Hours of not speaking took its toll on a person and Sera who had always been a bit of a chatterbox when she had lived with her family felt it more then most. But admirably according to Carson, Colt and Aimee, who seemed to be the only Weres that genuinely cared about her welfare; Sera had been utterly silent. All of her meals had returned to the kitchen on their tray untouched which caused a bit of a stir and everyday Sera felt weakened by her loss of power and no food but a sense of deep satisfaction in disrupting the Peltier household, even minimally was worth it.

It felt like months but it had actually only been two days since Sera had started refusing meals and being silent that Sera heard a faint clicking of expensive feminine heels coming towards her door, they grew louder, stopped and the French accent of Nicolette Peltier said abruptly, "Out of the way, Remi."

Remi unblocked the thin line of light under the door and it swung open and Nicolette filled the door frame.

"Bonjour, Sera," she said in a bland emotionless tone, Sera didn't raise her eyes from the floor where she was counting the miniscule glittering pieces in the linoleum.

"You are not looking well," Nicolette observed, her comment met silence. Nicolette bared her teeth in frustration but Sera didn't see. "You must eat, Cher."

Sera wanted to look up at the use of the endearment and the gentled tone of voice but she didn't, Nicolette's rejection had hurt her more then she wanted to admit.

It had taken Nicolette quite a while to calm down and when she had she felt something she rarely experienced in her long and dangerous life; shame. She was ashamed of how she had treated the girl, how she had behaved in her eyes like a human, offering her friendship and protection and at its first test she had betrayed her. She had not listened to Sera's side of the story, had refused to acknowledge it and now with Dev healing from his vicious wounds she was uneasy about her son's reaction to finding out they had locked away his mate and let her starve herself. He would surely see the difference if she could, Sera was thinner, her skin paler, dark shadows and circles appeared on her face when they hadn't been there before.

"I believe I owe you an apology," Nicolette said crouching down near Sera, she saw ruthless red welts on Sera's neck under her hair that the collar had made and Nicolette winced inwardly, but how could they take it off her now, she would flee. Then what would happen to Dev? Her son came first, always.

Sera tipped her head back and stared directly into Mama's eyes keeping her own blank, she could see guilt there and shame and was glad, but still she didn't speak. Why should she ease this bears conscience and show her mercy when it looked like she had none of her own. "I judged swiftly and harshly, Aimee has told me on many occasions I act too much on my impulses …"

Nicolette trailed off looking uneasy and Sera made no attempt to ease her suffering, she merely gave her one long bland stare before returning to look at the floor.

"What would you have me do?" Mama Lo hissed close to Sera's ear, Sera forced herself not to react, she trained her eyes to study the floor. "My son returned so badly wounded he might have died, it has taken him a week to heal. You as a Were know how fast we heal. He was wounded protecting you."

Sera didn't let it show just how deeply those words cut her, she did not want anyone hurt because of her, dying for her … She could take care of herself, she had been doing it for long enough. She did not have to explain herself to these animals! Sera felt slightly ashamed of herself at that thought, she had never been like many of her kind that despised their Katagaria cousins simply because they were animal, even though considering her past she had every right to. Yet her ways were very animalistic, she lived her life by a code that reflected to her the simplicity of being an animal, no lying, no jealousy and no greed, no petty human deficiencies would ever cause her to hurt another of her kind.

Now she was so confused, who were the bad guys anymore?

Sera heard Nicolette let out a deep, steadying breath.

"I know you are his mate and when you decide to mate with him you will be accepted and protected as part of our family -"

Sera gave a half laugh, half sneer at Lo's words and Mama bear narrowed her eyes viciously at Sera, then her dark expression cleared replaced once again by that shame. Little did she know that Sera's blood had begun to boil at the statement, as if they all expected she would mate with him simply because the fates decreed it. The fates were evil, they were harsh and cruel but they were women and in a fit of anger when cursing the Were-Hunter race one of the curses was that the mating ritual was entirely voluntary on the females part; they could never be forced into it.

"I suppose you are right to scorn us now, we have not treated you kindly. But it was all for the love of my son, you would have left and never looked back as you said you would if we had let you go. And then where would he be? To live a life without another woman's touch ever again, to never have children and know the precious bond mates have between them."

Sera's sneer became more pronounced, she wanted to tell Nicolette exactly what she thought of all the bullshit she was talking but she refused to give her the satisfaction of breaking her speaking ban. Sera didn't want to resent Dev but it seemed like if his family wasn't so obsessed with his happiness then she could be long gone by now. And this by the way was a great welcome to the family present, being locked in a dark room that stinks to high heaven of things Sera didn't want to put a name to and having a metriazo collar shoved on your neck. Yeah, sure Lo, you'll definitely get mother-in-law of the year after this, Sera thought bitterly.

"Sera, it wasn't meant to go this far," Nicolette's voice changed from slightly pleading and apologetic to brisk and snappy, she had gotten tired pretty quickly of eating humble pie, Sera had to suppress a smile. She liked the thought of getting under the old bitch's skin for a bit. Sera didn't want to think about the fact that it was this snappishness and no nonsense attitude in Lo that had attracted Sera to her. But Sera had had enough of friends betraying her, she just wanted to leave this hell hole and get as far away from them as it was possible to get. Sera turned her head and her deep blue eyes locked with Lo's ice ones.

"Don't try to get me to ease your conscience."

Sera's voice was croaky and raspy, from the tightness of the collar and from not speaking for so long. Nicolette gave her a cold stare and something close to regret flickered in her eyes before she gave Sera a curt nod and walked out the room. Sera was sure that in her mind Nicolette was reassuring herself her actions were for the best.

See if you think that once I get this collar off, you old heifer! Sera grumbled to herself, her shoulders sagging as the door was once again closed on her.

Sera felt like a good portion of the worlds weigh was laying firmly between her shoulder blades, she had never felt like crying so much since she stepped into this God forsaken place. Artemis help her, she was just about ready to jump off a building, the dark feeling she'd had these many days was weighing heavily on her since Nicolette's little visit.

Sera sat for a long time lost in her lonely gloom when a sudden uplifting feeling bubbled up inside her, Sera looked mischievously at the door where Remi once again stood and thought of the best way to piss him off.

In a room down the hall an unconscious bear had just opened his eyes.

Dev stretched languidly on the bed and shifted immediately to human form and flashed clothes on his body, he had awoke to a strange lost feeling that he couldn't place until he reached his hand over and found the pillow next to his empty and cold. It still however carried Sera's arousing scent and he buried his face in it before he could stop himself, Dev pulled back with a slight look of self disgust. He was whipped if a man ever was. But Dev couldn't deny that just sniffing her scent on his bed clothes and the faint trace of it lingering on his skin was enough to keep that empty, bereft feeling at bay.

He needed to see Sera right now!

He just hoped Remi and his family had been able to persuade her to stay, knowing her and by now he thought he had some insight, Dev expected Sera to have hightailed to the hills. Using any means possible to put distance between them.

Dev opened the door and moved towards Kyle who was coming out of his own room, Kyle glanced up and the features of his handsome face looked somewhat pinched. Kyle was the youngest of Dev's parents cubs and like Aimee who was the only female, was fiercely protected by all including Dev himself. Dev liked the fact that Kyle who was in his early twenties which was practically a babe in Were years, was taking after him, his manner and demeanour was laid back and easy going. This fact alone was what made a shiver of apprehension run down Dev's spine.

"What's up, Winnie," Dev asked casually, using the nickname that set Kyle's teeth on edge.

"Hey."

Dev raised an eyebrow. "Gee, man stop crying its not as if I was attacked and almost ripped open by a cupla Arcadians. Sheesh, big deal!" Dev paused. "What the hells the matter with you, boy?"

Kyle just gave an awkward half shrug and went to move on to someone more talkative, the cub could choked out what was wrong with him in his own time.

"Your mated," Kyle blurted out, Dev stopped and turned to regard him with wry amusement.

"And the Nobel Prize goes to … drum roll please, Kyle Peltier for being the master of acuity," Dev laughed at Kyle's scowl, "yeah, I'm mated."

"Aren't you kind of … freaked out or I don't know pissed that its stopped you know .. Being such a whore."

Dev made a noise that was half choke half laugh and rolled his eyes in exasperation, inside his stomach shrivelled a bit however, he hoped to Artemis that Kyle didn't mention the whore bit in front of Sera, he doubted she'd be ecstatic.

"Had to happen someday, Kyle."

"But like one woman for the rest of your life, that's so … not you."

"People change. Besides it worked for our parents, it'll work for me. I'll make it work."

Kyle's expression became more strained. "So you actually like this chick then, huh?"

Dev blew out a breath and stepped forward so Kyle who wasn't full grown yet had to tilt his head slightly to look up at the head of his six foot something frame.

"What are you trying oh so hard not to tell me, little brother?"

Kyle shrugged and tried to get past Dev, Dev's arm shot out blocking his escape route, Kyle's eyes looked panicked, he'd been in situations where his ass could get kicked by Remi but never Dev. But Kyle had never been fooled, he had developed a respect for his elder brother when seeing him kick Serre's ass in play fights; he didn't want to know what happened to people when Dev really went to town.

"I don't know anything," Kyle's voice came out like a little boy, Dev's insides went cold.

"Where's. My. Mate?!"

Kyle gulped and tried to dodge away from Dev down the stairs, but Dev for all his carefree, relaxed ways could move with the best of them and the in lay the benefit of letting people think that about you, not only did it give your attacks the element of surprise but heightened the fear and the threat you produced. His family knew that Dev was pissed off someone was going to get seriously hurt.

Dev shook the truth out of Kyle hanging him upside down by his ankles there on the upstairs landing, using his powers to shield his screams and cries; Kyle had even tried to shift but Dev was having none of that and held Kyle up the wall until he choked out the whereabouts of Sera. When he finally learned what had happened in his absence he had set off down the hallway to Carson's office, consumed with fury he had never known before and a sense of betrayal on his own and Sera's behalf at what his family had done.

Carson was the first to spot him coming through the door and his shocked expression soon faded to one of extreme uneasiness and he quickly grabbed his prized glass statue of a hawk from his desk and exited into the bathroom; Dev paid him no mind for the moment, he would get to him later. Now he wanted bear.

Dev saw the shock in Remi's eyes the second before he was bodily thrown from the room, Remi landed hard against the opposite wall on the landing and then all hell broke loose. Remi had always been a loose cannon, he was dangerous and the bear loved a fight, and due to his aggression he normally won but not today. He wasn't made a Strati warrior for nothing, Dev thought as he again lunged at Remi raining relentless and powerful blows to his brother's body, holding him down by the throat Dev slugged his brother several times before help came to intervene.

It came in the form of his two other twins, who immediately looked at Dev's face and hesitated; Dev wanted blood but of all his twins he was closest to Remi and the bear had hurt him by not protecting his mate. From what he had gleaned from Kyle was that most of his family had been involved but none more so and more enthusiastically Dev imagined, then his mother and his twins. Kyle had told him that out of the entire house it had only been Colt and Aimee and sometimes Carson that had offered an opinion opposing his mother's tyranny. Dev had always been close to Colt and liked him, he also knew it must have taken a lot for him to oppose his mother even in a minor way and that alone kept Colt safe from his wrath. For the rest of the house, they depended on his mother's kindness and favour to keep them in Sanctuary, if they were to ever be kicked out they would most likely meet a swift end at the hands of the enemies hunting them.

Dev twisted around when he felt someone trying to pull him off Remi and he flashed to his bear form and lunged for Quinn, Cherif immediately stepped in front of his brother to protect him and took the force of Dev's paws as he swiped at him. The howls, snarls and roars were deafening, there were even a few high whimpers but Dev wasn't sure where they came from. It only stopped when a black bear, bigger then all of its sons dropped into the centre of the fray and knocked all flat on their backs. Aubert 'papa' Peltier was not fool enough to think that his sons could not give him a run for his money but his status as the leader of their clan and their love and respect they afforded him as their father made them back up and cower. All except Dev who had flashed back to human form and was panting heavily his eyes ablaze and fixed with murderous intent on Remi. At the same moment Remi and Papa bear flashed into human form, Nicolette Peltier came in to appearance as the crowd of were-hunters parted for her as if she were a queen. Dev eyed his mother coldly then turned his eyes back on Remi.

"What is wrong with you, Devereaux?!" His father roared, "You almost seriously wounded Cherif!"

His father's eyes flicked to Cherif who was on bear form and was panting heavily, laying on his side, Dev felt remorseless as he watched his father's eyes turn to fire.

"What happened here? I want to know who started it?" his father barked making some of the Weres watching jump, Dev almost winced as he heard words he hadn't heard since he was a cub and his father had had to break up fights between his brothers. He had never had to break up a fight between himself and Remi though, the knowledge cut Dev to his very core. He loved his brother but they needed to know that what they had done was wrong.

"That crazy shit attacked me!" Remi shouted and Dev's eyes darkened and he bared his teeth, Dev could imagine for those around him in was like watching a man facing down himself in the mirror. He and Remi were identical, even their style of clothing matched, both wore identical expressions of men trying desperately to hold themselves back from charging into a fight once more. Apart from their injuries, which Dev noted with a surge of happiness as Remi's were worse, it may be hard for people to tell them apart, because at that moment both looked as mean as the other.

"And this bastard has locked away my mate!" Dev growled back, he surveyed the faces of those around and was glad to note many looked away with shifty guilty expressions. Even Remi looked a bit taken aback but still unrepentant.

"That's no excuse -" His father began but Dev cut him off.

"Isn't it? What if someone did to Maman, what you have done to my mate?"

His father looked lost for words for a moment and in his eyes Dev saw understanding and pity.

"Devereaux, it is against the laws of Sanctuary to attack someone, you are lucky you are not banned!"

"Well as far as I knew it was also against our laws to imprison an innocent person and strap a metriazo collar around their neck!"

All then looked ashamed of themselves, even Remi who opened his mouth to say something but his mother's voice cut him off.

"We did it for you -"

Dev barely spared his mother a glance, she stood there looking and sounding unrepentant and cold, she had often done things in the past that had made no sense to him morally or logically, like the time she handed Wren over to the Omegrion on false charges, but this time she had really gone to far.

"And how was treating my mate like she was guilty of everything that had happened, locking her up and stopping her using her powers going to endear me to her, Maman?"

All were silent as Dev spun round and made his way to the door of the dark room where Sera was sat. Dev vented some of his lingering rage by kicking the door in and stalking through the doorway like the predator he was. He's eyes roamed over Sera and though his face was still an implacable mask of fury, something in the region of his heart melted, he moved towards her, a rough beauty and an innate grace pronounced even in the way he walked.

Sera's tongue felt to heavy to move and form words so she simply stood, staring, waiting.

She had heard everything that had gone on on the other side of the door and her heart had unwillingly melted, she was not the kind of woman that liked a man to fight over her or even for her because she was so used to doing it herself, but she was unspeakably moved by his defence of her and his anger on her behalf towards his family.

Still the tangible air of danger and aggression surrounding him was quite frightening. Dev stopped in front of her and reached up to stroke her throat where the collar lay, he bent his head closer to hers and breathed in her ear.

"Don't move and I will get it off."

Chills erupted all over her and she suppressed a shiver with difficulty, she was so aware of him, her body that had laid dormant these past few days was on fire, reaching for him, alight from wanting him. Before she could stop herself Sera reached her arms out and tentatively slid them around his lean waist and rested her head against his sternum. Dev felt her sigh and his eyes burned, instead of condemning him or blaming him for his family's cruelty, she reached for him and acted as if she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Dev stroked her hair and dropped a kiss on to her raven curls before sliding his hands down her throat and breaking the collar from her neck. He heard her sigh 'thank you' a moment before he flashed them out of his home.