I'm back! Hopefully. I've been working on this one and off since I last posted but a lot has been happening. I'm not going to go into detail but 2020 and 2021 have just been completely shit for me and my family.

I want to warn everyone now. If you are looking for little cookie-cutter, home living scenes where there is little to no action, you'll be waiting a while. This story will likely be mostly action and romance based. Sorry if that bothers anyone.

I tried to make this chapter longer than the next without drawing it out to the point it becomes boring and I hope that I succeeded, please let me know if I have.

I'm not going to make promises about when the next chapter will be posted as I don't want to disappoint anyone. For everyone who has stuck with this story through my shitty posting schedule; you guys are absolutely amazing. Honestly, reading the comments and seeing how many people enjoy my work is one of the few reasons I keep trying to write instead of throwing in the towel.

Anyway, enjoy this next chapter guys xx

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?"

Hermione smiled at Harry as he clung to her, refusing to let her even get close to the fireplace that would take her back home. Telling everyone that she was planning on returning to Alaska had gone over as well as she had thought it would.

Ginny had yelled at Hermione for being 'selfish' before crushing the older woman to her in a hug that had made Hermione fight for air as the redhead had cried. Hermione had promised to always keep her Floo open and had assured Ginny that she would return for the birth of her godson. Ginny had threatened some very colourful hexes if Hermione were to break her promise; a pregnant Ginny was absolutely terrifying.

Ron had sulked but, surprisingly, had understood Hermione's need to return. It still surprised her just how much Ron had grown since she had left. She knew Lavender played a huge part in that growth and was happy her two friends had found one another. Ron had assured Hermione that he and Lavender would visit frequently; Lavender was her packs den mother after all, and Ron wouldn't dream of separating the woman he loved from her pack.

Remus and Tonks had been okay with the idea of Hermione returning to Alaska. A little too okay in the younger woman's opinion but she wasn't going to question it. She had made Remus promise to not even think about taking the Wolfsbane again, but her plea was unnecessary. It would seem that Remus and Mooney had been speaking more often since Mooney had been allowed out of his cage during the last full moon. Remus was looking healthier with every day that passed and had even come to Hermione asking about how the mating bite worked. She had excitedly explained the process and assured Remus that the mating bite wouldn't turn Tonks.

Sirius had reluctantly hugged Hermione and wished her the best in Alaska. She knew that her behaviour as of late had been confusing him, but she didn't know how to act around the man her wolf had chosen as her mate. Avoiding him had seemed like the best way to go about things. This had worked great until she had woken up the morning after the last full moon to a very naked Sirius Black pressed up against her back as she used his arm as a pillow.

Hermione couldn't remember a time when she had ever moved so fast, already across the clearing before she had even fully realized that his erection had been pressed against her arse. Her face had felt like fire as she looked anywhere but the sleeping male. She had quickly dressed and began waking her pack, leaving Remus to rouse his old friend as she fought the urge to complete the mating process right then and there. No one should look that sexy doing nothing but sleeping. No one.

Harry, as Hermione had suspected, was having the hardest time accepting that Hermione was returning to Alaska. She had promised to visit often and assured him that she wouldn't just vanish on him again. Still, Harry clung to her like a child clung to their mother when she was trying to drop them off for their first day of pre-school. It made her heart hurt but Hermione knew that returning to Alaska was what she needed to do. She had a pack waiting for her.

"I need to go back," she told him softly, running her fingers through his messy hair, "I have people waiting for me. I need to assure them I'm okay and explain everything about Caleb to them."

Hermione ignored Holland's growl at the mention of their old packmate. It had been a harsh blow for him to learn that Caleb had been a traitor. Holland, Caleb, and the other wolf pups had bonded over their shared inexperience in the pack; to learn that Caleb was really a fully grown wizard who had used an aging potion and scent suppressor had simultaneously hurt and angered him. Though Caleb had kept himself at a distance to the pack, he had still been pack, and his betrayal hit them both.

"I'll floo call you tonight," she promised, "I'll keep in contact and if I need help, you'll be the first person I call."

"You better," he replied, giving her one final squeeze before he stepped away.

Hermione looked over everyone present, smiling happily at them all before she took Luca from Lavender and walked over to Holland who had been waiting for her by the fireplace. Her pup wrapped his arm around her waist as they stepped into the fireplace, her beaded bag in his opposite hand as Lavender walked over to them with a handful of floo powder.

The two women touched foreheads, the action repeated between Lavender and Holland, before Lavender threw the floo powder into the fireplace with a yell of Hermione's address in Alaska.

They were gone in a burst of green.

Holland tightened his hold on Hermione as they stumbled out of the fireplace in Hermione's cottage. Her hold on Luca was strong enough to keep him in her arms safely but gentle enough not to hurt him.

She barely had a moment to blink before she was being scooped into large arms and gently pressed to a firm chest. "David," she breathed, her wolf relaxing at the familiar scent of the fellow alpha.

"You're never leaving my fucking sight again," he growled gruffly, the words choked as he scent marked her before he pulled away from her enough to look at the little blue bundle she cradled protectively to her chest. "And who's this?" he asked curiously, a calloused finger moving to gently touch the smooth skin only to freeze when the other wolf growled.

He looked up from the bundle to see Hermione blushing furiously. "Sorry," she whispered, "I don't know what that was."

"Don't worry, Mia," he grinned, "I should have known better than to touch a mother's pup without permission."

"His name's Luca," Holland supplied helpfully.

"He's Andrew's pup," Hermione added softly, watching as David's eyes widened before he looked back down at the blue bundle, "he was killed a few months ago and his mate died giving birth to Luca. Her last request was that he be put in my care; I'll honor them both by protecting him with my life.

"David," she added after a moment of silence, "he's a descent of Lycaon."

"Are you sure?" David asked, voice suddenly severe, "I need you to be absolutely sure of this, Hermione; there's no room for error."

"He is the future heir to the Lycan throne," she told him, quickly recapping to him everything that had happened since they had last seen each other.

"And you are sure she claimed you as his Guardian?" David questioned softly. Hermione nodded and watched as he sighed heavily. "This isn't good, Mia," he told her, "the line of Lycaon is extremely powerful; so much so, that it is both feared and coveted by other packs. Luca being the future heir, whether crowned or not, will be a huge bragging right amongst packs; they'll come for him."

"Let them try," she growled, eyes gold, "I'll kill every last one of them."

"Then we'll need to train the entire pack," he said, "you'll be just as big a target as him as his Guardian. When he is crowned, you'll become his advisor, such is the role of Guardian. They'll be after your position; the Guardian holds just as much power as the heir amongst our kind. The fact that you are his protector and mother will make you a target for forced bonding; you being a Potential will only make that easier as long as you are unmated. You wouldn't have happened to have found your mate whilst you were gone?"

Hermione blushed as she remembered her reuniting with Sirius and the discovery that he was her mate. Her blush deepened as the image of him sleeping completely naked in the forest came to the forefront of her mind. No man should be that damn sexy, not when covered in dirt, leaves and sticks. She felt her wolf chuff happily at the thought of their mate.

"I found him," she admitted hesitantly.

There was a crash from the kitchen seconds before Holland suddenly ran back into the room with wide eyes. "You did?" he asked, "when? Why didn't you tell me?!" Holland seemed to think for a moment before his eyes, impossibly, widened, "holy fucking shit! It's Sirius, isn't it?!"

Her blush deepening was all the answer Holland needed before he suddenly bent over laughing. "Oh, this is too good," he howled, slapping his knees as his face went red.

"What's so funny?" Hermione growled.

"N-nothing," Holland replied, scurrying from the room before Hermione could get a hold of him.

"Sirius? As in, Sirius Black?" David asked, "your friend's godfather that died when you were sixteen?"

Hermione let out a deep sigh as she made her way over to the sofa and sat down with Luca resting on her chest as she rub his back, "it's a long story."

"Then you better get started," David replied as he sat beside her.

"Sirius, you can't be serious," Remus groaned as he watched his best friend pace back and forth.

"Of course, I'm serious," he replied, not even bothering with the age-old joke, "I've already hired a real-estate agent to find me a place; now that my fortune's been reinstate, I can afford something nice and close to Hermione."

"Is it really that bad?" Tonks asked her husband, "we've been discussing moving to Alaska too, Remus; what does it matter if Sirius buys a place over there too?"

"Hermione's my alpha," Remus replied, "it's only natural I'd want to be near her. Living there would allow Teddy to get to know Holland better as well."

Tonks smiled at that; happy Remus had become more accepting about all the things that came along with being a werewolf. Absentmindedly, she ran her hand along her neck where their mating mark was. Remus had given it to her the night previous in a lovemaking session that had lacked his usual hesitance. She blushed as she remembered the pale gold of his eyes, the way he growled as he thrust in and out of her without reserve before he had marked her. Tonks couldn't remembering ever orgasming that hard in her entire life and the very thought had her aroused.

Her husband looked over at her, sniffing the air and growling proudly as his eyes darkened with lust. Tonks blushed and looked away, choosing to ignore the deep chuckle that came from her husband.

"Look, Sirius, I know you're attracted to her," Remus said bluntly, "but Hermione's a werewolf, she has a mate, and I don't want either of you getting hurt when she finally finds him. She'd feel guilty if she started a relationship with you and found her mate and I don't want you getting your heart broken over something that can be prevented by not pursuing her."

"You don't need to worry about any of that," Sirius replied, "I'm Hermione's mate."

Remus and Tonks gaped at the Black heir at the announcement. "Wait, really?" Tonks finally managed to ask.

"When did this happen?" Remus choked out.

Sirius shrugged, "I found out the night of the full moon." Sirius quickly explained what happened that night, skimming over the fact that Hermione had jacked him off in the Forbidden Forest after telling him all the sexy things she wanted to do to him or have him do to her. Of course, it had been Mia saying all of that to him, but something told him that a lot of those ideas had solely been Hermione's.

"This is wonderful!" Tonks exclaimed, clapping excitedly, "so, you're going to go to Alaska and seduce Hermione?"

Remus growled at the idea of his best friend seducing his alpha and the young woman he saw as a daughter. He was happy though. Sirius had been through hell, and he deserved happiness. Still, the beta in him was jealous that his time with his alpha was going to be cut shorter by the presence of her mate. None of this showed on his face however as he watched his mate and his best friend discuss living arrangements.

In the back of his mind, Mooney watched two of his pack members with pride. The wolf was happy that his human host was finally accepting him, even if it had taken so damn long. Already, he had begun healing Remus, increasing his appetite so they could put on the muscle needed to fight for their pack. The scars wouldn't heal but Remus no longer looked far older than his actual age; in fact, he almost looked a decade younger, and his mate had definitely noticed.

The wolf relaxed as the thought of being closer to his alpha soon calmed him. Soon their pack would be whole again, and his alpha would have her mate.

"So, you can't do magic anymore?" David asked as he came back into the living room with a warm bottle in hand. He handed it over to the young woman on the sofa and watched as Hermione positioned Luca so that he could latch onto the teat easily.

"My magical core is gone," Hermione said, "I'm just a werewolf now."

"You don't seem too upset with that."

Hermione looked up at her friend and former alpha, "I'm not. If I said I was upset that it was gone I'd be lying to myself. I'm relieved. The only regret I have is that I won't be able to protect our pack from magical enemies. We're completely defenseless, magically speaking, and Greyback and Caleb will be coming for me and Luca."

"You forget that you have several witches and wizards in your pack now," David retorted, "ones who wouldn't hesitate to come to your aid if asked. Still, all of this means nothing until we truly know what Greyback and Caleb are planning. Until then, tell me about your mate."

Hermione groaned as Luca continued to suckle at the bottle happily.

It had been a week since the kitten had left the country and finally they were moving to Alaska. Sirius and Remus shrunk all the furniture in his and Tonks' home as Tonks fussed over an excited Teddy. When the young boy had been told they would be moving to Alaska, Sirius had expected him to be sad. What he hadn't expected was for his eyes to brighten as he exclaimed that he would be able to hang out with Holland, Kyra, and Logan.

Sirius didn't know who the other two were but he was very familiar with the little shithead his kitten had apparently adopted. Said little shithead hadn't stopped commenting about Sirius getting flustered over the kittens naked body on the night of the full moon. Sirius had been relieved when he had gone back to Alaska, but grumbled now as he realized he would have to put up with him again. He was a good kid, who cared about his kitten greatly, but that didn't mean Sirius didn't want to hex his tongue to the roof of his mouth either.

"I'd like to see you try," Remus has snorted when Sirius had commented about it a few nights earlier, "he's practically Hermione's son; you remember how Lily got whenever she thought Harry was even remotely in danger."

Sirius had paled at the comparison. He had remembered perfectly well when he had been casually bouncing a baby Harry, occasionally throwing him into the air before he caught him, when Lily had entered the room and saw what he was doing. Sirius couldn't remember a time when he had ever been so scared in his entire life then he had been in that moment that Lily had calmly taken Harry from him before handing him over to James and moving her attention back to him.

Sirius hadn't been able to sit down for two weeks. He had shivered at the memory, replacing Lily with Hermione; it had become no less terrifying.

Thinking of Hermione, however, made him smile. Sirius had been instantly attracted to the woman who had attacked him in the veil before he had even realized who she was. Learning that it was Hermione, his godsons best friend, hadn't dampened the attraction much to Sirius' surprise. Well, not really a surprise. Sirius had grown up around strong women.

Dorea Potter had been a witch that no one wanted to cross. She was the nicest women Sirius had ever met until you tried to harm her sons. She had faced off with his mother, calling the matron of the Black household every foul word she could think of, before informing the woman that Sirius would be living with his real family. She hadn't backed down; and yet, not once did she remove her wand, completely at ease as his mother screamed furiously at her. Until his mother had dragged Sirius and James into the argument. Sirius hadn't even seen Dorea remove her wand before his mother was silenced and the other witch was hissing like the emblem of the house she had been in.

Then there was Lily Potter nee. Evans. Like Dorea, she was a nice girl until angered where her temper was a fiery as her hair. Born to muggle parents, Lily had proved to everyone that being a Pureblood had nothing to do with the amount of power you had. Time and time again, she had showed up those born to ancient Pureblood families in both magic and intelligence. She had refused to back down or allow their insults to get to her. She didn't let people walk over her and didn't waiver in her resolve.

Andromeda Tonks nee. Black was another example of a strong woman. As were Minerva McGonagall and Molly Weasley.

So, it was no surprise that Sirius would find himself attracted to Hermione Granger. He had seen that same strength in her the night she had helped his godson free him. At the time, he had admired her strength and nothing more; Sirius was many things but a lecher was not one of them. However, when he had caught sight of the fully grown, and now not much younger than him, woman, Sirius had found that admiration returning and morphing into a fierce attraction he hadn't felt for anyone in a very long time.

Finding out that he was her mate had been a relief. Sirius had been fully prepared to ignore the attraction he felt for the young woman because he knew that werewolves had mates and few things could stand between that kind of bond. However, it would seem he was the mate of a very stubborn woman who, whilst for admirable reasons, had decided to try and keep him in the dark about the bond. Fortunately, for him, said woman's wolf was more than happy to go against her other half and tell him exactly what was going on; in a very pleasurable way to boot.

A hand on his shoulder bought Sirius out of his thoughts and he looked over to Remus who smiled softly at him. "Ready?" he asked and Sirius looked around to see that all the furniture had been placed into a box that had been shrunken too and they were ready to go. Teddy was impatiently waiting by the floo as Tonks smirked at her cousin. "Harry said he'll be around tonight to help you unpack everything; he has a few things he needs to do at work first," Remus told him as he led Sirius over to the fireplace.

Sirius had informed Harry of the exact reason he was moving to Alaska. His godson had been oddly happy upon learning that Sirius was his best friend's mate.

"I was hoping it would be someone I could trust and there's no one I trust more than you."

He hadn't been aware of just how much he had needed to hear that from his godson. Sirius knew that Harry had been raised by muggles and that muggles saw things like age as a large barrier for relationships. Witches and wizards didn't have those same reservations as they lived much longer than muggles did and knew that love came in many different forms; age being one small part of that.

"Come on, Uncle Sirius! I wanna see Aunt 'Mione!" Teddy exclaimed, tapping his foot impatiently.

"That makes two of us, bud," Sirius replied as he entered the floo after ruffling Teddy's hair. He threw the floo down with a shout of his new address and disappeared in green flames.

Hermione winced as Logan hit the ground, holding his jaw as Kyra looked down on him with a proud smirk.

"This isn't right," she sighed to the large man standing beside her, "we're not a violent pack; we shouldn't be making them fight."

"We're not making them do anything," David grunted for what felt like the fiftieth time. "Everyone was given the option for the additional training with the promise of no repercussion for any who wished to take on less intense roles," he continued as he watched Logan swing his leg and knock Kyra to the ground with an 'oof' from the teen girl.

His gaze moved from the two sparring pups to the young alpha nervously biting her fingernails as her eyes darted around the clearing. Everyone who had accepted the offer of additional training had been partnered off and were currently being training in combat by Marcus. David had had combat training during his time in the military but Marcus had actually trained in multiple different martial arts across his lifetime and was very proficient in combining them for the most efficient fighting style. Said fighting style was tailored to include their claws and teeth as additional weapons.

Marcus was making rounds of the clearing, correcting each group, and demonstrating different moves for those who were picking it up faster than others. David and Hermione were observing their pack, David having started Hermione's own training so that she would be ready to fully take over the pack. He and Kathy had agreed that they would not retire as long as their pack was threatened but David also knew that his time as alpha was almost up and he wanted his successor to be prepared for the role she was taking on.

Hermione was a natural leader. She cared for every member of their pack but wasn't a pushover. He had watched her flawlessly handle pack conflict and had studied the way the betas reacted to her now that she was an alpha. A natural alpha. One who hadn't reached their title by defeating the previous alpha. It wasn't rare but natural alpha's were more powerful than those who fought for the title. For one, the title couldn't be lost to Hermione; she had earned it through sheer will instead of submission.

There had been a bit of confusion amongst their pack when Hermione and David had called a pack meeting a week ago to discuss everything that had happened. However, upon learning about everything the young alpha had gone through, the pack had accepted her new role amongst them. When David had announced that he was stepping down as alpha there had been shocked reactions; when Hermione had been named as his successor there had been anger and acceptance.

Those who were angry believed that Hermione should be made to fight for her new position. David had sat back and watched as alpha pheromones had filled the clearing as Hermione's wolf took the angry outcries as a challenge for her right as alpha. The betas had submitted instantly and David had watched as Hermione had sat straighter, her eyes gold as she looked at every member of their pack. Each member had bared their neck in submission and Hermione had growled happily before her wolf allowed her to control her pheromones.

"Shall we join them?" David asked, motioning towards a large area where they could spar.

The nerves lifted from her face and were replaced with an eager smile as she nodded before she practically ran to the vacant space. David followed behind her with a chuckle, removing his shirt and tossing it on the ground before he got into a fighting stance. Hermione mimicked him, arms up to block her face and her body angled enough that she could change directions quickly without losing her balance.

David had been about to call a start to their spar when Hermione suddenly lunged at him. She was smaller and faster than he was but David had decades more experience than she did. He easily dodged her hits and kicks, but David made note of the fact that those with lesser training would stand no chance against the young alpha.

He landed a hit to her gut and watched as she bent in half with a groan. David didn't feel bad, he knew she'd be healed in a few seconds. Instead, he sent his knee into her face, only wincing slightly when he heard the bone of her nose break as she fell back. He could see her breathing laboriously and David could just make out her claws elongating.

"You're getting angry," he said as he circled her, listening to the low growls coming from her, "you need to control that anger, Hermione; if you don't it'll control you and you'll hurt your pack."

An unfortunate side-effect of becoming an alpha was the increased aggression. It was calmed by a mates bond, but David knew that Hermione was being stubborn in regard to her mate. He knew the young alpha was unfamiliar with this level of anger and could see that she wasn't going to be able to control it.

"Marc…"

The words barely left his mouth before he was being tackled by the furious alpha. Had he been anyone else, he would have been terrified by the sight of her. Brightly glowing gold eyes were darkened with bloodlust and her face was smeared with blood even as the bone healed itself. Her canines were elongated, and her ears had become more pointed from her partial shift.

"Mum?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of Holland calling for her and David barely caught her by the ankle as she went to lunge at the frightened pup. "Marcus, get everyone out of the woods, now," he ordered, his hold on Hermione tightening as she snarled and struggled to free herself. "Hermione, control it," he tried to order but he was no longer her alpha and the order only further angered the wolf.

He grunted when her other foot struck him in the face, breaking his jaw as she rolled away from him and sprung to her feet. Marcus had made quick work of clearing the forest and David could just hear the pack leaving the woods. Unfortunately, so did Hermione.

He sprung after her as she turned and rushed towards the pack, her prey-drive heightened by her bloodlust. David cursed her speed as she ran through the brambles much easier than his bulkier frame did. A sudden crack! wrought the air and David could just see Hermione pause up ahead before she changed course to go after the source of the sound. A source he knew belonged to either her friends or her enemies. David didn't know which he hoped for.

"Daddy!"

"Remus!"

The two distinct cries were familiar to David's ears, and he cursed internally at the panicked yells before the scent reached him. David growled, the scent of his old beta angering him even as the smell of burnt ozone seemed to strengthen. He wasn't alone; David could smell three other scents, all betas of Greyback's pack.

"Teddy!"

The woman, Tonks, screamed before a piercing howl echoed through the forest and David knew Holland had sensed his mate in danger. He wondered if they would ever get a break; Hermione had been on guard since she had come back and the one day he had managed to get her to relax was the day Greyback made a move; and for one of her own at that. Her beta had informed him that he had been changed by Greyback and that had been his main reason for fighting his wolf. Hermione's claim on him and the bond they already shared, had overrode whatever was left of Greyback's claim but that didn't mean the Alpha couldn't forcibly claim him again. David was well aware that Greyback had always wanted Remus a part of his pack.

He arrived in time to see Hermione barreling into the largest of the three, sending him crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening crack before he slumped at the base. It would take him a few minutes to regain consciousness, but David couldn't help but think it wise to play dead as he studied the dark look in his fellow alphas eyes. It would seem Hermione and the wolf had found a middle ground and she had managed to redirect her anger. For now. At least, enough for her to recognize the threat to her beta and his family.

Hermione turned to the wizard/wolf holding Teddy and David scented the immediate spike in fear coming from the older beta. She was a terrifying sight, and she was radiating a power that screamed 'don't fuck with me'.

"Release him. Now," she growled, the Alpha's order powerful enough to make the beta's knees week a moment before he was being yanked away from the boy and thrown towards his unconscious comrade.

"Holland!" the boy exclaimed, both excited to see the boy and scared of the situation he was witnessing.

"Get them inside," Hermione ordered again, her eyes never leaving the third wolf and Caleb as the traitor smirked amusedly.

"Hermione, that's…"

"Get. Inside. Now," she repeated, silencing the older witch who nodded quickly before she floated her unconscious husband inside as Holland ushered his mate in after her.

Clapping filled the air, drawing David's gaze back to Caleb. Something didn't seem right. David couldn't smell the traitor and it made him uneasy. Was he using those scent blockers Hermione had told him about? Why would he need to? They already knew his secret.

"Wonderful," he said, but it sounded off even spoken by the now older wolf, "simply magnificent."

"What the hell do you want?" Hermione snarled, her hair growing in volume.

Caleb didn't respond and David found that odd as well. Caleb was a loudmouth and he doubted that changed simply because he had reverted to his original age.

He stepped aside and David could see a body behind him. It didn't take a genius to realize who it was when Hermione suddenly stiffened. She didn't hesitate to move but David couldn't help but try and get her to wait as his instincts screamed at him. It was too late. She had already gone, picking up the struggling Sirius Black before rushing into the woods and leaving David to face off against Caleb and the unidentified wolves.

She put him down on the ground and used her claws to remove the rope binding his hands and ankles.

"Hermione," he breathed, smiling up at her before his hand came up to caress her cheek. She blinked at him and watched as he leaned forward, bringing her face closer as he did. Hermione grabbed the hand holding onto her cheek…

… and smiled when the bones broke under her grip.

'Sirius' cursed up a storm as Hermione stood to her full height and sent her foot into his face, her smile widening at the sound of his nose breaking under the force of her kick.

"What the fuck, Hermione?!" 'Sirius' cried, holding his broken nose with his unbroken hand.

"Sirius hasn't called me Hermione once since we came back from the Veil," Hermione growled lowly, her eyes a mix of gold and amber, "he hasn't called me anything except Kitten and I doubt he'd start now. I also doubt he'd have a need to wear scent blockers around me or any other wolf that might be able to recognize his scent."

'Sirius' began to chuckle as he stood up, repositioning his nose as their advanced healing kicked in. "I find intelligence a very sexy attribute, pet," he said, his features shifting to reveal the traitor himself.

"Go fuck an encyclopedia than," she snarled, hearing her wolf chuff amusedly. Both of them chose not to rise to the bait at the use of the ridiculous pet name.

"Now, now, you really don't want to get me angry, pet," Caleb replied, his voice husky as he approached her, uncaring of the deep growls coming from her person. "Who knows what I'd do to your precious little pack," he continued.

"Why are you here, Caleb?" Hermione demanded.

"Greyback wants his beta back," he answered simply.

"So, he sent his little bitch…"

She didn't get to finish the sentence before her back was pressed to the nearby tree and a large hand was wrapped around her throat, sharp claws digging into the flesh and drawing blood to the surface. "I'm no ones bitch," Caleb snarled, his gold eyes glowing brightly as his canines lengthened.

"You're right," Hermione gasped around the force crushing her windpipe, "a 'bitch' has higher status."

She was airborne for only a few seconds before her back connected with another tree and she slumped to the base of the tree. Hermione chuckled, the sound pained and wheezy as she rolled onto her back. "You certainly throw like a bitch," she baited, feeling the smell of burnt ozone increase as the other wolf got angrier.

Hermione bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and pain simultaneously spread across her body. She wouldn't give Caleb the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Too many people had heard her scream because of the Cruciatus Curse, and she refused to let another person hear them.

"Look at you," he said after he had lifted the curse, "you're nothing more than a muggle now, aren't you? I had wondered if there were any truth to the rumors. Tell me, pet, how do you plan to keep the heir from me when we're on two completely different levels of power?"

He kneeled before her, his wand sitting lazily between his fingers. "I'll tell you what," he continued, grabbing her cheeks between his fingers on his free hand and forcing her face closer to his. "Let me claim you as my mate and I'll spare your life," he said, "of course, the brat needs to die; I can't risk him claiming my thrown. After all, in the end, it's a battle for the crown and only the worthy will win it."

"Only the heir can claim the throne," Hermione rasped, her eyes blinking between amber and gold.

"Good thing Lycaon doesn't just have one heir," Caleb replied, his breath ghosting over her face. Hermione's eyes widened and she heard his dark chuckle. "That's right, Hermione," he continued, "I refuse to allow my nephew, the pathetic offspring of my squib brother, to live long enough to take what is rightfully mine."

"You're Andrew's brother," Hermione breathed, "the one he never talked about."

"Our mother wasn't very happy to learn we had a squib in the family; it only got worse when Andrew didn't come into his werewolf bloodline either," Caleb sneered, "I remember her screaming at my father, accusing him of tainting her bloodline with his 'dirty-blood'; ironic considering he was from a very prominent pureblood family. The only reason she had even married my father was to produce a magical werewolf child. She always did have high expectations."

The same dark aura from the night of the ball filled the area and Hermione fought the urge to recoil from it as she glared up at the traitor.

"If that wasn't enough of a black stain on our ancient heritage, the little whelp had to go and get himself bitten before running off to America," Caleb continued, aware of the anger swirling in Hermione's eyes at the slanders on her creator. "Even more disgusting was when he went and bred with that filthy muggle whore…"

Hermione's tackle cut off his sentence and, the surprise of the sudden action, had the dark aura receding. Caleb threw her off a second later, but she was on him before he even had time to get to his feet, incensed by his words and allowing her wolf enough control to bring about her earlier shift.

The wizard beneath her chuckled darkly before he flipped them over, pinning her to the ground and lowering himself onto her when she fought to regain control. "Something I admire about you Hermione is that fire in you," he whispered against her lips, "you don't even know how many times I wanted to give up my little ploy just so I could claim you. You'd be treated like a queen, pet; all you'd have to do is obey me."

His lips were on hers before she could say anything, and Hermione found herself shocked into stillness. It took her all of five seconds before she started to struggled harder, trying to get enough ground beneath her to throw him off of her as she screamed furiously into the kiss.

"Ascendio!"

Hermione took in a deep breath as Caleb was suddenly thrown high into the air. Dazed, she stared up at the quickly rising wizard before she looked over to find the source of the spell. She smiled tiredly as her eyes landed on the furious face of Sirius Black, standing there with his wand still pointed at when Caleb had just been.

Her smile dropped when she heard the quiet sound of apparition. She was on her feet and tackling Sirius just as a much louder crack! sounded from where he had been standing. Sirius had already erected a shield around them, and Hermione could see the bright red light glance off of it out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes quickly darted from Sirius to Caleb who was holding his wand even as he partially shifted.

"Those are some quick reflexes," he commented, his eyes on Sirius until Hermione moved to cover him from Caleb's dark gaze. He smirked as she snarled at him, a light of realization in his eyes as he chuckled. "Ah, well, this puts a little dent in my plan," he commented lightly, "but I'm sure the little pest can be delt with; after all, I. don't. share," he snarled.

"That makes two of us," she heard Sirius mumble from underneath her before she felt his arms wrap around her waist and the familiar, uncomfortable sensation of apparition had Caleb vanishing from sight.

They landed ungracefully in an empty living room and Hermione quickly rolled off of Sirius as she began to dry-heave. She really hated wizarding travel.

A warm hand on her back had her looking up and over at Sirius who was still seated where they had appeared. He was watching her closely, his grey eyes looking over her face. They landed on her swollen lips, and she watched his eyes darken with anger. "Sorry he got so close, kitten," he told her softly, his hand moving from her back to her face. "The bastard got me with an Imperio and the next thing I know, your friend is bunching me in the face and breaking me out of the damn curse," he told her.

"I can't smell you," Hermione said absentmindedly, leaning into the touch and she inhaled deeply through her nose.

"Yeah, that arsehole doused me with sent blocker before casting this spell I've never heard of that made me look like him," he said. "How did you know I wasn't him? You ran right passed me," he asked, looking at her closely.

Hermione felt her cheeks warm. "I didn't," she said, looking anywhere but at him, "I only wanted to get you… him… who I thought was you… out of there. It was only when he called me Hermione that I knew he wasn't you." He gave her a questioning glance, one she caught out of the corner of her eye, and Hermione faced him with a tired smile, "you haven't called me anything but kitten since you got back. Which, by the way, makes no sense. I'm a wolf, not a kitten," she answered with faux offense.

Sirius' velvety chuckle had Hermione shivering before a thought hit her like a semi-truck. "The others," she gasp, "are they okay? Remus was unconscious when I reached them. Oh God, the kids."

"Everyone's fine, kitten," he rushed to assure her, his other hand coming up to cup her other cheek as he made her focus on him, "Remus was knocked out, but Tonks assured me he came to the moment they all got inside. Holland calmed Teddy as Tonks calmed Mooney; he wasn't happy that an unknown werewolf had gotten so close to his mate and pup."

"I can imagine," Hermione breathed, her shoulders slumping as she relaxed a little, "you guys shouldn't have come here. Our pack is going to be a target for every other werewolf pack on the planet."

"Why?"

"Luca," she answered quietly.

"The baby?"

Hermione nodded. "He's the descendant of a very old and powerful werewolf. The very first werewolf. He's also the future heir to the Lycaon throne and because of that, every pack on the planet is going to want him because of the power he would bring to them," she informed him. "I'm Luca's guardian; his protector. Anyone who comes for Luca will have to beat me in combat or…" Hermione shook her head; she didn't want to think about that. "Anyway, my pack has agreed that Luca needs to be protected; to be given the chance to have a normal childhood," she continued, "they've volunteered to fight to protect him and me. But we're outnumbered with Greybacks pack alone and the fact that he has over two dozen werewolves with magic puts us at a severe disadvantage. You guys need to go back to England; it's safer there…"

"Not gonna happen, kitten," Sirius retorted quickly.

"You don't understand, Sirius," Hermione growled in frustration. "That wizard in the forest isn't just a normal wizard. He's another descendant of Lycaon, one who can claim the throne if Luca were to die before he could do so himself. His power rivals and might even exceed Dumbledore and Voldemort. Have you ever seen a Lycan war?" He shook his head and Hermione sighed. "Nor have I, but Marcus has records of the last one over three hundred years ago and it makes the third wizarding war seem like a slapping contest," she said. She needed him to understand. He had to leave and take the others with him. She needed to protect them. Perhaps she could even convince Holland to follow his mate.

"Than it looks like you need all the help you can get," Sirius answered, "and Remus isn't about to abandon his Alpha, so you'll have no luck there."

"Sirius…"

"No, Hermione," he growled, his eyes stern, "he's not leaving and nor am I."

"Why?" she whispered, a tear falling down her cheek as she looked into his stormy eyes.

They were so close, and Hermione could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Mia was practically purring at the proximity to their mate and sent a mental image of Hermione closing the space to take their mate's lips in a heated kiss. Unconsciously, she found herself leaning forward.

She felt her body react when her eyes drifted to Sirius' lips in time to see his tongue poke out to wet them.

"Because I…"