Clarke POV

I woke up surrounded by warm bodies and a weird vibrating sound. I listened closely and could hear the sound of a cat purring, which meant that Scarlett was a werecat of some sort. But, it was the sound coming from Dani and Lexa that was throwing me off. It was like their wolves were purring, too. It was the same sound and feeling as what I had felt from Nyx when she'd first shifted back. I lay there listening and felt my body relaxing underneath the vibrations and sound. If I had to guess why they were making the noise, I'd say that it was because of utter contentment. It made me feel closer to all of them and in turn strengthening whatever it was between the five of us. I turned over to look at Nyx's bed and was surprised to see an old woman standing at the foot of her bed. She somehow sensed me looking at her and turned her head to look back at me. When I looked into her eyes, I immediately felt awed and loved beyond words or feelings. She smiled and laid a finger across her lips telling me to keep quiet. I nodded and then felt suddenly drowsy. I laid back down and was asleep again.

The next time I woke up it was to the feeling of someone kissing my neck as a hand caressed my breasts and two more ran lightly over my body, eliciting a moan of pleasure. I opened my eyes and Dani was mere inches from me, she grinned when she saw me awake and leaned in to kiss me. Desire coursed through me again and somehow time was once more lost.

We didn't fall asleep this time around, but we all laid languidly on the mattresses, constantly touching one another. It's like we were all making sure that what happened between us was real.

I heard the distinct sound of a communicator and raised up on my elbows to see where it was coming from. Scarlett found it lying buried in the clothes behind her and handed it over.

I sat up and answered, "Yes?"

"Clarke, good you're up," Mom said.

"Yeah, what's up," I asked perplexed.

"Could you go and check Nyx's vitals and body scans for me?"

"Of course," I said as I slowly got up and stepped over Lexa's hip. "Why am I doing this?"

"My monitors are showing something that isn't making sense. I need you to verify if what I'm seeing is what I'm seeing."

"Sure," I said and walked over to the monitors.

Her heart rate had improved and her body scans seemed to show vast improvement of the organs. I looked at it perplexed.

"Hey, Scarlett," I called out. "Can you come take a look at this? I want to make sure I'm reading these right."

"Alright, sugah," she drawled out and joined me shortly. "That can't be right."

I looked over at her and said, "So, I am seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Her organs are over 50% healed," she said, clearly as perplexed as my mother and I.

"Mom, did you hear that," I asked into the communicator.

"I did," she replied. "I don't understand. None of us have seemed to make a dent in healing her organs and now suddenly, they're healing at an accelerated pace."

"What do you mean accelerated," Scarlett asked.

"This happened maybe five hours ago. Did you do anything special?"

We all looked at one another and blushed and I said, "Um, no Mom, nothing special. We just all took a nap."

"Oh," she said suspiciously, which made Dani chortle.

I glared at Dani and then asked, "Do we need to be worried, Mom?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. I think for right now, I'll keep a close eye on her body scans. This is highly unusual."

"Alright," I said. "I guess, I'll check in with you later?"

"Yes, please do," she said and hung up.

I set the communicator down on a table and sat back down on the mattresses. Everyone else joined me too and made themselves comfortable. Which was weird since we were still naked and I was completely comfortable with it. I shook my head, dispelling that thought and focused on what happened with Nyx. Suddenly, I shot up as I remembered something.

"Shit," I said, startling everyone.

"What," Lexa asked.

"Something did happen. Well, two somethings happened really," I said with a small smile.

"Tell," Dani said as she leaned forward and placed her chin on Scarlett's shoulder.

"Um, how can I say this," I said, blushing slightly, "But, I, uh, woke up earlier to y'all purring."

"You mean, Scarlett's purring," Dani said.

I shook my head, "No. All three of you were purring. Well, sorta. Scarlett was definitely purring like a cat, but the two of you were doing a wolf version of purring. Like a low gentle rumble. I've heard Nyx do it, too. She didn't know that she was doing it. And I guess, you didn't either."

Scarlett chuckled, "A wolf purring? That is definitely something. I'm sorry I missed it."

"It's something alright," I said remembering the sensations it had evoked, making me smile.

"You said, that something else happened," Lexa asked.

"Oh, yeah. After that pleasant wake up, I looked over at Nyx and saw an old woman standing at the foot of her bed. It was weird. When she caught me staring at her, I felt completely awed and Loved. She smiled at me and then laid a finger on her lips to keep me quiet. Then I fell back asleep."

"An old woman," Lexa asked. "Had you ever seen her before?"

I looked down at her and said, "No. Never. I don't remember any features, only the fact that she was an old woman."

"You don't think…" Dani started to say.

Scarlett glanced up at her and finished, "That it was Mother Earth healing her?"

"Wait," I said holding up a hand, "I thought she only ever appeared to weres not mages?"

"That's the story," Lexa said as her arm tightened around my waist, pulling me closer. "If you saw her and then immediately fell asleep, I'd say that you did see Mother Earth."

"And if that's the case," Dani said, intrigued, "she healed Nyx enough to stay alive and heal with the help of healers."

"Which means, she will live," Scarlett finished, hope rising in her voice.

"I'll be damned," I whispered.

"I don't think you've been damned, niron," Dani said with a smirk. "I think you've just been blessed."

I crossed my arms, "Well, that's just great. Bonded to the four of you, lifemated to this one here," I nodded my head at Lexa who smiled up at me, "and I've just been blessed by Mother Earth. What the fuck is going on?"

"Wish I knew," Lexa said as she kissed me right above my hip and making me close my eyes. "I think it's safe to say that none of us know what's going on and we're just rolling where the wind takes us."

I sighed happily as Lexa continued to kiss upwards along my side when my eyes snapped open to hearing the wolf purr again. Lexa had stopped what she was doing and Dani and Scarlett looked at me wide eyed. We slowly got up on our knees and looked over at Nyx. She was still in the coma, but we could all hear her purring.

"Is that what you heard," Dani whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my back.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "I think it's because she content, like really happy."

"That is the damnedest thing I've ever heard," Scarlett whispered.

"I'm afraid to move," Lexa said. "What could have caused it?"

"I think it's because she can feel all four of us now more strongly," I said. "We're all connected now. The five of us."

"And she couldn't before because she was dying?"

"Yeah."

"Holy shit," Dani said as she leaned back. "This is unbelievable."

"It's incredible," Lexa said. "We purr when we're happy."

"Do you purr, Clarke," Dani asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"I don't think so," I said with a grin. "That would be really weird. The only thing I've been known to do is hum when I'm happy. I'm usually awake though."

"Hum?"

"Yes, hum, when I'm awake."

The communicator beeped again and I got up to answer it.

"Now what," I said as I answered, "Yes?"

"It's about damn time, Clarke," Sephy said.

I quirked an eyebrow at the others, but they only shook their heads.

"What do you mean, Sephy," I asked, perplexed.

"I know what you've been up to," she said, annoyed.

"What I've been up to?"

"Oh, cut the crap," she said, exasperated. "Freaking having sex while my sister's in a damn coma and on life support. That's just, like, wrong on so many levels."

Dani burst out laughing and Scarlett smacked her upside the head which made Lexa laugh. I could only shake my head at their antics.

"Um, sorry," I apologized, shrugging my shoulders. "It kind of just happened?"

"Whatever," she said. "Look, if y'all are done playing around down there, would you like me to send some food?"

At the mention of food, my stomach growled loudly drawing stares from everyone, and I blushed in embarrassment.

I cleared my throat and said, "Food would be lovely, Sephy. Thank you."

She harrumphed and said, "Fine. The food will be there shortly. And stop having sex around my sister. Especially, since she can't join in."

"Um, sure, I think we can do that," I said and then mouthed, "Can we?"

The all shrugged and left me bumbling.

"Great," she said, automatically more cheerful. "How's Nyx doing? I saw everyone running out of the compound."

"Well, we had a bit of a scare," I said, truthfully. "She stopped breathing and her heart stopped, but I got it going again. And a few hours ago, she showed an accelerated healing of her organs. We think she's going to be okay, but she's still on life support and in a coma."

"And you didn't tell me!"

"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. "The reason they ran out is because they knew something had happened to Nyx through their bonds with her."

"Wait. Bonds?"

I sighed, "Yes, bonds. We're all bonded to one another. That's why we didn't call you. We were discussing the bonds and then one thing led to another and you know what happened."

"So, the sex was cementing the bonds?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay, then," she said, totally relaxed then and making me look at the communicator in surprise.

"Hold up," I said in indignation. "You're okay now with having sex next to your sister?"

"It was a bond confirmation, duh. Of course, I'm okay with it."

"Okay, then. Um, have you sent the food yet?"

"Yep, it's on its way. I'll let you go now, but promise me if there are any changes, you'll let me know immediately," she demanded.

"Sure, sure. No problem," I squeaked out. "You'll be the first to know."

"Okay, bye."

"Um, Bye," I said and placed the communicator closer to us, so we wouldn't have to get up again.

"I am so confused," I said, laying my head in my hands. "First she gets mad at us for having sex in the same room as Nyx. Then I tell her that we're bondmates and suddenly she's okay with it. What kind of pack are you guys?"

"Apparently, a lot more open minded than I thought," Lexa said chuckling. "Either that or Seph is way more worldly than her mother gives her credit for."

"Y'all are weird," Scarlett said, as she stretched bringing her firm breasts to the forefront of everyone's attention. "Freakin' hedonistic wolves."

"Hey," Dani said indignantly, "We're more than just the sex, Scar."

Scarlett leaned down and kissed Dani and replied, "I know you are, hon. But that doesn't change the fact that y'all are a weird pack."

"Take that back," Dani growled low and flipped them both until she had Scarlett pinned beneath her.

There was a gleam of mischief in Scarlett's eyes and she said, "No. So, what you gonna do about it?"

Dani growled and Scarlett hissed and suddenly they were wrestling one another. Lexa and I quickly got away and put on some clothes as we watched them go at it.

"Should we stop them," I asked her as Dani yowled in pain after Scarlett bit her on the arm.

Lexa chuckled, "No. This is good for them. Let them have their fun."

"Bitch," Scarlett yelled after Dani pulled her hair hard.

I couldn't help but laugh and couldn't take my eyes off of them. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and I answered it. It was Cora, one of Lexa's pack members.

She looked at me wide eyed from the noise in the room and said, "Is everything alright?"

I glanced over my shoulder at them and said with a smile, "Yeah, it's all good. They're just letting off some steam."

"Oh, okay, if you say so," she said quietly and held out the basket of food. "Here's the food Persephone promised."

"Thanks, Cora," I said and took the basket from her.

"Are you sure, everything's okay?"

"Stay on that side of the room," Lexa bellowed when I heard a crash coming from directly behind me.

I smiled weakly and reassured her as best as I could. She took one more worried glance in my direction and then headed back to the compound. I closed the door behind me and locked it. The food smelled delicious.

"Hey," I yelled to be heard over their screeching, "if you want to eat, knock it off."

They immediately stopped and sat down breathlessly.

"Better," I said and sat down with the basket between us. I pulled out a platter of meat and a smaller one of fish. I handed that one to Scarlett. I pulled out containers of freshly steamed vegetables and fruit. Took out bowls and plates, utensils, napkins and a bottle of juice.

Lexa thoughtfully cooked my meat as Dani dished out the vegetables. They bowed their heads briefly and we began to eat.

"Why did you bow your heads before eating," I asked after taking a bite of my steak.

"Oh," Lexa said, slightly startled. "We were just giving thanks to Mother Earth for continuing to provide us with food."

"Ah," I said, understanding.

Dani shrugged, "We do it automatically and most of the time we don't notice."

"We didn't offend you, did we," Lexa asked concerned.

"Oh, no, you didn't," I said hurriedly. "It's just that we didn't really have any religion, period, in the bunker. So, I was just curious."

She nodded in understanding, "Good. Thank you for understanding."

I grinned and kissed her gently, "Your welcome. It's refreshing, really. If we considered anything religious it would be empirical facts."

"I guess to each his own," Dani said and took a swig of the juice.

"To each his own," Scarlett echoed and took a drink from the bottle.

She handed it to me and I took a drink and passed it on to Lexa who then passed it back to Dani after taking a drink of her own.

We finished eating in companionable silence and then lounged around as we got to know each other better. It was weird how comfortable I felt around them and how loved. Lexa naturally wrapped her arms around me and I leaned back against her, melding my body with hers while Dani and Scarlett did the same. After the stress of the day, I soon fell asleep in Lexa's arms and didn't wake until my body said it was time.

I woke up to Lexa's soft breathing on my neck and opened my eyes to Scarlett looking at me in wonder. I reached out and gently stroked her face and made her eyes close in pleasure. She reached up and held my hand to her face and smiled at me.

"Mornin', darlin'," she said softly.

"Morning," I replied, smiling at her.

She took my hand and gently kissed my palm, sending shivers down my arm and making me close my eyes in the feeling. Without meaning to, I sent a small wave of lightning to my hand and she moaned at the sensation. I chuckled and leaned in to kiss her as my hand continued to travel downward to her waist. She gently pulled me closer to her so she didn't wake Lexa. I let her and we kissed as time moved forward. I tucked my head underneath her chin as I felt her begin to purr.

"You're easy to please," I said quietly.

"Not normally," she chuckled, but continued to purr. "Only with you and Lexa does it come naturally."

"Hmm," I said and kissed her neck.

"Don't stop, please," she whispered.

So, I didn't and pulled her underneath me. We made love quietly and then lay in each other's arms while we caught our breath.

"It amazes me how comfortable you are with all of this," she said, drawing my attention.

I leaned up and looked at her, "Sometimes, I am too. But it feels natural. I don't know why it does. It took me a little bit of time to understand it all, but it helped that Nyx told me over and over again that it was okay and encouraged me to open myself more to the idea of this."

"Nyx is one hell of a gal."

"She is. We're lucky to have her in our lives."

"Indeed we are," Lexa said sleepily behind me. "Clarke, you're naked."

"I am," I replied as I looked at her over my shoulder and saw that she was still clothed. "You're not though. It's a shame really, you have a beautiful body."

She smiled and began to undress. When she was naked, I turned and pulled her down to me and kissed her.

"Much better," I whispered against her neck and kissed her there.

She let out a soft moan and I continued my downward travel. Scarlett scooted closer and began kissing my back making me moan. Soon, the three of us were lost in each other as we explored our bodies with mouth and hands. I heard Dani grumble from her side of the bed about being left out, making us chuckle, but Scarlett turned her grumbles into moans of pleasure.

We slept for a few more hours and I woke up to this niggling feeling in the back of my head. It was coming from Nyx. I wrapped a sheet around my body and went over to check on her. She was struggling to breathe, like she was fighting the incubator. Concerned, I woke Scarlett up and showed her.

"It looks like she's trying to breathe on her own, Clarke," she said and checked on the body scans. "Let me get this out of her and see how she does."

I nodded and Scarlett gently pulled it out. When she did, Nyx took a huge gasp of air and started to breathe normally.

"Well, hell's belles," she said and we continued to monitor her breathing for a bit.

"She's getting better," I said, looking at the scans. "Her organs are nearly completely healed, Scar."

"So, they are," she replied. "We still can't bring her out of the coma, though. She may have been responding to us positively yesterday, but I can't guess how'll she respond if we wake her up."

I nodded, "We need that telepath here."

"Ask and Mother Earth will provide the answer," Lexa said, sitting up and stretching. "One of the search teams found her. Apparently, she was waiting for them when they woke up this morning. They'll be here this afternoon."

"That's great," I said, hope filling my chest. "Do you think it's safe enough to head to the compound? I need a shower and coffee."

"It should be," Scarlett replied. "They're monitoring her vitals and body scans so if anything happens, they'll let us know through the communicator."

I grinned at her and started dressing. Everyone else got dressed and we left the room.

We all decided to shower alone and I was grateful of the respite. As much as I loved them, you can only be around people constantly for so long. I needed a bit of alone time to think about what everything meant. How I was so accepting of the bonds. Though, I was concerned about the whole lifemate thing with Lexa. It seemed unreal that something had already decided who I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I'd barely been out of the bunker and my whole life had merrily turned upside down and sideways.

I was even beginning to suspect that meeting Nyx at the bar wasn't coincidental. I just so happened into a bar that she frequents and we just happened to end up back at her hotel room. Where she just lets me stay there until we left. To find out that she just so happens to have ties with the leader of the Forest Pack. Who just so happens to hire her to help resolve the situation we'd found ourselves in. And we just so happen to become lovers. And on and on, until I found myself here, bonded to four women and a lifemate to one of them.

If I drag Nyx's past into the mix, it makes it harder and harder not to see what's happened as anything other then being planned out. That it was meant to be, but the question that we wanted answered was: why? Why draw us all together? Why have Nyx suffer the way she has been? Why did some of my people become Apex? What's the reason? The real reason of why this was happening. But none of us had a clue and we could only suffer through this as best we could.

I got out of the shower, my mind still whirling around the why of everything, and got dressed. I sighed as I combed my hair out, looking at myself in the mirror. What I saw in the mirror was no more than a young woman. Not some leader of mages or a council. Not someone bonded to four incredible women. Not someone destined to spend the rest of her life with the leader of the Forest Pack. I saw none of that in the woman that looked back at me. And yet, that was who I was. I was all of these things, but I hadn't lost any of myself to them. In fact, it seemed to enhance the person I strived to be. It made me better. Made me want to do better. To be worthy of all that had come to be. I found strength in that.

There was a knock on the door and I answered it.

"Octavia," I said bewildered. "Is everything alright?"

I opened the door further to let her in and she came and sat in the chair by my desk.

"I'm not sure," Octavia said.

I sat on the bed and looking at her said, "Why aren't you sure?"

"I did something and I don't know how certain people will react," she said quietly.

Concerned, I asked, "What did you do?"

"Um, I had sex with Lincoln," she said and cringed expecting an outburst from me. When I didn't, she looked up at me surprised and said, "Wait, why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be," I asked. "So, you had sex with Lincoln. That's way more mild than what's happened to me."

"What? More mild than what you've been through? I don't understand," she said shaking her head, "I had sex with the man that created this mess we're currently in."

I sighed and thought about it before I answered, "We believe that Lincoln had no intention of ever causing what happened to happen. We understand that what he went through was tragic and he had every right to be leery of following Nyx's command. Over the course of several conversations and inquiries, we believe that he was telepathically manipulated to cause this by the woman who manipulated Nyx into killing her own people."

"So, none of you are mad or upset with him over this?"

I shook my head, "No. We've all given him our piece of mind in regards to it. He's been remorseful ever since it happened and he's taken his punishment without a fuss. Therefore, justice has been served."

"Does this mean that I don't have to hide my feelings for him from anyone?"

"You can be open about your feelings for Lincoln," I said with a smile. "Just be honest with Indra when you tell her, since he is part of her pack. If it gets more serious, the three of you will have to have a longer conversation. Until that time, enjoy yourself and let the relationship grow or dwindle. Just remember that you are the Manassas Pakstoka, which means you have to be careful of who you choose to be with. Do you love him?"

She nodded, "I think I do."

I chuckled, "If you only think so, then you haven't been together long enough to find out for sure. Which is a good thing. You're taking your time and figuring it out. That's what having a normal relationship is about. But, don't do anything you're not comfortable in doing, O. Don't let him pressure you. I'm serious. If that happens, drop him like a bad habit."

She smiled and then it faded, "What do I tell Bellamy? He's gonna kill me if he finds out or Lincoln."

I made a face and said, "Bellamy is going to be Bellamy. He's going to want to protect you and keep you from dating or having sex, but you are a grown woman and you don't have to listen to him if you don't want to. I got the third degree from him when he found out about me and Nyx. It was so frustrating that I nearly made a big mistake that would've cost me her. So, no matter what he says, don't try and prove him wrong in an over the top gesture. Just show him how the two of you interact with one another. He'll get it through his head that he has nothing to worry about."

She got up and hugged me tight and said, "Thank you for being so understanding, Clarke. Now, what was it about my situation being milder than yours?"

I cleared my throat and blushed, "You better sit down for this one, O."

She did and replied, "Oh God, what happened?"

I rubbed the back of my neck and said, "Okay, you know that Nyx and I have been an item, right?"

She nodded but didn't say anything.

"Um, well, shortly after Dani got here, I started sleeping with her. With Nyx's support."

"Wait, you're kidding, right," she said as she leaned back in the chair.

"Um, no. The Forest Pack is very open minded when it comes to sex with multiple partners and what not. They don't get jealous, like ever, I don't think."

"Okay," she said shaking her head in disbelief. "So, you're sleeping with two women."

"Heh, it's not just with two women, O. I've started sleeping with Lexa and Scarlett, too," I told her, blushing redder.

"You have really got to be pulling my leg, now, Clarke," she said with wide eyes.

"No, not really. I'm not sure if anyone has told you this, but in this pack, there is something called a bondmate. It's a deeper connection to someone that goes beyond claiming and before you ask, you don't necessarily have to claim the person you're bonded to. It builds a deeper telepathic connection between bondmates. Anyway, when I slept with Dani, I found out that I was bonded with her and Nyx. She also told me that she and Nyx were bonded with Lexa."

"Does that mean you guys are pretty much connected with one another for life?"

"It does," I said nodding my head. "It makes our relationships stronger with one another. The more time we spend together, the stronger the bond. To get this story on, Dani felt when Lexa and Scarlett come into the bunker because of the bond and found out that she was also somehow bonded with Scarlett. Apparently, the night before Nyx came here, they had a wild night and created that bond with Scarlett."

"Wait, you're saying that having sex with someone can create a bond?"

"Yes. For me, it's a bit harder to tell. I actually have to kind of look for it to know that it's there. It's not the case with weres. It's like a you're in the middle of a web or a line and you can feel tension on the other end. The more bondmates you have, the more lines radiate from you."

"Okay, I understand that, but you're not done, are you?"

"Not yet, no," I said sheepishly. "When they were here yesterday, they felt something and knew something was wrong with Nyx. That's why they ran out of here like the devil was chasing them. They felt her die and then felt her brought back by me. But let me back up for a minute. When I first laid eyes on Lexa, it literally felt like I was frozen in time and there was such a magnetic pull to her, that I couldn't comprehend what was going on. Somehow, Dani knew that it was a different kind of bond. One even rarer. When Lexa saw me, she had the same kind of reaction. Dani put two and two together and figured out that we're lifemates. We're literally meant to spend the rest of our lives together, like fated."

"What exactly are you telling me, Clarke," she asked very confused.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm bonded to Nyx, Dani, Scarlett, and Lexa. Lifemated to Lexa. For whatever reason, we're all meant to be together in a really weird harem sort of thing."

"Does your mother know?"

I reeled back and said, "God, no! I'm still wrapping my own mind around it. Mom would have a heart attack if she knew that her only daughter was having intimate relations with four women. Then to throw in trying to explain the bonds and lifemate, that's just adding the fuel to the fire. She'll think I've gone crazy."

"You're right," she replied, chuckling. "No way would your mom be able to handle this right now. I guess you're in the same boat as me, let her see how the five of you are together and let her get used to it."

"Exactly. Now, do you see what I meant your issue was milder than mine."

"Yeah, I do. Wait, how does that even work? Can mages even claim a were?"

"We can. Instead of a bite mark, we brand them. Where as when two mages decided to live with one another for life, it's the typical marriage."

"Um, where do weres typically bite in a claiming?"

"Nyx said it was typically where the neck and shoulder meet. Why?"

"Um, like this," she said and pulled her shirt down to expose that area and definitely showed a bite mark.

"Yeah, but the question I have to ask is if Lincoln, I'm assuming it's Lincoln, bears a similar mark."

"It's Lincoln's and I'm not sure, honestly, if I did it."

I let out a deep sigh and said, "Then you'd better find out quick. If you did, you claimed one another which means that you've essentially married him. If you didn't, talk to Dani and see if it can be removed if you don't want to claim him."

"He doesn't and he didn't realize that he did it. He also says that a healer can remove the mark if I'm not ready or don't want to claim him at all."

"Good. Then go find Scarlett or Jackson. They'll do it for you without asking questions."

"Good," she said sighing in relief, "because I am so not ready for that type of commitment."

I smiled, "I'm glad to hear it. Neither am I. Let's get our messes cleaned up before we even decide to decide."

She smiled gratefully at me and said, "That sounds like an excellent plan. Thank you for listening and being okay with it."

I got up and hugged her, "Of course, O. I'm always here for you."

"Thanks," she said hugging me tightly. "I think I better go and find Scarlett. She seems to be the more reasonable choice."

"She's here somewhere," I replied, "Just be prepared that there might be some teasing."

She groaned and replied, "I'd rather have teasing than lectures."

"That's my girl. Now, I'm off to find me the biggest cup of coffee I can. We're expecting the telepath sometime this afternoon. I got a feeling, I'm going to need my energy."

She smiled slyly and said, "I'm sure you do if you've been involved with three women lately."

"Hush," I said as we walked out of my bedroom.

We parted at the stairs and I headed into the kitchen. I grabbed the biggest mug I could find and made my coffee. I was leaning against the french doors when I heard someone come into the kitchen. I looked up at the reflection and saw that it was Lexa. I was suddenly nervous, this was the first time that we had been alone together and I was suddenly tongue tied.

"You know," Lexa said quietly. "Nyx does that, too."

"Does what," I asked, turning around to look at her.

"Before our council meetings," she explained. "She would often lean against the french doors in the council room as she waited for the meeting to begin. I think she enjoyed watching the landscape, help center herself."

"It can be rather calming to watch nature. There's a balance there between life and death. Where the flora and fauna are only concerned with existing without all of the pressures that come into our lives."

"We have life and death, too," she said as she came to stand beside me. "Isn't that a balance?"

"It is," I said, looking into her eyes, "But there's more to it than that. We have many balances that we have to be aware of. Hate and Love. Peace and War. Wealth and Poverty. Lies and Truth. Power. These are the things we worry about and try to find a way to keep those balanced. Sometimes we succeed and other times we fail. And no matter which way the dice rolls, not everyone will be happy with the outcome. So, we have to learn from everything and try to make better choices next time. Give and take."

"No wonder you're a leader here, Clarke," she said with a small smile. "If that's how you approach what comes your way, you were born to do this."

"Maybe," I said carefully, "Though a leader is only as strong as the people behind them. The ones who believe in them and don't necessarily follow blindly. The ones who can be honest with their chosen leader, are the ones you want to maintain. Because those are the ones who will challenge you to do better and support you when you fall."

"I've seen your council and I believe that you have that."

"I like to think so. You've got some pretty good ones behind you, as well."

"Now, I do," she said ruefully. "I nearly destroyed my people."

I laid a hand on her arm and surprised by the shock, I said, "You didn't nearly destroy them. You were able to catch it in time before it became irreversible. Even if it took getting Nyx back here to find it. Your people are forgiving. Take comfort in that."

She laid a hand over mine and said, "Thank you."

I smiled, "Your welcome."

"Can I ask you something," she asked shyly.

"Sure."

"What do you think about finding out that we're lifemates?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I said careful of her feelings. "There is definitely something that is much stronger than my bond with the others, I'm not denying it. It's more like I have to get used to such a foreign concept. You have to remember that I didn't grow up in this world. Every experience I've had has been new and a little bit frightening. It's because of my conversations with Nyx that I'm comfortable with loving four women. I know that it's a natural thing and I shouldn't be embarrassed or feel ashamed about it. I can tell you, that even though I barely know you, I'm in love with you."

"You are," she asked bewildered.

I nodded and set my coffee down on the counter and took her in my arms, "I am," and kissed her.

Her arms wrapped me up in an embrace and she kissed me more deeply. I felt the bond between us grow deeper the more we kissed and something in me relished the bond. It seemed like forever that we stood there kissing before it finally ended, but I didn't let go of her.

"Did you feel that," she asked breathlessly.

"I did. Our bond grew stronger," I answered her with a smile.

"Maybe we are meant to be together," she said and brought her lips back to mine.

She backed me up to the counter and braced us with her arm on it, as we continued to kiss. The desire to have her was building and our kisses became more frantic. We had to stop though, when Lexa heard footsteps near. We parted reluctantly and she handed me my coffee after having warmed it up for me. I smiled in thanks and took a large sip as I calmed my racing heart and tempered down my desire.

"Did you know your girl, Octavia, was claimed," Scarlett said as she came into the kitchen.

"I did," I replied, nodding. "Who do you think sent her to you. Lincoln accidentally claimed her, but luckily she didn't respond in kind."

Lexa looked at me sharply and asked, "She's seeing Lincoln?"

"Yeah. I didn't see a problem with the two of them having a relationship after everything we've learned. Was I wrong?"

"Yes, I mean, no," she said slightly flustered, "No. There's no problem. I'm just surprised at the news."

"If you want my opinion," Scarlett said as she made her own cup. "There's no harm in it if he really wasn't at fault. Just like you can't really fault Nyx for what happened on the border eight years ago."

"You're right, but we honestly don't know if he was manipulated," she countered.

"Even so, you should give him the benefit of a doubt. Maybe your telepath can look deeper in his mind when she has a chance."

Lexa nodded, "I think that's a good idea. I'll ask her when she's done with Nyx."

Sephy came striding in quickly and when she saw us, she said, "Good, the two of you are both here. You need to see something."

Lexa and I looked at one another in confusion but followed Sephy to the office quickly.

"What's the matter, Seph," Lexa asked as we walked over to the desk.

"We finally caught something of interest," Sephy said as she rolled back footage.

"Where's the footage coming from," I asked as I leaned in close.

"Jaha."

I looked up at her in surprise and she nodded slightly. When she got to the place she wanted to start, she hit play. It was a conversation between Jaha and the Bear King.

"You've outlived your usefulness to me, human," the Bear King said, voice cold as steel. "You have no further information that can help me rid myself of the Forest Pack."

"I understand that, my liege," Jaha said. "I know of a way that you may gain further information if you will allow me to live a bit longer."

"And how can I gain information when I have no way of getting inside the border," he roared and backhanded Jaha.

I cringed when I saw that the strike had sent Jaha flying. We watched as he got to his knees and stared down at the floor.

"Use me," Jaha said. "I can get back into the Forest Pack Territory and into Manassas."

"How is that, human?"

"Before they sent us out of the territory to die," he replied maliciously, "They gave us each a brand. If we were able to make it back to the border gate and showed them the brand, they would bring us back to Manassas."

"Go on," the Bear King said, suddenly intrigued.

"My brand is still visible, my king," Jaha replied slowly. "I can get in. Allow me to be your ears and eyes. They would never suspect that you would allow a human to spy for you, let alone live. They do not know that I am here, so they would never suspect me with leaking information."

"What is it that you want in return," the king asked. "I know it's not to keep living."

"All I ask in return," Jaha said carefully, "is to allow me to keep Manassas for my people once you've taken over the Forest Pack Territory. Nothing more. I do not ask for you to spare the lives of the traitors in my camp. The Apex that are holding my people hostage. I ask for Manassas and the lives of my people. Nothing more."

"How do you propose to get information to me?"

"Is there someone in your employ that has the capability of creating a communication device that is untraceable?"

"What if I do?"

"Then that would solve how I would be able to give you information."

"Would there be a way for you to get to the capital without returning to Manassas?"

"I do not know, Sire. I do not know if I would be escorted or allowed to make my way on my own."

"If it were me, I would have you escorted under lock and key," the king said thoughtfully.

"Yes, Haihefa."

"You have given yourself another day of life, human," the king sneered and waved his hand.

Jaha was physically hauled up by someone and taken away. That was where the footage stopped.

"How long ago was this," Lexa demanded and I felt her authority unfurl.

"Not more than a couple of hours, Pakstoka," she replied.

"Good," she said. "Very good, Seph. Thank you."

"We need to convene a council meeting," I said. "We need to plan and they need to see this video as well. Seph, as much as I hate to put it off, but can you coordinate with Kane and set it up for first thing in the morning? We have the telepath coming soon and right now that's where our focus needs to be or I'd have it this evening."

"Of course, Clarke," Sephy answered. "I'll make sure it happens and I'll let you know as soon as it's arranged. Am I to assume you will be attending as well, Pakstoka?"

"Damn right, I will," she said. "This involves the entire Pack, not just Manassas. Make sure that Indra knows as well."

"Yes, Pakstoka."

Sephy left us in the office and I started thinking furiously about this new information. And what it could possibly mean for my people. Lexa seemed to be thinking along the same lines, but she got up and paced to think more clearly. Neither one of us noticed when Dani and Scarlett appeared.

"Clarke," Dani asked as she took a seat by me. "What did Seph need to show the two of you?"

I looked over at her and said, "The Bear King may be forcing us to push up our timeline, Dani. Jaha just proposed to reinsert himself back into the territory to spy for him."

"That is not good," she replied, shaking her head. "We're no closer to resolving this than we were a month ago."

"I know. I could really use Nyx's mind in this."

"If the telepath is as good as we think she is, we just may be able to," Scarlett said as she came to lean on the desk.

"I am glad that you've kept watch on this human, Clarke," Lexa said as she came to a stop.

"It was Nyx's idea," I said. "We've been hoping for just such an opportunity, though I don't think we expected this kind of information. It looked like Jaha is grasping at straws to continue to breathe."

"The burning question in my mind is if this was a planted conversation or did this Jaha forget about the implant?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, but I would think that it would be in our best interest to plan on both scenarios."

She nodded, "I agree. We need more heads on this."

"That's why I ordered a council meeting, Lexa," I said with a small smile. "We have some of the greatest minds here. We'll be able to figure this out and keep the territory yours."

"Ours," she said and smiled at me.

"Ours."

Someone knocked on the door and a guard waited just outside the open doorway.

"Yes, Kal," Lexa said. "What is it?"

He stepped into the room and bowed, "The team that you've been waiting for has arrived. Shall I have them brought here?"

"Yes, please do. Make sure that everyone is very respectful of the woman that is accompanying them. We'll remain here, so bring refreshments for us."

"Yes, Pakstoka," he said bowing and then leaving us alone.

"Is it me or is this some crazy coincidence," I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier I said that we needed the telepath here to work with Nyx after we took her off of life support and then you said that she just so happened to show up in one of the teams camps. Now, we're talking about how we need Nyx to help solve this new problem and she just so happens to show up in the nick of time."

"That is a little strange," Dani said. "Just when we need her, she's found and then she's here."

"What the hell is going on," Scarlett said, uneasily.

"Wouldn't we all like to know the answer to that question," Lexa said ruefully.

A couple of guards entered the room bearing trays of refreshments and laid them out on a small conference table.

"So, how should we do this," I asked trying to sound causal. "Should we stay where we are or sit at the table or have Lexa sit behind the desk or..."

"Where you are is fine," a woman's voice said as she entered the room.

She walked in and bowed deeply before us, "It is an honor to make all of your acquaintances. I am Niylah."

Lexa stepped forward and bowed her head in response, "Thank you, Niylah. We are honored to have you here. Please, why don't we have a seat at the table so that we can discuss this matter."

Niylah smiled, but shook her head, "There is nothing to discuss, Pakstoka. I know why I am here. Mother Earth has provided me with all of the information I need to know. I am glad to see that all of you are here, though. It will make my job much easier having her bondmates here. Would you please show me where she is, so that I can get started."

"Of course," Lexa said and started escorting her out of the room. "She's in the bunker in their medical wing. If you'll follow me."

We scrambled after them and kept silent as we trailed as close as we could without tripping one another. I watched as all of the guards parted before us and bowed as we passed. I had no idea why they did that, but assumed it was because of Lexa and not Niylah. We stopped outside the room.

"If you all would wait out here," Niylah said. "I'd like a moment alone to assess her mind without hinderance."

"Of course," Lexa responded for all of us.

Niylah entered the room and closed the door behind her. I got a little worried when she locked the door.

"Why'd she lock the door," I whispered.

"I don't know," Dani whispered back.

"Why are y'all whispering. She can hear our thoughts," Scarlett whispered.

"You're whispering to," Lexa whispered and then said in a normal voice, "Oh, this is ridiculous. There shouldn't be anything to worry about. She's here to help us, remember?"

"Then why lock the door," I asked.

"To keep us from interfering, would be my guess."

"Why would we…"

A screamed ripped through the walls and we all turned to the locked door. Dani started banging on the door and tried to break in, but it was holding fast. I stepped back and covered my ears as the screams continued. Lexa came over and held me as we jumped each time there was a scream. I thought my ears were going to bleed from the sound when finally it quieted down. I straightened up slowly and looked worriedly at the door. The door unlocked and opened. Dani grabbed Niylah by the neck and slammed her into the wall.

"What the hell did you just do, woman," she growled angrily.

"My apologies," Niylah said completely unperturbed. "I had to dig through her mind to find the manipulation. I removed it and when I did, she saw what she had done for the first time in eight years. It was a little more than what she could handle and I was fighting with her to push the memories away far enough to allow her to disassociate from it. She remembers what happen, but it will no longer plague her as it once did."

"Oh," Dani said and gently lowered her back down to the ground and backed away from her. "My apologies. I didn't know."

Niylah smiled at Dani and replied, "Nor did I expect you to, Dani. I should be the one to apologize for not explaining what was going to happen."

"Is she better," Lexa asked.

"Not quite," she replied. "For this next step, I need all four of you. Please come in and stand around her bed."

We filed in and we each took up a spot.

"Lexa, Clarke, if you two would please move so that you're closer to her heart. Dani, Scarlett, please move to her knees and could one of you pull her covers off of her."

We moved and I noticed that the bed had been moved away from the wall so that Niylah could stand directly above Nyx's head. I watched her curiously as she looked each of us over.

"Good," she said with a benign smile, "Dani, Scarlett place one hand on her knees and the other on her hips. Lexa, Clarke, take a hand in yours and the other over her heart. Good. Now, close your eyes and focus on Nyx. The good, the bad, the ugly, show her the truth as you open yourself to her through your bonds."

I closed my eyes and opening myself up, I let my memories of Nyx flow. I did exactly as she asked. Every minute from the time I first laid eyes on her in the bar to now. I showed her what I remembered, what I felt, everything. I felt her hand tighten around mine and I wanted to open my eyes, but I knew it wasn't time yet, but I felt tears flow down my face and I focused on my love for her. Begging her to see how much I loved her even through everything that we'd been through together in such a short span of time.

Something changed and I could finally open my eyes. I took my hand that had lain over her heart and wiped the tears from my face as I heard sniffles from around me. I looked up at everyone and they were doing the same. I felt a gentle squeeze and looked down at the hand that still held Nyx's. I followed it up her arm and finally up to her face. There were tears streaming down her face, but she wasn't awake. I looked up at Niylah and she gave me a small smile.

"I've pulled her out of the coma, but it will take a little while for her to come fully awake," she explained.

"I don't know how we can ever repay you for this," I said, an unbidden amount of emotions coursing through me.

"I am not quite done yet, Clarke," she said. "Three of you still hold memories of Nyx that could be harmful in the long run if they remain unchecked. Scarlett is the only one who has removed herself successfully from seeing Nyx suffer through her drug addiction. You have a healthy mind, Scarlett."

"Thank you," she said, confused.

"Now, come, Clarke, your memories are the freshest and fiercest that must be dealt with."

"My memories," I said, confused and then I started to remember the fear and the hurt I'd been carrying around since she first attacked me. "Oh, those memories."

"Yes, those memories," she said and taking my hand, took me to the other side of the room and closed the curtain. "Sit."

I sat on the mattress and she sat behind me.

"Relax, Clarke," she said, calmingly. "You will experience the pain and fear again, but it will be over in a flash."

I forced myself to relax, picturing the view of the back of the compound from the French door and how relaxing that made me feel.

"Good," she whispered as she gently laid her fingers along my temple. "Breathe, Clarke. Remember, it will be over quickly."

Suddenly my mind turned to the night that Nyx had nearly killed me. I cried out as I felt the pain and the fear come back.

Breathe, Clarke. Do not fight it.

I took a shuddering breath and forced myself to breathe through the pain and fear as that memory slid into the next and into the next. I knew I was sobbing, but I didn't fight it. I witnessed again Nyx punching things and then hitting me. Apologizing so much for doing it. It was breaking my heart seeing those memories again. Then, I felt the pain, the hurt, the fear lessen until I could breathe comfortably again. I began to see them as what they were, memories. Just memories without the emotions behind them. I no longer felt them bog down my mind or questioning myself into believing that I deserved it. I felt freer, lighter. The memories stopped and I found myself looking back through the French doors overlooking the back of the compound.

Niylah removed her fingers from my head and I could open my eyes. I wiped the tears away and looked at her over my shoulder.

"Thank you," I whispered shakily.

"Your welcome, Clarke. How do you feel?"

"Lighter, more free."

"Good. That is how it is meant to feel. Those ugly emotions are still there, but they will not bother you much when you remember what happened."

"Thank you again, Niylah."

She stood up and held out a hand for me to grab. I grabbed it and she hauled me up to my feet. She held me steady as I gained my footing again and then walked me back over to Nyx's side of the room. She motioned to Dani and soon they were ensconced behind the curtain.

"Are you alright," Lexa asked as she hugged me.

"Surprisingly, the answer is yes," I said as I looked at her with a small smile on my face. "Whatever she did, I'm no longer afraid of fearing her. I hadn't realized how much I feared her."

"You feared her?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Ever since she nearly killed me, I'd come to fear her. It got worse when she started becoming more violent. I was starting to think I deserved it."

"Oh, honey," Scarlett said as she came and hugged me tightly. "No one deserves to be beaten, even if the person is apologetic about it afterwards. No one."

"I knew that. I know that, but it was so hard because I was so conflicted about the whole thing."

"But you no longer fear her," Lexa asked.

"No, I don't," I said with relief. "I understand why it happened, but it no longer controls me. I control it."

"And that is how it should be, sweetie," Scarlett said.

We stayed huddled as we heard Dani begin to wail, sobbing as she faced her own memories. We all felt the need to go over and comfort her, but we also knew that we couldn't, not yet. Not until she accepted the memories and moved passed them. Eventually, she stopped sobbing and I could hear the soft murmur of conversation that was punctuated by her sniffles. She came over to us and we enveloped her into a hug. We took a moment and then it was Lexa's turn. We watched her as the curtain closed behind her. We moved further away, because we knew that she would be having the hardest time. We all sat against the wall and took comfort from one another as we waited, listening to Lexa's cries of anguish and pain. It was a long time before she emerged, but we repeated our process, giving comfort in touch and words. When Lexa was more in control of herself, she turned to Niylah.

"Thank you, Niylah, from the bottom of our hearts," she said with every ounce of sincerity she possessed. "We can't thank you enough or even know how we can repay you for this."

Niylah stepped closer to us and said, "The five of you have a hard and difficult road before you. You all need to be strong and confident in your love for one another in order for our pack to survive. You are the key to everything. Draw strength from one another, love from one another. That is why Mother Earth sent me to you. I have been repaid many times for this. But I will also do you another favor. You believe that the survivors from the border were manipulated into creating more chaos in Nyx's life, correct?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Then I would like to speak with Lincoln. He will be able to provide me with the answers and I will give them to you," she said.

"I can take him to you, now, if you'd like," Dani volunteered.

"Not necessary," she replied smiling, "but thank you. I will find him on my own. For now, stay here and wait for Nyx to wake up."

"Alright," Lexa said and we watched her leave the room.

I went over to the mattresses on the floor and fell down on them, feeling completely exhausted. The others joined me and did nothing more than hold one another.

"Are you girls alright," Scarlett asked when the silence had gone on long enough.

"Yeah," I replied and leaned up on my elbows. "I know I am. I'm just suddenly exhausted from it."

"Me too," Lexa chimed in.

"Me three," said Dani.

"What was it like? If you don't mind me asking," she asked quietly.

I looked at Lexa and Dani and seeing neither one of the wanted to say anything, I said, "Imagine your worst memory and having it replay over and over again, but instead of becoming more fearful or hurt or angry about it, those feelings fade away until you can look at the memory as if it were just a memory. You know you have emotions tied to it and they're still there, but they no longer overwhelm you or hinder you. It no longer drains you of energy and you can look at it dispassionately and learn from it so you can't repeat it."

"Is that right," she asked looking at Lexa and Dani.

They both nodded and she said, "Wow. That's some powerful mind mojo."

I chuckled, "You have no idea."

"Well, I for one am glad it's over," Lexa said. "I hadn't realized how much guilt I had placed on myself. Over something I didn't really have any control over."

"I guess sometimes you have to have someone show you to make you understand where that all came from."

"I guess so," she said and kissed me.

I kissed her back and we all laid back down again. The exhaustion crept up on me and I soon fell asleep.