I honestly forgot it was Sunday, and I was working tonight so it's a late night post :D

And look! I changed my name :D Now it's all under the same handle for my writing and my art :3

Enjoy!

Dimitri kissed me again before we parted, him to start organising our trip to Court, and me to find Alberta who was searching for me. I squeezed his hand before I released it, watching his back until he left through the front door.

Nerves and anxiety made my stomach twist into knots. We were going to declare war against another Alpha—a very well-connected one. I was terrified of what the next couple of days would bring.

At least I had Dimitri.

It felt silly to keep repeating that. Before, I used to think I didn't need anyone, but knowing that he always had my back gave me the confidence that everything would be okay. He made me believe that there was a chance we would be able to get past all of this and be able just to live our lives.

I took a deep breath and pushed all of the fears from my mind.

"Alberta?" I reached out to her, "I'm at the pack house if you still need me."

It only took a second to get a response. "I'll be there soon."

I had a new appreciation for everything Alberta did for me. My mother really did just drop me off at her doorstep and expected Alberta to raise me. As far as parents went, Alberta was mine.

My stomach growled, and I gave in to the demands for food, strolling into the kitchen. The familiar smell of baked goods made me relax, a scent that I now related to being home and safe. I don't know if it was ironic that the first time I felt at ease in this house was in the kitchen. Olena was the first person to make me feel like I could be happy here.

Dimitri's mother was by the counter, humming softly as she mixed some ingredients. The sunlight streamed in through the large window; it made the edges of her hair light up like a halo.

Olena paused, spinning on her heel, and her eyes found mine. "Oh, Roza," she consoled, cleaning her hands on her apron. "Dimka told me."

My lip wobbled, and I crossed the room to her open arms, burying my face in her neck and hugging her tightly. My own mother was never there for me, but Olena and Alberta always were.

Olena's scent was enough like Dimitri's that it calmed me, giving me a small sense of peace like when I was close to him. The hug was warm and soft, her hand brushing through my curls. "I will always be grateful that son has you as his mate," she whispered beside my ear, kissing my forehead. I smiled, squeezing her tighter for a moment.

Someone cleared their throat behind us.

I drew back and caught the scent before I saw Janine standing by the table. It was strange to be around her scent again and how it brought memories of when I was younger. There was a point when I did have a good relationship with her, but that was also when I was three.

Olena brushed a loose curl behind my ear as she looked over my shoulder. "You must be Janine."

I noticed how Olena lifted her chin; she stood beside me similar to how Dimitri would when protecting me. It seemed that Olena wasn't too pleased with what she had heard about my parents.

"Yes," Janine confirmed with a nod. She wore a small smile that appeared pleasant but just made her look fake to me. "It's nice to meet you," she greeted.

I scoffed and gestured to Olena, "This is Dimitri's mother, Olena. She actually knows how to be a good mother. Maybe she could give you some pointers."

Janine's lips pressed into a thin line. "Can I speak to you for a moment, Rosemarie?"

"It's Rose."

She blinked, "What?"

"My name," I clarified in a harsh tone. "It's Rose. And no, I'm busy."

"Please, Rose, I would like to discuss–"

I cut her off, "There is nothing I want to hear from you. I don't give a fuck about what you have to say."

"Rosemarie–" my mother scolded me, but she was cut off by another voice.

"Janine," Alberta interrupted in a cool voice. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

I was standing in the kitchen with three powerful women and only two that I had any respect for. I looked past Janine to Alberta, "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to visit Jill, and maybe get your arm checked," she explained. She stepped further into the room until she stood beside the person that used to be her close friend.

"Yeah, I would like that," I nodded. I gave Olena another hug and made my way to Alberta, not missing how she directed me around Janine while remaining between us.

Janine spun on her heel and started to follow, "I just want to talk."

"And she doesn't want to talk to you," Alberta snapped.

Janine froze on the spot, her face flush with anger. Or was it embarrassment?

I didn't care. I turned away from her and marched out of the house. Alberta was close behind me, resting her hand on my shoulder in comfort when she caught up to me.

"Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly through my mouth. "I don't know," I answered honestly, "Ask me next week." My palms were sweaty; I rubbed them on my pants. "You know, I thought hearing the reasons why she left me would make me feel better. But all it did was make me angry. I'm just so angry."

My fingers curled into firsts, my nails digging into my skin. I didn't want to cry over it anymore, now I just wanted to scream. I wished I could shift; run through the forest and let everything just fall away.

"If she didn't have Zmey backing her, I would take a couple of hits at her myself," Alberta huffed then squeezed my shoulder, drawing my eyes to hers. "How are you feeling about him?"

"You mean how my father is a mob boss?" I asked with raised eyebrows, then shook my head. "I'm trying not to think about much." Or the fact that so much of what happened to me was because he was my father.

Alberta nodded in understanding, "I figured; that's why I thought you would like a distraction." She gestured to her car in the driveway.

I caught her arm as she took a step and wrapped my arms around her, holding her closer as I had with Olena. "Thanks, Alberta."

"What for?" she asked as her arms settled around me.

"For always being there for me."

Jill was practically jumping when she saw me, pulling me into a tight hug as soon as I was in her room. Her scent had diminished since the start of her heat; the pills helped a lot too. Her eyes were clear, and I couldn't feel heat radiating from her body when we hugged.

I could still smell it; she probably had another day or two before she could leave her house again. A warrior stood outside the house to guard her just in case, but no one had even tried to come close.

Jill's eyes were wide as she spoke, question after question about what had happened. News of the attack spread around and then talk about visitors. Though we never confirmed about Jesse and the wolves that helped him being killed, the wolves from Court knew something happened.

Thankfully, Emily and Alberta managed to distract Jill and led the conversation to an easier subject. I tried to stay focused on what they were saying, but my mind would stray.

We would be going to Court—the place where they could arrest me, force me away from Dimitri and put me back into a cell. Hell, they could even decide that my only use was making children. There were so many ways they could decide to punish me for killing Jesse and silence me.

All of it terrified me.

The thought of running had crossed my mind, but it was only there for a second.

I told Dimitri I wanted to face the Council, and I still did. Especially considering what I knew now—they wanted to just cover up their mistake and stop others from learning the truth. Hiding now would just be a disservice to all the omegas still suffering.

Jill wouldn't have to live under their lies, and I didn't want others to either.

Alberta took me to the clinic next, watching closely as my arm was examined. I had decided to forgo wearing a sling. The thought of wearing one at Court made me cringe.

After finishing the check-up, Alberta asked if I wanted to return home. I had pulled a face; going home meant a possibility of running into either of my parents. "I think I might just hang out at the diner until Dimitri goes home," I told her.

I convinced Alberta to go back to work when she dropped me off. The mess with Isaiah and Jesse proved there were holes in security around the pack. She hadn't said anything out loud, but I knew she was busy trying to fix them. I felt safe in the diner, just across the road from the gym.

Jay greeted me warmly, putting on a big show of wiping the counter down when I sat on one of the bar stools. "Only the best services for our Luna," he sang, winking at me as he laid out a menu.

I pursed my lips as I looked it over, choosing a slice of pie and a hot chocolate—comfort food.

I wasn't alone for long.

I heard the stool pull out beside me and scented the alpha before they sat down. My eyebrows rose when I looked at Gordon; I hadn't seen him since the night before, and with the reveal that he was working for Abe, I was hesitant to be around him.

He gave me a friendly smile; the way he held his hands out reminded me of when someone was trying to approach a scared animal. Maybe he thought I would call Dimitri and demand that Gordon be thrown off the pack land; part of me considered it.

"Luna," he greeted in a soft voice, eyes glancing around us.

Jay watched from the kitchen; he shot me a look. "Did you want me to get rid of him?" he asked through the mind link.

I eyed Gordon and then told Jay to leave him be. I was curious. "What's up?" I asked, it was more casual than I meant for it to be, but I had grown used to talking to him like we were friends.

"So, you know now," he breathed out, the corners of his eyes pinched.

I tilted my head. "You mean, I now know you've been working as a spy? Did they pay you off before or after you came here?"

Gordon winced, his hand dragged through his hair. "Before. When Zmey knew of the training, he approached me."

"Were you meant to kidnap me? Or was it just the threatening letter?" I asked.

Of course, Jay chose that moment to serve my food and drink; the hot chocolate was in a large glass with extra whipped cream and a colourful straw. I resisted rolling my eyes, keeping my expression impassive as I took a sip and waited for Gordon to reply.

Jay must have heard what I said, he stood in front of us with his arms crossed and a glare aimed at Gordon. "Should I call the Alpha?"

I gave him a reassuring smile, "It's okay, Jay. Gordon won't try anything."

It took a minute before Jay relented and went back into the kitchen, but I could feel his eyes on us.

Gordon gave me a look of relief, "There was never a plan to harm you, I swear. I would never have been part of something like that. I was asked to let them know how you were, and that was it."

"And starting a relationship with Ivan?"

"That wasn't part of the plan," he admitted, eyes dropping to his hands. "I have a sister that is omega."

I froze. My head snapped to the side, and I stared at Gordon, waiting for him to continue.

"She is five years older than me. I used to tell myself that if I was older, I would have been able to protect her better. But my parents sent her to marry an alpha pretty quickly. She suffered a lot because of their choices, and I hate that there was nothing I could do."

My lung constricted, and my heart clenched—a fate many omegas still lived and one I was lucky not to share. "What happened to her?"

Gordon focused back on me, a hint of a smile, "I made a deal with Zmey. He got her out of that situation, and I agreed to be his eyes."

"Got her out?"

His lips pressed into a thin line. "He took care of the alpha. I didn't ask questions, and neither did my sister. Once she was free of the mating bond, Zmey set her up with some cash and a new place to live. I spoke to her last week; she sounds happy."

"Free of the–" I cut myself off, swallowing around the lump that formed in my throat. The only way to truly break a mating bond was if one of them died. They warned me that Abe was a dangerous person, I just never considered everything he did. Learning that my father was also a killer didn't surprise me, instead, it made me laugh.

Of all the people for my mother to have a kid with, I never would be guessed it would be a mob boss.

God, my family was fucked up.

"I'm glad your sister got out of that," I told Gordon as I picked at my food. "It doesn't make me trust you or forgive you, but at least I know you weren't doing it just for money or something."

"I never lied to you or Ivan."

I laughed, "Good luck telling him that."

He shifted beside me. "Could you tell him I wasn't being paid to spy on you? And maybe tell Alpha Belikov to not kill me when he sees me?"

I eyed Gordon, pursing my lips as I thought; I could see the panic building on his face the longer I was silent. "I'll talk to Dimitri," I eventually replied, "but you have to talk to Ivan yourself. If starting something with him really wasn't part of the plan, then you need to get his forgiveness on your own."

Gordon covered his face with his hands, shoulders sagging. "I don't know how to even start earning his forgiveness."

"My suggestion," I started, "talk to him. Don't avoid him because you're scared of him rejecting you. Consequences suck, but you have to deal with them." I gave him a small smile, more a press of lips; I would have to face the consequences of my actions as well. Going to Court made a panic rise in me as dread settled in my stomach like lead, but I knew we didn't have much choice. The longer we let it continue, the worse the Council would become, especially once news of Jesse's death reached them.

I released a slow breath. There was no point in letting myself stress over what I couldn't prevent.

I pulled my slice of pie closer, taking a big bite. A hot serving of pie was the best comfort food.

"I guess I leave you to your pie," Gordon chuckled and stood from his seat. He paused and looked down at me with relief in his eyes, "Thanks for listening to me. I'm sorry for lying."

"If it's the price for your sister being safe, then I'm okay with that," I nodded.

I took my time finishing my food after Gordon had left, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the cafe. It still amazed me how at home I felt in the pack after the rocky start I had. I was so determined to get as far as possible at the beginning, and now I didn't want to leave it.

A small voice in the back of my head told me to savour everything about the town, just in case I didn't come back.

"Sorry it took so long," Dimitri spoke beside my ear, making me jump. I elbowed him when he smirked.

"Did you get everything finished?" I asked, not sure what everything was. He said he would prepare things for us to leave, but at the time, I didn't have the energy to ask what that meant.

Dimitri's eyes flicked around the diner, and then he leaned forward and kissed my forehead, taking my hand in his. "I'll tell you in the car. I promised we would eat dinner with the family tonight."

I hummed. Family. At least I still had Dimitri's family to be a part of instead of my own. I followed him to the car, waving goodbye to Jay and the others in the diner. It wasn't goodbye forever—I had to remind myself.

Dimitri said we had a chance, and I believed him. I had to believe him. I wouldn't allow myself to consider the alternative.

"Alberta will remain here and help run the pack with my mother and sisters," Dimitri explained as he drove, glancing over at me as he spoke.

"Shouldn't Ivan stay as well?" I asked, trying to remember anything I had read about what was done if a Luna and Alpha were both leaving the pack. Most packs preferred to have an Alpha or Luna in the territory at all times; otherwise, the Beta would stay with the pack.

Dimitri shook his head, "He has a lot of connections at Court. I want him there to use those to our advantage."

I nodded, pulling my knees up. I could see the pack house as we pulled into the driveway. "How long do you think we'll be there?"

His hand rested on my knee, squeezing it with a reassuring smile aimed at me, "Not long. A week or two at most. As much as I don't trust him, your father on our side will make things move quicker."

"Please don't refer to him as my father," I groaned and dropped my head back against the headrest. "In fact, don't refer to either one of those as my parents. I don't have parents. I have two people that never should have had kids."

Dimitri didn't respond, only squeezing my leg again once we parked in the garage. Rather than climb out, he leaned over the centre console and kissed my temple. "I can't agree with you completely. If they never had kids, I wouldn't have you in my life."

I grinned back at him as I rolled my eyes, "You're sappy."

"No, I'm in love with an amazing woman," Dimitri smiled and climbed out of the jeep. The look in his eyes before he turned away from me made my body flush. It had been over a week since we had sex, and I was starting to crave it; with everything else going on, it was hard to find the time.

I took my time getting out of the car, still being careful of my arm. It felt better, but it still needed some time to heal. What I wouldn't give to be able to have a full spar session against Dimitri or one of the others.

Fighting with my fist was easy. It was everything else in my life that was hard.

Olena was in the kitchen, cooking with the help of others to serve all the wolves from Court still; I could hear them in the dining room talking loudly. Dimitri said they weren't told exactly what happened at the lake, only that there was an attack and some were being held until they were taken to Court. It was the easiest way to explain why five wolves were missing, including Andrew.

There were leaving in less than two days, giving us one day to prepare everything for Court. We didn't want the wolves to return and have the narrative change because of rumours; we needed to control it so it stayed in our favour.

"I did what you asked!"

I paused in the middle of the hallway, recognising the raised voice of my mother. The curiosity got the better of me, and I moved towards the ajar door of one of the offices.

"I never told you to just abandon her!" Abe shouted.

"You said to not be in communication too much so no one knows of her connection to you. You said the academy would be safe for her," Janine growled, taking a step towards Abe, the look on her face was that of the fierce warrior she was. "You're the one that put that teacher in there, and she was useless–"

"And you are the one that said that Rose would trust you because you're her mother," he cut her off, holding his own and not backing down. "I never should have let you leave with her."

"If Rose had stayed with you, she would be dead!"

I pushed the door open and propped myself against the doorframe; they both froze, surprised by my sudden appearance. "Are you two done? Everyone can hear you. If you want to have a screaming match about who is more useless, go back to your hotel room. Or better yet, just leave my pack," I snapped at them. I had no patience for either of them, and no energy to deal with it.

They took a step back from each other, Janine's eyes dropped to the ground, and Abe straightened his suit vest.

"We are here to help you with this mess, Rose," Abe offered. "A situation that we are aware might have been created by us."

I threw my head back and laughed, but it held no humour. "Might have," I repeated. "If you want to help, you can take care of your shit somewhere else. I don't want to hear it."

"We need to discuss this," Abe pressed, stepping towards me. "If you are going up against the Council, we need to discuss the best way to do it, that's why we are here."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew everyone saw Abe as a terrifying mastermind, and he had the menacing part down to a T, but whenever I looked at him, I only felt contempt. "That's really helpful of you, but you have to wait. My family and I are going to eat dinner. We'll talk later." I gripped the door handle, a stern glare aimed at them both, "Now shut up, will you?"

I slammed the door behind me and took a deep breath. The smell of pine washed over me.

"Everything okay?" Dimitri whispered by my ear as his hands settled on my shoulders; I leaned back against him.

"Yeah," I promised, feeling a slight satisfaction at telling those two off. I spun and faced him, welcoming the calm he brought. "Is dinner ready yet?" I asked in a hopeful tone.

Dimitri nodded, taking my hand, "That's why I came to find you. I hope you don't mind, but everyone will be there tonight."

I quickly realised that everyone included Viktoria. I hummed, "That'll be nice to eat with everyone. It's been a while."

We paused in front of another of the dining rooms, it was a bit cramped, but it gave us some privacy from the visitors in the house. Dimitri released my hand and cupped my cheeks, tilting my head until our eyes met. "Are you sure everything is okay?" he asked again with a flick of his eyes back to the office I left my parents in.

"Honestly," I started, "I'm fucking angry, but I'm too tired to try talking to them about it. And as much as it scares me going to Court, I just want to get it over with so that I never have to see either one of them again."

Understanding filtered across his face. "Soon," he promised in a soft voice. "For now, try to enjoy dinner, and then I'll take your mind off things later tonight." That look flashed in his eyes again, and my anger melted away.

"Really? What do you have in mind?"

"I will take care of you until I'm the only thing on your mind," he promised through the mind link, making me bite my lip in anticipation. "I have many things I want to do to you, Roza."

"That's really mean to say just before we are eating with your family," I snarked as a blush rose on my cheeks. "Maybe we could just skip dinner."

Dimitri kissed me, tenderly moving his lips against mine and making me sigh after we broke apart. "We will have plenty of time later. For now, eat and try to relax."

The smile he gave me was blinding, and I knew I couldn't deny him.

I wished that night had never ended.

Everything was so much simpler then.