Page 16

Paige was finally back in his arms. Granted it was just a dance, but she laughed with him and now they were dancing close.

He could see the conflict storming in her head played out in her eyes.

When she nodded, wanted to jump for joy.

And when she nodded a second time, he almost fainted.

Malcolm was humming happily inside him as they swayed to the music.

Of course it was Sinatra's It Had to Be You.

The world felt right with her in his arms. Like nothing could stand in his way.

Like he could face anything the world could throw at him.

It felt like hope. He was pulled between wanting to enjoy the moment and wanting to tell her everything he should have said five years ago.

"I've missed you Paige." He murmured with a sigh. She started shushing him as he said her name.

"Don't ruin this moment with words." She whispered. "Just let this moment be what it is before we have to go back." For a moment he was confused before he realized just what she was saying. The 'back' was life after the before, before the dance, before she came home, before he left her. In this moment, she was back in the before. He let a sad smile grace his face. He knew she wanted this one moment of bliss. He had so much he needed to say but this was something she wanted and he was happy to give it to her. He'd talk to her after the song was through. He was happy just to hold her close.

Part of him knew this was too much for such a public place.

Out here in front of his pack, with someone they only know as the human sister of the groom.

Nobody knew what happened between them, not really.

His officers knew some but for the most part, as far as anyone else knew, they were strangers before this week.

He was holding her entirely too close for a stranger.

Entirely too close for a human.

Entirely too close for someone who isn't his mate. But he didn't care.

He was too caught up in her.

In her scent, in the feel of her body against his, in the peace she brought him.

Before he knew it the song was ending; as the final chord was struck she whispered "Goodbye Nathan." And turned and walked away.

He called after her, begging her to wait.

He moved to follow her but he was intercepted by Holly, the pack house receptionist. "Alpha!" She said, "I didn't know you could dance so well. I hope you'll save me a dance like that." He could smell the wine on her breath.

"Hello Holly," he said, keeping an eye on where Paige was going. "Excuse me, I need to attend to something." He tried to step pass her.

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm. "Alpha, I wanted to dance with you." She started pawing at him.

"Perhaps another time." He said. When Holly turned him around he lost sight of Paige. He started looking around frantically. Holly kept putting her hands all over him and he kept removing them. He caught Patrick's eye and he made his way over.

"Holly! How are you? How would you like to step outside with me?" He didn't give her time to reply before pulling her away.

"But-" and they were gone.

Nathan turned in a circle trying to find her.

Malcolm's panic fueling his own. It took everything he had to keep it from showing on his face. If he panicked then the pack would panic and that would lead nowhere good. Allen, having seen him and Holly from across the floor but being to far away, arrived by his side.

"Alpha, what's wrong?"

"Have you seen Paige?" He asked in a low but urgent voice.

"Not since your dance. You two seemed pretty cozy. Are things better?"

"No, I mean yes, that was-" He ran his finger through his hair. "She acted like that was a onetime thing, like it was just a final goodbye. She ran off before I could say anything. I have to find her."

"Okay well, its her brothers binding so its not like she could go far. You keep doing your Alpha thing, I'll find her." Nathan took a large breath as he walked away. Malcolm whimpered. "Allen, will find her boy. It's okay, we won't lose her. Not again."

Nathan went back to the party, he greeted guests and danced with many of his pack, both bound and unbound.

The possessiveness many people think of when they think about werewolves passes after the first few years of the binding.

As the relationship moves out of the intense amplification of the mate bond and into a sure and steady relationship, it becomes easier to let your mate interact with others.

He was dancing with Dorothea when he saw Allen talking to Paige's sister Sophie. Sophie looked around before leaving the tent. He started to get antsy when he didn't see her come back in.

Had she found Paige?

Was she okay? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear Dorothea when she asked him a question.

"Alpha?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I was asking about the Litha preparations, but you seem rather preoccupied." She had a look of concern on her face.

"I'm sorry Dorothea, I'm just..." He trailed off. He kept looking around the room.

"It's Paige, isn't it?" His gaze jumped back to her. He opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't find the words. "It's okay." She said kindly.

"She told you." Dorothea nodded. "How much did she tell you?"

"I'd say almost all of it from how long it took her to tell us, though I do think she was leaving something out. She ended the story in Bali but I think their might have been something more she didn't say."

"I don't know what to do." Nathan said dejectedly. He wanted no, needed to talk to her but he didn't want to force her. That was always one of her things. How people in a higher status, especially men, would force themselves onto other people. "I mean, their opinions, their words, their thoughts and feelings. They throw them out and expect others to just take them, regardless of if the other person wants or is able to hear them or not." She said to him after she had told off a couple of guys in a bar. He knew now that she was probably talking more about male wolves than those guys.

"She's so fierce and independent, I don't want to force her to listen to me but I need her too."

"Paige is as stubborn as a mule." Dorothea said bluntly.

"If she thinks she's doing the right thing nothing will be able to change her from her course. She loves you but she doesn't think she'd good enough for you. She's resisting because she knows you need to find a mate, a wolf who will be able to stand with you as Luna and lead this pack."

"She said that about me? About herself?" He was simultaneous elated and heart broken. How could she not see how incredible she was?

"She didn't have to. I know her. In high school James was always with Betty so she and I were left alone together a lot. It may have been years since we've spoken but somethings never change. Paige has always felt inferior. Being a human in a wolf pack was hard. She's achieved a lot in the human world but none of that matters here. Here she's just Paige the human."

He was quiet as he contemplated what Dorothea said.

It was hard for him to put the two versions of Paige together in his head.

Like two puzzle pieces that didn't fit. There was the Paige he travelled with; the fierce, bright, energetic, larger-than-life woman, who never took shit from anyone. And then there was the Paige the human in the wolf pack; a shy, withdrawn, almost docile female who left things unsaid. Who ran away from uncomfortable conversations and deferred to others. He had seen a brief flicker of the woman he knew in her parents living room but since then it's like she's reverted into herself.

"I love her." He said quietly.

"I know. Don't worry, she'll come around."

The song ended and Nathan escorted Dorothea off the dance floor and over to James.

Micah and Madeline joined them and the chatted happily.

Nathan noticed when Sophie came back in he tried to gracefully leave the conversation to go ask her about Paige but Micah wouldn't let him go. If Nathan didn't know better he'd say he was doing it on purpose. Eventually, he just cut him off and hurried over to the bar where Sophie was asking for a bottle of water.

"Sophie." She jumped like she didn't expect to see him.

"Oh Alpha, you startled me! What can I do for you?"

"Where is she? Is she alright?" Sophie hesitated to reply as she took the water bottle from the bar tender.

"Is who alright Alpha?"

"Sophie, please, is Paige alright?" Sophie let out a sigh.

"Alpha, I don't know what to say to you. I don't want to lie to you but she's my sister and she's-"

"Please, I just-" The rest of his sentence was cut off when he heard a scream.

It came from where Sophie had just entered the tent.

He quickly ran to it.

There he found Holly pulling Paige by the hair screaming "HE'S MINE!" over and over again. Holly pulled Paige down to the ground and straddling her, started hitting her in the face. Before Nathan could react Paige planted her feet and bucked her hips up causing Holly to fall forward. She had to put her hands out to catch herself from falling face first on top of Paige. Paige then snaked her arm through where Holly's hands had landed, wrapped her arm around Holly's and pinned Holly's wrist to her side. With Holly now unstable she bucked her hips again, this time rolling over so she was now on top while Holly was flat on her back.

Paige grabbed Holly's wrists and pinned them to the ground. "Knock it off! I don't know what the hell your problem is but it isn't with me!" Paige stood and backed away. Holly stayed on the ground crying.

"What the hell is going on?" Patrick asked. He had seen Nathan hurrying from the tent and followed. They were soon joined by Allen, Dorothea, and James. Sophie, who had arrived with Nathan, answered him.

"Paige just wiped the floor with Holly, that's what's going on." Paige threw a glare at her sister. Then looked at Nathan.

"This girl was going on about being your mate, that's what going on." She began to walk past him back to the tent. "Congratulations Alpha, you really know how to pick 'em."

"Wait, Paige she's not-"

"I know Nathan. She's obviously three sheets to the wind." As she passed him he reached out to grab her arm.

"Paige please, Can we talk? I just-" She pulled away.

"Nate, I'm tired. I'm sure I look like hell, I just want to go back inside, get myself cleaned up and enjoy the rest of this night. We can talk later."

"We can?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure, whatever. Just leave me alone tonight." She pushed her way through the small line of wolves who were watching this exchange.

Sophie gently put her arm around Paige and walked with her inside, trying to shield her from onlookers.

James gave Nathan an analyzing stare.

With a quick glance and a nod from Dorothea, he followed after them to shield Paige's other side. Nathan knew he'd bandage her up as well.

She had some cuts on her face and probably other places.

Nathan watched her go and then turned back around. He motioned to Holly, who was still crying on the ground. "Can you two get her up? Find some family or friend to take care of her, let her sober up. I'll talk to her in the morning."

"I'll take her," Dorothea said. "I know her brother." She bent down and pulled Holly up like she was nothing. Supporting her, she made her way back to the tent as well looking for someone to take Holly from her.

Nathan and his officers stood quietly for a moment. "Well," Allen said, "That's a new development." Nathan glanced at him. "If it doesn't work out with Paige, it looks like you've got and anxious and willing second choice." Patrick chuckled when Nathan let out a small warning growl.

"There is no need for a second choice. We will have our first choice. We will be with Paige." Malcolm said to him.

Nathan agreed but also couldn't hold on to his anger. Paige had agreed to talk to him. This was progress. He let a small smile, creep across his face as he walked back into the party.