I close my eyes and breathe in deep, letting the smells and cooling afternoon air filter through my body, the surrounding trees and small creek bringing me focus. I hear the nervous shuffling of the small boy next to me and open my eyes to take in Patrick, observing him with affectionate regard. My heart breaks for him at the thought of what he faces and will go through tonight.

“So, what’s going to happen to me?” He questions in a timid tone. The slight quiver in his voice and tremble in his hands betray his nerves as his gaze darts about, never settling on one spot.

“Tonight is the full moon, Pat, so when it reaches its peak, you’re going to start to change into a wolf. I won’t lie to you, bud, will to hurt, but I’ll stay by your side the entire time. You can’t fight the wolf, ok? You must let it happen, allow it to wash over you. Once your wolf comes out, you’ll both be very tired, but if you want to run, I’ll run with you. If you want to just sit, we will just sit. You are not alone in this,” I promise delivered with fierce conviction. I wrap my arm around his back as tears start to drip down his face. Pat’s little body snuggles in closer to my side, his head resting on my chest as he hugs himself into a tighter ball.

“I’m scared. I don’t want it to hurt,” he whimpers, the words coming out muffled and with soft hiccups.

“I know, honey. I’m so sorry this happened, that someone ripped your choices from you, but this has to happen. I’m so, so sorry,” A single tear escapes one eye, as I hold him close. The ache in my heart radiates through my chest as I try to comfort the upset cub. I so wish I could take on his pain as my own, bearing it for him.

We stay there until the sun sets, watching its slow descent through the tress as the light wanes and were surrounded by darkness I stand up and dust the leaves off my jeans before reaching down and pulling Pat up to me.

“Let’s go eat some dinner, plus, I know everyone has a surprise for you,” I say to him before ruffling his hair and walking towards the Pack house. His haunted eyes cause too much pain to look at for too long. What I wouldn’t do to take that look from his eyes.

We trudge our way towards the luminescent lights of Wade’s Pack house, dodging the trees and creepy crawlies scattered on our path. Fucking spiders.

“Patrick! We have a surprise for you!” Dylan yells from the front door, his huge grin so contagious it’s hard to keep one off my face as well.

“What kind of surprise?” Pat replies tentatively.

“Well, you’ll just have to get in here to see, won’t you kid?” Dylan laughs, dragging a hand through his messy brown hair.

With that comment, Patrick practically flies up the stairs, his excitement overtaking his nerves for the moment. I wrap my arms around Dylan’s neck when I come to the top of the stairs and press my lips to his in a light kiss, one he’s happy to deepen as his hands move to my ass to pull me further in against him.

“You guys are incredible,” I whisper, peppering soft kisses over his mouth and cheeks, trying to catch my breath.

“He deserves to make at least one happy memory tonight,” he remarks. His solemn words reminding me that tonight wouldn’t be easy on any of us.

“True. Let’s go see if he’s still frozen at the door,” I try to lighten the mood and chuckle, imagining what his face looked like when he ran inside.

We walk into the huge house and make our way over to the family room where everyone’s gathered. Upon entering, about thirty kids around Patricks age pause to greet us, then go back to scrambling into their protective gear and grabbing their water pistols. Every kid starts jumping around, practicing their aim. I can’t help my laugh at the pure joy and excitement that fills the room.

“Ok, listen up, little wolves,” Wade yells from his seat at the bar, waiting for the kids to all settle down before continuing.

“Two different coloured suits divide you into teams. Half of you wear the blue, the other half has the green. You cannot shoot someone on your own team. The aim of the game is to capture the other’s flag. If you get sprayed in the head, you must stay still for one minute, if you are sprayed in the arm or leg, that limb is out of commission, which means you cannot use it for one minute. If you get sprayed in the back, you have to crawl for thirty seconds. If you run out of water, hoses are stationed around the yard to refill your water pistols. The first team to capture the other team’s flag wins. Everyone go outside and stand in the arena in the backyard,” Wade finishes, none of us adults moving until the stampede of children leave the house.

“Arena?” I question with humour, wondering what the hell my mates did to the backyard. Mischievous chuckles serve as my only answer from my four men as they speed walk out the back of the house, not waiting for me to catch up.

I push open the back door and a fully outfitted obstacle course made from trees, nets, and hay greets me, instead of our normal backyard.

“Hoooolllyyy shhhiiitttt,” I gasp in awe. My gaze skips between the hay bale columns, the army crawl netting, the huge hurdles made from trees and other obstacles I catch glimpses of further out in the yard.

“We needed an obstacle course for the wolves anyway, so two birds, one stone,” Marco says in my ear as he wraps his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my head.

“Apparently. Where do we sit if we don’t intend to get hit?” I reply laughing. Two birds my ass, they just want a new toy to play with.

“On the spectator seating of course,” Marco indicates a group of haybale benches with a sweep of his arm and an accompanying laugh.

“Oh of course, how remiss of me not to see that,” I reply sarcastically as we trek over to the seats, watching the kids break off into their teams and start their assaults.

I sit watching the kids for a few hours, and they seem to have endless energy, none of them ever losing steam. Eventually the adults decide to join in, and it becomes adults versus kids. Laughter and war cries ring out across the night. Soon the water fight starts to die down, parents coming to get their children, and adults arriving in a show of solidarity for the hard night to come. Patrick wouldn’t undergo this alone. We would stay with him; his family would surround and support him.

“Is it time, Ava?” Patrick asks, trying to wiggle out of the wet water suit.

“Very soon, bud. Anything you’d like to do before hand?” I probe, not really sure how to handle this. He isn’t dying, but he won’t remain the same boy either.

“No, but you won’t leave, right?” He begs one more time, his eyes losing the light-heartedness I saw in him earlier while he played.

“Not for a single second. Neither will any of the other wolves,” I vow, steering him towards the hundred shifters who all turned up for him, for the unwilling child dawn into this life. I could feel the bonds of our wolves surrounding us, but not all the wolves that showed up belong to our Pack. Knowing that more than just his own Pack protects Patrick means more than I could ever ask for. I feel the moon reach its peak, feel the pull that calls to my own wolf and kneel to look Patrick in the eye as my Mates form a wide circle around us.

“Pat, you’ll start to feel it very soon, ok? It’s going to hurt, and you’ll want to fight it, but I need you to just let it happen. Don’t fight your wolf. I will be here, I won’t ever leave you, just trust me to look after you,” I implore, knowing how difficult it can turn for someone to fight their wolf mid-shift. Bad things happened to people who fought their wolves during their first change.

“Just don’t leave me,” his plea whispered as his body starts to quake. Small arms circle around my neck, pulling me tight in against him like I’m his lifeline. Once he releases me, he sits down on the ground, his hand locking onto mine as his body begins to shake even harder.

I see the shift start under his skin, like thousands of little bugs vibrating under the skin, wanting to explode out. Pat’s eyes widen in panic as he stares at his moving skin, his mouth opening into a petrified scream.

“It’s ok, Pat. It’s ok, just look at me, focus on me, buddy,” I repeat, lifting his head to turn his frightened eyes towards mine, encouraging him to match his breathing to mine.

“It stings, and it’s getting worse,” he yells out, his hand practically crushing mine. I watch in helpless torment as Patrick arches back in pain, his little body trying to curl into itself as the wolf fights to break through for the first time. I feel the other shifters around us start to sit on the ground around us, their unwavering support for one of their own awe inspiring.

I continue to recite words of comfort in Patrick’s ear, telling him I’m not leaving, reminding him not to fight the change, soothing him in any way that I can. An hour or so into watching Patrick’s young body snap and contort, listening to his screams that pierce my heart, my own tears break free, and my Mates sit down around us, picking up where I leave off as I compose myself.

Limb by limb fur breaks through his skin, and his bones crunch as they make the final transition to turn him into a wolf. After what seems an eternity, a young wolf cub lays in front of me panting. His golden blond coat swaying with the nights breeze, he looks up at me and moves his paw closer to my hand. I run a gentle hand over his fur, and then let the rush of magic pour through me as I complete the change, letting my wolf take over. She lays us down next to him, curling around his body like a protective parent. The other shifters begin their own transition, their musical howls reverberating through the air before taking off for a run. The young pup naps for only a short time before he tries to stand up on unsteady legs. We end up nudging his back legs upright, which he can’t seem to get unhooked from underneath him. Once he is standing, he starts to run unsteadily around us, but within the safety of my Mates’ circle. Before long, the young pup comes back to rest against our side, moving closer to the warmth and falling asleep. His human form comes forth without us needing to wake him. I feel my wolf move to the background, letting our human form shift back, and I step away from the still sleeping Patrick. Zane comes up behind me, already full dressed, with a blanket in his arms. He swoops the young boy into his arms after covering him with the blanket and carries him back to the Pack house. As they pass me, a small hand shoots out to grab my shoulder, stopping their movement.

“Thank you for not leaving me, Ava,” Patrick’s sleepy voice mumbles, eyes not even opening.

“We will never leave you, Pat,” I whisper back, stroking his hair softly before Zane continues to carry him back to the house.

“I wish we weren’t in this fucking mess. He should be living with us, not someone else,” Wade voices with frustration, standing behind me in all his naked glory. Marco and Dylan echo the sentiment

“I know, I wish he was with us too, but we barely stay at home as it is. When all this is over, if he wants to, he can come live with us,” I reply, watching Zane’s huge form through the window as he places Pat on the lounge.

“Oh, come on, how is that even fair?” I yell up to Zane who’s perched himself on top of the hay bale column that it seems grew in height overnight.

“Angel, use your brain. How are you going to get up here?” He calls down, not even puffing while I suck in air like it’s running out of style.

“We’ve just run this course thirty-seven times, and now you want me to climb a fifty-foot tower of hay bales, without using my legs?” I repeat, just making sure I heard him right. I mean, obviously he must be joking. We hadn’t gone anywhere near this any of the other times completing the course.

“Upper body strength only. Don’t worry, we checked the haybales’ structural integrity,” he chuckles, pointing down to the little hand grips.

“Mother fucking, stupid obstacle course,” I mutter as I kick the column, expecting my foot to go through it. Instead it rebounds off a hard surface, almost breaking my toes in half. I feel my wolf start to push forward, she wants to burn this fucker down as much as I do.

“Careful, angel, I told you it had a solid integrity,” my usually quiet mate teases from his seated position above me.

I leap, launching myself up as high as I can manage, and try to grab hold of the little hand grips while allowing my feet to dangle off the edge. I make slow progress, pulling myself up the column, and force myself to ignore the sweat dripping down my spine and my burning lungs. In my mind I repeat that I will make this climb, I will not fail. Once I reach the top, I throw my upper body over the edge, flopping like a beached whale to get there without letting my feet kick off the column for leverage.

“Thanks for deciding to join me, Ava,” Zane taunts, his bearded cheek coming over to tickle across the back of my neck. I turn my head towards him, only to realise how huge the surface area is up here, both of us could lie down side by side and not fear rolling off the edge.

“Wow, nice view up here,” I comment as I push myself up and look out at the hundreds of wolves making their way through different types of training.

“Yeah, it is,” He whispers, licking up the side of my neck causing shivers to wrack my body.

“So that’s why you wanted me to climb up here, huh? To get our freak on? You know there is a perfectly acceptable bedroom like twenty-yards away, right?” I tease, leaning further into his chest.

“No, I don’t want to fuck, I just wanted a minute or two alone with you,” he grumbles into my ear, despite his arms coming up to tighten around me. Over the last few weeks, we hadn’t gotten many opportunities to hang out by ourselves, and something was weighing on my mind, but there’s been no chance to ask.

“Mmm. I know you said you served in the military, Zane, but I don’t know anything about that part of your life. What made you this good at hand to hand? How can you come up with a special forces level training course in under twelve hours? You have triggers that I know you try to hide. Can you tell me, share that part of yourself with me?” I ask with a hint of uncertainty. I listen to his heartbeat, waiting to hear any changes to his vitals. Zane’s large chest drags in a heavy breath, before our bond floods with so many emotions I practically vibrate with the increase in the current.

“I did a few tours as special forces. I can train them because that is what I learnt. It’s as simple as breathing for me. The triggers, angel, stem from the things I saw over there, the things that the children and women went through, I will never forget it. I relive it every time I close my eyes, hear it in the silence. It became too much, for me and my wolf. We turned in front of some locals. They caught me, and let’s just say they were less than kind, even though I was trying to help them at the time. Official record states I was a POW and that’s why they sent me home, but when my unit found me a few days later, I was in the middle of shifting. They kept my secret, but my CO didn’t want me in the unit anymore,” his voice cracking as his shallow breathing deepens. The pain and sorrow that washes down our bond is so substantial I feel like I can touch it. My heart breaks for the man I love, he lost his control, his career, his secrets and his family in rapid succession.

“I’m sorry that you suffered through that Zane, all of it. I am always here for you, though. Let me in, allow me to help,” I urge, turning my body into his and climbing onto his lap as his large hands come to rest along my waist.

“You help every single day, Ava. You are my angel, you bring me light when I thought I had none,” he counters, dragging his lips over mine.

“What are your triggers, Zane? Please tell me so I’m aware and can help,” I plead with him, pressing little kisses all over his face, praying the memories fade from his eyes.

“Women and children mostly, just seeing them hurt or upset. It’s the people who can’t defend themselves, that’s what triggers me,” he divulges, his hands tighten around my waist slightly.

“I’m sorry, we will do our very best to keep them protected,” I sigh, knowing that I can’t promise the defenceless won’t experience hurt.

“You have nothing to apologise for, angel. We are in this together. It’s gotten a lot easier to manage since we mated, so thank you.” His lips come to rest on mine for the briefest of kisses before he pulls back.

“You’re favouring your right side, you aren’t trusting your instincts when you jump so you lose height, and I know you can run faster and hit harder than you have been. So, jump down, and let’s do this course again, angel,” Zane says before hurling himself off the column and landing in a graceful crouch. Show-off. Fuck ok, just jump. Deep breathe, you can do this…

“Come on, Ava, what’s taking so long?” The tattooed giant shouts up to me, turning around as he starts to jog away.

“Or are you too chicken?” His teasing taunt delivered down our bond enough to make me throw myself off the column. Forcing my eyes to stay open as I watch myself close in on the ground, I bend my legs to bear the impact of the jump. Well that was strangely easy.

“Come on little ninja, we have a lot of training to do,” Zane yells with a smile on his gorgeous, yet scary face.

I stare in amazement at how many different pasta dishes ended up on our dining room table. How do we even own enough pots to make this many types of pasta? Dylan and Wade decided to make a Pack meal for our family, the betas and Patrick. It’s been too long since we sat down to a small family dinner.

“This looks incredible!” I compliment Dylan as I walk around the table and into his open arms. He greets me with a kiss on the head, then guides me towards a seat at the table. He sits down next to me, his arm draping around the back of my chair.

“Let’s hope it tastes the same,” he chuckles as we watch Patrick race over to take the seat on my other side. Everyone else strolls into the room, laughing and chatting before taking a seat around the oversized wooden table. My Mates take the spots beside Dylan and I, while David and his new Mate sit down at the end of the table with Steven, Anabelle and Sophie.

“Alright, alright settle down. There is something I want to say,” Wade bellows, his voice raising to quieten down the light-hearted chatter.

“Pack is family, we all know that. But the people in this room hold this family together. Thank you from the bottom on my heart for sticking by us. No matter what, we will always do the same for you.” The Alpha’s head nodding in respect to each person in the room.

“Now, let’s dig in!” He booms before sitting down and directing certain pasta bowls around the table.

The ringing of an iPhone distracts us, and the fork full of pasta stops mid-way to my mouth. All the people who ring that phone sit in this room, all except one, Darius.

“Hey D, how can I help?” Dylan says into the phone, his hand stilling its movement through the ends of my hair.

I don’t hear the words uttered through the phone, too focused on the subtle tightening of Dylan’s body, the clenching of his fist, and the wolf rising to the surface causing his eye colour to flicker in and out. None of us utter a single word, waiting to hear the news.

“We’re on our way,” Dylan growls before hanging up the phone and putting it down. He doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe for a few seconds, showing no sign of anger, and yet I feel it, bubbling under his skin like an acid. He bursts up from the table without any warning, chucking his plate across the room where it smashes against the wall., He tears away from the table, throwing everything in his path. I give a silent nod to Wade and Mac, getting them to corner him at the edge of the room, preventing him from leaving without telling us what is going on. He paces like an angry bull, and I can feel the muddled thoughts rolling across our bond and the unrestrained anger firing bolts of electricity at us. Finally, he turns to us, stopping his chaotic movements.

“They attacked Darius’ club. Rogue vamps and a few lones. Our wolves on guard duty are in Darius’ medical ward, and he doesn’t know if or how long they will last,” he recounts through gritted teeth. For a man who operates with a well-honed control, it’s disconcerting to see him snap with vehemence. His words penetrate my brain after the shock of his outburst passes, those fuckers hurt our wolves again. We knew this was a risk, and likely bound to happen, but it hurts nonetheless. I want nothing more than to protect all our wolves and unfortunately, we need this deal with Darius to protect the majority.

“Then let’s go,” I demand, turning to grab what I need. They can decide with Alpha which Alpha will stay here with our wolves.

I dash up the stairs to slide into my black pants before jogging back downstairs to grab my jacket and lace up my black boots, still waiting to see which two will join me. I try to level out my anger, to taper it off somehow, but I feel it from every wolf in the house, this unfiltered, unbridled anger filling me up and calling for blood.

“We going for a hunt tonight?” I ask casually as I notice two sets of black combat boots and black fatigues move to stand in front of me from my knelt position, where I’m still tying my shoes.

“Yeah, we are definitely going hunting. Darius has his men tracking them,” Dylan growls, his anger almost feral. I stand up and take in Dylan and Zane. Both look ready for a stealth mission in their black fatigues and skivvies. How in the world did they get changed before me? And do we just have stealth gear laying around the house? Why don’t I have any? Steven, David and Anabelle all come around the corner, speaking in quiet tones with Zane about meeting us at Darius’.

“Then let’s get moving,” I growl before turning around and heading towards the front door. Before I can reach for the handle, I’m pulled into a hug from behind, my nose filling with the sweet scent of mint chocolate. “Come home to us, Ava, that’s non-negotiable,” Marco commands in my ear before kissing me and passing me into another set of arms.

“Try to keep one of those bastards alive, we’d like to have a little chat,” Wade gives a dark chuckle under his breath before pulling me into a passionate kiss.

“You got it,” I whisper before marching out the door and into the cool night air.

“What happened, D?” Dylan demands, his teeth practically cracking with how hard he clenches his jaw together. I examine the eight unconscious wolves, their faces and bodies hardly recognisable from the beating they took tonight.

“The club was full of vampires, it was an exclusive night. I bumped up patrols, increased securities, the wolves were stationed in a few spots on the upper level roof, and a set just outside the entrance and exit. The night started fine and stayed that way for the first hour or two after sunset, but an explosion rocked the building around ten o’clock. Those fucking cunts blew a hole in my fucking club. Rogues and a few lones stormed in, burning shit up and trying to kill my people. Your men tried to help, tried to fight off the other lones, but with the rogues on their side, they just couldn’t stop them. I pulled them out of there as soon as I could. I apologise profusely for this,” Darius’ tall frame bends, bowing forward in respect and apology to us.

“D, you didn’t do anything wrong. There is nothing you could have done. I just wish these boys listened when we said don’t take them on alone,” Dylan huffs in frustration.

“My vampires are tracking them, and we know where at least a few of the rogues and the lones are hiding out, if you wish to join us?” Darius offers, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Dylan and me, both of us displaying the luminescent eyes of our wolves coming to the surface.

“That wasn’t ever in question, Darius,” I say, looking up and down at my clothes, head to toe black combat clothes. I lift my eyes to stare at him, letting my wolf break through. She tries to smile using my mouth, but it doesn’t quite work, and instead only succeeds in baring our partially transformed teeth.

“These wolves are our Pack. We won’t stand by idle,” my wolf and I declare with no small amount of growl. I push her back down, needing to regain control to stop her from running off into the night chasing dead end leads.

“Then let’s go. I’ve got the cars ready. I, too, possess some…pent up aggression in desperate need of release,” Darius acknowledges before his body starts to transform. His nails and teeth lengthen, and his face loses its refinement as bones start to crack and reform. Blackness swallows his eyes and black veins begin to streak out over his skin as he becomes the epitome of every childhood monster. I hadn’t seen the full transformation of a Vampire Lord before, and I can now say with full honest that I never want to see it again. That is some scary shit.

It's not before long we pull up to a cemetery just outside of town. Of course, a fucking cemetery, how original. I step out of the car, and I close my eyes, inhaling a deep breath in and let part of my wolf take over.

“It’s a good night for a hunt,” we say, ready to defend our pack.