Kaya's excitement was almost contagious as she pulled me into a hug. "I cannot believe how gorgeous you are!" she squealed. "Well, I mean, I can. I've just been too excited to see you up close and personal!"

"We don't have much time," Ephraim warned. "They'll begin to look for you if you're gone too long."

Kaya rolled her eyes, dramatically. "It was either right now or later and I didn't want to wait." She led us both by hand to a fallen log to sit before standing before us; her eyes danced as she looked at me and Wyatt. "How are you guys feeling?"

Wyatt raised his hand, "I feel like I should be freaking out right now, but I'm not entirely sure why."

He was trying to place how he knew their faces. Ephraim may look like Dad, but everything else about him was completely different. The way he carried himself, the way he walked, the way he talked. He paved the way for my dad to be a strong leader. And Kaya was just an icon; her guidance helped my parents learn how to be the bosses they are today. These two people solidified our future. "Wyatt…" I whispered as I reminded him, "that's Kaya and Ephraim."

His eyes widened as it sank in. "Whoa."

Ephraim let out a deep chuckle before nodding once, "It's nice to meet you both, officially. We've been watching you two for a while."

"Why us?" Wyatt asked. "Or…I guess, why me?"

Kaya and Ephraim exchanged a sly, knowing look before Kaya said, "We believe in your potential. It's been so heart-warming to watch you help Hadley as she grows; we see something special in your relationship."

Wyatt and I both started stumbling over our words as embarrassment rushed over both of us. "R-relationship? We're not—" Wyatt shook his head.

"No, um, we're just friends right now—"

"—not to say that won't change or anything—"

"We're just working things out…" I concluded, ducking my head. It was strange to think of all of those private moments that they might have seen up there. Are stolen kisses really stolen if someone—or something—is watching?

Kaya and Ephraim laughed to themselves. "Guys, it's alright. We're not asking for a status update. We just mean we see what you guys mean to each other. Even if there's no label on it yet," Kaya said.

"Yeah…yet," Ephraim smirked. Kaya bumped him with his elbow, playfully. "Moving on," he said, "We felt it necessary to bring you both here to make sure we're all on the same page. Your parents are gone, which means you'll have to advocate for yourselves. Some people don't have the best intentions at the moment."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a little confused.

"Wyatt, sweetie, do you want to show us what happened at your uncle's house tonight?" Kaya asked. She almost sounded like a kindergarten teacher. She got down at eye level with her hands on her knees to talk to him. "It's really easy. We'll walk you through it."

Wyatt just stared at her with wide eyes. "You want me to…?"

"Show us what happened, yes," she repeated with a sweet smile. "Stand up. Both of you."

We stood in front of them like little kids, mostly clueless, but willing to try. It was so quiet. It was almost too tranquil in a way. I've been in these woods my entire life, but this was different. Kaya and Ephraim have the ability to literally take us to another place spiritually just to have these conversations. Kaya did it to my mom when she took over as Alpha; Mom went to sleep and then all of a sudden, her spirit and her body are separate. They thought she was in a coma.

They were so powerful; it was a little intimidating sometimes. But they loved to teach us how we could also be powerful. "Trust the process and this will be smooth," Ephraim said, nodding at Wyatt.

"Close your eyes," Kaya said in a Zen voice, "and imagine yourself in the Uley household. What were you doing?"

"Nate and I were playing Assassin's Creed in the living room. We were by ourselves," Wyatt answered, a little apprehensive.

"Good, start there. Visualize it. Place yourself as if you're right there again," Kaya instructed, "and project out."

Wyatt took a deep breath and shook out his nerves. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated. But he was concentrating so hard, he forgot to exhale. The projection started to come in but it was blurry like what I was trying to see earlier that day. Like a still picture, out of focus.

Even blurred, I could tell it was the Uley house. The brown couch was always facing the door with a huge tv mounted on the wall. The house was covered in greenery; Emily loved house plants and flowers. And there was always one corner littered with toys and little Luna's roundabout. I knew all of that from memory; Wyatt had never projected before so it wasn't coming in clear.

"Breathe, Wyatt," Ephraim reminded him. Wyatt released his breath, still concentrating. "Take us to that moment."

He groaned in frustrated. "This isn't working."

Kaya glanced at me expectantly. I silently asked her what she was expecting of me. I had never done this before. She gestured to Wyatt. I hesitated for a second before reaching for his hand. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on his energy. It started to flow through me intensely. Things started to move in slow motion. The picture began to clear, we started to hear the boys' voices and the sound of the game, we started to smell fresh baked cookies.

Then we were standing in the Uley living room. Not just standing in the Uley living room, but we were standing in front of Wyatt and Nate as they were playing Assassin's Creed earlier that night. "Nice!" Kaya said, clapping her hands.

"How is this possible?" Wyatt gasped.

"It's a type of psionic image projection," Ephraim explained, gathering us to the window of the living room. "This is a very advanced skill. Not even your parents have attempted this, Hadley."

"So, this is real," I stated, trying to wrap my mind around all of it.

Kaya spoke, "Well, as real as it can get. We are getting Wyatt's side of the story of what really went down tonight. Unobscured, unmanipulated, unaltered. Watch closely."

The four of us watched as Wyatt and Nate sat on the couch, yelling at the tv, and aggressively slamming the buttons on their Xbox controllers. Emily came from the back of the house, sighing in frustration. "Boys, can you keep it down? I just put Luna to sleep," she said. She started to clean up around them, swiping chips off the coffee table and picking up empty cans of soda. "It wouldn't kill you guys to clean up after yourselves."

"We will after this game, Mom, promise," Nate said, trying to look around his mother.

"Yeah, sorry, Auntie Em," Wyatt chimed in.

"Are you sleeping over tonight, sweetie?" Emily asked Wyatt as she walked to the kitchen.

Wyatt shook his head, "No, not tonight, Auntie Em. I'm going to check on Hadley and the kids and then head home to my brothers."

Wyatt was always the caretaker type. He needed to make sure everyone else was alright before he could lay his head down at night. Emily made a hum of intrigue before asking, "You and Hadley, huh? Is this like an official thing?" she asked. Something signaled in my head. There was something off with her tone. It didn't sound like a question of genuine interest and well-being. It sounded like she was fishing for information.

The Cameron's were always better friends with the Uley's than my family was. There was some bad blood there; I'm sure you know the story. Even with Sam being an advocate for my parents taking over the pack all those years ago, Emily never really got on board. I don't know if people were just used to it and ignored it, but it never sat right with me when Emily would make these unhanded comments about my mom. Sometimes about me. It didn't hurt my feelings or anything; I'm tougher than that. It just didn't seem productive. How are we supposed to grow as a community if there's this unhealthy part that's being ignored?

Wyatt's face flushed a little, "I wouldn't say like official official…I don't think." he answered. Real Wyatt and I didn't dare move or look at each other. Maybe we needed to have a conversation after all.

"Well maybe that's a good thing," Emily offered. "You don't want to make things complicated. Especially with you boys about to phase. You never know what'll happen."

Wyatt stopped playing the game altogether to address Emily, looking perplexed. "That's what Hadley said, but it couldn't get that complicated…right?" he asked.

"It's nothing you need to worry about right now, honey," she feigned nonchalance. "All I'm saying is when we were about your age, we had to deal with the imprint thing and that was messy. Hadley's next in line to be Alpha. We don't want either of you getting your feelings hurt if you're not The One for each other."

"Mom," Nate said in a warning tone.

Emily held up her hands defensively. "It's just something to think about," she responded as the front door swung open. Uncle Sam walked in, mumbling under his breath. He kicked off his work boots in a huff before stopping in his tracks once he realized that he wasn't there alone. "How was work, honey?" Emily asked.

Sam walked up to his wife and gave her a kiss. "It was fine. I just got done meeting with the Council," he told her before moving around her to fix his dinner plate.

"Oh!" Emily's interest was piqued. "About…what we talked about…?"

Sam nodded. He moved around the kitchen, radiating stress. He opened a cabinet and grabbed a scotch glass and a big bottle of Jack. He threw a shot back before pouring another. "They're not even going to consider it," he said in a hushed tone.

Consider what? Memory Nate and Wyatt were noticeably still on the couch as they eavesdropped. The game was paused on the tv and I watched as they glanced at one another before leaning their ears toward the kitchen.

"What? How?" Emily whispered to her husband.

Sam knocked back another shot. "It's a bullshit technicality. They're starting to think the hierarchy is more important than making the decision for the kids. The more Jake and Leah push it, the more Billy is bound to agree. He's not even thinking."

Real Wyatt grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"That feels like a recipe for disaster. I just don't think…" Emily trailed off, looking to see if the boys were paying attention. She dropped her voice lower, "I just don't think she can handle running a whole pack by herself."

She? Me? Nate and Wyatt now turned their whole attention to the parental figures in the kitchen. Nate looked particularly annoyed, as if he already knew what this conversation was. Wyatt turned to Nate, "Are they talking about Lee right now?" he whispered. Nate nodded, keeping his eye on his parents.

"Her judgment is shotty at best," Sam snorted. "Letting random shifters on the Rez should have been a huge red flag. What's next? Bonfires with blood suckers?"

I watched Wyatt's face harden for a second before he announced, "I think she's doing a great job."

"I agree," Nate said coldly.

Sam and Emily froze in their spots before facing the boys. They both have this tell when they're called on their shit. I've noticed it over the years; it's weird to see it happen in real time. Anytime Sam or Emily got caught being shady, they almost instantly put on a Stepford act and pretend that nothing's wrong. So they both smiled, cocking their heads to the side before Emily asked the boys, "What did you say, Wyatt, sweetie? We didn't hear you."

"I said," Wyatt spoke as he and Nate stood up, "Hadley's doing a great job."

Emily let out an uneasy laugh as her Stepford smile plastered harder on her face. "Oh, honey, of course Hadley's doing a great job. Don't you agree, Sam?"

Sam strained a little as he let out a curt, "Yup."

Now, this isn't something that should be said out loud. In fact, Nathaniel would prefer that no one knows this about him. He finds himself frustrated with his parents a lot. They spent so much time trying to make sure that they are the perfect united front instead of facing things head on. They never want to be wrong and they never want to admit to when they're doing something shady. Is it possible that Sam has been convincing the rest of the Council to question whether I'm ready to take over after my parents step down?

And is it possible that Emily is corrupting my Uncle Sam to the idea of me taking over as Alpha?

I was struggling with wrapping my mind around it. It kind of hurt. Not because I felt like I was entitled to Alphahood, but because I just wasn't sure what it was about me that would make them feel this way. Before, I just thought my grandparents were being protective. Like maybe they were worried I would be directly in the line of fire if I took over. I was alright with believing that. My grandpa Billy was even more protective and fierce than my dad. And my grandma Sue would do anything to ensure that her family was breathing easy. But…my uncle. He's not even my real uncle; he's been there my entire life and he was sabotaging me. Why?

"We're talking about something else, guys. Nothing to concern yourselves with," Sam tried to dismiss it. "When you guys become pack, you'll understand."

"But you're talking about Hadley," Wyatt asserted.

"No," Sam shook his head. He just straight up denied it. "We were talking about pack business. If you're not pack, it's not your business. Simple as that."

"Anything having to do with Hadley has to do with us," Nate argued.

"Especially if she's not here to defend herself," Wyatt added.

I felt myself smile a little. Those are my boys, through and through. Fiercely protective and always unwavering. They never shied away from what they thought was wrong or right. We had each other's backs no matter what. With those two, we'd always be solid.

"Watch the way you talk to your father, Nathaniel," Emily warned lightly. "You still need to respect your elders."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Please don't start with that crap," he said. "Are you trying to oust Hadley before she even has a chance to be Alpha? Tell the truth."

Real Wyatt held my hand tighter as Sam and Emily started stuttering over themselves. They were choking on their words. "We will not be spoken to this way by a child," Emily said, flustered.

"If I say it's none of your concern—," Sam started to raise his voice.

"You can't even be honest!" Nate snapped. He slammed his hand on the kitchen counter. That's when I noticed he started to tremble. Tensions flare so quickly when someone was close to their first phase; you never know what's going to be that one thing that will send them over the edge. Nate was so level-headed usually. Seeing him struggle to keep the wolf at bay was hard to see.

Wyatt sat quietly, stewing, while the three of them argued. Sam was trying so hard to backtrack and make it seem like Wyatt and Nate were being irrational. He said that he never said my name so there was no way the boys could know he was talking about me. What a load. Nate spat back that his father was acting really shady and didn't have the balls to admit it when he was called out on it. It was vicious; the room was thick with tension.

"Enough!" Emily shouted over them. She folded her arms over her chest, a stern look on her face. "That's enough. Now you listen here, both of you. This is not your argument. We were speaking privately and you decided to eavesdrop. We have put in a lot of time and energy into this pack and we are not about let nepotism and favoritism decide its fate—."

"Stop," I commanded out loud. Everything froze. Emily's mouth was open mid-sentence, Sam's vein was damn near popping out of his head, even the clock on the wall stopped ticking. The only thing I could see was that Wyatt and Nate were visibly vibrating with how angry they were getting. I stepped forward into the memory and crossed the room.

"What are you doing, Ace?" Real Wyatt asked. I held up a finger to tell him to hold on. When I made it to the kitchen counter, I stood next to Emily and studied her for a minute.

If there was one mind I always wanted to pick, it was hers. I could get through to everyone but her. She was polite; she smiled and kept up civil chit chat at family dinners and everything. But it was never genuine. It felt like there was always something she forced herself to shove down. I guess it's still so much resentment for my mother…just directed at me. In the past, it drove me crazy that there was this person who didn't like me. Why? What else could I do to change that?

I wish I could tell you what I was thinking in that moment. Instead of feeling hurt, I was mostly curious as to how long she and my uncle had been talking about who would take over the pack down the line. "Say that again," I spoke to her, touching her shoulder.

Emily unfroze and exclaimed with the same fervor, "We have put in a lot of time and energy into this pack and we are not about let nepotism and favoritism decide its fate. Hadley can barely keep herself out of trouble now! She's going to run the pack into the ground."

My hand flew off of her shoulder as if she burned me. I felt my stomach drop a little at her words. Was this how people saw me? I can't keep myself out of trouble. I can't be trusted to lead. I'm only being considered because I'm 'the favorite.'

Wyatt came up beside me and tenderly touched the small of my back, "Ace," he said calmly. "Don't spiral."

Easier said than done. I mean, for so long, I thought I was showing everyone that I could do it. I could be the responsible type that could fill the shoes of my parents. I took care of people, I put my community first. That's what I was supposed to do. Right? Maybe that just wasn't enough. Maybe I wasn't enough.

"That's not what it is at all, little wolf," Kaya said from across the room. I forget she's in my head just like I'm in everyone else's. "You are more than enough."

"Then why would she say that?" I asked, blinking away the stinging of frustrated tears.

Ephraim took a step forward, "You'd be surprised how often you come across people who want to bring you down, young one," he said. "This is a lesson for life. Not everyone will be on your side."

"Plus, jealousy is a nasty bitch, isn't she?" Kaya quipped.

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. My feelings were still hurt. It was like a punch in the stomach, almost. At least say it to my face, you know?

Wyatt squeezed my hip affectionately, "Come on, Lee. You know all that talk is bullshit. Emily and Sam? They don't know greatness if it hit them in the face." He spun me around until I was facing him. "Look, we have your back, alright? The people that matter know how hard you work."

His words of encouragement always made me feel better. Looking back, I realized how much I relied on him to bring me down when I was feeling too high strung. I valued myself in the way people think about me…mostly because I knew how much trouble it could be trying to fight to keep me alive. But, I studied Wyatt's eyes for long enough to know that he was telling the truth. There was never any doubt that he was. I was rattled, but he was my steady shoulder. "Do you really think they can convince the Council to oust me?" I asked, out loud.

Kaya let out a high pitched, "Uhhhhh…" she scrunched her nose apprehensively. "We should keep watching."

Wyatt blew out an exhausted breath as he took in the scene around us. He shook his head before mumbling, "This shit's intense…"

I closed my eyes for a second to prepare myself. It was really intense. It was like everything was amplified. All of the tension and anxiety and anger was all at a unbearable high. I nodded once as I said, "Ok, go."

Emily's yelling started again, full force. "She's going to run this pack into the ground. Do you want that?!"

"Hadley's braver than either of you could ever be!" Wyatt yelled, slamming his hands on the countertop. The granite cracked under the strength of his hands, causing a few glasses to fall and shatter on the ground.

"Brave or flighty?" Sam said under his breath.

Wyatt bared down on the broken countertop as his body worked through the aggressive racks of tremors. Nate shook his head at his parents, his jaw clenched, "Let's go ask her. She'd love to talk to both of you about this."

As he stomped his way to the door, Sam raced after him, grabbing him by the shoulder. "You will not leave this house, Nathaniel."

"Get your hands off of me," Nate growled, throwing his father's hand away from him. "I'm so sick of watching the both of you snake around trying to make things better for you instead of thinking about other people for once."

Wyatt shook his head, "I need to go tell Hadley," he decided.

"Wyatt, don't leave," Emily pleaded.

"Nah, fuck this. I gotta go." He walked around Nate to exit. Nate looked ready to follow.

"I guess you don't want to hear about the Bond then," Sam called as Wyatt swung the door open. Wyatt froze. Sam face settled into a smug smirk as he said, "Close the door, son."

Wyatt's breathing was getting harder and louder by the second. His fingers gripped the doorknob until his knuckles were white and the door began to splinter.

"Close the door," Sam said with more authority.

I watched as the boys reluctantly turned around. Their wolves were so close to the surface. Any word—any wrong word—would set both of them off. "What about the Bond?" Wyatt asked, tense.

"Things don't have to be so heated, boys. We can sit down like adults and talk it out," Emily tried to mediate and avoid the subject as much as she could.

"It'll happen eventually," Sam answered Wyatt, ignoring his wife. "But you know that, don't you?"

"I know it's on the table," Wyatt rebutted. "You can't force her to Bond though."

"No, we won't force her to," Sam shook his head. "The Council is already in conversation about her Alphahood. Either she Bonds or the title goes to someone else. It's not official yet, but it's only a matter of time before the Council votes."

"No one else can do it," Wyatt argued.

"No one else will want to do it," Nate added. "Even then, she'll just pick Wyatt to Bond. Problem solved."

Sam shrugged his shoulders, "If she's given that choice."

What? Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"The title of Alpha will go to the first boy who phases. That boy will also be who Hadley Bonds with if she truly wants to be Alpha," Sam stated in his official Council voice.

My stomach dropped into my ass in a second. I didn't even think that was something they could enforce. Who thought of that rule? Of all of the changes and new rules and regulations, never in my life did I ever think that I would be forced into partnership with someone I couldn't even choose!

The Bond was created so that the pack could be stronger linked together than before. All Bonds have to be done willingly by both wolves and with the intention of bettering the pack. Kaya and Ephraim may not have been together at the time, but they were both well aware that they were the most compatible to do so. The Council recognized my mother's strength and asked her if she wanted to Bond with my father. Alphahood was Ephraim's birthright. It was my father's birthright. It's mine too!

Every single Alpha before me had a choice and a chance to figure it out. Why was mine being stripped from me? Bond or walk away? That's not right. Right?

We all knew what Sam was saying between the lines. He wanted Nate to be the first to phase just like he was. Sam wanted so badly to be back in a position of power, whether that was himself or his son. As of being on the Council wasn't enough, he was ready to do anything to make sure that his voice was heard.

"Do you get off on this? Making decisions for other people without their permission?" Nate sneered.

"I'm doing this for you," Sam furrowed his brows.

"Bullshit, you're doing it for yourself."

"We're going to tell Hadley," Wyatt declared.

Then everything happened so fast. The boys went to leave again when Emily called out, "Sam, do something!" There was so much yelling and scuffling. Sam—even though he hasn't phased in years—maintained his wolf strength after all this time. Everyone was so angry; the energy was building up and up and up. And then it happened right there in the doorway.

A simultaneous first phase. The first ever in history. Nate was still amped up from his father's selfish and sneaky behavior while Wyatt was working overtime to control and understand what was happening. When Sam tried to step toward the new wolves, they both instinctively snapped their jaws at him, letting out vicious growls.

Every new wolf has to learn to control the animal. Keep the human at the front is really hard, even I can admit that. The wolf will beat, bang, and rattle in its cage until it's released and it wants to control everything. It takes a while to get it under…a lease (for lack of a better term). And, when you're new to it, it can feel like a lifetime—even if it's just an hour or even ten minutes.

But Wyatt…he got it almost immediately. As soon as his jaws snapped at Sam, he reared up and fell on his back. He let out a high-pitched whine as he looked around. His awareness of his human was just about instant. It was impressive. By the time I had gotten there, Nate had figured it out, but he was still pissed off.

"Relax, just relax," Sam said, a tentative hand extended forward. Nate let out a nasty, feral growl toward his father right as Wyatt took off running in the opposite direction, afraid he was going to hurt someone.

A rush of energy brought us out of Wyatt's memories. We both gasped at the heat radiating from our hands, snatching away from each other. I rubbed the palm of my hand, feeling the residual energy sizzle and tingle. Wyatt was looking down at his palm before glancing at mine then up into my eyes.

"I knew it," Kaya giggled. "I told you so."

Ephraim rolled his eyes, playfully, "Yes, you were right, angel."

"You owe me $10," she said.

"Money's not real," Ephraim laughed. "You can pick date night this time, deal?"

Kaya nodded ecstatically before turning to us. "I know that was a lot, but I promise it's all for good reason." Wyatt held up his hand like in class again, eyes wide. "You don't have to raise your hand, little wolf," Kaya reminded him with a smile.

"So, we were all just in my head just now?" he asked.

"It looked so real…" I whispered. "It felt so real."

"That's because it was," Kaya said nonchalantly. "You both just pulled off a very advanced skill. Not only were you able to project forward an image that was visible to all four of us, but, Hadley, you were able to interact with it."

"Kaya had a theory that the power between the two of you would make that possible," Ephraim interjected. "I wasn't too sure about it, but I was clearly wrong. You two have great, great potential and a bright future."

I shook my head, "It can't be too bright if someone's trying to take it away."

Wyatt agreed, "Sam will do anything to make sure Nate's on top."

"That's ok," Kaya shrugged. "Let him."

"Come again?" I asked.

"Look, Sam is just feeling insecure about his place in the tribe. That has absolutely nothing to do with you. As long as you both maintain your truth, you won't have to worry about Samuel," Kaya said, reassuring both of us.

"When we saw what happened, we knew he would try to convince the Council that Nathaniel phased first, no matter how much the three of you fought it," Ephraim said. "Now you've both seen the first double phase with your own eyes, you'll have to stand your ground."

"And when they bring up Bonding with anyone, Hadley…"

"All you have to say are ten words."

I nodded, waiting for one of them to speak.

"The only thing you will say when the Bond is brought up is, 'I refuse to discuss a Bond until my 18th birthday.'" Kaya was so close to my face, making sure I was looking directly into her eyes when she said it. "Say it with me…"

"I refuse to discuss a Bond until my 18th birthday," I repeated slowly. "What will that do?"

"It puts the power back in your hands, babe. Where it belongs," Kaya said with a wink.

XXXXXXXXX

I've never been hungover, but I imagine it's something like this. My head was pounding and I kind of felt like I wanted to throw up. Wyatt groaned and sat up, "Holy shit."

I pulled off my sweatshirt and handed it to Wyatt, gesturing for him to cover up. I stood up, steadying myself on a tree. Wyatt took a moment to appreciate his human body as he breathed a sigh of relief to feel skin instead of fur. "That's not exactly what I was expecting," I laughed in disbelief over what just happened, "but stranger things have happened."

Wyatt shook his head, "That was insane!"

I listened to Wyatt prattle on and on about how crazy it was that we were right there talking to Kaya and Ephraim. It was easy to think of them as just our dead ancestors instead of two beings that take an active part in our lives right now. Part of him still thinks we were dead which made me laugh. His thoughts were all over the place so sometimes it was hard to hear him talking over his mind. But he was excitable. Pumped up. It was really cute.

We set out to find Nate, hoping that things weren't too hard for him while he was on his own. I hated that I left him alone. I knew Sam and Emily would never hurt him; I was more concerned with how fed up he was with their lies.

Sam and Emily were sitting on their front porch when we made it out of the woods. When they spotted us, they jumped up. "Oh, thank god, we were so worried about you too," Emily said, a worried look etched on her face. Was it real?

I realized I was studying them for just a second too long when Wyatt bumped me with his elbow. I snapped out of my thoughts and smiled, "Everything's all good. Wyatt handled it like an old pro."

"We're glad you were able to handle it," Sam nodded at me. Brave or flighty, was all I heard.

"Is Nate doing alright? Can we see him?" I asked, hopeful.

Emily shook her head, adamantly, "Nate's resting right now. It's been a rough couple of hours getting him down." She's going to run the pack into the ground.

Yeah, I wonder why. I could definitely hear Nate in the back of the house, pacing in his bedroom and playing music. They knew it too, but we're just going to play ignorance here. "It's definitely been a long night," I agreed.

"Wait, but I can hear—," Wyatt started to say.

"I'll make sure Wyatt gets settled in safe," I assured them, making a point to intertwine our hands. Sam and Emily's eyes darted down at the contact, their expressions unreadable.

"But Nate—," Wyatt tried again.

Shut your mouth, I projected to him. I waved to them with my other hand. "You guys have a good night. I'm sorry we worried you."

"I'm so conf—," Wyatt mumbled.

"Shush," I whispered, pulling him a couple doors down the road toward his house. When we made it into the Cameron house, Wyatt and I went straight to his bedroom. We ignored Jace and August as they called for us. It was the middle of the night; why were they awake? The Cameron boys just kind of did whatever they wanted.

Kim worked nights at the hospital like Grandma Sue so all of this will be a huge surprise to her in the morning. Jared also usually ran his patrols at night which is why Wyatt always made sure to be home when it was time for the boys to go to bed. Homework check, brushed teeth check, bed check. Like clockwork. They're definitely not little kids anymore, but I think Wyatt liked to do it anyway.

As soon as we got into Wyatt's bedroom, I was met with its usual messiness. Clothes all over the floor. He wasn't even phased by it; he swiped a pair of sweats from the ground and slid them on real quick before turning toward me. "Why did you do that?" he asked. "Nate was awake inside; I could hear him."

"Do you really think they were going to let us see him by picking another fight?" I reasoned. I glanced at the clock, cringing at the bright red 3:25 am. "They don't know that I know what happened. We need to keep it casual."

"So, what are we gonna do? Leave him at home with them? He's probably still pissed off over what happened."

I smirked, "Come on, you know me better than that."

I closed my eyes for a second, channeling Nate. He was just full of frustration and anger toward his family. How's it going over there? I asked.

Get me out of here please, he said immediately.

I nodded as if he could see me. Your wish is my command.

So maybe it wasn't the best idea to sneak over to the back of Nate's house through the trees, past his parents' window. Maybe I shouldn't have tapped on his window and told him to climb out so we could regroup. It's very possible that directly influencing one of the Council members' children to sneak out of their house in the middle of the night wasn't what a normal person would do. But I was not about to play scaredy cat with Sam; just because he wanted me out before I was even in, doesn't mean I'm just going to lay down and take it. What can I say? Sometimes it's best to go against your better judgment.

"Shh…" I said in the lowest voice I could as Nate pushed the window open. Wyatt was standing lookout while I helped Nate quietly climb out the window. A twig snapped as he set his foot on the ground. We both froze. The sound of Bewitched from Sam and Emily's bedroom went uninterrupted. No 'what was that' or 'I heard something outside.' Their breaths sounded even, peaceful. They must be asleep. "Come on, hurry."

Nate's energy was so loud, it was almost distracting. With the entire reservation asleep or away, it was impossible to be quiet. The three of us snuck off down the road and into the tree line toward the old Alpha house. Every step was calculated and careful as to not make so much noise. Once we were far enough away, we ran to the house. I reached up to swipe the extra key from the top of the doorframe and unlocked the door.

The upstairs part of the house was partly Mom and Bebe's office, part guest bedroom, and part meditation room. It was always like a home away from home. For those nights you wanted to get away but you didn't want anyone to worry.

I ran a hand through my hair, stressfully, as we settled in. I figured it would be easier to recoup here than out there. Nate's shoulders dropped as he let himself relax. He stretched out on the floor while Wyatt plopped onto the bed. "I feel like my adrenaline hasn't stopped pumping since it happened," Nate said. "Lee, you should have heard the shit they were saying. It's unreal."

"You wanna talk unreal? I just met our ancestors up close and personal," Wyatt said. "They made me relive the night. Ace knows everything."

"Wait, what?" Nate shot up, surprised.

"The most important thing is that we're all on the same page, though," I said, trying to get them to see reason. "If we get caught up in what they're doing, we can't focus on what we can do to fight it."

Nate shrugged, "I don't care what my dad says. I don't want to be Alpha."

"I just don't understand why he wants to change the rules so badly…" I was just speaking out loud.

"It's because of the Bond," Nate answered. "He said that he wanted me to phase first so…it would be an Alpha Bonding with a natural Alpha…"

Wyatt sat up in the bed, "The fuck do you mean?!"

"It's the legacy…" Nate and I said together. He was explaining it; I was realizing it. I continued, "Sam was the first Alpha of his pack so he wants to see if he can create an Alpha bloodline for the Uleys."

"And the only way that would happen is if…" Nate trailed off.

"If you two made little Alpha babies," Wyatt finished, his face torn up. "That's wrong on so many levels."

I shook my head, "Ew."

"No," Nate refused. "Everyone knows you guys will end up together. I'm fine being pack, but I'm not cool with whatever plan they're cooking up."

Wyatt and I looked at each other and I could see, for a split second, that he was worried. Worried that Council interference could get in the way of any relationship we could ever have together. But that was only for a second. He blinked his worry away and shot me a smile, his dimple poking through. It was a hopeful smile. Forever the optimist. He was always confident things would work out the way they're supposed to.

"Speaking of cooking, I'm fucking starving, man," Wyatt said.

"Me too. I think Bianca and Leah keep the fridge stocked downstairs," Nate said, getting up from the ground.

"Do you want anything, Ace?" Wyatt stood up too.

I shook my head, "No thanks, sweetie."

"I'll bring you water, just in case," he told me before placing a kiss on my forehead and disappearing from the door.

Normally, I would talk to my mom about stuff like this. Whenever I'm unsure about something, whenever I feel like I don't have the answer somehow, my mom always knows what to say. Stand your ground, baby girl is what she would say. You know what's right in your heart; let that lead you in every step.

I crawled into the bed, under the covers. The sheets were so soft; I was instantly relaxed. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be. I felt myself yawn as I kept repeating that everything would be fine in my head.

Wyatt popped his head back in the room, water bottles and snacks in hand. "I brought you water and popcorn," he said.

"Aren't you the sweetest?" I smiled. "Where's Nate?"

"He's gonna sleep on the couch downstairs," he said. "I can sleep on the floor, if you want me to."

I reached for him, "No, you should be up here with me."

He placed the food on the bedside table before he settled into the bed with a sigh. Now that he was a wolf, I could feel everything he was feeling ten times over. He was working so hard to sort how he felt about everything; his mind was moving so quickly even though he looked fine on the outside. I laid my head on his shoulder and nuzzled in close. My eyes fluttered closed as I relaxed into him. I heard him swallow nervously before wrapping an arm around my shoulder and rubbing up and down my arm. "What are you thinking?" he asked, quietly.

My lips parted as I tried to pinpoint one thing I was feeling. "I'm just happy you're here with me," I said.

I didn't even realize I fell asleep until my eyes opened to the rising sun pouring into the room. Wyatt was cuddled behind me, face pressed into my shoulder blades, arm around my waist. What a night. I felt like I could have slept for days. But, instead, I got out of bed, careful not to wake Wyatt, and shuffled downstairs.

It was like, as soon as my eyes were open, my mind was going a million miles a minute. So I made some coffee to hopefully ease some of the stress. Nate was on the couch, his long legs hanging off the side of it. He was snoring like a buzz saw.

I stepped out onto the porch with a full cup of coffee and an anxious mind. The hot liquid was just enough to warm me from the inside out. It was a beautiful morning; the light La Push drizzle was almost glimmering in the rising sunlight. This was my favorite time of day. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful. Like just before the world got busy, you could enjoy just a moment of—

Gasping, I jumped at the sound of a deafening bang! Like heavy metal clanging against itself. Bang! The coffee spilled on the porch and my bare feet. Bang!

You will never fucking believe what happened. A leaf covered square thing swung out of the ground about 50 yards away. Let me rephrase that. A leaf camouflaged bunker door swung out of the ground about 50 yards away. I couldn't even bring myself to blink as I waited for someone—or something—to come out of a secret bunker in the ground.

I saw his salt and pepper hair first, then his farm tanned skin, his beard. He stepped out of the hole, looking around as he emerged. Matthew. He closed the metal door, locking it before pocketing the key. He looked around again until he saw me, frozen to my spot. He looked spooked for a second before he just gave me a tight smile and waved. "Good morning, Miss Hadley," he called.

I blinked before closing my gaping mouth. "G-good morning," I stuttered.

"It's a beautiful morning for a hike, isn't it?" he tried to converse with me casually. I nodded, soundlessly and still in shock. "Well, I'll let you get back to your coffee."

I nodded again…stupidly now. I look so dumb. He found the trail and headed back to the reservation, never looking back not one time. "What…the fuck…was that?" I asked out loud.