Surprise! I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time for this, so I am here to provide :D

The plan (hope) is to post once a week, because we post on Sundays. So you can blame Gigi256 and Alice Roza, because I wanted to be cool like them.

Also, a huge shout out to MagpieandtheHound, and Romitrireader, both who are big reasons for getting me to stay focused on what I'm meant to be writing :)

TW for the story - there will be reference to past abuse, and sexual abuse. If you were okay with the two previous parts of this story, you'll be okay with this one, because I won't be adding any graphic scenes and such.

Also, there will be plenty of smut in this story :D

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, because, boy, it's gonna be a rollercoaster :3

Rose POV

Three years ago.

My stomach twisted, and the nerves made my leg bounce in the passenger seat. Trees lined both sides of the road, so thick that the sunlight couldn't break through the foliage. I couldn't remember seeing another car for at least an hour, which made me nervous.

When my mother told Alberta she wanted me to live with her, I figured we would be heading to an airport or at least a city, but this was the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we?" I asked, glancing at Janine, but she kept her eyes forward and hands clasped on the wheel.

"Just have to make a stop."

Half an hour later, we finally pulled up to tall iron gates. We waited a second before it was opened by two wolves, and we drove up the long gravel driveway. There was a cluster of buildings, towering and old.

It felt like lead settled in my stomach.

"What is this place?" I think I knew—I was terrified that I knew—but I needed her to tell me I was wrong.

She didn't respond, and I started to panic.

Four people were waiting when the car stopped. Three men stood behind a woman, her expression kind, framed by golden hair, but it did nothing to ease my fear. Janine put the car in park, then walked around the car to my side and opened my door. I shrank back; my fingers wrapped tightly around the seatbelt like it was a lifeline.

"Rose, I would like you to meet Dawn Heathers." Janine gestured to the blonde. When I didn't move, she reached in and took my hand and pulled me out. My heat only ended a day ago; I was weak still and couldn't put up much of a fight. "Dawn is going to look after you."

My blood ran cold. "Look after me?" I asked desperately, "What do you mean? I'm going with you. That's what Alberta said."

The men moved forward, one to the car and removed my bag; the other two came towards me. I spun and latched onto my mother's arm. I locked eyes with her, praying I would see something that would prove it was just some sick joke.

It had to be a joke.

"Mom, please, what are you doing? I don't want to stay here!"

Janine's lips pressed together tightly; her expression closed off. "This is what's best for you."

I tried to ignore it, but I knew what this place was—the one place I never wanted to be—An academy. I shook my head; tears of frustration filled my eyes as I trembled in fear. "No! Don't do this–"

The men reached for me, and I ran.

Hands wrapped around my arms, halting any escape I had in mind. Their fingers dug in, grasped so tightly that there was no way I could break free. It didn't stop me from trying; I kicked my legs out, trying to throw them off me.

"Mom!" I shouted, crying out for her as her back turned to me. "Please! Don't do this! Please, I don't want this!"

I should never have trusted her. She never wanted me—I should have known that would never change. Alberta just handed me off to her, and now my mother was leaving me behind again.

"Please!" I begged. I didn't try to keep the tears in; they flowed freely down my face as I screamed in anger. "I'll never forgive you! I swear! Don't leave me here!"

Present

Janine's face whipped to the side, unprepared for me to punch her; she wasn't ready for the second punch I threw either. I reared back to strike again when Dimitri's arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me away.

"Rose! What are you doing?" he asked incredulously. I would have acknowledged his question, but my mind was focused on Janine; a haze took over, and all I saw was red.

Janine was on the ground in a dazed shock, shaking her head before looking up with anger and disappointment. "What the hell are you doing!"

It only pissed me off more. If anyone had the right to be angry here, it was me. With a snarl, I threw my elbow back and impacted Dimitri's face. It caught him off-guard, and he released me.

I lunged for her again.

"Rose, stop!" Dimitri's deep voice echoed around us, and I froze.

I couldn't move for a moment, my muscles constricting. It felt wrong, my body following Dimitri's orders rather than my own will. He had used his alpha command on me twice already today, but those were within reason—this wasn't.

My eyes snapped to Dimitri's, rage boiling to the surface and threatening to overflow. "What the fuck?" I demanded, not turning my back on Janine but glaring at him. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek; my hit to his head managed to cut the edge of his eyebrow.

He swallowed, a flash of guilt in his eyes. He looked towards Zmey and then back at me. "You don't want to make him an enemy," he warned through our link.

I lowered my fist and took a step back; my finger pointed at Janine as Zmey helped her to her feet, "You don't know who that is, do you?" Dimitri's brows furrowed at my question. "That," I spat, "is Janine Hathaway. My bitch of a mother."

Dimitri's entire demeanour changed, eyes locked on the woman before us; his fists curled, and his muscles flexed. He reached out and gripped my wrist to pull me behind him. I could tell he was on edge, especially considering the letter we'd received a couple of days ago. But he was also wary of the mobster that continued to eye me; Zmey's offer of trading for me made even less sense now.

"I see you are still hotheaded, Rosemarie," Janine commented, wiping blood from her split lip with the back of her hand.

"Don't you dare talk to me," I warned in a low voice.

Zmey hummed, adjusting the cuffs of his coat and side-eyeing Janine, "It seems I'm missing some information here, but nevertheless, my offer still stands."

Dimitri's hand tightened around my wrist, fingers digging in. "I'm not trading for Rose like she's cattle. She is the Luna of this pack and my mate. Get off our land, or I will make you!"

Janine scoffed at Dimitri, turning back to me, "Rosemarie, really–"

"Fuck off. I don't want anything to do with you!" I shouted, taking a threatening step forward, but Dimitri held me back.

Zmey watched the interaction, a calculating glint in his eyes. "It does appear we are unwelcome, but we won't be going anywhere."

I cocked my head at him, "What about no don't you understand?"

He locked eyes with me, and the corner of his lips quirked up. It gave me pause. "I believe that you will need my help in the coming days. I've been informed of your issues with the Council."

Dimitri and I both stiffened.

"That's none of your business," I sneered. Mentioning of the Council made me nervous, especially after tonight, but there was no way he should know about that. Dimitri kept the news of Jesse's death quiet; it couldn't have spread to others yet.

As if reading my mind, Abe continued, "You may have been fine before, but the killing of Jesse Zelkos will not be easily let go. You'll need my help."

I inhaled sharply. "How does he know?" I asked Dimitri.

"I don't know." Dimitri stared back at Zmey, contemplating what to do next. "I think we need to hear him out."

I hated that he was right. I glared at Janine, gritting my teeth. "Keep her away from me."

The car ride back to the house was quiet. I refused to look at Dimitri, arms crossed and body angled towards the window. I could feel his eyes on me.

He cleared his throat, "Is your arm okay?"

"Fantastic."

I could practically hear his fingers flexing around the steering wheel. "I'm sorry I commanded you," he started, "I didn't know."

"So, you decided that making me do your bidding was the best way to deal with it? Is there anything else you want me to do, Alpha?" I replied sarcastically.

"Roza–"

"I'm not apologising for hitting you," I told him firmly. I shifted in my seat, hearing him sigh. It wasn't hard to guess he felt guilty, regretting he ordered me. I was still pissed, but I wasn't able to completely ignore my concerns for him. "Is your head okay?" I asked.

I couldn't believe I had actually hit him and managed to draw blood. If it weren't for how high-strung I was right now, I would be almost proud of getting a good hit on him.

"I'm okay," Dimitri assured.

My shoulders relaxed slightly. "Did it hurt?"

"A little."

"Good."

Silence stretched between us again.

"That's your mother?" Dimitri queried, tone full of anger. I reached over and rested my hand on his thigh out of habit.

I pulled a face, "Yeah."

Dimitri released a soft sigh of relief as his hand covered mine, fingers interlocked. I didn't have the heart to pull away when I found comfort in his touch.

"Why is she here? And with him?" I asked. So many questions were going through my head. As if I hadn't already been on enough of an emotional rollercoaster tonight, she just showed her face for the first time in three years and tried to trade for me. "I don't understand why she's here now."

Dimitri squeezed my hand, maintaining his hold as we pulled up to the packhouse. "I don't know, but I'm not leaving you alone with her."

I scoffed. "Worried I'll fight her again?"

"Yes," he answered honestly, eyes dropping to my right arm, a pink line where my injury was still healing, "I want you to be healed from your last fight before you start another one."

My lips twitched, the beginning of a smile; I tilted my head. "Does that mean after I'm healed, I can beat her up?"

Dimitri lifted our clasped hands to his lips and kissed the back of my palm, "Once you are healed, you can do anything you want."

Some of my anger melted away, less aimed at him compared to when we left the border. I leaned forward as he bent down, lips brushing in a quick kiss. "Thanks, comrade," I murmured, breathing in deeply so his scent invaded my senses. "I don't know how much more I can handle tonight."

"I know," he agreed, warm breath fanning my face, "We'll see what happens. If he knows something that will help, he might have to stay a couple of days."

I groaned. "I hate this."

Dimitri kissed me again, lingering for a moment before pulling back. "I'll be with you the whole time."

His promise made me feel better, ready to face the mobster and my mother. "Let's get this over with."

The pack house was quiet when we entered, warriors in the kitchen and hall and no doubt still out patrolling just in case. It was late, after midnight, and I was exhausted, though I was worried about what my dreams would be about if I slept.

At least I knew Jesse wouldn't be able to hurt me again.

Dimitri directed me to one of the offices, the same one we were in earlier tonight. He pulled out the leather chair behind the desk and pushed me down into it rather than sitting himself. I glanced up at him in confusion.

His fingers brushed through my hair with a soft smile, explaining, "You look tired."

"I look better than you," I replied dryly and swatted away his hand. I felt more composed when Zmey and Janine entered the office, granted it didn't last long after I saw my mother. She was surprised when she saw me behind the desk and Dimitri standing beside me, quickly hiding it.

I shouldn't be shocked by her reaction. Janine was the one that put me in the academy—she didn't think highly of me as an omega. I wondered if she only wanted me back to give me to another alpha. It wouldn't be the first time I'd heard of an omega traded for money or power.

Everyone wanted alpha children and didn't care about who they hurt in the process.

Zmey's eyes moved about the room as he strolled in with no care, "It's been a while since I was in here. I like what you've done with the place," he commented. He dropped into one of the couches and crossed his ankle over his knee, "Built yourself quite the name here, Belikov." A smirk appeared on his face, "Shame that no one respects it."

"How do you know about Jesse?" I asked, rather than letting the current topic continue. Dimitri's hand rested on my shoulder and squeezed it in reassurance. I knew it was because of me no one was respecting Dimitri—mating me weakened him in the eyes of others.

"Does it matter how I know? Soon enough, everyone else will as well," Zmey responded calmly. "What matters is how you plan to handle it when they ask why you killed him."

I bristled. "It was in defence."

"Do you have a way to prove that?"

Dimitri spoke, "We have a witness, one that was a part of the attack."

It irritated me that even when Dimitri was addressing him, Zmey stayed focused on me. There was something strange about the way he looked at me; like he was taking in my image. Apparent he knew me, but I had no memory of him.

"Why do you care?" My question interrupted the conversation, cutting Zmey off mid-sentence.

He cocked his head, sharing a look with Janine before looking back at me. "I'm invested in your future and well-being," he explained cryptically. The response made my skin crawl.

"Did Janine promise me to you or one of your buddies? Is that why you're trying to trade?" I spat, a glare aimed at my mother. "I'm not some breeder you can throw to the highest bidder!"

Anger burned in his eyes, shifting forward in his seat, "I promise you, Rose, that is something I would never do."

"Then why are you here? Why do you care!" I repeated, determined to get an answer.

He sighed. "Are you going to tell her, or am I?"

Janine made a sound of disapproval, leaning over his chair, so their faces were closer, "We discussed this, Ibraham–"

"And you lied to me about half of it," he snapped. "She deserves to know the truth about everything."

I was at the end of my rope. I slammed my hands on the desk and stood, "Just tell me already!" I felt Dimitri stiffen, and the others were startled. Everyone's eyes were on me.

Zmey licked his lips, righting himself in the chair. "I am invested because you're my daughter, Rose." He held my eyes, not once looking away as I blinked in surprise, glancing at Janine and then back at him. Both of their expressions were serious.

They were being serious.

And then I laughed.

It started as a soft chuckle in disbelief; then grew until I threw my head back and clutched my stomach. I stood back and swatted Dimitri's arm. "Did you hear that?" I asked as I gasped for breath between bouts of laughter, "I'm the daughter of a mobster."

"I see you are taking it well," my supposed father commented dryly. It made me laugh harder.

Dimitri hovered by my side, "Rose," he started, concern lacing his voice. I waved him off, the laughter dying.

"I'm fine. I've killed an alpha, got reunited with the woman that abandoned me and met my absent father for the first time. I'm fucking fantastic and done with this night." I pushed past him, and marched out of the room, "I'm going to bed. I am not dealing with this shit anymore."

I left the room and beelined for the stairs; Alberta was in the hall with Ivan, both of them gave me bewildered looks. Alberta followed me to the stairs, "Rose? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I giggled, pointing back at the room where Dimitri stood in the doorway, "Just meeting my parents."

Alberta's eyes widened and then narrowed in anger, "Janine is here?"

I threw my head back again; the volume of my laughter must have woken the whole house by now. "Yep. I got a couple of hits in before Dimitri stopped me." I didn't stay to see what happened next, climbing the stairs while trying to muffle the chuckles that continued to bubble up.

It was just too ridiculous. Not even a week had passed since I received a note saying I wasn't safe and that Janine was coming for me. And then tonight, I was attacked; and I killed the man that assaulted me multiple times. To top it all off, Janine magically appeared with my father, and they just happen to know everything.

It was too much.

I was quiet by the time Dimitri joined me in our room; I stood in front of the mirror and brushed my hair, working through the curls that had knotted together. I met his eyes in the mirror, noticing the uncertainty as he watched me.

"I'm okay," I promised, a tired smile on my face, but the longer I looked at him, it quickly fell. I placed the brush back on the bathroom counter and covered my face with my hands, releasing a shaky breath as I shook my head, "I'm not okay."

Dimitri's arms curled around me protectively and turned me to bury my face in his chest. I didn't cry, too tired to shed any more tears. I slumped against him, and he took my weight, holding me up when I couldn't.

"Are they staying?"

"Yes," Dimitri hummed, a hand rubbing my back soothingly, "I asked Ivan to put them in one of the hotels, so you don't have to see them if you don't want to."

A sigh of relief left my body, sagging more in his arms, "Thank you. I—How am I even meant to process that?" I drew back to see his face, "That's my father?" I asked incredulously. "The man that you have all been warning was a bad guy and someone to not mess with is my father. It's too insane to be real."

He pursed his lips, "Your scents are similar. It didn't register before, but I can detect the similarities between theirs and your scent. I think they are telling the truth."

"Fuck."

Rather than walk, Dimitri shifted his hold on me and lifted me up; my arms snaked around his neck, and my legs wrapped around his waist. I dropped my head into the crook of his neck, my lips just above the bite I gave him. I kissed it softly, feeling him shiver in response.

In the chaos of the night, I almost forgot that Jesse had tried to bite over mine.

No one spoke of it much; a brief mention of it at the academy that if an alpha was strong enough, they could take a wolf that was already claimed. Just like breaking a bond, it was taboo and kept hushed. I didn't mention it to Dimitri; it would just anger him.

It wasn't like it mattered now—Jesse was dead.

"Don't think about it now," Dimitri told me, laying me on the bed, kissing my forehead, "just sleep. We'll deal with it tomorrow." He pulled back, removed his clothes and turned off the light before he joined me again. I wiggled out of my shirt and underwear and pressed up close.

It wasn't sexual, I didn't have the energy, and I doubted he did either. Being this close to him, nothing between us, and just inhaling his scent—it was reassuring. Both of us could have been killed today. His chest still bore the signs of the fight, the deeper scratches raised on his skin. I gently traced them and then softly kissed above them, slowly working my way up to his lips.

"Are you okay?" I asked, lips brushing against his because I refused to move away.

He leaned forward, kissing me soundly before breaking it to reply, "I'm okay."

I lounged back in the chair behind Dimitri's desk, ankles crossed and heels rested on the edge of the wood. Regardless if it was because Dimitri realised I refused to be stuck in the house any longer or because he just wanted me closer, I was eager to join him at City Hall today.

Dimitri stood by the window, deep in thought, while Ivan stood in front of the desk, staring intently at the phone on the desk. "We have to call Croft. We can't just send them back missing four people."

"I know that," Dimitri stressed. We couldn't put off informing Croft what had happened; explaining that three wolves attacked Dimitri and were killed was easier to handle. It's once Jesse was brought up that things would get tricky. Once Hans knew, it would reach the rest of the Council, mainly because of Andrew.

"The longer we wait, the worse it's going to get."

"I know," Dimitri repeated tiredly. He turned from the window and leaned his palms on the desk, Ivan copied the pose, and they both stared at the phone as if it would give them the answers.

"What if you said you killed Jesse?" Ivan suggested to Dimitri. I straightened in the seat and glared at the two of them.

"No. He isn't taking the blame," I declared. If they did come for me, the pack could survive without a Luna, but they needed Dimitri as their Alpha. "Besides, if we say that and Andrew says otherwise, then he's useless as a witness."

"We need a witness that isn't Andrew," Dimitri grumbled, dragging a hand down his face.

"I couldn't agree more." a new voice joined in the conversation. We all perked up; standing at the door was Zmey looking more comfortable than he should be in an Alpha's office. I was relieved that he was alone at least, though I wasn't too keen on seeing him either. Zmey took a few steps closer, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his purple vest, "This won't be something you will be able to solve with a simple phone call."

Dimitri stood to his full height, wary of Zmey being close to me. I couldn't blame him considering he tried to trade for me twelve hours ago. "I'm assuming you have an idea for what we should do?" Dimitri chilled.

"Of course I do," Zmey agreed. "You'll challenge James Zelkos in front of the Council."

Just because I wanna give a good amount of warning before I do it, I will be changing my username to HiccuppedStudio on here in the future :)

Let me know what you think of the chapter :D