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I promptly threw up my lunch. What had they done to him? Valentina rubbed my back, “It’s ok.” I told her, “Get out of here. Warn everyone. I don’t know what will happen to me after this.” Valentina had tears in her eyes.

She told me, “Let me know if you need me to take Beta Jason home. If they dare put you in a dungeon then we will get you out.” My gut clenched.

Ever since my sixteenth birthday… and what followed…

I couldn't be in enclosed dark spaces. It wasn’t great before my birthday, but after…

I’d have a panic attack. Maybe that would fade…

one day…. It hadn’t happened that long ago…

it felt like a lifetime since everything changed though, and I didn’t shift.

I could do a lot of other things… but dark enclosed spaces? I panicked. I shook myself and told her, “I’ll survive. It’s what I do.” Valentina rubbed my arm saying, “I know you believe your Xander is your mate. He can’t allow that to happen you if he is.”

“Even if, and I don’t think he would reject you especially when he officially can’t, you’re not eighteen. Causing you pain would hurt him.” She was hopefully right.

I nodded to her but she didn’t shimmer away.

She said, “I’m with you, always. If my brother was in there I’d need someone by my side to see him.

This is a big moment for you to see him again.

” Ok… she was right. My hands were shaking a little bit.

I was going to see my big brother for the first time since everything changed.

We walked in the building together to see the shape my brother was in.

End of Flashback

Mason touched my arm pulling me back to reality. He asked, “Are you ok Ashley?” I shook myself because we had a gig to play. I nodded, my voice hoarse when I told him, “Yep, fine.” Everyone looked at me like they didn’t believe me.

To be fair, I was lying and it wasn’t my forte.

No matter how hard I practiced…my lying skills never improved.

Evading? Yes. Lying? Nope. In truth, my heart ached.

I missed Jason. I missed my home. My throat closed as I thought…

I miss my Xander. I miss him. I miss my wolf…

she had to be real… I was pretty sure she was.

Blair told us last year that her mate told her that Hunters can’t fight so there was no way I had Hunter blood. Deep down, I knew that about Hunters because I’d been taught that. I just didn’t tell them that. I did watch as they looked into it and discovered her mate was right.

They’d been furious and I admitted it hurt because Alpha Peter and Jason knew that. Every single member of Red Run did along with the allies. Every single person in my home pack knew that and I was still here rejected and banished by them.

Even though they REFUSED to acknowledge I was the one saving them, they’d always known I had exceptional fighting skills.

They all knew, and they still abandoned me.

Which meant Slade Carter killed my family…

. and so far, he’d gotten away with. Alpha Peter had never questioned me about that night, so they didn’t know I knew the identity of the man who’d shot them.

All that meant to me was either Slade was a different type of Supernatural working with Hunters and running their group. Or… hope filled me that my dad… that Drake McAlister really was my father. That thought brought up more questions.

Where was my wolf? Why did she abandon me? Did she really tell me to fight that night? If yes, that meant she didn’t fail me. I’d failed her and I didn’t like to fail. I was pretty bad at it actually. I took failure worse than most people I knew.

I shoved those thoughts aside as we walked out onstage and I let my mind go numb while playing the notes on the guitar and lost myself in the music. I remembered how Tristan had taught me how to play the electric guitar every time I played.

I missed his smile. I missed his voice. Not for the first time my thoughts went to the questions I had.

Why did he have to come home that night?

That same scenario had happened countless times.

None of them had ever come home early. Why did it have to be that night?

Where were the pack Warriors? Why didn’t they save us?

Before I knew it the concert was over, and we packed up our stuff. Everyone was still eyeing me. Sierra touched my side gently saying, “It’s a good time to get away. I know the past knocks on your mind harder with the upcoming days.” She was right.

It was almost the anniversary of Tristan, mom, and Dad’s deaths.

I’d never seen where they were buried since it was in Red Run.

I couldn’t visit them or even say goodbye properly.

I had my spot I went to be close to them though, with dedicated headstones for them though.

I had them properly maintained so it remained nice.

Everyone else gave Sierra and I hugs. I looked at Hendrick before asking, “You’ve got Jason, right?

I know Dax and Caine… just don’t like him.

” Hendrick hugged me whispering, “Go be a normal kid and have fun on vacation. I’ve got this, I promise.

” I nodded, “I know.” Hendrick squeezed me and let me go.

Addison pouted, “I wish I was going with you. My dad sucks.” I snorted, “You are preaching to the choir. Literally all of us agree… but, you are in charge of the Warriors… which he totally didn’t see coming and it made his face turn all red.

” She smiled agreeing, “That’s true. Have fun guys! ” She left.

I sat down struggling with leaving them with everything. Sierra sighed, “We need to get moving.” She was right. We walked back out up to the box where a Ring member was. I quickly snapped his neck. We spilled alcohol on him staging the accident the way we’d planned.

Once we walked out the most delicious scent reached me. I turned in the opposite direction that we were supposed to go. It was hardly my fault… that scent was a sugar cookie…and I loved them. It was also a sugar cookie I desperately wanted.

My mouth was actually watering. I’d never smelled something so good. Sierra linked, “What are you doing?” I didn’t answer because…. well. I didn’t actually know the answer. I just needed to get to that cookie.

We could leave as soon as I had my cookie. It smelled even better than the ones my mom and grandma made at Christmas time. Sierra linked, “Seriously, you don’t smell the chocolate pie?” No… I was pretty sure her wolf was crazy. Right along with her. That was NOT a chocolate scent.

I could tell I was getting closer to my delicious cookie.

We turned the corner… and I was practically on top of it.

Then the world shifted. My jaw dropped in actual shock because Sierra’s mate was Phil…

Xander’s Beta. Phil Kruthers was here… but…

that meant someone else was too…since he was always with Xander.

My knees shook when I heard my mate’s voice. It was mixed with Oden declaring me his. His. He’d said I was his….That was everything I had ever wanted to be. Everything I thought I would never be.

I silently prayed, “Any god up there that’s not a jerk…

please…. Please let the picture he gave those models of me be from far away with dance make up on…

. and when I was younger…. other women recognized the older version but he’s a man…

so… just do me this solid of not letting him recognize me… not yet. Just give me one night.”

My gaze felt like it went to Xander in slow motion. Had time actually slowed down? I took him in and considered the fact that my jaw might need to be surgically repaired. Xander looked better in person than he did in videos.

His scent his me. Oh my gosh… HE was the sugar cookie! This is what I get for not letting Hendrick put his scent in the report. How dare no one EVER tell me from my old pack… Elise… She could’ve mentioned it.

I knew practically ever scent of everyone in his family, but I’d blocked myself out from knowing his. That was error on my part. A very big one….since I’d literally come drooling towards his…but there was nothing I could do about it now.

Our eyes met, just like the movies. Then an intense pain hit me hard. Did he reject me in a glance somehow? Did he know who I really was? I didn’t even get to say hi. This was so not going like any of my plans, because I couldn’t stop screaming in pain.

Logically, I knew I needed to stop screaming. We couldn’t be seen here after everyone left… we’d killed someone. I couldn’t stop though because this pain was killing me. Suddenly I felt warm and tingly all over.

Someone was holding me and based on the scent it was Xander. That made the pain somewhat tolerable. He was holding me. Did a god answer my prayer about the picture he had? Was it Aesir? Was he on my side?

The pain overwhelmed me, and I literally felt everything leaving my mind. It felt like someone was drilling into my head. Suddenly I felt tile beneath me and the warmth and tingles left. I needed to move…. Sierra needed me.

I tried to crawl, but the pain was unbearable again.

The warmth and tingles came back. I heard someone urge, “FIGHT! COME ON! Mate is here this time! We can do this!” Fight?

What in the French toast was going on? Who did I need to fight?

Was Sierra safe? What had just happened? Everything was a blur.

Fight… well… If someone would stop drilling on my head... I was positive I could beat whoever it was. I leaned into the warmth I felt because somehow there was strength coming from it and… it was the most comforting thing I’d felt since the day I was sent away from my home pack.

I felt something prick my arm. I knew that feeling… it was a drug. Well… the joke was on whoever did that. I don’t know if they wanted to sedate me, but it wouldn’t work. I did feel lighter but that wouldn’t last long.