When Dustin called an end to the meeting, all the members left feeling more anxious than before. Conversations were spread in every direction as each alpha started to travel back to their pack. But, definitively, the questions were the same: what were they going to do? And how were they going to tell their pack?

Declan managed to get additional information from the older woman who had recounted the tale of the witch who had cursed the werewolf. He felt somewhat hopeful about this lead, but he also knew it would take some time before he could follow up on it.

Noelle walked next to Declan, completely absorbed in her own thoughts. She was afraid, mostly because of her vulnerability —the hunters knew of her existence and now werewolves across the country knew as well. As much as Dustin tried to assure her that they would do everything in their power to protect her, she felt more alone than ever before. She knew that she would not be able to stay there, or with any other pack, for that matter. Not without risking their safety. It was already clear that the hunters would stop at nothing to find her.

Declan invited Noelle back to his tent while Maria and Dustin convened to discuss their strategy plans. Noelle sat down on the floor and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes. She didn’t want to cry right there. She didn’t want anyone to see her in this state of weakness, especially Declan.

“I’m so sorry,” Noelle whispered to him.

Declan looked at her quizzically. His head was cocked to the side and his eyebrows were pulled together in concern. “What do you have to apologize for, Noelle?” Declan asked as he reached for her chin. He pushed her face up gently so that their eyes met.

“If it weren’t for my blood,” Noelle said softly, “none of this would be happening. You would not have turned human. Hunters would not be killing off werewolves in search of me. This is all my fault.”

“Noelle.” Declan sighed her name. He shook his head gently and looked deeply into her eyes.

Declan brought his face to hers and kissed her softly. As their lips met, he was reminded of the times they had shared before —so much passion and desperation between them. Both craving some sort of escape from the life that fate had assigned to them. Now, in their kiss, as their tongues danced together in familiarity, he tasted their history —a bittersweet combination of sadness, and change, and chemistry, and love, which almost always involved a sort of sadness and change in and of itself.

“Declan, I have missed you,” Noelle admitted out loud. As soon as the words left her lips, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.

They had both been through so much together, but they kept finding themselves wrapped in each other’s arms —the only safe space where they could admit their hidden truths. A place revealing their identities, not as others expected them to be, but as they truly were.

Declan sat down behind Noelle and put his legs on either side of her. He began rubbing her shoulders gently, kneading away at the stress which had curled up in balls within her muscles. He kissed her neck gently, pushing aside some of the hair which had rebelled against her hair tie. He trailed his tongue along the side of her neck, leading his way up to her ear where he gently grabbed the lobe between his teeth.

Noelle shivered as her body heated up under his touch. Declan massaged down her arms, and to her hands. He lifted her right hand to his lips and kissed her palm gently. Then, ever so softly, he pushed her fingers into his mouth one by one and sucked them gently.

Noelle’s heartbeat was picking up pace in anticipation. She knew where this would lead, but she did not want to rush this. She wanted to enjoy every moment with Declan as he was.

Declan shifted his body so that he could push Noelle to lay down on her back. He climbed on top of her, straddling her hips and Noelle could feel that he was more than ready for her.

He brought his face down to hers and kissed her deeply. He closed his eyes briefly and brought his forehead to hers. And in that moment, Noelle knew exactly what he was saying, although no words were spoken.

“I love you,” Noelle whispered.

Declan smiled at her sweetly. He kissed her lips and then her chin, and he trailed little kisses down the side of her neck, including her collarbone. He kissed her all the way down to the waistband of her pants. Pushing her shirt up, he kissed along her abdomen, making small circles with his tongue.

Noelle shivered again as the anticipation built up. She was beginning to grow impatient and she wanted him, now. Declan undid the button of her jeans and slowly pulled the zipper down. He noticed with amusement that she was not wearing any panties. He looked up at Noelle playfully. She blushed in response as she realized what he noticed.

“It’s a long story.” Noelle laughed. Declan smiled at her again and then pushed himself to his knees. He grabbed the waistband on her jeans and pulled them down from her body.

“I kind of like this look,” Declan said, with a grin.

Noelle blushed again as she watched Declan study her body. It was an interesting feeling because this was not the first time they had found themselves in this position —and yet, it felt different. Noelle wasn’t sure if it was because Declan was admiring her with human eyes. Perhaps it was her own elevated senses that were working at hyperspeed. And which offered the novelty of this situation, but there was something more at play here…

Declan could feel it too. As his fingers made their way up her calves to her thighs, he noticed the goosebumps on her skin. He let his fingertips stop right at the meeting point of her legs and he pushed them gently inside of her.

Noelle closed her eyes and groaned audibly. Declan pushed his fingers in and out of her rhythmically, and he could feel her muscles responding to the motion. Noelle sighed with pleasure and moved her hips with his hand. She opened her eyes and he could tell that she was ready for him.

Declan stood up from his spot and unbuttoned his own jeans. He smiled as he watched Noelle’s hand reach for her clitoris and massage it gently. She waited for him to come back and take over.

Declan pulled down his pants along with his boxers, and then he let himself spring free. He knelt in front of her and placed his elbows on either side of her head. He kissed her softly and then, in one swift motion, he plunged deep inside of her.

Noelle gasped and groaned as he moved against her. She dragged her fingernails against his back gently which sent a shiver over Declan. He moved into her slowly, relishing the familiar push and pull of their bodies. His hips rocked into her and her body responded to him at every movement.

Noelle wanted more from him. She grabbed his hips and pushed him further into her. Declan smiled down at her, happy to oblige. He picked up his speed and rocked himself against her body, moving harder and faster than before.

Noelle arched her back in response, and Declan saw that she was ready to finish. He grabbed her hips with a firm grasp and plunged deep into her and pushed and pulled himself out and in, willing her to just let go. And she obliged him accordingly as her muscles contracted wildly, pushing out her sweetness onto him. Declan closed his own eyes and let himself go inside of her.

They both laid there, breathing erratically. It had been a long time since Declan had felt truly satisfied by another, but as the sweet stupor fell over him, he welcomed it all. He pressed his body against Noelle and they spooned together, until slowly, they both drifted off into a much-needed sleep.

* * *

They awoke the next morning in the same position where they had fallen asleep. Noelle turned to face Declan and he moaned in grogginess.

“Good morning,” Noelle said quietly, brushing her fingers gently along Declan’s face. Declan smiled in response and his eyes slowly opened to meet hers.

“We should get going,” Noelle said, her face turning serious. “If I could lay like this forever with you, I would. But the pack needs us and we have to show them that we are united.”

Declan smiled at her again and then inhaled deeply. He felt happier than he ever had as they spent time together in this beautiful way.

“What is it?” Noelle asked.

“Those are words I never thought I would hear you say,” Declan said. “The pack needs us.”

Noelle slapped his arm playfully. The two of them stood up and got dressed before heading out to where the rest of the pack was meeting. When they stepped outside of their tent, it was clear that there was something wrong.

Declan and Noelle headed down to the center of the campgrounds where Dustin and Maria were standing, seriously, in front of the firepit. The pack was staring at them as they spoke, and it didn’t take an investigator to realize that whatever they were saying was not what the pack wanted to hear.

“What’s going on?” Declan asked one of the women standing toward the rear of the crowd.

She looked at him with a sad expression. “Dustin announced that we are going to be moving to a new campsite to protect the pack from the hunters.”

Declan patted the woman on the shoulder, even though he knew there was not much he could do or say to make her feel better. They had been in this campsite for decades —this was their home. And now, they were being forced to leave it behind.

“I say we just stay and fight them!” a younger boy yelled.

Declan squinted his eyes and saw that it was the younger boy who had been egging on Ryan. Trying to get him try and fight him a few days earlier. Of course, he would suggest fighting, and yet, he’d probably be the first to run once it got serious.

Maria spoke, but Declan couldn’t quite make out her words and then the pack disbursed. Some headed straight for their tents and others milled about in small groups grumbling under their breaths. Noelle and Declan approached the two other alphas.

“Well,” Maria said, “that went over better than I thought!”

Dustin smiled at her and shook his head. He had made the toughest decision he could as an alpha —once a pack finds a home, they are never supposed to leave it. It would be as though they were separating spirit and body.

“We’ve been here a long time.” Dustin smiled sadly as he looked around at their camp.

Declan couldn’t help but feel saddened himself. He finally met the man who turned him and started connecting with his true inner wolf, and now it was all to be taken away from him. Yet again, Declan would be left with no family.

“When are you all planning on leaving?” Noelle asked.

“The day after tomorrow,” Maria sighed. She too, looked around at the camp longingly. Declan thought he saw a tear well up in her eyes, but she turned and headed off to her own tent before he could be certain.

“You two should get going,” Dustin said. “There’s much to be done in your own pack, Declan, and I’m afraid there’s nothing left to be done here.”

“Do you know where you will be going?” Declan asked.

Dustin shook his head slowly. “We will be nomads for the time being, until this all blows over. Maybe one day, we will be able to return home.”

Declan wasn’t sure what he should do. He wanted to hug Dustin or reach out to him in some way, and he also wanted to explain to him how much Dustin had changed his life for the better. But Declan couldn’t move, and he couldn’t find the right words. Instead, he nodded solemnly.

Dustin smiled at him as though he recognized Declan’s inner struggle and he reached out and patted his shoulder. “Go!” Dustin said.

Noelle grabbed Declan by the hand and led him away from the campsite. Declan glanced at Maria’s tent as they passed by, but she was not there. He knew where she was —by the river; the only place she could think. Declan was overwhelmed by the realization that she would no longer have the river to rely on when she needed peace.

He wanted desperately to stay and help as much as he could, but he knew Dustin was right. There was not much that could be done. And Declan still had so much to deal with, in his own pack. He could only hope that Gabriel had taken care of everything while he’d been away.

* * *

The trip back to the apartments passed in a daze. Noelle and Declan hardly spoke as they were each wrapped up in their own thoughts, but they held hands the entire way, just to reassure each other that they were not alone in this.

From the bus stop, they walked back to the apartments and headed straight to Noelle’s parents’ apartment. As she opened the door, she heard her father come running from the back room. He took one look at her and rushed up, hugging her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Finally, he released her and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her over to make sure she was physically unharmed.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Garett’s first words flew out of his mouth in a flurry, and Noelle was shocked by the question. “I just got you back here safe and sound, and then you go off into the night to chase after this guy!” Declan’s eyebrows were raised, but he made no comment.

“I told you that I couldn’t explain it when I left,” Noelle said calmly. “But I can explain it now.”

Noelle proceeded to explain the dream to her father. The one which led her to the meeting of the alphas. Abigail entered the room about halfway through the story, and Noelle could tell that she’d been crying. Despite it, she sat on the couch and listened attentively to the rest of Noelle’s story.

“This is quite some story,” Garett huffed. He looked at his daughter and smiled grimly. “I’m afraid we have some news to share with you as well.”

“What is it?” Noelle asked, suddenly worried. “Is anyone hurt?”

“No,” Abigail said quietly. “Not yet, at least.” Abigail looked at Garett, who looked at Declan with a worried expression.

“Have you been able to transform yet?” Garett asked him.

Declan shook his head. “Not yet, but I have an idea of how I might be able to correct it.”

“Well, you might want to look into it sooner, rather than later.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Declan asked, with worry creeping into his voice.

“We’re afraid that Gabriel may have gone power crazy,” Abigail started to explain. She walked into the back room and came out again with Megan in tow. Noelle could tell that her cousin had been crying as well.

“What the hell is going on?” Noelle demanded.

Megan wiped the tears from her eyes and sat down on the couch. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Megan, what’s wrong?” Noelle asked again, this time much softer. She had never seen her cousin like this before, and it scared her.

“Gabriel is losing his mind,” Megan said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Declan asked.

Megan looked up at him and spoke matter-of-factly. “He called a pack meeting last night. He announced that no one in the pack would be allowed to hold jobs any longer, and that starting today, we would begin to evict all the humans that lived here. We are expected to wake up every morning, and participate in training exercises together to get prepared.”

“Prepared for what?” Declan asked.

Megan shrugged. “He didn’t explain why he was making these decisions. The only thing he made perfectly clear to us was that… if any of us should deviate from these plans, he would kill us on the spot.”

Noelle looked at Declan and they shared a worried glance. “I understand why this is so upsetting,” Noelle started to say to Megan, but the look she received stopped her from speaking any further.

“I am not this upset because he has gone insane,” Megan explained calmly. “After the meeting, I went to his room to try to talk to him about everything, and to figure out what exactly was going on in his mind. When he opened the door, I could hear another girl inside, laughing.”

Declan sat down on the couch opposite of Megan. He listened carefully to every word she said and his cognitive wheels were turning, trying to make sense of it all. He recalled what Dustin had told him —a true alpha has instincts instilled within, from the day they are born. And it is not something which can be bestowed on the weak-hearted.

“When I pushed open the door to see who it was, I noticed it was just some human. Gabriel walked up to me and he was smiling so strangely —I don’t even know how to explain it. He told me that since he was alpha now, he would have to choose someone to be his mate. He told me that I could never fit that role for this pack. So, he took it upon himself to go ‘shopping’ as he called it.”

Noelle shook her head as she said this word, and she didn’t fully understand what Megan was saying. It wasn’t really making any sense to her.

“Noelle, he is picking out human women and bringing them here to turn them. He is hoping to do another ritual with these new women to choose a new mate.”

“But I thought Gabriel said that a hybrid wolf would always be the alpha female?” said Noelle, shocked at Megan’s words.

Megan looked at her cousin sadly. “Yes,” she said slowly, “which is why you will be participating in the ritual as well. Only this time, it’s to the death.”

Declan stood up from his seat with such a force that he knocked the chair over. Noelle stared at him and then nodded as though she knew exactly what he was going to do. Without another word, Declan left the apartment, the door slamming shut behind him.

“Where is he going?” Megan asked.

“To find Gabriel.”

“A true alpha has instincts instilled within from the day they are born, it’s not something which can be bestowed on the weak-hearted.”