need to talk to you." Xena said causing Nathan to jump around in surprise. Nathan took a second to compose himself because he hadn't even heard her until she spoke and hated to be surprised.

"What is it?" he asked still keeping his face neutral but inside he was a little frightened by her sudden appearance.

The look Xena was giving him was cold, "I've stayed here long enough. I'm going to my husband." And with that she turned toward the entrance but as she turned she also slapped her tail across his muzzle hard.

Nathan moved his head back forward thinking it may have been better to have let her leave an hour ago.

"Wow dad. I'd say she's angry at you." Nathan heard Drake say beside him and turned toward him and said, "Well of course she is son and that is because I was stupid enough to keep her from her husband." He replied.

Nathan and Drake stared at each other. Then Drake asked, "Do you think he's really Warthorn?"

Nathan took a breath before answering; he needed to think how to tell his son his thoughts. "Yes I do think that is Warthorn, son. But I could be wrong, so this I will wait for him to make the first move."

"Hmm." Drake replied and walked away back to his son and wife.

Nathan watched them for a time and thought, 'At least you didn't break your son's heart son.' He thought remembering what he had done to Malcolm.

He hated arranged marriages even more because of that day.

A/N: Please review.