The days past with amazing speed and Sera was forever wondering when someone would come for them; she mentioned this to Dev as they lay in bed after making love one night.

"They wouldn't dare," Dev scoffed, "the mood I was in none of my family would be so bold as to approach me."

Sera raised a sceptical eyebrow and Dev feigned indignation. "You don't believe your mate can inspire fear in people?"

Sera laughed, sitting cross legged in front of Dev on the bed she leant forward to place a kiss against his bare chest. The place where her lips touched burned and Dev cleared his throat to try and bring himself back down to earth.

"Its not that, love," Sera chuckled, "believe me I know you can hold your own against anyone."

Dev tried not to look too pleased at her words, but gave her a wicked grin anyway, she answered it with a shy smile that made him want her all over again.

"Its just that your always so easy-going."

"Being an aggressive, over dominant male is not always the best thing to be," Dev said, his eyes were sleepy and his tousled hair fell over on shoulder and waywardly into his eyes; Sera looked away as desire pierced her like a hot knife through her stomach and lower.

"Amen to that."

"And, I'll think you'll agree, that just being me I get everything I want."

Dev had began crawling languidly towards her, stretching himself over her, Sera laughed as he kissed her and as his fingers started tugging at his T-shirt she wore.

"You think so, Bearswain?"

"I know so, Bearswan."

Sera fell asleep in his arms that night, well the paws of a bear really as he had been in his bear form; not that she minded. In some ways in took her back to the good times when her family had been united, and every time it happened Sera felt a twinge of guilt that she was keeping him away from his family. That wasn't to say she didn't like having him to herself but she couldn't help thinking about how worried Mama Lo was, though why she should feel sorry for the elder woman was beyond her. Sera just conceded that she was slightly soft somewhere in the head. Many a time she had gathered the courage to broach the subject of his family to Dev but he always did or said something to distract her or she simply couldn't bring herself to turn his beautiful smile into a serious frown.

Another worrying subject for Sera that she again refused to bring up for fear of what it lead to, was the discussion of their mating. It seemed inevitable that they would and she was willing, but Dev wasn't making moves to show her encouragement and she'd be hanged before she asked him first. Her stubbornness and pride just would not let her ask him to mate with her, even when he would tenderly take her marked palm and rub his thumb over the mark then kiss it or lay it against his whiskered cheek. Every little bearswan had visions of how her mate would ask her to complete the ritual just as every human girl thought of weddings and dresses.

There were still times, even as convinced as she was by both their love for each other that Sera felt a compulsion to run, to keep moving and hiding as she had done all year. As if sensing this Dev would hold her tighter at night and be awake before her, watching her in the sunrise.

The greatest test of Sera's love for Dev and her 'staying' ability as she referred to it, came in the next few days …

Sera ran her hand through Dev's soft fur, the bear turned his muzzle up to face her and his eyes, that were the same hazel they were in human form, glinted flirtatiously.

I'd stop doing that if I were you.

Sera smiled as she heard Dev's voice in her mind and threw him a teasing look of her own over her shoulder as she skipped ahead of him.

"And why's that?" she asked, her face all innocence.

Because it'll only make me take human form and ravish you where you stand. And you told me the other day that you liked that shirt in particular.

Sera laughed and stooped over to pick at a non-existent flower, deliberately giving Dev a perfect view of her bottom under her shorts that stretched tight over her form. She heard him growl.

"But I think you know I like you better." Again she threw that enticing look over her shoulder and dashed off into the swampy interior of the New Orleans bayou. Dev growled out a laugh and ran after her, moving with more grace and agility then a natural bear.

Sera didn't give in to him easily, she wasn't competitive but she liked hearing him curse in her mind as she dodged him several times; finally he jumped and his teeth gently caught the hem of her shorts.

The ripping noise was loud in the dense, quiet swamp. Dev stared for a moment with the torn shorts hanging from his mouth shocked to find his mate standing partially naked sprawled on the ground, Sera had leant up on her forearms to stare at him shocked. A tight ball of lust struck Dev in the gut and his whole body tightened with desire, he let the shorts drop from his mouth still having flash backs of Sera's smooth, firm buttocks. Dev crowded close to Sera and was about to transform when his excellent sense of smell caught something on the air that made his freeze. Two very familiar scents, he bared his teeth angrily and let out a roar.

Dev turned his head to Sera and saw that she had already flashed a new pair of shorts on and was watching him wearily.

Stay here! He commanded and took off in the direction of the scents.

"Like hell I will!" Sera sneered and was on her feet running after him, frustration and amusement warred at each other at his mates defiance but he didn't have time to tell her to go back, he merely sent her a furious snarl that would scared any other normal woman.

"Dev!" He heard Sera's desperate cries from behind him, "be reasonable!"

But as he broke through the lush vegetation and greenery and saw Aimee, his baby sister and the Lykos, Fang necking and groping like a couple of sex starved convicts. Dev felt rage swell up inside him and charged before he could think better of it; Fang noticed Dev before Aimee did and pushed her from him. It was a good thing because Dev launched himself on the wolf and proceeded to try and slash at him as best he could; he was easy-going yeah, but hey every bear has his limits and Dev's was watching some guy having his hands all over his baby sister's ass.

Fang rolled with him, and Dev gave him a grudging respect, he had confidently thought he would be able to knock the wolf down and out without any resistance, but he had to admit Fang held his own. Dev's felt Fang's hands grip at his fur as they rolled and the wolf used Dev's heavier body to his advantage while holding Dev's jaws away from his neck. Dev knew he wasn't fighting to kill Fang, he wasn't Remi, but he intended to rough him up a bit.

"Fang! Dev!" Aimee and Sera's voices shrieked into the air, frightening birds from trees, then Aimee's sobbing cries.

"Please don't Fang, he's my brother! Please, Dev don't!"

Hearing the anguish in his sister's voice, Dev momentarily paused and he felt Fang go limp beneath him, the wolf had simply refused to put up anymore of a fight because Aimee had asked him not to. Still there was a fury in Dev that just would not abate and he had to put a little bit of hurt on the raggedy Lykos, he drew his paw back to swipe when he felt himself launched backwards and land hard against the ground.

Dev looked up, furious, to see his mate glaring at him and he knew instantly it was her that had forced him back. Dev flashed into human form and returned her glare tit for tat, but Sera didn't back down, if anything it inflamed her more.

"Idiotic moronic asshole," Sera snarled and turned towards Aimee, who was kneeling beside Fang. Her beautiful face was tear streaked and lined with worry as she ran her hands over Fang's chest to inspect if any damaged had been done; he had a few scrapes and bumps that had largely been caused by the fall and the stones on the ground. With her long blond hair pulled back from her face, Aimee looked impossibly young; that alone should have added to his fury but Dev only found himself feeling like a shit. He glanced at Sera who was watching the couple with weepy eyes.

"Aimee, get away from him now!" Dev barked the order out but there was no real force behind it and Aimee paid him no attention as if he had never spoken. Sera however turned her stare full force on him and it took all his restraint and will power for Dev not to wince.

"What's wrong with you!" Sera's eyes flashed dangerously and Dev swore he saw a flicker of her sentinel markings showing on her skin, though it could be blamed on the lighting and gases from the bayou.

"My baby sister is shagging a wolf!" Dev sneered in the direction of the Lykos, his lip curling in disgust, "what do you think is wrong with me?"

Before Sera could answer Aimee cut over her and Dev turned his eyes towards the petite blond that was sizzling with rage.

"Your baby sister is older then half the people in a God damn nursing home!" she screeched and Dev glowered a little at Sera when he saw the smug pride for Aimee on her face. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Your brother and -"

"That's all you are!" Aimee stopped him in mid sentence, Dev could see she had been working up a steam that perhaps stemmed back to when he and his family had first decreed she could have no more contact with Fang. "Your not my owner! Your not my God! If you want to dictate every part of my life to me like I'm some brainless pup or ignorant wild savage then just stick me in a zoo because that's all the respect you show me!"

"Aimee -"

"Don't Aimee me!" he was close to tears and out the corner of his eye Dev saw Sera's own eyes fill with tears, it didn't take the most perceptive person in the world to hear the utter despair and grief in her voice; Sera had unconsciously placed both hands upon her heart. It was like she was physically hurting for the young bearswan and she couldn't bear it, why couldn't her family see how much she loved the wolf? Was it so completely wrong?

"All my life you have told me what to do and how to behave and who I can talk to -"

"You've had freedom -"

"Is this freedom, Dev?" Aimee asked, her voice soft now yet still broken by unshed tears.

"Is this what you call freedom? Having to sneak around just to be with someone you want to be with. That's not freedom, not freedom to make your own choices. All I want is to be loved by a person of my choosing. And you refuse to let it happen. And why? Tell me why I can't have him?"

"Your not mated to him, Aimee," Dev's voice was thick, he didn't want to admit it but he could see the truth in Aimee's words and it was cutting at him, at what he had been taught was right for so long.

"And? You aren't mated to half the women in the world but you still fuck them!" Dev tried not to wince when Sera's eyes swung round to settle on him but he ignored her.

"Watch your mouth!" Dev reprimanded sharply.

"Fuck you," Aimee whispered, Dev watched as Fang's eyes darkened with worry as he stared at her, even he hadn't ever heard her use language like that before. "The fates will decree who I will be mated to but they haven't yet and until then I refuse to let you play the fates to me anymore. All I want is to be mated and have a family and I know I can't have that with Fang but its unlikely because of you and the rest of them back home that I ever will. How will I ever have a life if I have to worry about how my actions, even in their smallest measurement, effect yours all the time.'

"I can't go near a male of any species without you lot pitching a fit! Why can't I choose who I want to love and be with? You've surrendered to the fates, you've let them tie you to a woman you don't even love just because you couldn't keep it in your pants!"

The guilt and sympathy Dev had been feeling as Aimee spoke gave way under a furious surge of rage.

"Don't talk to me about what I feel, bearswan!" Dev growled, his eyes flashing dangerously so that Aimee went white and Fang stepped closer to her prepared to defend her in the face of an attack. "You have no idea what I feel for my mate! So counsel your tongue!"

"No!" Aimee's answer rang with defiance, "You have no real idea what love is. How could you possibly know, Dev? I fell in love," she spread her hands in front of her to add emphasis to her words. "I fell in love. And its wonderful and beautiful and not something that can be rushed. But you. Your just mated. If you love your mate Dev, tell me why?"

Dev was taken aback by her questions and immediately his mind began to think of Sera, of her sharp wit and beautiful eyes, her infectious laugh and outrageous sense of humour, her honour and courage.

"Its not relevant," Dev muttered, rubbing the ache in the back of his neck.

"Of course it is. Only a person in true love will ever understand what I am saying. If Sera was not your mate, would you still want her? Would you still love her, protect her?"

Dev did not answer even though his mind screamed yes! He refused to play her games. Aimee turned her eyes to Sera, and Dev was reminded once again of her presence, he had temporarily forgotten she was there, she was so quiet and still and immediately Dev regretted his refusal to answer Aimee.

"I feel so sorry for you, Sera," Aimee actually did sound sorry and Dev believed it was genuine as both women seemed to like each other. Sera gave a little sigh and a nonchalant shrug but the look in her eyes said 'so am I' and Dev felt his heart ache. He turned his attention back to his sister.

"Enough of this, Aimee!"

"I agree," she replied and turned towards Fang who opened his arms and welcomed her in, "goodbye, Dev."

"What?"

"I'm going with Fang."

"No your not!"

"I don't think you can stop me."

Dev growled loudly. "Don't be too sure of yourself, little girl! You and your wolf can't take me!"

Dev saw Fang stir behind her but Aimee placed a hand on his arm and he stilled to her touch, Dev recognised the female power that Sera possessed with him.

"Perhaps your right, brother, but it looks to me like you've got your hands full with finding your mate."

Dev's heart stilled as he stared at the empty space where Sera had just been standing, he let out a tired sigh and raked a hand through his hair; unwillingly Aimee's heart went out to her brother. Dev didn't know what to do or what he was supposed to say to make things right again with his mate. And if he knew her and by now he thought he knew something, he had a feeling she would be pretty pissed off at him right now.

"Have you seen Maman?" Aimee asked, Dev felt something tight and painful cloud his throat and he shook his head rather then speak.

"Have you seen any of our family?"

"No."

Dev blew out a breath and looked at Aimee and Fang, he really looked for once and saw what he always been there but he had refused to see. Love. Why was it so painful? He asked himself again, the Lykos wasn't all that bad and his family weren't entirely messed up, well the part that counted anyway. Dev walked forward until he was looking down on his sister, Aimee didn't move back but merely looked up into his eyes, he could smell the anxiety coming off her.

"Thanks to you, my mate will probably hate me now."

Aimee visibly cringed. "I was being insensitive and stupid. I wanted to hurt you."

"The way I hurt you," Dev observed correctly, "the way we all hurt you." He let out a long, jaded sigh. "Forgive me, petite soeur. I have done your wolf wrong and you also, its only because I love you."

Aimee's eyes filled with tears and her arms went round Dev, she hugged him to her tightly, wanting to convey her gratitude and how much it meant that he would say such a thing. Dev however was itching to find his mate, he hadn't been apart from her for more then a few minutes since they had arrived at the cabin, and her being out of his sight made him edgy. He didn't want to lose his little miracle rose when he had just found her, and just won her love.

"Go find your mate, Dev. She needs you." Aimee rubbed her brother's forearm then stepped back into Fang's embrace, Dev nodded and looked over her head to Fang, who eyed him without fear. Dev offered the wolf his hand, both Fang and Aimee looked shocked then their expressions faded away to gratitude when Fang took the proffered hand. Dev let go and spun on his heel and was about to march out of sight when he stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Go home, Aimee. Go back to our family and wait for me, when I return we'll make them see sense and accept your wolf."

Aimee looked uneasy.

"When will you be returning? Have you forgiven them yet?"

Dev's face hardened. "Not in the slightest. I will only return when I find my mate and if she is agreeable to it, but I will return once more to see them do right by you."

Dev inclined his head to them both and took off, calling out to Sera as he switched forms.