Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Unacceptable Part 2 to know exactly how Max reacts to the new situation at home.

I'd like to thank SuperNatural1985 for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, The Way to Live, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in The Way In, also by SuperNatural1985.

*Kim has now been introduced into SuperNatural1985's The Way to Live and was already featured in Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath and Werewolf Law 1.

Can't Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon

I can't fight this feeling any longer
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow
What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show

I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I said there is no reason for my fear
Cause I feel so secure when we're together
You give my life direction, you make everything so clear

And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore,
And throw away the oars, forever

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crushing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you
I've been running round in circles in my mind
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl
'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find

And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the wind on a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crushing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

Ch 26 The First Move

To say that the day flew by quickly is an understatement. The hours seemed like seconds and my anxiety was building up about as fast as the day progressed. Thankfully my nervous state did not influence on my performance in my classes. My music was my emotional release, like my therapy, so if anything, I just performed better than normal. In no time at all it seemed I was at rehearsal with Addison.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked when we spotted Alex walking into the academy's theatre room with his friends. I shook my head and turned my back on Alex. Yesterday had been a mistake. He now thought that I felt something for him, especially after having let him kiss me on the cheek. I'd have to talk to him later and set him straight.

I headed backstage with Addison to change. Though he wasn't going to perform this month because this was a performance only for Julliard applicants, he was still going to help us out. I'm pretty sure Max had filled him in on what had happened yesterday at home but I didn't want to know. I had too many thoughts swirling in my mind right then to worry about that. More than half my time had flown by and I wasn't any closer to reaching my decision than I had been when I'd left home today. One thing was for sure, though. By the end of the day, one way or another, Reese was going to know how I felt about him. That thought alone was enough to send the butterflies flying. The old fear of being humiliated by rejection still imprinted in my mind.

Once we had changed into our outfits, we headed on stage. Another Julliard applicant and I had the great honour of opening up this month's performance with Don't Stop Believing by Journey, the theme song for Glee. I loved Glee as did Addison. I was just able to see myself when I watched it. Of course the characters had much more confidence than I ever had in high school, but it kind of reminded me of the new me, the healing me. And this song held a message that I strongly believed in now.

Three hours later I had rehearsed all of my numbers innumerable times. The opening number, then I had one where I was playing the piano while some other Julliard applicant sang and I also had to play the guitar with a bunch of other people while we sang Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven. There was still one more performance I wanted to try out for but that wasn't until Tuesday. I had no idea if I could get the solo but I was determined to get it. I needed to get it. If I could sing that song on stage, opening my heart out for everyone to see, then I knew that I was moving forward with my healing.

I changed back into my clothes and started heading out with the rest of the crowd. Lots of Julliard applicants. Way too many and much too talented to allow me any hope that I would be accepted which was why I had applied to Columbia just in case. I walked out of the academy's theatre where we always rehearsed and made my way down the hall, but I was called from behind. I turned around, almost bumping into a girl, to see Alex coming out of the theatre too. I waited for him to catch up and when he had, I turned back around to start heading out, but he held me back.

"Wait, I want to talk to you, please," he said desperately. I mentally sighed. Well, I may as well take care of this now. I nodded and followed him back down the hall, away from the idling groups of people that stood just outside the theatre room doors. He stood just a ways off, still in view of everyone but out of earshot, well, out of earshot as long as none of those people had werewolf hearing.

I waited for him to start speaking, none too patiently. I fidgeted, my hands tapping against my arm as I crossed them over my chest, glancing anxiously at the walls around us. No, I wasn't nervous about Alex or about what I had to tell him. It was the thought that in less than an hour I would be home and I would finally have to face Reese. Not knowing what was waiting for me had fear threatening at the doors, but I held it back. I had nothing to be afraid of, yet. Reese could easily just say no and not make a big deal out of it. But then what? Could I really just live in the same house as him, craving his touch in a way that he could not give me?

I forced myself out of those thoughts and focused on Alex who was nervously twirling his hands together. Okay, if he wasn't going to say anything, then I would.

"Look, Alex, about last night…," I trailed off, hating myself for having gotten his hopes up and now crushing them all in one blow. But before I could, he bombarded me.

"Kim, I know you said that all you wanted was my friendship and all, but I…I don't think I want that. I don't think that's enough. I…" Before I could so much as move or open my mouth to respond, he was on me, grabbing onto my waist as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Shock held me still for less than a second until reason kicked in and I pushed him back, with a little more force than I should have used. My wolf growled within me, pissed that someone other than my wolf mate had touched me.

"I think I made myself clear, Alex. If not, then here's a replay," I practically growled at him, my wolf strolling forward. I didn't care. His touch had just felt so wrong that I knew that I would never be able to be with anyone other than Reese. It wasn't his fault, he was an awesome guy and I knew that there could have been something between us if Reese didn't exist, so I knew I shouldn't be treating him like this, but my wolf was too close at hand for me to consider being nice to him. "I only want your friendship. Take it or leave it. I'm sorry," I added as I saw his face fall with despair and lighten with a little fear as he caught sight of the wolf in my eyes. With that I turned and headed back down the hall.

Damn, damn, damn it. What an idiot. Had I really led him that much on or had he just distorted everything that had happened and made it all into something that wasn't? Maybe both. Damn it. It had been a bad idea. I'd only ended up doing the one thing I had wanted to avoid. Hurting Alex. And worse yet, I hadn't managed to get a reaction from Reese, or maybe I had but I just hadn't seen it. I hadn't even looked at him this morning. All I knew was that he had been furious enough for Antonio and Nick to get him out of the house to protect Alex's head, but why? Because I was his sister or because he considered me something more?

I stopped in my tracks just before crossing the threshold, blocking the entryway momentarily. I stepped to the side to let the people behind me out and put my bag on the floor. I sank down beside it, kneeling while I pretended to rummage around inside of it, as if I were looking for something. Instead I was inhaling deeply. I wanted to believe that the scent I was picking up was just my thinking about him, but the fact that it was accompanied by Max's erased that thought. Besides, Reese's scent held the stink of anger, a lot of anger. It took me a moment to rein in the wolf who reacted instantly as I picked up Reese's rage. She was touchy when it came to her mate it seemed.

I breathed in again and almost didn't let the air out again. Oh, god, please tell me he didn't see Alex kiss me. The scents were recent and strong, despite the currents of people that had been trailing though here. Oh no, please no. I closed my eyes, abandoning my non-search, and clenched my fists. What were they even doing here? Now what was I going to do?

I quickly got up, picking up my bag, and walked out, following my brother and Reese's scents. No, I did not want to confront Reese. I wasn't anywhere near ready, but if he was as angry as he had been last night, then he might be angry enough to rip Alex's head off. If that was even why he was angry in the first place. If he only loved me as a sister, then it was quite logical for him to feel protective of me. I had smelled Max's anger as well, but it had been faint, very faint when compared to Reese's, almost non-existent. Weird, now that I thought about it. How is it that Max seems to have kept a clear head and Reese hadn't? Wasn't he the older and more responsible of the two? Then again, he had gone after Mark.

I tried not to mash up all of my incoherent thoughts as I followed the scents. The scents were strong and easy to follow all the way from the academy, meaning that they were about as recent as the one I had just left behind. They came to a stop just a few doors down from the academy in an empty parking spot that smelled like gasoline and metal.

I closed my eyes, still standing on the sidewalk, desperately trying not to break down. There could be a hundred reasons why Reese was pissed. Maybe someone had called him with bad news or something. Or maybe he'd argued with someone at the academy, or maybe… I sighed and took a deep breath. I needed to go home. Whether Reese was pissed because he had seen me with Alex was beside the point right now. I needed to face Reese and tell him what I felt, what my wolf had done and just how hard and fast I had fallen for him.

As much as I tried I could not keep my mind clear of all thought as I drove home. It seemed determined to remind me of all the boys I had ever dated—a grand total of three—and all the guys I had ever kissed. The three guys I had dated were before my senior year and my shameful moment. The first one was at the beginning of my freshman year. A guy from the music academy I had attended back then. Nate gave me my first kiss, but it wasn't what I had expected. I had expected romantic and breathtaking. All I got was a lot of tongue and saliva. The guy didn't last a month.

Half a year later came boyfriend number two. He was from another music academy and we met at a joint concert both our academies had done. Again it didn't last the month. Boyfriend number three reached the one month mark but a day later I said goodbye. He was from my academy just like Nate and that was the last time I tried to give dating a shot before deciding it wasn't for me.

I hadn't been head over heels for any of those guys but I had liked them well enough at that time. They had all seemed interested and they had all of course made the first move. Until they had made their move, I had been oblivious to their intentions behind their actions, like why they were talking to me and complimenting me and such. Even now I don't truly believe that they had really been interested in me, not for me at least. I'm sure all they had wanted was what my body could offer and had seen a slightly overweight girl and taken advantage of her lack of confidence. Maybe it's not true and they had really liked me, but I couldn't be sure. It was still hard for me to believe that someone had been or is interested in me.

In any case after boyfriend number three I gave up dating all together. I had known that I was never going to take any of those guys to bed, not when I had the confidence issues I had, especially regarding my body. Besides, there was always that little girl fantasy within me that just wanted her knight in shinning armour to come sweep her off her feet and save her from her family and her school. I had known that I would never be able to give myself away to someone that I didn't love and that I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life with them. Sex wasn't a game for me.

Still, all these thoughts clashed with my feelings about lifetime long relationships. Could someone really love me for that long? My mother's love life was a wreck until she met my stepfather and even then… Well, before he came along she had had a whole string of boyfriends, every one of them more idiotic and stupid than the one before them. I had once heard my mother telling her sister—who had not approved one bit with her love life any more than my grandma had, all of which had led to many fights within the family—that most of the guys she dated were just physical relationships. I was ten at the time but I had understood what she had meant. My mother hadn't really tried to hide when she'd had sex with her boyfriends.

None of that mattered, though. From the moment Alex kissed me I knew that there was not a chance in hell that I would ever be with anyone that wasn't Reese. My wolf wouldn't allow it. I wouldn't even be able to kiss anyone else, not that I wanted to. All I wanted was Reese, all I had ever wanted from the moment we met. And still all I could do was fear what would happen if he said yes or if he said no. Either way I was afraid. Afraid of our relationship not lasting forever because he would stop loving me or afraid of not being able to stay here once he had rejected me. I doubt I would be able to leave, though. I doubt I would be able to stand being away from him even if he didn't want me.

Fear engulfed me and tears threatened as I entered the garage and parked my car. It was time and whatever the outcome I would meet it. It's not like I had a choice anyway, unless I wanted to run and hide from Reese for the rest of my life. I got out of the car, swinging my bag onto my shoulder, and saw Max coming though the garage door. Oh, god, he looks pissed. My mind's wanderings on the way here had distracted me. Only now did I remember that Max had been with Reese at the academy and that he had been angry as well.

"Max," I said tentatively as I strode over to where he was standing, but his glare stopped me in my tracks.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he shouted. I flinched and took a step back. It had been a long time since Max had spoken to me like this and I had forgotten how much it hurt.

"What are you talking about?" I asked softly, trying and failing to ignore the smell of his anger and the wolf in his eyes. I called upon my wolf and let her peek out, but Max wasn't backing down. He was a man on a mission.

"What the fuck were you doing with that human, Kim? How the fuck could you let him touch you?" he yelled furiously. Oh, god, so they had seen.

"He caught me off guard, Max. I didn't let him touch me. I would never let him do that," I said gently. I wanted to scream as well but I knew better than to give in to my anger and fear. Fear of what Reese had thought and how he had reacted and anger at having let myself get into a situation like that. I was just so stupid.

"Please," he growled, "I know you went on a date with him. Addison told me. How could you? Reese is your fucking mate, Kim. Do you know how much you hurt him? Why are you being so selfish and stupid?" Tears formed at his shouted words and all I could do was stare at him. I knew I should say something, anything, but my mind was revolving around just one thought. I had hurt Reese.

"Max, that's enough," I suddenly heard and saw Reese emerging from the garage door. For a moment it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I hadn't seen or looked at Reese since his beating. He had a black eye, his lower lip was still split and he had an ugly bruise on his jaw. Somehow I had managed to forget his injuries. I had put my worries and fears before his well-being. I was just so god damned selfish.

"I didn't mean to," I said, my voice almost cracking with the strain of keeping my tears in. Max didn't seem affected by my current state, however. Reese moved closer to him as if fearing he might jump the distance between us and attack. The look of anger in his eyes mixed with his wolf and a look of hurt almost made me whimper. My wolf growled furiously within me, though. We had hurt him.

"Yes, you did. You brought that human here, Kim. You endangered us. What if he had found out what we are? You betrayed the Pack and you don't even care," he screamed. No, I hadn't, I know I hadn't betrayed the Pack and I knew that Max was going way overboard. The anger that filled me at his words cleared up the tears that were threatening.

"Max," Reese growled before I could say anything, grabbing Max's arm with a furious look in his eyes. This was a very serious accusation and we all knew it. "That's enough, damn it," he growled furiously, turning it into an order Max completely ignored.

"Reese is your mate, Kim. You belong with him, not with some stupid human, why can't you see that?" Max screamed as Reese tried to pull him back. He thought that I was really into Alex. I took a deep breath and dropped the bomb that I had kept to myself to protect myself. This wasn't how I had planned to do it, but so many emotions swam through me—anger, hurt, anxiety, pain, guilt—that I was unable to reason anything out.

"I do, Max, I do see that. I…I love him and you know it," I said softly, so softly that I prayed that they hadn't heard me. They had. My words froze them in place and they both turned their heads to look at me, but I instantly dropped my gaze to the floor, bowing my head submissively in the process. I didn't want to see Reese's reaction, I didn't want to look into his eyes and find the rejection I was bound to get.

"Enough, all of you! Inside, now!" Tonio growled and I looked up to see him in the garage doorway pointing to the door behind him. Noah and Nick were just inside, neither of them looking very happy and I couldn't blame them. Without looking at the others, I made my way to door and went straight to the living room. The others following closely behind me. "Sit," Antonio ordered. I obeyed but sat far from Reese and Max, well, as far away as I could, though Reese sat down on the opposite side of the couch which wasn't far away enough. I was having a hard time stopping the tears from coming so even the slightest touch would bring me down right now. "I will not have you yelling at one another in this house, understand?" Antonio ordered with the Alpha voice we all had inside of us. When Antonio used it, it was the only time that I thought he was frightening. Otherwise I just thought of him as a very big teddy bear with a lot of muscle.

"Yes, sir," I said in unison with the guys. Even though long ago he'd told me not to call him 'sir', he was older and very pissed right now so this was the proper response. He looked over at me, seeking my submission, and I gave it within seconds, not wanting him to see the hurt in my eyes at the whole freaking situation. This was all my stupid fault. If only I had just spoken to Reese before deciding to bait him… But I knew that I wouldn't have been able to. I was just that insecure about myself, even now.

"Maximus Elias, now," I heard Antonio growl and I looked up to see that Max was not giving in. God damn it, why did he have to be so stubborn? After what felt like a lifetime, Max gave in and looked away. I saw Noah take a sharp intake of breath, like he'd been holding it for as long as Max hadn't been submissive. I knew how much he hated family fights, just about as much as I did, and there had been too many arguments in the last few days to be happy about. "Don't you ever dare make me wait that long again, Max, or there will be a lot more trouble than grounding," Antonio warned now. Max just nodded but I knew that wasn't enough for Antonio, at least, not right then. "Verbal," he ordered. Oh God, he was pissed.

"Yes, father," Max said calmly but there was no hiding the sarcasm in his voice. He was angry, very angry, or he would never have spoken to Antonio like that. Of course after what I had done I couldn't blame him for being angry. I'm so sorry, Max.

"Grounded five months," Antonio snapped and I knew he was serious. "Want to make it a year?" he asked as Max stared at him wide eyed. Max shook his head furiously, probably knowing he'd screwed up enough for one day.

Antonio turned so he was facing us all. "Now, as I'm sure all of you already know, though I'm going to repeat it so it's made perfectly clear, Kim had my permission to bring Alex here. What you don't know is that she felt terrible for doing so after seeing how badly everyone reacted," he said firmly, staring Max and Reese down. "Even if Kim were dating the human, it's her life and none of you have the right to yell at her for how she chooses to lead it. We've had a rough few days and I know everyone is still on edge, but I will not allow any disrespect or misbehaviour because of it. If I hear anyone else disrespecting someone in this household, then I will be handing out punishments like Christmas presents. Do I make myself crystal clear?" I answered like before and heard the others do the same but didn't look at him. I was too close to cracking to look into his beautiful brown eyes so filled with anger right now.

"I want to start hearing apologies for what people said and people's behaviour in the last twenty-four hours," he demanded but his tone had softened and that just made it worse. I looked over at Max and saw that he had no intention of opening his mouth. Stubborn as always. I guess it's up to me then.

"I'm sorry for bringing a stranger into the house without taking into account how much it would upset everyone considering everything that's happened lately," I said softly, looking anywhere but at my family. I stole a glance Max's way but he just looked away.

"I apologize for not talking about it with you sooner," I heard Reese say. I looked up at him beside me on the couch and saw hurt in his eyes. Talk about what? I wanted to ask but I stopped myself. I bit my lip and looked away, feeling the dread build up. Maybe he'd realized what my feelings were long ago and he hadn't wanted to hurt me by saying no. Now he had no choice but to tell me. Tears threatened as I thought this and it took me a moment to realize that silence had fallen throughout the room.

"Max, I am sure you have plenty to say here," I heard Antonio say but I was distracted as a warm hand crept over mine. I closed my eyes, not turning to look at him. His hand closed over mine and for one eternal moment his touch blocked everything out. Before I could stop myself I turned to look at him again. His pure blue eyes glowed with the wolf, the sight of them leaving me momentarily breathless until Antonio's voice broke through my daze.

"…you're up to one year now, Max, one year of being grounded," Antonio said, warning clearly flooding his voice. I turned away from Reese and withdrew my hand from his, folding both of them over my lap. I looked over at Max who had a furious look on his face and I wondered why he was now grounded for a year. Reese had made me lose myself for one breathtaking moment.

"Fine, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I called you selfish and stupid and disrespected you and Reese. I'm sorry I pushed the issue when you told me not to." Max said but didn't look at either of us. Ever since we had started getting along, Max had discreetly—and not so discreetly—been pushing me towards Reese. He thought we belonged together, that we were mates, and had been pushing the issue at every turn he could. I didn't think that he should apologize for it, though.

"Now, everyone is to go to their rooms or respective private corners and cool down. Max, I want your phone. I'll give it back to you when I've turned off the data plan and you can only use it for emergency calls," Antonio said. I knew it was the worst punishment of all. He wouldn't be seeing or hearing from Addison in a while. If I managed to fix this, or even if I didn't, I would try to make him use my phone to talk with Addison. Max pulled out his phone and shot a glare my way. "Hey, eyes here," Antonio said, calling for his attention. "She has nothing to do with you losing this, Maximus. This is your fault."

Max said nothing as Antonio took his phone. Tonio then tried to pull him in for a hug, but he pushed him away and stalked towards the stairs. I heard his bedroom door slam shut and I knew I couldn't take it anymore. I got up without looking at anyone and walked as quickly as possible out of the room and up the stairs. I closed my door softly, locking it, and ran to my bed and cried. I had had way too many breakdowns lately but I just couldn't help it. The tears kept coming and I couldn't stop them.

My mind was a muddled mess and I couldn't find the way out. I had screwed up in so many ways and I was so afraid. I had hurt Reese, he had been hurt because he had gone after Mark because of me, Max was pissed because of Alex, Noah was probably upset because of so many fights, and Antonio was stressed from the events of the last few days as was Nick. And now Reese, my wolf mate, the only person that I could ever be with, was going to tell me that he didn't want me.

I shed tears like I never had before, my wolf whimpering and whining within me all the while. After what felt like hours, I heard a knock on the door but didn't answer, mostly because I couldn't not because I didn't want to. My breathing was coming hard after so much sobbing. Another knock, I still didn't answer.

"Sweetheart, please open the door," I heard Antonio say from the other side, but his voice just brought more tears to my eyes. "Princess, please," he pleaded and I gave in. I ran to the door, unlocked it and swung it open. I launched myself at Antonio and hugged him furiously, tears streaming down my face. I felt his arms go around me, pulling me closer to him as he kissed the top of my head. I was unable to control the violent sobs and shakes that assaulted me then.

He continued to hold me as I cried against him and after a while he picked me up and took me to the bed, closing the door behind him. He put me down softly and then climbed in, laying beside me as he held me to his chest like he had done so many times before, but I had never been like this. I couldn't contain the breakdown. It just kept coming. Sometime later, the tears stopped coming.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Antonio whispered above my head but I shook it against his chest.

"No. It's my fault," I whispered back, "I shouldn't have brought Alex here and I should have talked with Reese sooner and told him…" My voice cracked and I was unable to continue. I took a deep breath, inhaling Antonio's musky scent, letting it wash over me. It didn't calm me the way Reese's did but it helped.

"No, Kim. It is not your fault. Reese needs to learn to rein in his anger and Max needs to learn to respect you and your decisions," he said, kissing the top of my head again. I nodded against his chest as he started rubbing circles into my back. "I love you, princess," he said softly.

"I love you too… dad," I whispered. I felt his arms tighten around me as I called him dad. I wasn't sure how everyone would react when they found out what I was calling Antonio but I knew that Antonio himself liked it. I pulled back to look him in the eyes and saw the warmth that lit them whenever I called him dad. "Um, why is Max grounded for a year?" I asked, hoping that he wouldn't ask why I didn't know when I had been the room at the time.

Antonio sighed heavily and shook his head. "He refused to apologize and argued that he should be able to date Addison if you can go on a date with Alex," he said gently. I started to argue, but Antonio lifted a finger to my lips. "I know it wasn't a date, princess, but Max sees it that way."

"I have to go talk to him," I said as I leaned back into him for another hug. I needed to fix things with my little brother. I couldn't stand to be upset with him or knowing that he was upset with me. I felt Antonio kiss me on the forehead and I then pulled away.

"Go do what you have to do, princess," he said and I smiled at him. I went to jump off the bed, but he held my arm back gently. "Then you should go talk to Reese, sweetheart," he said and I turned to see him looking a little uncomfortable. "You two need to work things out." I nodded, though I couldn't understand his discomfort. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that his daughter was about to have her heart broken.

"Once everything's sorted, princess, I want you to come find me. There's something I need to talk to you about, but it can wait until everything's better, okay?" he said with a smile. I nodded and leaned over to him, kissing him on the cheek before jumping off the bed and sliding him one last smile from the door.

I knocked on Max's door and waited. He didn't answer. I knocked again just like Antonio had on my door. Still no answer. "Max, please, I want to talk with you," I pleaded. Maybe he was angrier with me than I had thought. I was about to leave when I heard movement from inside his room. Finally, I heard his footsteps come towards the door and it opened. My brother's hair was a mess and he looked like he might have done some crying of his own. He just stood there, glaring up angrily at me.

"What?" he said. I almost flinched at his tone but still felt the dagger his tone threw at me. He sighed and crossed his arms, looking as pissed as he had been outside. At that moment, I heard footsteps from down the hall and looked over to see Antonio coming out of my room. He sent a warning look towards Max and I saw that he was fighting to control his emotions. That sent a pang of pain through me, knowing that this was all my fault despite Antonio's words. Antonio walked over to his room and went in, closing the door softly behind him.

Max took off then and stalked back into his room. I hesitated slightly, not knowing if this was a good idea. Maybe I should let him calm down some more before I attempted to talk to him. No. I needed to make this right. I followed Max as he sat down on his bed, glaring at the floor as he furiously rubbed his eyes.

"Max," I started, but he looked up, glaring angrily at me. I felt another pang of hurt but I pushed it down. I needed to do this. No matter what, I had to fix this. He was my brother and I needed him. He was always there when I needed him and vice versa, but right then we needed each other. My determination must of shown because Max stood suddenly, ready for a confrontation.

"You are the reason I can't talk to Addison, Kim. You don't give a damn about Addison and me. I won't be able to talk to him for a year, I won't be able to even see him and he'll forget about me. He'll find someone else and I'll lose my best friend and my soul mate and you don't even care, Kim. You can go out with that fucking human all your want but he'll forget about me," he cried. His voice was trembling by the end and tears started forming in his eyes. But I wouldn't let them affect me. I would not be blamed for something I didn't do.

"You did that, Max. You defied Antonio and refused to give into him. If you had just done what he said you would not have been punished and I refuse to be blamed for your attitude and your disobedience," I growled. Why was he so god damned stubborn? He turned away from me at my words and collapsed onto the bed. I watched as he cried and the sobs assaulted him like they had me only moments before.

As I watched him, I saw that he was in pain. He was scared. He was afraid of losing the love of his life, his mate, forever, of never seeing him again, of never holding him again. I wouldn't let that happen, but I knew I didn't need to worry about it. I had never seen a couple more in love. Well, I had, Clay and Elena and Jeremy and Jaime, but they were meant to be together. Just like Max and Addison were meant to be together. They were mates, they were forever.

I sat down beside him and rubbed circles into his back, like Antonio had done to me before, trying to calm him. He leaned into me and I knew he needed this just like I had. I knew he needed to be comforted more than I did at times. I hadn't been accustomed to hugs and kisses in my family, but I had known them from my grandmother at least. Max hadn't even known they existed until he was rescued by the Pack. After a few minutes, he pulled away from me and rubbed his eyes. I didn't give him a chance for the anger to return and I flung myself at him and hugged him fiercely just like I'd done with Antonio. He hesitated slightly but returned the embrace full force.

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I never meant to hurt you. I never went on a date with Alex. We just went to grab some coffee as friends, I promise. I don't like him like that. You know how I feel about Reese… You've always known," I said as I squeezed him against me.

"I'm sorry I said you were stupid and that you'd betrayed the Pack," Max said into my shoulder, but I shook my head and pulled back.

"You were right. I am stupid for bringing Alex here when I know how much you hate humans and strangers," I said, shaking my head at my stupidity. "I only brought him here because I wanted to see how Reese reacted. It was a stupid idea." Max stared at me, clearly not understanding my reasoning.

"Why didn't you tell me or just talk to him about it?" he asked. I bit my lip and looked away slightly. Max knew I lacked confidence but he had never seen it when it came to guys.

"Because I'm afraid of what he's going to say," I said truthfully. I was afraid. Yes or no, I was afraid of his answer. I took a deep breath and tried to push those thoughts aside for later, but Max wanted to have his say in the matter.

"Kim, he loves you. You're mates, you belong together. Everything's going to be okay," he said. I just shrugged and kept my eyes averted from his.

"We'll see," I said softly. Even if Reese and I did start something, I would still feel insecure about it, no matter how my wolf felt when it came to her mate. Max looked worried at me and suddenly surged forward, embracing me to comfort me. I hugged him back and said, "I love you, hun. You're my baby brother, you will always come first, so don't you forget it, okay?" I felt him nod into my shoulder

"I love you too, Kim," he said. I smiled and tears came forth again, but these were tears of joy. I had my brother back. Now I just had to figure out what to do about Reese. But there was still one more problem I had to solve before I went to him.

"Max, I want to help you with your Addison problem but I won't be blamed for it," I said. He nodded and I knew he now felt bad for blaming me in the first place. He could be stubborn but once he'd calmed down, he knew that what he'd done was wrong. Since it happened often, much too often I would say, he was very predictable. You just had to get to the calming down part without chopping his head off.

"I know, Kim, I'm sorry about that too. I was angry and I was the one in the wrong. It's not your fault that I am being punished but I really would like your help getting out of it or getting around it. I have to see Addison, I have to and dad doesn't understand," he said. I smiled inwardly. I knew what that felt like. He needed to see his mate the way I needed to see Reese, my wolf mate. I nodded and put a hand on his arm, letting him know that I was here now and that I would help him. The move was done more out of wolf instinct than my wanting to comfort him. It was just the wolf's need to help and protect those younger than her.

"I know he doesn't and I will try and help but I can't guarantee anything. Your best bet might be negotiating with Antonio right now," I said, but I knew it would be difficult and, from the way Max's shoulders slumped, so did he. "If he doesn't give in, then I'll let you use my phone to text him and I'll go over and explain it to him, so he won't forget about you. Not that he would, the guy's head over heels for you, Max," I said and grinned mischievously. I hated going behind Tonio's back, but for some reason he couldn't see that Max needed Addison. Max called it denial, I called it stubbornness—I could find way too much of it in this household. Max looked up at me, his eyes filled with hope.

"Do you really think he is?" he asked and I nodded. I couldn't help but smile. I loved making my brother happy, especially if it was with the truth.

"Oh, yeah, I doubt you could get rid of him even if you tried," I said, laying a hand on his now. He laughed and I felt his fear wash away. Suddenly, he leaned over and hugged me. I hugged him back, gathering the strength I needed for the task I had ahead of me.

"Come on," I said, pulling away and wiping the last few tears off his face. "You need to talk to Antonio." I stood, looking down at him, and offered him my hand, pulling him up. He was still smaller than me but he was growing at an alarming rate. I'm sure that pretty soon he would be towering over me like everyone else. Well, Noah didn't tower over me but he was still taller.

"So, we're good?" he asked. I nodded, letting go of his hand.

"Yes, we're good," I assured him, and made a mental promise to make sure he knew just how much he meant to me. I would never let this happen again. We walked from his room and stood in the hallway, looking at Antonio's door. I rubbed his arm encouragingly before turning in the opposite direction of Antonio's room and went into mine.

I went to the bathroom and jumped back from the mirror at the sight of myself. It looked like I had gone to hell and back again in the last hour. I sighed and tried to make myself look more presentable. My eyes were still puffy and red but there wasn't anything I could do about that. I pushed a brush threw my hair, before declaring myself decent. Reese had seen me a million and one times in the mornings so he had seen much worse, I was sure.

I walked from my room and into the hallway. I could here soft murmurs from Antonio's room as I passed it and prayed that everything was going well for Max. I made my way through the house and went outside through the back door and found Noah in the yard playing with the dogs. I walked over to him and hugged him the moment he got up. He hesitated slightly but then returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," I said and he pulled back confused. "I'm sorry I put you through that. I know how much you hate family arguments." He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't, Kim. This wasn't your fault. Families argue all the time, but there's a difference between arguing and fighting. Besides," he said with a smile, "we're siblings. If we don't squabble, we'll go crazy." I smiled at my brother and gave him another hug. I pulled back from him eventually and told him that I'd see him later before turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked as I took a few steps towards the woods.

"To talk to Reese," I said, turning to face him. I saw his lips twitch into a smile, but he quickly hid it with a nod and sat back down to play with the dogs. I studied him for a moment but then shook my head and made my way towards the guest house. You'd think that after so many months of living with men I'd finally understand how their minds function. Not a chance.

I reached the front door of the guest house and just stood there, staring at it. I couldn't do this. The nerves were practically chewing on my insides. How could I face him after all this? I had said that I loved him. I had never told a guy that I loved him, not in the way that I had meant it in the garage. I was in love with him and I was mated to him. I had to face him, though. This needed to be resolved before I lost my mind trying to figure out what to do.

I gathered my courage and knocked on the door. All my fears and doubts were yelling at me to get the hell away from here before Reese broke what was healed, but I stood my ground. After a few moments, the door opened and there he stood. The only man capable of turning my insides to jelly. He studied me for a moment as he held the door open, his pure blue gaze piercing me to the core. I held his gaze and my hands started to shake. I couldn't read his eyes but it seemed like he was trying to gauge my feelings just as I was doing the same. Suddenly he stepped aside to let me in. I walked inside without looking at him and went to stand by the sofa, using it as a crutch so my knees didn't buckle under me.

I heard Reese close the door and walk over to me but I kept my eyes fixed on the floor. Beautifully patterned white tiles that vanished from my field of vision as Reese stepped in front of me. He said nothing as he stood before me. I inhaled deeply, trying to think of what I had to say, but his scent was just making the wolf purr. Damn it, I had been so concentrated on getting here that I had forgotten to prepare what I had to say to him. Which was what exactly?

"Kim," he said suddenly, breaking the silence between us. I could smell a string of emotions coming from him that swirled with my own in a way that prevented me from differentiating whose was whose. "Cariño, look at me, please," he begged. I closed my eyes and bit my lip. This was it. He was going to tell me that he didn't want me, that he was sorry but he didn't feel that way towards me, that he just loved me as a sister.

I took a deep breath, ignoring my squirming insides and my trembling body, and looked up, opening my eyes to look into his sea blue pools. He held my gaze for a moment but long enough to speed up my breathing and to make my heart race. Suddenly I felt as his hands took a hold of my head and before I could figure out what was happening, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

For an entire heartbeat nothing happened and then it happened all at once. Electricity buzzed between us, making my body tingle all over as I fought to make sense of my swirling thoughts but then gave up and let him in. The air was sucked out of me instantly and I felt him gasp into our kiss. My mind turned to mush as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing against him as he pulled me closer, his own arms wrapped tightly around my waist now. Fire burned through my veins as I hungrily explored his mouth, but my hunger was nothing compared to Reese's who threatened to mesh us together.

Within seconds I was gasping for breath but I didn't pull away, I didn't want to. For a few blissful moments I lost myself in Reese's arms. I had never felt so free. I felt his arms travel down my body, exploring it as much as my mouth. I tangled a hand into his hair, pulling him closer and trying to deepen the already mile deep kiss. I felt him harden against me as he gently pushed me back and ground me against the couch, making us both moan and sending a shiver through me. For those few moments, reason was beyond me, my fear was beyond me and my doubts were beyond me. The smell of arousal clouded my brain and nothing could reach me beyond Reese's arms.

Without warning Reese pulled back just as I heard a war whoop sound from somewhere outside. In less than a second my mind stopped buzzing, the electricity stopped coursing through me and I was roughly brought back down to Earth, where Reese, my wolf mate, held me in his arms, pulling me against his body, his arousal pressed between us as I felt the wolf purr within me, whining for more.

"Max," I heard Reese growl and my eyes flew open. Everything instantly came crashing down on me, but it was too much for me to take in all at once. It was just too overwhelming. I pushed Reese back and pulled away from his firm grasp, practically flying to the door. I flung it open and ran past Max without looking at him.

"Kim," I heard Reese cry behind me but I didn't turn or slow down. I kept going, not stopping until I was in my room with the door locked behind me. My knees gave way then and I collapsed against the door. I sat there with my eyes closed as the shock shook through my body. My limbs were shaking and my breath was coming hard and fast while my heart threatened to jump out of my rib cage.

I pulled my legs up and sank my head into my knees, trying to calm down to no avail. I had been kissed before, obviously. Not just by my three boyfriends but also by a few guys I had met at bars in Europe. I did a lot of partying with Abbey during our trip and I had found that I was able to let go when I knew that strangers couldn't judge me when they didn't know me. Still, I had never been kissed like that before nor had a kiss ever left me tingling the way I was now. Every inch of my body was covered in goosebumps.

Reese's kiss had been all-consuming, possessive, hungry and just simply mind-blowing, leaving me thirsty for more. I took a deep breath and forced calm into my body. My insides were still burning. God, I had never been so aroused in my life. And Reese… Oh good god, Reese wanted me. That thought alone had my heart thumping again. I had felt and smelt his arousal. As far as I knew no one had wanted me like that and knowing that Reese did—or at least seemed to—had me shuddering.

I had my answer. The one thing I had been dreading and fearing for the past twenty-four hours, no, the last few months from the moment we met, though it had taken me a while to come to terms with my feelings. But now what? Reese wanted me now, but I was sure that that would change when I told him what my wolf had done. Still, I knew why I had kept my feelings hidden, but why had he? Was it because we were Pack, because we lived together, because we were brother and sister, though not blood related? Or maybe he didn't feel anything for me and had merely taken advantage of the female werewolf whose scent aroused almost every werewolf?

No, I thought furiously. Reese would never do that. I knew him well enough to know that he would never play me like that. Oh god, what was I going to do now? I wanted to know why he hadn't said anything until now and what it was exactly that he felt, but that would mean that I would have to tell him as well. And then what? If he accepted my wolf mating me to him, would we really be able to be like Max and Addison or would he give up on me half way there? I knew that Max's possessiveness of Addison wasn't the same as Addison's for Max because Addison wasn't a werewolf and was not "mated" to Max. Reese wasn't mated to me but he was a werewolf, so where would that lead us?

I lifted myself off the floor and went to my bed. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it as I lay down, lowering my head down to the pillows. I had ten missed calls from Abbey. Of course I did. She wanted to know how her marvellous plan had worked. But I needed to get her opinion on what to do about Reese, if I should give it a chance or not. I'd have to be careful, though, to not let slip that I was mated to Reese. Maybe I could say that I wasn't sure if he loved me the way I loved him or something. I quickly dialled her number, not bothering to go into my walk-in wardrobe. Reese wasn't a secret anymore.

"Kim," she squealed the moment she picked up. I had to pull the phone away form my ear before she hurt my eardrum which was very sensitive now that I was a werewolf.

"Hey," I said with a smile. Why is she so happy? Her plan was a train wreck at best.

"Guess what," she said now, still squealing. I rolled my eyes, my mood already lifting.

"You're finally engaged to Orlando Bloom?" I tried but I just heard her sigh.

"Nope, but soon. One day soon he will realize I am the love of his life," she laughed and then got back down to business. "Anyways, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I will no longer be able to help you with your love life via telephone. The good news is that I won't be able to because I'm coming down to fix it for you."

Silence, that's all that met Abbey's cheerful statements. It took me an entire minute to correctly process her words. Abbey was coming…here?

"Kim?" she called worriedly when I didn't answer.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I'm here. That's…just…really?" Okay, take two. "Sorry, you caught me by surprise. You're coming here? To New York?"

"Yes," she squealed excitedly. "I'll be staying with my aunt and uncle for two weeks so I'll be able to watch your performance at the end of the month."

"What about school?" I asked seriously. She knew where I stood when it came to her studies. School first.

"Um, Kim, I…I dropped out," she said softly. "Look, don't freak out, okay? I…I had a good reason for it and I promise I'll tell you everything when I get there, alright?" she asked anxiously. I took a moment to rein in my anger and then sighed. Damn it, whatever her reason for dropping out, I'm sure that I could have prevented it if I'd been there.

"Alright," I gave in. "When do you get here?"

"Tomorrow."