Emma felt Elam's body change, tighten, as Galen spoke the words. He inhaled a deep breath, and somehow gained an inch or so in height. His shoulders tensed, but Elam rolled them back, opening his chest, somehow appearing larger, all while still holding her around his waist.

His chin rose, in defiance or acceptance Emma wasn't sure, and his jaw clenched. He didn't speak, but he acknowledged Galen's words with a nod and a sigh.

At that, Galen's eyes shifted to Emma's, finally acknowledging her as well.

"Emma."

"Galen."

Emma wanted to say more, to ask questions, but the mood in the cave had darkened, even to her human senses. Something had happened.

Without another word Galen turned and left.

Elam stood still a moment, looking after him, and then faced Emma still caught in his arms.

"We will continue this conversation later. We need to go, and quickly. The fastest way is for you to ride me."

"I'm sorry?"

"When I put you down, I'll shift. Climb onto my back and hold on tight to my fur. Keep your knees and elbows in and your head down, we need to get back. Now."

He released her then, and when she stood on both feet, he kissed her lips. Just a quick, calm peck, like she was already his and they'd been together for a long time, but his eyes were anything but calm.

"Why Elam? What happened to Thomas? Is he worse? Ziva got him some camphor earlier."

"Thomas is dead."

"What? How do you know? Galen only said..."

"Galen addressed me as Alpha. There is only one reason he would do that. Are you ready?"

Emma only nodded, too shocked and saddened to say anything.

She watched as Elam stood back and shifted, his body growing, stretching and sprouting hair until his wolf form stood before her.

She had yet to get used to the sight, the flow of the shifting, and found herself staring, admiring his wolf until he let out a quiet yelp to get her attention.

Even in his wolf form he somehow looked bigger now that he held the responsibility of Alpha on his shoulders. The responsibility he'd never wanted.

He looked at her, intelligence shining in his dark eyes as he waited for her to remember she was supposed to climb on. Intelligence, begrudging responsibility, and much sadness just radiated from him and Emma took a second to reassure him.

Somehow she found it easier to talk to his wolf. Maybe because his human form just drove her emotions to distraction, the nearness of him, the scent of him making her crazy. But his wolf form was somehow more approachable, even as he looked like he could tear her limb from limb and eat her for dinner. Defending against that she seemed to be able to handle, it was defending against his human desire she had no resistance to.

"I'm so very sorry, Elam. If it was my dad, well I can't even imagine the pain you are feeling. And having to take over...Elam, I'm here for you. If there is anything I can do."

He lowered his head, sighed, and then stepped toward her, leaning his weight against her for just a second.

She put her hand on his shoulder and slid her fingers through his fur until she could also feel the heat of his skin underneath the pelt. They stood like that for just a second, the urge to get going just under the surface.

She gave him a quick scratch and then climbed up on his back as he lowered himself some to help her.

She did what he'd told her to, settling in, squeezing her knees against him, and leaning over him. She held on tight, and buried her face in the fur on his neck, staying tight to him as he hurried though the tunnel.

She inhaled the scent of him, clean, woodsy and outdoorsy were the words that came to mind as he moved under her.

Once they cleared the mouth of the cave he started gaining speed. Slowly at first, giving her time to adjust to each faster gait for a heartbeat or two before cranking it up a notch. Soon everything was a blur, and it was all she could do to hang on as he raced around trees and leapt over roots and bushes to get them home as quickly as possible.

---

Thomas's body was laid out, in his human form, on the bed in the cabin he'd shared with Ziva. Elam wove his way through the cabin full of pack members, some in human form, some in wolf form, pulling Emma along behind him by her hand.

A path opened up before them, everyone moving aside so their new Alpha could get to the deathbed of their old Alpha. Some murmured as the pair passed, making comments about Emma's hand in Elam's.

Emma couldn't take it all in, being pulled behind Elam so quickly, but it seemed to her that not all of the whispered comments were welcoming.

When the pair finally reached the bedroom, and Thomas, Emma could see Kate, Galen and Ziva were already here.

Emma watched as Ziva pulled her gaze from Thomas's body and focused on Elam. She saw many emotions flit across Ziva's face at Elam's appearance, but the only one that Emma was able to pin down was fear.

'Well, that's weird,' Emma thought. 'Why would Ziva fear Elam?'

The question was knocked aside though, as Ziva's gaze followed Elam's arm, pausing on the clenched hand holding Emma's, and then kept moving, locking on Emma's face.

"You can't have it! I'm not leaving!"

Ziva spat the words, suddenly turning toward Emma and Elam, blind grief mixing with anger and despair on her face.

"Have what?" Elam was first to answer, pulling his attention from his dead father and Alpha, and trying instead to focus on what Ziva was suddenly shouting.

"This room. This cabin. How dare you bring your meddling whore in here?"

"Ziva, what in the hell are you talking about?"

"Your Alpha lies dead, and you bring her! Her! Here, into this cabin? Where is your respect?"

Emma barely registered all the gasps of breath and furiously mumbled responses from every pack member in ear shot as Ziva turned to her with a tear streaked face, and venom continuing to fly from her lips.

"You think you can come here and ruin everything? After all I've done for this pack? For Thomas? And for Galen? I don't even have to have wolf blood to smell you two. Have you mated yet? Have you marked her? Have you taken Reine's bitch for your own?"

With that last sentence, Ziva turned on Elam again, suddenly attacking him with fists pummeled against his chest and more words thrown at the two of them.

Galen was the first to react, as Elam just looked down at her as she tried in vain to inflict pain on him, her adopted son.

Galen pulled her slight body into a bear hug, holding her and her flailing arms against his chest as she vented and sobbed.

"Mother, stop it! Elam is our Alpha now, your Alpha, and that is no way to talk to him."

"Elam will never be my Alpha. Never! It was supposed to be you, Galen. Not this half-breed shape shifter's bastard son. It wasn't supposed to be Reine, and it wasn't supposed to be Elam. It was all for you!"

Galen lifted Ziva then, taking her out of the bedroom with him. He shot a look toward Kate, who quickly excused herself and followed the two, leaving Elam and Emma alone in the room with Thomas's body, and a cabin full of shocked and mumbling pack members spilled out all over the cabin.