Winter drove with her company to the edge of town. Luke had arranged for the private yet of the major to take them to their destination. Travelling by car or by wolf would take them too long. This way they would make the journey in a couple of hours.

Winter didn't feel at ease at all. She was scared of what was coming, the confrontation, seeing her brothers and her old pack. She had instructed to place Charlie in the back of the plane far away from her. She didn't want to waste any more time or energy on him.

Nevertheless could she feel how his eyes were on her all the time. Now that their destination was approaching Winter grabbed her bag from the storage and made her way over towards the bathroom to change. She had been sleeping for a while and she wanted to freshen up a bit.

She changed into a black skinny jeans and laced her boots tight. She grabbed a Bordeaux top with long sleeves, a crew neckline and a tulip hem. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, a beautiful tattoo covered the long scar she had from the rejection. You could still see it, but now it was covered in drawn line patterns that formed flowers along her chest, making it seem as if she was blossoming, starting from the inside out. She grabbed her leather jacket and placed her old clothes back.

As she walked out of the bathroom she could feel that all eyes were on her. She looked up and her eyes met Charlie's, they had turned pitch black and roamed over her body.

"Looking Sharp."

Blade commented and she saw how Charlie's hand wrapped around the edge of his seating. Winter just rolled her eyes at the sight. She felt how her nerves starting to grow as the plane touched the ground. Questions rolled through her mind, would her mother still be alive? How would her old pack react?

Flint noticed how tense she was.

"Relax, it's going to be okay." He said.

"I am not so sure." She answered.

Flint and Blade looked at her.

"You have got us, you're not going in alone." He tried to reassure her.

The drive from the plane towards the pack house was silent, the car was filled with tension.

"Talk to us, what are we walking into?" Blade asked Winter.

"Aster my brother has taken the position of the alpha after the death of my father. Robin his mate and Luna is really capable but a bit shy. I have no idea who his new beta is, when I left it was Charlie. My two other brothers Falco and River are mostly responsible for the troops and training. When I left the pack size was around 200, I have no idea how it has evolved since then."

Flint and Blade nodded their head.

"What kind of leader is your brother?" Flint asked.

"When I left the pack was in a bad shape, my father wasn't a good alpha. His own wellbeing became before the pack."

"Hence the leader you are today. You have a good example of how it shouldn't be." Blade said.

"My brother agreed with me on most points of view, but I have no idea if he was able to enforce them."

Winter looked outside as she saw some wolves pass by.

"We have company." She said.

"Yeah they have been following us for a while." Flint answered.

"What is your brother like when cornered? How will he react to seeing you again?" he asked.

"I don't know, I always had his back so he never felt cornered." She answered.

"You avoided my question." Flint said.

"I have no idea. I don't know if he is mad that I left him." Winter fiddled with her hands.

"The wolves are big around here, not as big as us but they have a decent size."

Blade said as he studied the group who was following them.

"We were once considered as one of the strongest packs in the kingdom." She answered.

The village doomed up in front of them.

"The pack house is the big mansion on the left." Winter pointed out.

"That house is way bigger and fancier then the others." Blade noticed.

"Yeah my father wanted that you could see on first glance which house belonged to the alpha."

She said, the sentence left a bad taste in her mouth.

Flint parked the car and they all excited carefully. They were immediately surrounded by wolves. Winter spotted her brother Falco amongst them, he clearly didn't recognize her. As all the men excited the vehicles the wolves closed in on them.

"Stop". Charlie said stern.

The wolves looked at Falco for a command.

"Seriously, Falco? That's how you greet your sister?"

Winter asked easing the tension. Falco looked surprised at his sister, his wolves still waiting for his command.

"Falco we are here to talk to Aster." Charlie said.

Falco bared his teeth at Charlie.

"Yeah we don't like him either." She said with a smile towards her brother.

Suddenly Winter saw how River approached her, he was examining her face. Falco would have probably mind linked him to warn him. He walked in the circle of wolves and stopped right in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked stern.

Winter felt a pang in her chest.

"Charlie asked me to come."

"He asked you to stay that night, you didn't listen then, why did you listen now?" he asked.

"Because it involved you and Aster." She answered steady.

"If you cared about us you wouldn't have left. Besides Charlie was getting the rogue pack on our side not you." He answered.

"We are the rogue pack." Blade answered annoyed.

River looked surprised for a couple of seconds and then looked back to his sister.

"So your alpha has sent you here?"

"She is the alpha." Flint answered between gritted teeth.

"Enough."

A loud voice boomed over the wolves and Winter looked at the direction of the sound. She would recognize the voice everywhere.

With long strides Aster walked into the group, all wolves bowed their head for their alpha. Winter was surprised, she saw the surprise in her pack members eyes as well.

"Seriously? You let them bow?" She asked with a smile.

"It's a sign of respect." Aster said as he took River's place.

"As long as you don't expect me or my wolves to do it." She answered.

He opened his arms and Winter carefully stepped in them. As soon as he enveloped her in a hug, she felt safe and at home. She could feel how the tension around them dropped as well.

"We'll talk inside." He said as he started to walk over towards the house.

"You have changed a lot."

Aster said as Winter took a seat on the pack table. Flint and Blade stood behind her. River and Falco walked in and took their seats next to Aster.

"I know, I had to."

"Is it true? Are you the alpha of the rogue pack?" he asked.

"We don't see it in that way, but if you want to name it then I guess I am the alpha."

"Why not?" he studied her curiously.

"I have a council, composed by the pack. We discuss the direction of the pack together, I don't take the decisions the pack does. Only when the votes are equal I can decide if I find it necessary." She answered looking at him.

"Are you as merciless as they say?" Aster asked.

Winter was silent and looked away.

"Winter, answer me."

"If you cause harm to the pack, your fate is sealed. If you trespass our land, you have to have a darn good reason to stay alive."

"Charlie had one?" He asked.

"He said he knew me and that he wanted to talk about my brothers."

Winter was silent as she looked from Falco to River.

"I told him specifically not too." He answered.

"Why isn't he your beta?"

She asked she noticed how her brothers tensed immediately.

"I couldn't, knowing how much pain he caused you." He answered.

A tear filled Winter's eye, it fell down over her cheek.

"He had his reasons." She answered silently.

"So when will you be leaving again?" River asked coldly.

Winter smiled and looked at her brother.

"I heard you know who your mate is, but she isn't ready yet?" she asked.

"I don't see what that has to do with leaving." He answered.

"You have studied my tattoo, haven't you?" she asked calmly.

River got nervous as he nodded his head.

"The moment Charlie rejected me a scar started to form from right on top of my heart towards my back."

Her fingers traced over the red line.

"It felt as if my wolf was trying to claw his way out to escape from the pain."

River looked shocked at her.

"What my wolf taught that night and the first weeks after that night wasn't pretty. She wanted to kill everybody on her path. So watching him, moving over towards the next bombshell wasn't an option at all." She answered.

"I hope with all my heart River that you never ever have to suffer the same pain as I did. That's the reason I came. Now if you'll excuse me I need some air."

Winter had walked all the way over to the lake, the place she used to come to too calm down. She placed herself in the soft grass and untied her booths. She let her feet dangle in the water and closed her eyes.

"I knew I could find you here." Aster voice appeared next to her.

"I am sorry about River." He said.

"Don't, by deciding to leave I hurt you guys. I have known that all along." She answered.

Aster took a seat next to her.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

"yeah, it took me awhile but I have found my place and my people. Are you?" she asked.

Aster was silent.

"After you had left and dad had died. It was hard, I lost my best friend by Charlie's actions. I know that you couldn't stay, but I still hate him for it. As it turned out you were important to the pack. Even though you didn't knew it. We felt it in practice, in strategy, amongst the people and amongst the women." Aster said disappointed.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Robin still isn't pregnant, there are almost no new pups. Many pack members think it's because the real Luna of the pack left, they think you are the Luna."

Winter hugged her brother as she saw how a tear rolled over his cheek.

"We need to do something about that." She said silently.

"My army, there is no one in strategy as good as you, I have lost my right hand." He added.

Winter felt sorry for her brother.

"There is a person who can fill in those positions. But you refused to listen to me." She said softly.

"I won't reward him for what he has done." Aster said stern.

"But maybe you can give him a chance to win your trust back, you need your best friend by your side. You two make a darn good team." She said with a smile.

"You were able to forgive him?" he asked.

"No, definitely not. But I was able to give it a place. It still hurts like hell seeing him, but you can't deny that he risked his own live for you, the Luna and for the pack." She said with a small smile.

"Maybe you are right."

"I am always right." Winter smiled at her brother.

"Is that how you rule your pack?" he snickered.

Winter looked silently over the lake.

"The alpha king" Aster started.

"Maybe we'll keep that to tomorrow, I want to fix some other problems tonight." She answered with a smile.

"Do you have a pack diner?" she asked.

Aster had organized a pack dinner in the honor of his sisters visit. The village was buzzing and in no time the people started to prepare a feast. As Winter made her way with her men, Flint smiled at her.

"They still love you here." He said.

"Apparently." She answered.

Winter was escorted towards the seat next to Aster and she smiled and waved at all the people. As she took a seat she spotted Robin at the other side of her brother, she smiled warmly at her former friend but was greeted with a cold shoulder. Aster silenced his wolves as she took her seat.

"Pack members, tonight we feast. My beloved sister has graced us with a visit. We push our misery aside and enjoy her presence."

Winter saw how a scowl on Robin's face formed. As all the members cheered Winter stood up to address the crowd.

"I would like to thank you all for your hospitality. I know my leave was sudden and unexplained for most of you. I experienced pain which prevented me from staying here, I have come a long way but I am at a better place now."

Winter was silent for a second as she looked over the people that surrounded her.

"I have found my purpose back inside another pack. It is however with great pain that I have left you all behind. You, your great alpha and especially your magnificent Luna. Because make no mistake she is your true Luna, she cares about nothing more than the pack and her alpha. I would like to ask the moon goddess to bless your Luna and the pack. Seek her advice and her presence she is a beacon for all of you."

Winter cheered up to the moon and all wolves followed.

Robin looked stunned at her former friend.