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Paige was nervous. This information would change her life. One way or another, it would be different after today.

"When we get there," the professor started, "Only Paige and the Alpha should come in with me. This wolf is very nervous around other wolves let alone pack wolves. And he shouldn't know you're an Alpha. He's not around other wolves often so it's unlikely he'll be able to tell."

"How does a wolf like that stay so isolated with out losing it?"

"He's half witch, the need for connection, while there, isn't as strong and doesn't cause psychosis."

Wolves that aren't connected to packs are prone to psychosis. It's an primary need for wolves to be in packs.

It's why they're so afraid of being declared rouge.

Occasionally rouges would group together to try and fight the packs, but the lack of connection usually led to them falling apart quickly.

The wars five years ago were harder fought because they were being led by a mated pair.

They were able to make the rouges act more like a pack, but in the end they weren't able to keep it together.

"How are you and other rouges here able to avoid psychosis?" Nathan asked.

"We prefer the term unpacked wolves," the professor responded. "We are able to avoid psychosis by widening our connections. We don't limit it to other wolves. We include humans and other supernaturals. Each wolf creates their own network that functions as a pack for them."

"How long does a wolf have to make those connections?"

"Usually year, though each wolf is different. And the longer you wait the harder it is."

"And wolves who are born unpacked?"

"As far as I know it's much the same as being born in a pack. I was born unpacked so I never knew a difference, for my mate it is significantly harder. He still misses his pack sometimes."

Paige listened to Nathan and Professor Moran talk. She was glad Nathan was taking an interest. She hoped it was helping him calm down about the rouges. Unpacked wolves weren't anymore of a threat than other pack wolves.

They arrived at a small home.

It was set back from the road and had large bushes out front.

If you weren't paying attention it's be easy to miss.

Professor Moran knocked on the door.

"Jacob?" He called. "It's William, I brought that friend I was telling you about. I was right. It is my old student."

A small gray haired man answered the door. He was stooped over and was visibly nervous. He looked out through the screen door, taking them all in.

"Only you and the girl," he said to the professor. "The other wolves can wait outside."

"Jacob, one of the wolves is her mate. He's the reason we're trying to find her wolf."

The man looked pained but relented, "Okay, but no one else." They nodded and Patrick and Micah turned to look out at the street. Constantly evaluating threats.

They entered the home and saw it was sparsely furnished.

Paige couldn't tell if it was minimalist or just soulless. It hardly looked like anyone lived here. There was a single chair and a couch in the living room with a small tv dinner table next to the chair as an end table. On the table there was a single lamp and a very worn copy of an old edition of The Boston Globe. Paige looked at the date and saw that it was nearly ten years old.

Jacob ushered them in and pointed to the couch.

The three sat down, with Professor Moran on the end closest to the chair and Paige in the middle.

Nathan kept a protective arm around Paige.

She knew he was anxious being here and she knew that him holding her like this was helping him stay calm, but she'd be lying is she said it wasn't helping her too.

This place was giving her the creeps.

Jacob sat in the chair and pierced Paige with a look that only increased her discomfort.

"So, you have a dormant wolf?" He was bouncing his leg up and down nervously.

"That's what my mate says."

"You seem awfully close to this wolf, for someone who doesn't feel the mate bond." For someone so nervous he seemed incredibly perceptive.

"We knew each other before. But it's been five years since we've seen each other."

"Hmmm." Jacob considered this information.

"And before, it was before your twenty-fifth birthdays. Before either of you could feel the mate bond?" They nodded.

His leg stopped moving as if the new information took his whole concentration to process what they had told him.

"And you to were close?" They nodded again.

"Well that does make a certain amount of sense."

"What makes sense?" Nathan demanded.

"Many werewolves think that fated mates pairing is random. That it pairs up two wolves who would have no interest in one another otherwise. This is not the case. The goddess is merciful and doesn't pair wolves together with out there being some compatibility. You two met and I'm guessing fell in love before you were of bonding age. When your paths crossed again the strings of fate were tweaked." He seemed calmer now that he was focused in on what they were talking about.

"Tweaked?" Paige asked, "I thought fate was fate. It's set in stone, it can't be changed."

"Fate can always be changed. There are possible futures and fate will pull you to the most optimal ones but everyone has a choice. Those choices affect fate," Jacob said simply.

"Mates have the option of rejecting their fated mates in favor of chosen ones, mates can die before meeting. And in very rare cases wolves can be dormant and the person never even know they have one unless the meet their mate."

"So if I never met Nathan, I'd never know I have a wolf."

"Correct, but it took you meeting both times. First five years ago, before you're of bonding age to create your initial connection, and again now so you can be aware of it."

"How do we wake her wolf up?" Nathan asked.

"Historically there isn't a lot of information. From what we can tell is that it depends on the situation. There are some accounts where all it took was an intimate encounter and for others it took some sort of ritual. Though those accounts don't give much detail as to what that ritual is. And it could need a combination of those two elements or need something more. It's a shot in the dark really."

Paige shared a look with Nathan. "When you say intimate encounter?"

"Most likely a kiss. But judging by your closeness you've probably already been there. So that leaves a ritual. Though that could be dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" Nathan asked tersely

"She could die." Jacob said it nonchalantly and Nathan let out a low growl. Paige immediately turned into him. He was already having a hard enough time being here but she knew this had potential to put him over the edge.

"Nathan, look at me. Look at me." She reached up her hands and pulled his face to look at her.

He was staring down Jacob, who was now cowering in the corner.

"I'm okay. Look in my eyes, feel my hands on your face, I'm not dead. I'm okay." He reached up took her hands in his. He pressed his forehead against his and tried to take a few calming breaths.

"You're an Alpha." Jacob sounded terrified. Nathan turned his gaze back to him. He stood and stared the wolf down.

"Yes. And you will not hurt my mate."

"Nathan calm down, he's not going to hurt me." Paige jumped up to retake his focus. But it was to late. Jacob got up and ran from the room. They heard footsteps on the stairs and a door slam. Patrick and Micah burst in the front door.

"What happened?" Patrick demanded.

The professor, who had remained sitting the whole time, knowing better than to move and make himself a target, answered.

"Jacob mentioned that a ritual to call forth her wolf potentially unsafe and the Alpha... well." He let out a sigh and stood.

"I'm going to see if I can get Jacob to come back down."

Paige scrubbed her hands over her face and sat back down on the couch. Nathan still stood and she could feel tension roiling off him in waves. She should have come alone or given him a sedative or something to keep him calm.

"Nathan, calm down." She said again, instead of the soothing tone she used before, her words were harsh. He turned to her.

"You're upset with me."

"Yes." She knew, from experience, to be straight forward when wolves are like this. "You let your emotions and possessiveness get the better of you and scared away our one lead."

"That lead was going to get you killed!" He shouted.

In a quite even tone she said, "Do not raise your voice to me. I am not your enemy here."

"I never said you were, but I will not allow others to disrespect you."

"He wasn't disrespecting me, he was stating facts. You didn't even listen to the complete story before flying off the handle." He started to speak.

"No, Nathan. You need to get yourself together. Go take a walk and I'll see if I can salvage this." She stood and moved away from him towards the stairs.

"I'm not going anywhere." His words were getting close to shouting levels again. "If you think for a moment that I'm leaving you here alone with some rouge, you're out of your mind."

"You won't leave me here alone. Micah will stay with me. You go take a walk with Patrick."

"No."

"I am not asking Nathan. We've already been through this. I am not a wolf for you to control. Go with Patrick. I will stay with Micah. Maybe we can still save this."

"Paige-"

"The other option is I go back to London for good. Take your pick."

They stared each other down, gazes filled with anger. Hers was a calm and collected anger, not prone to irrationality or out bursts. His was read hot fire. Unpredictable, wild, dangerous. He took in some heavy breaths, his chest moving up and down with each one.

"Fine." He strode out the front door and into the street. Patrick gave Paige a pleading look, as if begging her for something. Whether that something was to go easy on him or to fix this she couldn't tell. Without saying anything he followed Nathan out.