Hello my loves. Apologies for the delay with this chapter. It would appear I can only focus on this story while I am at work and that is pretty counterproductive for both subjects. Good thing for pocket sized notebooks heh.

I have also been working on another story which I hope to start posting soon. Its called The Star and The Swan and it will be told in horny 17 year old Edward's POV. S add me to author alert if you're interested.

Normal disclaimers apply,

I couldn't believe it. The woman who just up and abandoned her son, leaving him with the most vile of men, was suddenly here and fussing over him.

I was too mad to phase back, so I paced outside of Edward's door growling at anyone who dared approach me.

"You know that's not going to win you any brownie points with Liz right?" My dad said, approaching me from the side so I wouldn't attack him. I bowed my head and let him hug me, the tan shade of his skin standing out against the silver of my fur. "Edward's mom is a nice woman Bells. Honestly, she is nothing like her brother. Calm down and shift back. Have a proper conversation with her and you'll see for yourself."

I willed myself to calm down while Charlie patted my shoulder. He shed his flannel over shirt and held it out for me to step into once I was back in my human form.

"Thanks dad." I gave him a tight hug before going to change into something more appropriate. Once I was dressed and my head hair pulled up into a messy knot on top of my head, I made my way back to Edwards room. My dad was still waiting outside of his door. I handed him back his shirt and made to step past him but she stopped me in my tracks.

"Bella, come and sit for a minute. I want to talk to you about something." I followed him to a couple of armchairs that were situated by a large window overlooking the driveway.

"What's up dad?"

"I want to know why you reacted how you did earlier."

"Honestly dad, I don't know. Edward was upset and when he cried it's like I had this overwhelming urge to protect him at all costs. I didn't ask my wolf to come forward. She just acted on her own. Is there something wrong with me dad?"

"Not at all sweetheart. You were protecting your mate." I opened my mouth to protest but he held up a hand to stop me. "I know you haven't had that initial connection, but hear me out. As you know it takes at least five years for our wolves to reach maturity and that's when the bonds kick in. Now, poor Edward, he hasn't had those five years yet. Thanks to that sorry excuse of a human feeding Edward lies and suppressants, his wolf never got a chance to show itself until last year and who knows if it has had a chance since then. His wolf needs to reach that maturity level before that bond can be formed. Understand?"

I nodded in affirmation.

"Okay. So your wolf recognises that Edward is her mate, hence the strong reactions she has towards him, but because his wolf is not quite there your bond isn't complete. He needs the chance to play catch up. It may not even take him five years. We don't know for sure how long Billy was drugging him, or if Edward was even showing signs of his wolf before we met him. Just be patient and be there for him. It will only make things easier for you both in the long run. Take your cousins for example. Alice and Jasper never ran in the same circles at school and didn't know much about the other -let alone shared any interests- before they bonded. Now there's friction there because you were able to show Jasper Alice's true colours and it's left him wondering if his wolf has made the right decision. So take this time you have with Edward getting to know one another fully and then when that bond finally happens nothing is going to break it." Charlie patted my knee as everything he said sunk in and made sense. I'm so glad I'm not going crazy.

"Thanks dad." I leant over and kissed his cheek, making his moustache twitch. "It's nice to have what I'm feeling explained to me."

"You're welcome kiddo. I know I don't get any say in who your mate will be, but I'm glad it's him. You could do so much worse." I smiled at his sort of blessing and left him to go in search of my would-be mate.

It didn't take me long.

Edward and his mother were enjoying some lemonade in the sunroom, while a light drizzle dampened the windows outside. I cleared my throat as I stepped into the room to help signal my arrival. Liz and Edward looked up with wide matching smiles. They looked so similar in that moment it was hard to deny that they were related.

"Bella! Please come and join us." Liz said, waving me over. "Edward had been telling me all about you."

"All good I hope." I laughed nervously and could feel my face start to flame.

"Of course." She rubbed the back of my hand where it was resting on the table. "He's told me how you've saved him not once, but twice already despite not really knowing who he is. I thank you for that. My brother wasn't always a monster. It was only after the death of his mate and daughter that he turned bitter. I'm sad to say he won't be missed."

"I'm sorry we're not meeting under better circumstances Mrs..."

"Snow, but please, just call me Liz. I may be an Alphas mate, but I can't stand all of the formalities. Especially in such a cosy setting as this."

I nodded my head and took a sip of lemonade while glancing over at Edward, who finally looked at peace. Such a change from the haunted man I rescued last week. It made me happy to see him so content.

"So Mrs..Uhm...Liz, what brings you to Shadow Land?" I asked, setting down my glass.

"I came to see my son." She said simply. "I was banished from my pack when I found out I was expecting Edward. It's frowned upon for unmated couples to have children. Billy saw to it that no one was to associate with me for what I had done, but I was young and in love -or so I thought. Edwards father knew what I was of course, he himself having dismissed his wolf many years before. He outright refused to let me stay because I wouldn't give up my wolf for him. I was a cast out rogue. No one wanted to know me and my banishment meant I couldn't come within a mile of Black Lands. No one knows this, but your grandfather was actually my saviour. He gave me money and set me up with a place to stay. He would have accepted me into this pack if it wasn't for the rules of my banishment. It was too risky. He was there with me as I gave birth and he looked after us both until I met Stefan. Sadly the conditions of his pack meant that I couldn't take Edward with me. His pack doesn't let in outsiders unless it's a mate of one of their members. Stefan's father was very strict on the matter and unfortunately so is Stefan."

"So what's going to happen to Edward?" I blurted, as if he wasn't sitting right next to me.

"He'll be joining us as a permanent member of this pack."

We all jumped at the sound of Marcus' voice. I swear the old man moves like a ghost and likes to eavesdrop on other peoples conversations.

"Marcus! Oh you've aged well." Liz got out of her seat and hugged my grandfather.

"So have you Lizzie. How are you? Did my son treat you well on the journey?"

"Charlie was a true gentleman." I turned away from the Alphas and looked to Edward. His brow was furrowed and he looked deep in thought.

"Edward? Are you okay?"

He looked up and gave me a warm smile. "Yeah. I'm good. It's just hard listening to my history as if I was nothing. A parcel handed from one person to the next without any thought about how it was affecting me."

I placed my hand on his knee and gave it a light squeeze. "Well you've got me now and I promise I'm not going anywhere."

"Not until you find your mate anyway." He muttered.

My heart ached to tell him he was my mate. That my wolf had chosen him for eternity, but my head told me to wait. That he wasn't ready to hear it yet. "Want to go for a walk? The rain has let up." I asked, motioning to the windows.

"Sure." He stood and slipped his hand into mine as we entered the garden. We were quiet for a while, just enjoying the peace, until Edward decided to start talking about what was on his mind. "You must think I'm really weak."

"What?! Not at all. I don't think that of you what so ever. In fact I think you're really strong for surviving through all that you have and not being a quivering mess."

He snorted and held on tighter to my fingers. "You really believe that?"

Of course I do. Edward the things that have happened to you have been out of your control your whole life, but not any more. Your life is yours to do with as you wish. Become anything you want. We'll all be here to support you along the way. There's no one waiting in the shadows to take you away. To torture you into submission. You're your own person now."

"I'm scared Bella." He admitted, pulling me into yet another hug. "What if I'm broken for life? Who's going to want me around if they're always going to have to protect me? I couldn't make it two hours on my own before Billy and his goons caught me. For months I was stuck in that cell, not knowing what was real or not. The witch practiced her magic on me. Tried to break me. I want to say it didn't work, but you saw the state I was in. I'm too weak."

"Edward, I don't believe you're weak for a second. Unfortunate yes, but never weak. Please stop saying that." I held him tighter, pressing my ear against his chest and listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. "I wish you had never left. It almost killed me to try and get through each day without you. Then your call before Christmas damn near broke me. Please don't leave again. I don't think I would survive it."

"That wasn't me."

I drew out of our embrace to look up at him.

"The phone call you got wasn't from me. It was the witch. That was what got me to break. The way you so silently accepted those lies. You remember the noise on the other end of the line?" I nodded silently. "That was me trying to get you to not believe it, but when you said nothing back it confirmed the lies they had been telling me. That you had never cared for me at all. That I was never going to see you again. I became a shell that day. Withdrawing so far into myself I couldn't tell reality from fantasy."

"I'm sorry Edward. I really am. That call was just so convincing. I always knew I wasn't good enough for you and that call just cemented that fact."

"Oh you silly beautiful girl. I was always going to come back for you. I just wanted to know where I came from. That part of me that I never knew anything about. My dad is still a big mystery to me and I'm hoping while my mom is here she can shed some light on it."

"You weren't abandoning me?"

"Never. I feel a connection with you Bella. Something that I can't describe with words."

"You feel it too?"

"Yes. Ever since the moment you were found at the bottom of that ravine on Black Land. I didn't understand it then because I thought I didn't have a wolf. But I understand it now. We're mates, aren't we Bella?"

"Yes." I didn't want to tell him, but I also couldn't lie to him. "We don't feel it as strong as everyone else yet because your wolf is not yet fully mature. My dad explained it to me. I can get him to explain it to you too, if you want?"

"I'd like that. I need to understand it more and I imagine an advanced wold such as your father can help me get a grasp of it better. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

We were quiet for a moment as we walked, just listening to the ambient sounds of the forest around us.

"Bella?"

"Yes Edward?"

"I know this make seem forward, and you can always say no, but I was wondering if I could -"

I cut him off as my lips connected with his. It was a simple kiss, but it was filled with so much passion and promise of better things to come. I pulled back and had to stifle a giggle at the goofy look adorning Edward's face. It's not a good thing to laugh after kissing someone for the first time, but I couldn't help the small bubble erupting from between my lips. Edward looked too adorable with his eyes closed and his brows raised while his lips were in a smirking pout.

"Please tell me that's good laughter Bella." He said, slowly opening his eyes and looking down at me.

"The best. I never knew kissing someone could feel so great. And as first kisses go, that one was pretty phenomenal."

"That was my first kiss too." He blushed. "I'm sorry my wolf isn't mature enough to trigger the bond just yet."

"Edward I don't mind. Good things come to those who wait. Things happened that was out of our control. Let's not dwell on them and just look towards a brighter future together." I took his hand and we began walking once more, taking the path that circles around the pack house. We headed back inside when Edward started to feel tired.

Carlisle said that until he build up his muscle mass and BMI back up he was to only do light duties and to not exert himself.

We lounged on the plush couch together, lazily flicking through the channels. Nothing caught our interest. I rolled over until I was facing Edward and he shut off the tv before wrapping me in his arms. I don't know how long we stayed like that but our peace was interrupted by Emmett letting out a massive belch in one of the arm chairs.

"How long have you been sitting there?" We asked, turning to face him.

"Long enough to know that you talk in your sleep and that Edward smells good." He grinned, shoving another fist full of chips in his mouth.

"Why are you here anyway? Didn't your dad say you were well enough to go home?"

"Yep."

"So why aren't you there?"

"Because my mom is. I can't bear to be around her at the moment. She keeps fussing and trying to get me to change my mind about this whole Alpha mess." He shrugged, swigging down more of his carbonated drink which resulted in yet another belch.

"Do you have no manners?" I snapped. "Pretty sure your mom would have taught you better than that."

"Alright little miss cranky pants. Calm down. I was just going anyway. Jazz and I are gonna go play some video games." He heaved himself out of the chair and sauntered from the room.

"Sorry I dozed off." I said, fighting back a yawn.

"It's alright. I did too." Edward smiled down at me.

"What did you want to do now?"

"Anything." He shrugged.

"Would you like to meet my grandmother? She's our packs Alpha female."

"Sure. Err, am I dressed okay?"

"Of course. She won't mind. One thing I must tell you though," I said as I led him up the stairs. "She has a different way of communicating."

"Like ASL or something?"

"No. It's hard to explain. You'll see." I knocked on her door and her nursemaid answered, stepping back to let us through. "Hey grandma." I said, approaching her bed. "I've brought someone to meet you." I leant down and kissed her cheek while taking a hold of her hand. "Yes he is very handsome." I grinned as flashes of Hollywood stars flittered through my mind.

Edward blushed at the compliment and stepped closer to the bed. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Swan."

Isabella rolled her eyes at him, much in the same way I do. Nice to know I don't fall too far from the family tree.

She held out her hand for Edward to take. He gingerly grasped her small hand before a wide smile grew across his face. "Yes ma'am. Bella is my mate."

Isabella turned to me with a quirked eyebrow. I didn't need to be holding her hand to know what that look meant. "Yes grandma." I grinned. "I knew I should have led with that, but I thought introductions were necessary first. Grandpa wouldn't be too pleased if I forgot all of my manners now, would he?"

My grandmother shot me a withering stare before turning her attention back to Edward. Whatever she asked him made him blush.

"Uhh no. Not yet."

"What? What did she ask you?"

"Uhm she want's to know if we have consummated our bond yet." He mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

I felt my cheeks flush at the query. "It's complicated grandma."

She gave me another one of those looks as if to say 'I'm not going anywhere', and I resigned myself to the fact that we would be here a while as we divulged why our bond hasn't been activated yet. Her face showed each of her emotions as we told her Edwards story. She was so expressive. She offered Edward her condolences at the way he had been treated and promised him that things will be better from now on.

The door to Isabella's room opened, making us all jump, and Marcus strode into the room. "Oh. There you two are. I was about to send out a search party. Edward, it's time for your induction son."

Time had flown by today.

We stood and bid my grandmother goodbye, promising to come and visit her again soon.

We left Marcus to spend some time alone with her for a while and I took Edward downstairs to show him where the changing room is.

"Take your clothes off and hang them here before shifting. Then once you have shifted just walk through the door over there. It leads onto the balcony where the inductions take place. I'll be waiting out there for you." I placed my hands on his shoulders and gave him another kiss. "I have faith in you Edward." I left him to get changed and went to do the same myself.

It felt good to stretch out my paws and swing my tail. I breathed deeply, taking in the scents of the room. A myriad of musks, florals, woods and...saltwater? met my senses.

I padded out of the area where I was changing to find Edward sitting naked on the floor crying. I walked over and nuzzled him. Tilting my head to the side and whimpering.

"I can't do it Bella. My wolf won't come out. I'm too broken. You should choose someone else." He sniffed as more tears streamed down his cheeks.

I licked his face and nudged him. When he didn't respond to me I did it again before huffing. That got his attention and he looked up at me. I locked eyes with him and growled each time he tried to look away. I told him with my eyes all that I felt. He matched his breathing with mine and was soon calm enough to attempt shifting again.

This time it worked.

With a crunching of bone and the popping of cartilage, Edward's wolf stood before me. He let out a yip of exhilaration before nuzzling me.

*Can you still hear me?* I tested, to see if our mental link was still there.

*Yes. Yes I can. I did it Bella! I managed to shift again.*

*I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it. Come, I think everyone is waiting for us.* I led Edward out of the wolf door and onto the balcony overlooking the expansive garden. It was full of our pack members and Edward's mom. Emmett and Jasper were already on the balcony waiting. They tried to rough house with Edward but I snapped at them. *There's a time and place for behaviour like that and now is not one of them.* They slunk back to their spots and I heard a murmur of approval go through the crowd in the back of my mind. Nice to see they're actually accepting me now.

Marcus trotted out of the wolf door five minutes later, coming to a stop next to me and Edward. I tried to remember what happened at my own induction into the pack, but it felt like so long ago I can hardly recall it. I missed the first part of what Marcus said and tried to focus on the last of his speech, but I could hardly take my eyes off of Edward.

He sat to his full attention, listening intently to everything my grandfather was saying to him.

*Be prepared for a hive mind son. It may be a lot to take in at first, so just focus on myself and Bella to begin with. It will get easier. I promise.*

*Okay sir.*

Marcus shifted back into his human form and I had to avert my eyes at seeing my grandfather naked. He held his hand out over top Edward's muzzle. Edward raised his head slightly and let his nose come into contact with Marcus' palm. I watched as a ripple flowed over the fur on Edward's spine and he bowed low until his nose came to rest on the top of Marcus' bare feet.

"It is done." Marcus spoke aloud, addressing both Edward and the pack. "Welcome Edward to the Shadow Wolf Pack."

Ooh yay! They finally kissed and Edward was inducted into their pack.

I hope this chapter cleared up some confusion about why their bond didn't activate straight away. I know a few people have questioned it.

Let me know what you think.

Much love x