I hate doing this. I hate that we were put in this position again. I hate that the actions of a few psychotic people leave us burying our friends, our pack mates. The hand around mine tightens to the point of pain as my four mates and I stand facing the twenty pyres. The Pack waits, their expressions solemn, for Dylan and Wade to begin their tributes for the fallen wolves. Wade loosens his hand from around mine as he moves to stand in front of the grieving crowd, and Dylan follows his lead, stepping forward from my other side. Two of my Alpha mates stand side by side, their arms hanging by their sides, dark circles under their eyes, and anguish filling their features. They wear their grief and sorrow visibly, and for a moment they just remain there, unmoving with no words leaving their tightened mouths. The crowd also continues their stoic stance, all focused on the men that lead them.

“Over the last few days we lost twenty of our family members, their lives stolen and cut short, taken long before their time,” Dylan’s emotional voice rings out, addressing the quiet assembly.

“I find myself struggling to comprehend that they are no longer in our lives, that they died due to such senseless violence. Whether they fell protecting others, or just trying to get away from the filth that invaded our lands, their sacrifices remain one of the reasons our losses weren’t greater. My fractured heart mourns, knowing that we, your Alphas, weren’t here to shield and fight beside you, but that will never be the case again. The council believes the loss of lives in our Pack are acceptable casualties in pursuit of their greater plan. How can we sit by and allow these lives to be taken with no justice? The Council wants us to sit and do nothing, thinking they can ignore our losses as if they meant nothing, but they are WRONG! My parents always supported the Council, hell, they were supposed to become representatives on the Council in the next election, but how can I stand by an institute that treats its subjects like this? Maybe it’s time for us to reassess our faith in the Council?” Dylan’s volume and indignant anger grows despite the tears trailing down his face. He pauses, lifting his eyes to the sky in silent prayer. I feel the entirety of his distraught emotions wash over the pack bonds, and then gasps followed by growls and cries of pain sound from the wolves around us as he allows the pack access to his deepest emotions.

“We would do anything to bring back the lives lost, we would give anything to take back the pain and hurt that each of you feels,” Wade continues, taking over from Dylan. He turns around to face the pyres of the dead wolves, his broad shoulders lifting as he takes a deep breath, and his own head tilts up to the sky.

“Thank you. Thank you from the very depths of my soul. Those who give their lives for their pack mates, make up the essence of every Pack. You are the brave, you are the eternal, and we will never forget significance of your deaths. Your lives will be celebrated long after the breath leaves my lungs and my body returns to the earth.” His voice settles over the crowd, his strength seeping into the hundreds of pack members present. I allow my tears the freedom to flow from my eyes, the wolves’ emotions rushing over me like a wave crashing onto the shore. Dylan faces the crowd once more, his eyes still glistening from unshed tears, and his throat bobs with repressed emotion.

“Each of these wolves deserves to be acknowledged and remembered, but I wish to speak about one in particular. Everyone here knew Trent, our Beta. He touched every single person’s life; he was a best friend, a leader, a confidant, a warrior and most importantly, our family. He is one of the main reasons that we didn’t endure more casualties. He sacrificed his life so that more people could survive. He paved the way, herding women and children to safety all before giving his life, without hesitation, in a fierce fight with the rogues to ensure they remained distracted long enough for more to escape. I will forever miss you, man. You were an integral part of this Pack and my life, and I will feel your absence for the rest of my life. Thank you for always having the courage of a warrior and the intelligence of a scholar, you performed your duty without fault. Thank you, my friend.” Dylan professes, his attention switching between Trent’s pyre and the crowd.

As if on command, the wolves in the front begin to shift into their wolf form, which starts a chain reaction until my Mates and I remain the only ones still in human form. Zane, Marco, and I step toward Dylan and Wade, all of us crying silent tears as we each pick up a torch. We move in sync and begin setting the wooden pyres alight one at a time. I allow the fire to lick over my skin, accepting the pain as the price for starting the eternal journey of our brothers and sisters into the afterlife. The heartbreak and sorrow of the Pack feels tangible and settles deep within my bones. Once again, we stand at the front of the assembly to watch the burning of twenty wolves, releasing them into the beyond. The smoke rises above the wooden structures, shielding the sunlight trying to break through, and the crackling of the burning wood the only sounds in the clearing. Breathing becomes more difficult as the smoke suffocates the oxygen around us, but we stay sentinel. Behind us, hundreds of wolves start to howl, their mournful call causing shivers to break out across my skin, and my wolf rages inside me, demanding I let her out to join them. As one, my mates and I let go of our human forms and shift. Once we stand on four legs, we send up our own yowls that become part of the harmony of over two hundred wolves expelling their grief.

Cuddled up on the huge couch in Wade’s loungeroom, I run my hand through Wade’s blond hair as he sits on the floor in front of me while we watch a movie. I snuggle further down into the back of the lounge, and my head rolls around Dylan’s lap, trying to find a comfortable position while my feet and calves get massaged by Marco’s firm hands. After the emotional exhaustion of the morning, no one was eager to jump back into regular routine, we all needed some time to just spend time with each other each other. No-one could ever say no to a puppy pile.

The smell of popcorn fills the air as Zane comes in with a bowl of the yumminess. He leans over the back of the lounge and presses the bowl into my stomach before walking around and sitting next to Wade on the floor with his back pressing into my shins. There is something so satisfying about touching all my mates at one time, like everything is right in the world, even if for just this one minute.

None of us really watch the movie, but we pretend to all the same, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. An unexpected knock on the door has us jolting upright, the sound reverberating through the room.

“I don’t recognise that smell,” Zane growls, his body rotating until he crouches on his haunches, ready to spring at the intruder.

“How did they get through the ward? Only our blood can…” Marco wonders aloud, his wolf flashing in his eyes.

“Fucking hell,” Dylan curses from next me, compression dawning in his eyes.

“What is going on?” I whisper yell to the three mates who seem to already know what’s behind the door. Three hard, insistent knocks rap against the wooden door again, the sound making my heart race faster.

“My fucking family,” Wade sighs as he stands and lumbers towards the door, his shoulders tightening with every step as he closes in.

“Oh,” I respond, not knowing what to say or how to deal with this today of all days. Fan-fuckingtastic.

As soon as Wade opens the door, two little arms engulf him, squeezing him tight and pulling him down a few inches. It takes a few minutes for the arms around him to loosen, but then they slap him hard across the chest and push him out of the way. Two blue eyes immediately find me.

“Wade! She’s gorgeous! Why didn’t you tell me I gained a gorgeous daughter in law?! How could you keep that from your own family?!” A short blonde-haired woman yells at Wade, her soft features morphing in frustration as she turns back to my line-backer sized mate.

“You didn’t tell your family we mated?!” I screech at Wade, embarrassed that he felt the need to hide us. What’s wrong with our mating? How could he feel this way and never tell me? My hurt slips down my bond before I can shield it, causing growls to rise from my other mates. Wade’s crystal eyes connect with mine, and he stalks his way over to me, moving around his petite mother in a deft prowl.

“Baby, how could you even think that? I could never be embarrassed by you. I love you. I didn’t tell my family yet because we haven’t had time to see them, and I knew they would want to visit when they heard,” Wade murmurs into my ear, his hands cupping my face and his lips rubbing back and forth over my own. We truly haven’t had any time since our mating to stop and spend a few days revelling in and exploring our bond. We enjoyed our mating night, and then catapulted full steam ahead into Vincent drama and haven’t stopped since.

“Ok, you’re forgiven. Now introduce me to your family properly before I revoke blowjobs for a month.”

“A bit harsh, babe. My mom’s name is Sarah, my father Leo. Let’s just start with them.” After pressing a quick kiss to my forehead, he turns back around to face his family, his strong, muscular back filling my vision.

“Mom, Dad? I’d like to introduce you to my Mate, Ava. Our other bond mates Dylan, Marco, and Zane,” He says, pointing to each of them. Wade finally moves aside so I can get a proper look at his mother. His father hasn’t entered the room yet, but I can hear a hushed voice still standing outside the house, talking to someone on a phone.

Sarah’s crystal blue eyes, identical to her sons, scan me up and down in assessment. Her shoulder length blonde hair slips forward over her shoulder as she continues her perusal.

“Hi, I’m Ava. It’s really nice to meet you, and I’m sorry you didn’t know until now,” I say, aiming on last dirty look at Wade before stepping forward to shake her hand. She grasps my hand tight hold, her soft face completely emotionless, until she tugs me off balance and into a crushing hug.

“It’s so nice to meet the woman able to settle my Wade down at last! We’ve waited for this day so long! Thank-God he finally found someone, we began to think he’d never move out of the man-whore stage,” She fake whispers to me, her disapproving gaze slips back to her son, who seems fascinated by his shoes all of a sudden.

“Um, you’re welcome?” Is it a mother in laws job to make you extremely uncomfortable? I’m two for two now.

“Sarah, stop making the girl feel uncomfortable. How would you like it if my mother paraded my past in front of you?” A man scolds as he enters the room. The deep voice belongs to what could be the near carbon copy of Wade, just a few years older. Thank you, werewolf aging. The man wears his blond hair trimmed short, complimented by blue eyes and a huge, line backer-like frame. He only differs from my own mate in his larger forehead and somewhat less angular features.

“Your mother did flaunt them in my face. She also dressed up the women and brought them to your house, where I lived, if I recall correctly?” The small woman replies with a sweet smile on her face, causing the older Alpha to cringe and close his mouth. Awkward.

“Hi, I’m Ava,” I direct over to Wade’s father after Sarah releases me from her tight embrace.

“Ava, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman my son deems worthy of the Alpha female position. I’m Leo, Alpha of the Golden Forest Pack.” His hand reaches forward to clasp mine and brings it to his lips.

“As nice of a surprise this visit is, why are you here?” Wade growls when his father’s lips linger a little too long on my hand. The room stills, the tension skyrocketing and enveloping all of us. I move towards Wade and thread my fingers through his, preparing myself for the worst.

“We heard about what happened, what has been happening to other packs across the country. We came to help rebuild and to help in whatever way we can,” Leo explains as his arm winds around Sarah’s waist, her own hands closing over his automatically.

“We are so sorry, our condolences to all of you. No Alpha, no pack, should go through what you’ve faced,” Sarah’s empathetic tone soothes.

“Thank you both, Leo and Sarah. We have a lot of work to do, and we can use every bit of help we can get,” Dylan grunts, his hands scrubbing over his weary face.

“How can you afford to take that kind of man power away from your own lands?” Marco questions from his spot near the lounge. He makes a good point; how can they afford to help us rebuild and still maintain their presence in Missouri?

“We’ve left our Beta in charge; half our wolves agreed to come here to help rebuild and, if necessary, help fight the rogues across the country. We also requested Wade’s brothers and sisters bring in their own wolves from each of their packs,” Leo explains, like it’s the most logical thing in the world, to just invite God- knows how many wolves onto our property after all the betrayal we experienced.

“Dude, how many siblings do you have? And what the hell is going on?” I ask my mates through our shared bond, trying to understand where this is coming from.

“A fair few, baby. Eight to be exact,” comes Wade’s dry reply.

“Jesus, that’s a lot of wolves. Wolves that we may need very soon,” I impress upon them, looking over at my ‘always have a plan’ mate to take the lead.

“Thank you for the offer, it is appreciated. We will gladly accept your offer to help us rebuild. We need it. In regard to helping us fight the rogues, that we will need to discuss in a little more detail. What you’re asking goes a hell of a lot deeper than just a few rogues, and if we decide to open you up to that can of worms and the peril that accompanies it, we would need to create a formal alliance. A few other Packs may need to be party to that alliance,” Dylan states in a careful tone, wary of putting any of Wade’s family in danger.

“Very well. We understand that you may be cautious. But we need to know whether to send our wolves back sooner rather than later. Just so you know, if you find yourself facing off against the Council by any chance, I’d gladly put those cock suckers in the ground,” Leo replies, a sardonic grin spreading across his handsome face. Well, there’s definitely a story there.

“How about we all sit down for lunch, and we’ll discuss this later. This is all getting a bit serious, and we haven’t even eaten yet. Ava, you come help me, so I can get to know you a bit better, and the boys can sit around and catch up. Leo and Wade haven’t been in the same room for a very long time, there is much to discuss, and I think current problems will hold back their wolves long enough to behave. Won’t they, boys?” She presses in a sweet but firm tone, staring between her husband and son, awaiting a response.

“Yes, Mom.”

“Of course, darling.”

“Yes, Mrs Chamberlain.”

The responses echoing through the room in tones reminiscent of misbehaving children. I stifle my laugh long enough for my mother in law to take me by the elbow and haul me into the other room.

Crazy fucking families.

I try to keep up with my mother in law, but holy shit, that woman walks fast. She steamrolls into the kitchen and begins pulling things out of cupboards I didn’t even know we had. Various ingredients get thrown all over the bench while she spins around and places pots and pans of all different sizes atop the stove. All the while I just standing there, not knowing whether to move out of the way or to stand there watching the show.

“Well, Ava, are you going to help?” her eyebrow raising in question.

“You see, about that, I don’t really…I can’t exactly…um, cook,” I stammer, failing miserably at maintaining the perfect mate illusion.

“No such thing. There is just trained and untrained. Now get up here and start learning, or you can pussy out and go back in there with the boys?” She taunts in her melodic voice. Though I think she was only teasing, it still raises my hackles and provokes my wolf. I stare her down, letting more and more of my Alpha wolf out, refusing to back down. Wade’s mother or not, I am no fucking pussy.

“It wasn’t a challenge, Ava, calm down,” Her soft voice and doe eyed gaze remain unflinching, despite the level of dominance I released. This woman is as close to a doormat as I am, no matter how much she tries to pull the timid and innocent card.

“I’m not scared of the kitchen, I’m worried about giving myself and others food poisoning,” I clarify, moving farther into the kitchen and becoming perplexed as I glance over all the vegetables, meats and pasta adorning the table.

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, then. I can’t have you poisoning my boy. Now get your ass over here to help me, unless you’re not up for the challenge?” She gives me a pointed look then hands me a knife and six carrots to peel and cut. Fuck it, I’m too tired to put up with bullshit drama, Wade’s mother or not.

“No offence, but what the hell is going on? I don’t want to deal with fake bullshit right now, so can we bypass all the subtle digs and the testing and move straight to actually getting along?” I appeal to her as I turn around in order to face her. Marco rounds the corner, concern leaking down our bond, but I wave him away with a shake of my hand. Dammit, they must have heard part of our conversation.

“I knew my son wouldn’t mate some idiotic, ass kissing, quiet woman. That being said, almost every mother reserves the right to judge their son’s wife initially. I don’t intend to be harsh or anything, I just need to make sure my son found someone strong enough for him. The sooner you and I can get along, the better our visit will be, it’s just sometimes hard to curb my sarcasm,” Sarah retorts, her blonde hair slipping over her shoulders as she shrugs away her response. Well, fuck. Makes my life a bit easier, and I don’t want to get caught between Wade and his mom.

“Thank you for your honesty. I could use some motherly advice from time to time, so I’d enjoy not hating you just because you’re my mother in law. Now, what are we making?” I ask, turning back to my vegetable peeling.

“We are making my all-in lasagne!” The moans of hunger sound from the loungeroom instantaneously. Those bastards were listening the entire time! Sarah and I both laugh as she rubs her hand over my back and then continues to prep for the lasagne.

“Mom, that was amazing, thank you. And thank you too, baby,” Wade compliments as he reaches his arm behind my chair, stretching out while his other moves to pat his still rock hard 6-pack. Turns out, all-in lasagne is exactly what it sounds like; you take every vegetable in your kitchen, adding to your normal lasagne, bake and out comes a delicious combination of a few amazing meals. A chorus of agreement echo from the table, and a blush breaks out across my face. It wasn’t too hard to make, and Sarah let me do most of it. Yay for skill building!

“Can we talk about what the hell is going on between the Packs now?” Leo demands, blunt with his impatience. With his large body stretched out on his chair, his pose almost mirrors his son’s.

“Should we do this? Do we bring them in on it?” I question my mates, fraught with worry, using our bond.

“If ever another Pack were to support our cause, it would be my family. They hate the Council for more than just their inaction.” Wade replies, his fingers brushing over my shoulder, sending shivers of pleasure through my body.

“We run the risk of endangering them. Not only their wolves here, but also those back on their Pack lands,” Marco reminds us, forever the mediator.

“If they understand the risks, then I think we should tell them. We need all the support we can get,” Dylan says, which has Wade nodding his head in agreement, followed by Zane who has only observed most of the afternoon.

“If we agree to disclose everything that’s happened, what we’ve uncovered, we would require you swear an Alpha’s Oath. You cannot speak about this to anyone without our consent, and you must understand the full risks before we tell you. Understood?” Dylan outlines to our guests, his neutral expression back in place.

“What are the risks?” Sarah interjects from her seat, her worried gaze flicking over to Wade and I before settling again on Dylan.

“You risk your life and your Pack’s lives, both those here and on your pack land,” Dylan keeps his reply direct and concise.

“We still need information on this threat. We should be made aware. I swear on my life, and the lives of my pack, that I will not speak of these details without your previous consent, outside of this group,” Leo’s confident response reverberates in the room as the hum of magic fills the air, the oath sworn.

“Our property has been attacked by rogues three times now, in each attack, our wolves suffered injuries or were killed outright. We found out through Ava that her old Pack Alpha, Vincent Cross, sold ward weak points to rogues in exchange for more land, more wolves, and more power. We took this information to the council, and they chose to do nothing. Despite the obvious knowledge someone higher than Vincent called the shots, the Council banned us from retaliation and even further investigation. They are allowing rogues to kidnap and feed off wolves all over the country, and they allow it by doing nothing. The latest attack on us came after Ava beat her old Alpha in a challenge. He had a contingency in place for our Packs to be attacked if he didn’t report to his command. That is why we need to get to the bottom of this. The Council does nothing, sitting safe in their positions of power while rogues murder our people without consequence. We need to do our own digging and find justice for ourselves and our packs,” Wade’s voice growing deeper until it drops into a growl as his anger grows. I drop my hand from the table onto his knee and trace the alphabet over the top of his dark jeans, hoping the sensation will distract his wolf long enough for human Wade to take back the reins.

A few minutes of silence deafens the room as Sarah and Leo lock eyes and I assume speak through their bond. My Mates and I just sit there, waiting for the response that had the capability to significantly impact our ability to find justice.

“We are in. Half our pack will come here to help you rebuild and protect the women and children of all our packs. The other half of our pack will stay behind and do their own investigation into these killings. We can’t sit back and let them do this again, I won’t do that. A few other Alphas would be interested in this alliance too. Not everyone is content with the authority of the Council,” Leo informs us, his broad hand coming across the table to shake Dylan and Wade’s hands.

“Looks like we have the start of a rebellion on our hands!” exclaims a voice from behind me, a voice not belonging to Wade’s parents or my Mates. For a moment, everyone at the table freezes in alarm.

“Holy hell, Mom!” Marco cries out as he jumps from his chair and rushes to meet her.

“How did no-one hear her come in?” I ask my mates, clueless how our superior hearing failed to detect her presence

“Who fucking knows, it’s Gabriella. We stopped questioning her sneaky tricks a long time ago,” Dylan shrugs as he too gets up to greet his Aunty.

Fantastic, two mothers-in-law in one day. What a fucking treat. Okay, Ava, game face on in three, two, one.