Reading your reviews makes me smile readers. Reminds me of my thoughts when I first read the story. Exactly the same. Your guesses are accurate. Makes me darn proud of you Readers! Heh..hows my accent? LOL!

By the time dinner was ready, Ichigo still hadn't put an appearance. Rangiku shook her head in exasperation. "Rukia, can you go fetch the men from the office? Knowing them, they're so involved in what they're doing, they'll never come out on their own."

"Okay. Can you point me in the right direction?" She wasn't too keen on searching out the group more wandering around on her own in 'foreign' territory but she didn't want to refuse and seem weak.

The other woman gasped. "You mean Ichigo hasn't even shown you around the house yet?"

Embarrassed, Rukia shrugged and shoved her hands in her pockets. "He planned to… "

"That man! It's ridiculous how tied up in his work he gets. I'll have to have a word or two with him about how to treat a mate!" Rangiku pursed her lips and looked thoroughly put out.

"It's all right." Rukia tried to smooth things over. The freedom with which Rangiku was expressing her feelings about Ichigo seemed strange, her father would never have tolerated that. Of course, Ichigo was nowhere about so maybe that explained things.

"No, it's not. He has a mate now and he has obligations to you. Come on, we'll collect the men."

Rangiku took her by the arm and led her from the kitchen. Glancing back over her shoulder, Rukia looked at Orihime who just shrugged and rolled her eyes obviously used to Rangiku's ways.

Eventually they reached the offices, Rangiku knocked and then entered without waiting for an invitation, shooing the men out with threats of no dinner if they didn't move. Ichigo was the last to exit and Rangiku grabbed him by the arm and began to scold him for his neglect. Rukia wondered how the Alpha would take such a dressing down but he listened respectfully and then thanked Rangiku for her opinion. Surprised, Rukia stared at him and then bit back a gasp when he winked at her over Rangiku's head, grinning and making a face. She puzzled over this as they turned to walk down the hallway to the dining area. Ichigo pulled her back and whispered in her ear.

"Rangiku-san thinks she's everyone's mother and can't resist pointing out the error of our ways. She means well and she was right. I was caught up in something but it was no excuse for ignoring you on your first day. I'm sorry."

Rukia nodded, taken aback at his admission. Her father never would have done that. Ichigo gave her a quick kiss, grabbed her hand, and hurried her down the hall. "Orihime and Rangiku-san are great cooks. I can't wait to see what they've prepared for us tonight."

The meal was pleasant, with general conversation. Rukia mostly listened, trying to absorb as much information about her new pack as possible. It was just the five of them at the table tonight and she wondered if the others had stayed away because of her. As if reading her mind, Uryu explained.

"I told everyone to stay away tonight. Since it's your first day, I thought you might find it a bit overwhelming to have everyone here. With just our four new faces, you can sort of ease into things."

"That was nice of you." Rukia smiled at the tall black haired Beta. Everyone was certainly trying to be considerate of her. Maybe it was time to explain some of her own feelings.

"I admit that I'm finding it a bit unsettling to be the new wolf in the pack. I feel like I'm violating your territory by being here. It's just old instincts kicking in, but there's this idea that it's dangerous to be walking around and that I should retreat as fast as possible." She shrugged hoping she hadn't made a tactical error.

Rangiku nodded in understanding. "This doesn't feel like your home yet. You'll be edgy and nervous for awhile and then one day, you'll find that your scent has blended with ours and you'll wonder why you ever wanted to be anywhere else."

"Changing packs is still a new concept," Uryu added. "Just a hundred years ago it was almost unheard of. With few exceptions, we lived and died within the same pack. But the world's changing and we have to change with it. People go away to school, get jobs in new cities,packs have had to adapt if we're to survive. Some don't like the new ways they want to cling to the ancient traditions but our very existence depends on our ability to integrate undetected with the rest of the world."

"And it's even healthy for the packs to have new members." Orihime chimed in. "New members bring new blood. There was too much inbreeding in the past."

Rukia was surprised with how forward thinking these people seemed to be. Her old pack wasn't exactly in the Dark Ages, but they did tend towards the traditional. "Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I just hope everyone else here feels as you do."

"It will be fine. You'll find your feet soon enough." Ichigo hadn't said much yet. Now he reached over and squeezed her hand. She was surprised at the comfort the gesture seemed to bring.

"She'll find her feet a lot faster if her mate spends some time with her." Rangiku pointedly looked at Ichigo and he grimaced.

"Yes, mother." He replied with mocking tone. Rangiku threw a roll at him, which he caught and bit into. "Thank you. How did you know I wanted more?"

Rangiku scowled at him and the others burst out laughing. The rest of the meal progressed in an easy way and Rukia felt herself relaxing around her new pack mates. Even Ichigo seemed approachable, gently teasing her and laughing as she boldly replied with snappy come-backs. She found herself enjoying his company and felt some hope for the future. Maybe she and Ichigo could eventually become friends, at least.

Dessert was just being served when the phone rang. Uryu excused himself to get it but returned quickly, his face grave. "Ichigo, we have a problem. Chad was out patrolling the far edge of the property today. Tatsuki just called to say he never came home and she can't make a mental connection with him."

The table fell silent and Rukia looked around at the grim faces, wondering what was going on. Ichigo set down his cup firmly and stood.

"Call Kira and Hisagi. We'll set up a grid and go searching. I'll meet you at the edge of the woods." He turned to go then paused, looking back at Rukia. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Nodding, Rukia got up and followed him out of the room. Once they were by themselves, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Rukia. It's your first day here and all I've done is ignore you. I have to go but I'll be back as soon as I can."

"It's okay, but what's wrong?"

"Chad, one of the wolves that was assigned to patrol the perimeter of the territory, never came back from his shift. He's recently mated and there's no way he'd be late getting home. Last week we found a whole line of traps along the area he'd have been in. Possibly the traps were reset and he stepped in one."

Rukia paled, thinking of her mother. "I hope he's all right."

"Me too." Ichigo stared off into the distance, frowning and squeezing her shoulders tightly. She winced at the pressure. He looked down at her. "Orihime and Rangiku-san will take care of you. Ask them if you need anything." He pulled her in for a quick kiss and then left. Rukia made her way back to the dining room and joined the other two ladies in clearing the table and putting away the leftovers.

After cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes, the three women sat down to watch TV in the new recreation room downstairs. Large overstuffed chairs circled the high-tech flat screen and a fire was burning in the corner taking the chill off the room. At first, Rukia tried to concentrate on the drama unfolding on the screen but found her gaze drifting more and more towards the other two women. Rangiku and Orihime kept shooting each other glances and seemed to be exceptionally tense. Finally, Rukia gave up the pretence of not noticing and when the next commercial came on, turned to confront them.

"I've noticed you two looking at each other. Is there something else going on besides Chad being missing?"

"Rukia, don't worry. It's probably nothing."

"That's right. Chad must only late." Rangiku bounced up. "Why don't I make us some popcorn?"

"If this is to be my new home, I need to know what's going on, don't you think?"

"Well, yes… " Orihime twisted her fingers and looked towards the other woman.

Sitting back down, Rangikusighed. "We aren't trying to hide things from you, Rukia. It's just that Ichigo said that he wanted to explain the situation to you himself. Because it involves him on a personal level and he wants you to understand where he's coming from."

Sighing in frustration, Rukia realised that she'd get nothing more out of her two new friends. If the Alpha had forbidden them to speak, they wouldn't. "All right. I'll ask Ichigo when he gets back." Checking the time, Rukia stood up. "I think I'll head up to bed. It's been a busy day."

Bidding each other a good night, Orihime and Rukia each turned toward their own wing of the house while Rangiku stayed. Opening the bedroom door, she didn't bother to turn on the lights. Turning, she looked at the large bed that dominated the room, the bed she'd be sharing with Ichigo for the rest of her life. A shiver ran through her at the thought. The intimacy involved made her both uneasy and excited. Last night had been embarrassing yet pleasurable, she both hoped that he'd not come home until after she was asleep, while at the same time she was curious to try mating again. The sensations had been… interesting.

Frowning, she wondered how she could even be thinking that way. Earlier that day she'd been reminding herself that she loved Renji, yet here she was contemplating having sex with Ichigo! Shaking her head at her thinking, she changed into her nightgown and climbed into the large, empty bed. Turning so she faced the windows, she stared out at the moon and let her thoughts drift between the two men in her life.

The next morning Rukia wakes up surprisingly, she'd slept quite well in her new bed and began the day in her usual way, stretching her arms and legs until they were fully extended, and then releasing them and sinking back down in pleasant relaxation. Rolling her head to the side, she noted that the other half of the bed was completely undisturbed. Ichigo hadn't slept with her last night. Possibly he and the other men were still out searching for the missing man. If that was the case, then something was seriously wrong. Rolling out of bed, wearing a pair of track pants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, she combed her hair, pulling it back in a clip, and then walks downstairs in search of someone who could update her on what had happened.

Rangiku was in the kitchen, preparing bacon and eggs. "Morning, Rukia. How did you sleep?"

"Not bad. Is Ichigo back? Did they find the missing man?"

"Yes, they got back around three in the morning. Ichigo stayed with him at the infirmary, but sent Uryu back home with the news. Chad was shot. He lost a lot of blood, but he'll be okay."

"Shot?" Rukia felt a chill run through her as memories of her own mother's death came rushing back. She was in wolf form with her leg in a trap, poachers approaching as she frantically tried to free herself. Had her mother tried to transform to save herself, but been unable to due to her injury, or had she feared for the rest of the pack and remained an animal, sacrificing her life so that her family would not be discovered? Her mother would have been terrified, her heart pounding as she desperately called out to her mate for help. Rukia knew the story well. Her father had felt his mate's terror through the mental connection that all bonded pairs shared. He'd raced as fast as possible to her side, but it had been too late. The gun-shot that killed her mother, had echoed through the woods as he came charging up the small crest to where his mate lay dying. They'd never found the hunters, her father had stayed with his mate as she breathed her last, rather than giving chase…

A pan clattered on the stove, causing Rukia to jump and bringing her out of her reverie. Rangiku had her back turned and was busily flipping the bacon, not noticing anything was amiss.

"Yes, Chad was shot possibly seasonal hunters who wandered onto our property not seeing the 'No Trespassing' signs or deciding to ignore them."

"So, what will Ichigo do about someone hunting on his land? Tell the police?"

"It's tricky. We can't let on that anyone was shot. They'd want to see Chad and it would be hard to explain how the wound was healing so quickly. Ichigo will probably report that he heard shots fired or that there was a near miss. Nothing will be done though. There might be a few more patrol cars for a day or two, but the local police don't have the manpower to watch this large an area. Nor do we want them around all the time. Like all packs, we try to keep a low profile."

It was just like home. A pack was basically on its own when problems arose. Involving the local police was always too risky.

By time the meal was ready, Uryu and Orihime appeared. The man looked tired from his late night and sat down heavily in his chair. Orihime fussed over him, bringing him coffee and putting jam on his toast. Rukia watched them while she ate, wondering if she'd ever feel the need to do that for her mate. Was that what was expected of her now?

Breakfast was partially over when the back door opened and a tall woman entered wearing a skin-tight dress of shocking pink, matching the color of her hair. Rukia immediately remembered her from the previous day. She was the woman who'd cut in front of her and blocked the door before hanging all over Ichigo and trying to get his attention. What was her name again?

"Riruka, this is a surprise." Uryu's greeting supplied the answer. His voice was neutral, but Rukia had the general impression that the Beta wasn't overly pleased to see the newcomer. The look in his eyes was cold. Neither of the other two women were overjoyed either, if their suddenly stiff postures were any indication.

"I just heard about Chad and rushed right over to see if there was anything I could do." Riruka flipped her long hair over her shoulder seemingly oblivious to her cool reception.

"Since he's in the infirmary, and we all know how you can't stand to be around anyone who is hurt, I fail to see how you'd be of any help." Rangiku rudely addressed the beautiful she-wolf.

Riruka bared her teeth at Rangiku and smile, obviously fake. "I meant that with Ichigo being up all night, he might be tired and need some help in the office. My shift doesn't start until noon and I have done office work before."

"Thanks for the offer ," Uryu nodded solemnly, "but I think I'll be able to handle things until Ichigo gets back. If it does get busy, Rukia can help."

"Rukia?" Riruka raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows and looked puzzled. "Who is… ? Oh I'd forgotten. The new little mate." She acted as if she was searching the room before letting her eyes focus on the newest pack member. "So you're Ichigo's mate. I must say, you are a little thing." Studying Rukia from head to toe, she shook her head and made a little pout. "Hmm, you're not very strong looking. I hope you can stand up to the strain of the position. I know from personal experience how… demanding… Ichigo can be."

Flushing at the insult and implied meaning of that statement, Rukia wanted to put the other woman in her place. Standing, she circled around the table and advanced on the woman, speaking with a trace of a growl in her voice. "I'm perfectly capable of being Ichigo's mate and I don't appreciate your comments. If you have a problem with me, say it directly to my face rather than making snide innuendos."

Riruka stepped back in surprise. "Why Rukia! I assure you I meant nothing at all. It's just that Ichigo and I are old friends… " Her voice trailed off and she looked at the table. The others were continuously eating their eggs. A power struggle between two pack mates didn't involve them. It was up to the two wolves to work it out. Rukia took one more step towards her and for a moment Riruka held her ground, but then backed up. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your breakfast, I'll leave you alone, but if you need anything at all… "

No one responded and the woman left, slamming the door behind her. Exhaling loudly, Rukia turned back towards the table. The others were looking at her. "That was… unpleasant."

"Actually, it was quite entertaining." Orihime started to laugh.

Rangiku snorted. "It's about time someone put her in her place. Good work, Rukia."

Uryu just sipped his coffee, but Rukia was sure he was smiling. She felt a grin breaking out on her own face as well and happily sat back down to finish her breakfast. She'd survived her first encounter with a member of the pack, Orihime, Uryu and Rangiku didn't count, and she'd come out on top. It was a good feeling. A very good feeling.

Just want to greet an old friend of mine here in fanfic net.

Hi..wolfgang 04! Kumusta ka na? Long time no uh..see? whatever! Na miss kita , one of my favorite reviewers in my One Last Chance fic! Sorry kung di ko muna masasagot questions mo for now..I'm still a bit busy heh..

Ask q lng..plano mo parin bang magsulat ng story? That story you said before..