Milo stared at me with such a fierce gaze that I felt like melting into the chair would have been a better option than discussing anything with him.

"How did you come to acquire the alpha mantle?" Milo questioned. "It was not present before."

I looked to Adam, afraid to tell Milo what had actually happened.

Milo inferred on his own at my glance to Adam. "The mateship? It brought it out."

"Y... yes," I said delicately.

Nate cut in. "How about you tell us why you included Elise in the treaty first."

I let out a breath, thanking Nate for his interruption.

Milo looked between us, eyebrows pressed down, trying to decide if he should be the one to speak first. His brow lightened and he sat back in his chair. "I simply had interest in her being returned."

"That makes no sense," Nate spoke.

"She was under my protection for years and I find out that she has ran off with the Alpha of a warring pack, of course I wanted her returned."

"She was not under your protection."

"She has always been! You dare challenge me?"

"You burned her house down!" Nate bit back.

Milo took a breath and regarded me. "I did not."

Nate's voice was low and fiery. "Liar."

Milo's eyes flew back to Nate. "That was my Gamma's female. She has already been sufficiently punished."

Punished. I knew what that meant.

Adam's grip on my hand stopped the panic attack that threatened to bloom over me. "Why don't you start from the beginning." Adam suggested.

I could tell that Milo was unused to being told what to do and it was battling within him, so Timothy started for him. "It was after Elise dropped off the cakes."

Milo looked to Timothy as if ready to scold and then caught himself. He paused and then looked back to me and Adam. "I was informed that the Beta of Lone Raine caught Elise and Timothy speaking."

I looked up to Adam. He didn't glance down. His face was flat of emotion, much like the first day with him in my kitchen.

Milo continued. "As I have said, Elise has been under my protection and as I presumed there was to be a fight happening sometime that night, I sent someone to check on her, make sure she would not be a target. My men found that not only had the Beta actually been following her, that the Alpha, Gamma, and many other warrior's scents were even inside her home!" He slammed his hand down on the desk.

I jumped causing strain of the medical tape and claw cuts at my throat.

Adam growled a warning.

Milo looked at him with distaste and then went back to his story less strongly. "You all had gone by then, so I sent someone to search the town. She was at the diner, and all looked well." He glanced between Adam and Nate. "Your scents were old there, so I thought she would be fine for the time being and went on with preparing for war. I told my warrior to come back and prepare to fight."

That was the night of the full moon. I never saw another wolf in the diner that day. It made me uneasy that maybe a wolf was watching me through the windows. Was that the only time? Milo made it sound like they could have always been around and watching me. It caused a chill up my spine.

Milo's eyes then angered to the back wall in thought. "The next day I got word it was clear that Elise's cakes were not doing what I expected them to." His studying glance then met mine. "And with how well Lone Raine was fighting I knew it had to be connected to them all being in her home. Had she been forced to do something for them? My warrior had informed me that all the wolf scents outside her house seemed threatening when he'd found it the day before."

I gulped.

"I sent someone to her home right away. They reported the scent showed that Elise had went with the Alpha and Beta and that the Alpha had been hurt. I then had someone watch for her to show up for work that day. She never did. But luckily, I had a contact on the inside."

Contact on the inside? Marjorie? She was in on this? "Who?" I asked.

His lopsided grin made my stomach churn. "Sarah Deives."

Adam and Nate's heads turned my way.

"The daytime waitress?" I asked in surprise.

Milo nodded. "I had her placed there when you were just a child. You started at that ridiculous diner when you were fourteen as a weekend job correct?"

"Yes," I fretted.

"I was worried that maybe as you were closing in on your sixteenth birthday that your alpha mantle would start to show more and more even through the wolfsbane. I wasn't bothered with you being at human school and away from the plants, any wolf would stay away from a silly school, but some may stop to eat at a random diner in town. She was placed as your cover. If someone scented a wolf, they would sense her instead. If they wanted to start something, she was there to protect you."

"But we don't even work the same shifts."

"Not anymore." He paused as a new anger danced through his clenched arms. "A few years later she chose to go rogue instead of follow my orders. You changed to a different shift and she stayed. I allowed her to live in the area as long as she stayed put at the diner continuing to keep an eye on you. She values her life, so she continues to work there."

I remembered that Marjorie said Sarah would take some of my shifts. "She talked to Marjorie."

Milo grinned at me, happy that I started putting things together. "At the end of the evening while she was heading home, she got stopped by some men of mine."

"Did you hurt her?" My hands flew to my face in horror.

He shrugged. "A little."

Nate growled a low deadly sound, and Adam grabbed my hands back down in his.

Milo continued. "She had to be persuaded. But she told me that Elise was vacationing in the city with Alpha Nate. When I heard her story, I knew it was just that. A story. My warrior had hit the alpha with a baneknife. He was in no condition to go on a vacation. But she did tell something that was of interest. Elise, who had long since decided that no one was ever good enough for her, had agreed to allow a pursuer. A wolf pursuer no less. It caught my attention."

I bent my head and closed my eyes in mortification. Even this man who hadn't known me for years knew I had no attraction to dating. Now middle of the scary situation, I was blushing. Great.

"It was at that point that I started to wonder if she was my daughter again after all. What simple human would be of interest to an alpha? But a mating. Alpha female and alpha male would make sense."

"That's not what happened," Nate answered.

Milo turned to Adam. "Clearly." He regarded our held hands for a moment and then continued. "The war pressed on, and I ignored the thought. Until I got word that Elise's home was on fire." He snarled and slapped all the books off his desk clear to the side wall, "she was supposed to be under my protection!" He took a few breaths. "When it came out that it was the gamma female who disobeyed orders, she was dealt with."

"Why?" I asked. "Why was I still under your protection?"

He looked up and slid tall in his chair. "I was unsure at that time. I thought maybe someone could use you for information. You had been in my sights for years. Had even been inside my home. It was possible for enemies to use you against me somehow. Either way, my pack knew you were off limits."

Tim's voice was heard, "and then the pack armies started closing in on us."

Milo's eyes slivered. "Yes. So I had to leave the throne and chose to help at the actual scene. After some time fighting, you can imagine my surprise when I go to fight Lone Raine's Alpha, completely healed, and he has Elise's scent on him. And if he's not taking her to some vacation, where was she? Was she mated and fine? Maybe she was stuck as a prisoner in his home? Maybe using her baking gift against her will."

"She was never prisoner," Nate spat.

Milo ignored him. "I chose to end it. I offered my surrender and compromise of a treaty. I placed in the treaty to get her back, at that point merely to free her but curious as what the alpha had in mind for her." He looked between us. "I'm sure that brings my side up to date. Now shall we go on with how she has regained her wolf?"

"I don't have a wolf," I spoke annoyed after his thoughts of me being a prisoner to Nate.

Milo's eyes roved me. "But you clearly have the mantle."

I sighed knowing it was time for the truth. "The mantle came out when Adam became my mate."

"So on the next full moon your wolf will emerge," a greedy spark flashed.

"I don't think so," I said cautiously.

"Why not?"

He was now treating me like some sort of stupid late bloomer or something.

"Because it would have come out at sixteen, okay?" My teeth clenched in pain. "My wolf was already dead!"

Milo flinched back and the room went silent. A few moments later he spoke. "The wolfsbane. It overpowered your wolf." Pain began flooding his features. "I had too much planted. You around it for so many years killed it. Elise, my daughter. I didn't think it could do that. I'm so very very sorry."

I almost wanted to let him believe it was his fault. "It's not that."

He looked up hope flashing through his eyes, but then landing on anger. "The Winters. They did something." His chest started heaving. "Did they give you silver? Was that it!? They fed you silver capsules." His eyes went wide as he realized. "They did! At fourteen you stopped everything! The self-defense courses I had set for you! Your friends, that boy, everything. You started working. Didn't want to come to park time. That's when they must have started the pills! They killed your wolf! They should be happy they're already dead! I would murder them, I'd rip them..."

I cut in, horrified that he would blame the kindest people in the world to me. But how could I save Adam too? My face bent to my hands, afraid to see the look in his eye. "When I was fourteen my mate rejected me!"

Milo's rant silenced and even Tim looked over confused to the new information.

I peeked up and Milo glanced to Adam, Adam still fully pressed against my side. "But you have since gained a second chance mate."

"I'm n..." Adam tried to speak.

"I don't want to talk about it," I pressed over Adam's confession.

Milo stared a moment and considered as the air was still. "Rejections do happen before a wolf can appear. You don't need to be worried about that mutt."

It was my turn to growl. "Don't you ever say that."

He was taken back at my quick fury. "Alright? Excuse me." He paused. "But a reject would not have caused a wolf to die. It must be something else."

Adam spoke. "It would if it wasn't done properly, Alpha Milo Sir."

I pulled myself from the chair and tugged on Adam begging him to not give himself away. "We should go now."

Nate and Tim stood after.

Milo bellowed, his rage immediately rising through the roof.

Me and Tim sat at once. The full force of an alpha command rammed into me like nothing I'd ever felt before. I had no chance to fight it.

Nate wasn't under his influence but sat slowly down too.

Milo's eyes had blackened. "EXPLAIN."

Adam's mouth opened, but I cut in quick. "My mate!" Eyes turned to me, "My mate," I continued. "It was when I was fourteen. He... he stopped me outside a restaurant bathroom. He said his full name, bu...but not mine. He said he rejected me, and I had no idea what was happening, so I just said 'okay' and watched him run out of the building. That was it."

"He did... an incomplete.... rejection?" Milo was standing now, voice electrifyingly clear. Body clenched over and heaving. "I will find him. I will shred his insides. I will massacre everyone he has ever came into contact with!"

"No." I stood in challenge, fear flushed from my system, protection now needling into my being. He would never hurt Adam.

Milo's arms came and smashed clear through the top of his desk, dark eyes burnt onto mine. "Why are you defending him!?"

Nate and Adam stood protectively. Arms ready in front of me. Tim soon followed standing to the side but unsure of what was happening.

I narrowed my eyes at Milo, equally ready to fight, mantle bubbling to the surface. "Because I love him."

Milo's stance stood back in bewilderment, but his body still boiled with a wolf begging to be freed.

"It was me," Adam said to the breathless room. "I rejected her when she was fourteen."

The next second was chaos.

Milo was transformed into his towering black-grey wolf, already leaping for Adam. Adam had shoved me into Nate's arms just before Milo struck, slamming him to the floor. Adam's head's hit the tile with a crack, and I screamed out with a pain mirroring his.

"Adam!"

He had now transformed and was trying to keep the black wolf at bay.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" I screamed to the room. Nate's grasp was firm around me, holding me back from the rampage. My feet were dangling in the air, and I kicked out trying to free myself.

Milo's wolf was tossed back into a bookshelf. Books flew and the wood splintered as Adam's wolf stood prepared to defend. Milo was up and snarling, flying again towards Adam, a slice down his shoulder.

I screamed clutching over my own shoulder. "Don't!"

Adam kicked back and jaws both snapped at each other. Each growl bringing horrified sounds from me. Adam-wolf then looked over to Nate, linking words flashed through his eyes.

"I can't!" Nate shouted. "You two are blocking the door!"

While Adam was not watching just that second, Milo slammed into him pushing him against the wall, a picture shattered around him. Glass shards pressed into his back, and I screeched at the echoing cuts dripping into me.

Milo bit into Adams neck and my own cuts seemed to catch fire.

I was! I was feeling his pains!

"I can't!" I screamed, trying to kick and punch my way out of Nate's arms, but his hold was solid. "Please let me help him!"

"No!" Nate yelled at me. "You'll get hurt!"

Milo flipped Adam into the air and kicked him against the other wall. My screams of anguish heightened at every step.

"Dad!" Tim yelled. "Stop, you're hurting her!" He was then transformed into a sandy wolf and pouncing. Milo caught him and hit him back into the wall above the desk. Bookshelves and items went flying around us. Nate caved his body around me to stop me from getting hit with anything.

But Milo persisted. Every slash, every bite burning into me. He had Adam cornered, clawing his way through. Adam refused to fight back, only trying to block hits.

"Please!" I cried. "Don't hurt him!"

My body was still trying to free myself from Nate's cage, but I slackened as the weeping started. Milo was going to take Adam from me as well. He had taken everything and now he'd take the one thing that meant most.

Adam.

And Tim.

What was he going to do to Tim next? Tim was on the ground unconscious.

But next to him...

Next to him was the crossbow that had fallen from the wall at Tim's hit. One of the daggers lay freed. New motivation to move forced into my limbs, but still I couldn't get away. I pushed on Nate's grip with all my might and still didn't budge him.

Adam's screech of pain undid me as I felt as if another swipe had sliced into my stomach.

"Adam!" I screamed again. I had to do something before Milo killed him!

This time I turned just enough to Nate and jabbed my finger into his eye.

He jumped with his own yelp of shock, and I crumpled to the ground. I reached for the dagger, the burning it caused in my hand already beckoned me to Milo. I ran the few steps and thrust the dagger into Milo's hip with every ounce of strength I had.

It sunk to the hilt.

Milo barked in pain, and his head whipped around at me. I cowered away, hands up defensively when a black boot shot out of nowhere and kicked the wolf's head away. Nate then pushed me behind him as he prepared to fight the wolf still being human.

Milo snapped and snarled. He shot forward ready to slice at Nate when Nate side-stepped us and the wolf went flying behind like some bull after a red flag. Milo hit the opposite wall sending another bookshelf toppling over him. He yowled then got back up, spine heaving as books fell off him. He set his targets on us again.

Nate's arms still held protectively out, pressing me back whenever I dared peek out.

Milo was breathing raggedly. The wolf's head bent up and down and then his blackened eyes set sights on me and I couldn't look free. He growled once more then crumpled to the ground, eyes closed and unmoving.

Nate's posture slackened.

With my cage free, I turned to Adam's wolf. He was still against the corner, fur matted with blood, but looked up to me with pained eyes. "Adam!" I yelled and then threw myself over him, hugging into his neck, trying to place my arms so I wouldn't touch any of the deeper wounds. "I'm so sorry!"

His wolf muzzle pressed into my hair and inhaled. Hair whisps flew out with every hot breath he took.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I bent back up and looked him over. I then reached a difficult handful of ripped clothing rags into my hands and pressed them at his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"He's okay," Nate stepped over.

I pressed more clothing at the slice of his stomach and his wolf head came over to my hand.

"He wants to know if your hand is okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled to the wolf, my eyes brimming with tears.

Tim's wolf then stirred. He shook his head and sat up. He looked at the mess around, noticed Milo, and set his sights on me.

"Sorry Tim. I kinda got him with one of those knifes."

My attention went back on Adam, my fingers stiffly petting down his hair and blotting out blood where I could. But I noticed one of his smaller glass cuts already seeming different than just a minute ago. I tried to keep my eyes on it, and right before my eyes it seemed like it was trying to stitch itself back together. I hadn't realized that wolf healing was that fast. It would have taken me days but I was sure his would be gone in minutes.

I looked back into the wolf's face with a smile. "You'll be okay."

His head bobbed a yes.

"Just stay close to him," Nate informed. "With the matebond's magic he'll heal much faster."

"That I can do," I said, snuggling back into his side and brushing my fingers through his hair.

A minute later the door opened, and Adam jumped up in front of me, quick enough that I bounced into the wall. I made a slight hiss as I hit, not ready for the collision.

Adam growled as a tall thin man with worn features and a fancy suit came in holding stacks of neatly folded clothing.

I looked up and cried with happiness, "Jeeves!"

The man turned to me with a friendly smile, "Mistress Elise."

Adam's wolf twisted to me in question. "He's okay. He's the butler that took care of me when I lived here. He was super nice."

Nate snorted. "Of course Milo would have a butler named Jeeves."

I laughed. "Oh, um..." I tried to remember, "Leonardo, right?" He gave a simple nod. "I just called him Jeeves for fun."

Leonardo bent, clothes dipped to Adam's wolf. "These are for Master Adam." He handed another set over to Tim's wolf. "Master Timothy."