Sophie came back to herself with a start. Unsure at first what had broken her free of her memories, she realised she could hear a car engine coming down her drive. With not many visitors she immediately felt a frisson of fear creep up her spine.

As a matter of fact, her unwelcome guests from a week ago were the first people to visit in months. The very few friends she had made in the small community she now called home, would not visit without calling first, and she usually met them in town, preferring to keep her sanctuary private in the most part. Trust of others was not something that had come easily. Her friends may not know exactly what had happened to her, but knew it must have been something bad.

As she pulled the edge of the curtain back she saw a large black truck pull up in front of her home. The truck had definitely seen better days, the paint work faded with dents and obvious rust in places. The doors opened and three men stepped out. The fear that Sophie had been trying to hold at bay rushed forward and her hands began to shake.

They were wolves! Even though she couldn't scent them from inside, she didn't have to. It was the way they carried themselves. The air of arrogance and superiority that some male wolves exuded, gave them away.

As they walked round the truck they spoke quietly together, gesturing angrily in the direction of her home. The smaller of the three made a cutting motion with his hand and barked an order to the other two who obeyed the command but still looked........ annoyed? Uncomfortable? She wasn't sure. As they approach her door the smaller man turned towards the window almost as if he could feel her watching them and smiled. But it wasn't a friendly smile. It was the smile of a man who knew cruelty and who knew how to dish it out. Sophie knew. She had saw a similar look on the face of her torturer every day for seven years.

The three loud thumps on her door made her jump. Angry with herself she straightened her shoulders and drew up her head. She wasn't that person anymore. She had left that all behind and she was stronger than ever before.

Sophie moved to the door and opened it looking at the three men who stood before her.

"Good afternoon gentlemen, what can I do for you?" She asked politely while holding the door only half way open.

The smaller one stepped forward and smiled. But if was far from a nice smile. "Good afternoon Sophie, my name is Ron Stevens and these here are my pack mates Jack and Walter. You might remember us, we are from your pack......"

"I don't have a pack anymore!" Sophie interrupted briskly, frowning at them.

Ron frowned at the tone in Sophie's voice. "Look here girly, we are only here to try and talk sense into you. The Alpha and his parents told us at the pack meeting last night that you refused to come home and mate with Zack. Well that just isn't gonna work. The safety of the whole pack is at risk here and you being selfish and refusing to come home is not gonna wash anymore." He finished in a rush, self righteousness oozing from him.

The more her "ex pack mate" spoke the lower Sophie's jaw dropped. How fucking dare he! She could not believe her ears. The rage rose, like lava bubbling to the surface, and broke through.

"First of all," Sophie snarled "don't call me girly and second, I don't give a fuck what "works for you" you are nothing to me! Those people, who you call pack, just like you, mean nothing to me! They mean less than nothing to me! The pack you talk about turned their back on me a long time ago and I don't owe those people anything, I am very ok with my "selfishness", as you call it. Now get off my property before I get my gun."

Her wolf howled in her mind, scratching to get out and rip Ron's throat out. Although her wolf didn't communicate with her often, to traumatised from years of abuse, it was more aggressive now because of it.

Ron's face had become an alarming shade of red. His two friends moved to pull him back as he tried to step forward into the doorway. "Come on Ron, lets go. We told you this was a bad idea. Leave it to the alpha to sort this out." Said Jack/Walter, she didn't know which, because she didn't take her eyes off Ron. Knowing of the three, he was the one to watch. He was the threat.

"This isn't over girly. I promised my Alpha I would bring you back, and bring you back I will." He shouted.

Sophie gasped. "Zack sent you?" She asked incredulously.

"It doesn't matter who sent me, what matters is getting you back where you belong. Nothing else, and I'm gonna make sure that happens." He said contemptuously.

"We will go for now but we will be back. It would be better for you if we didn't have to. If you come home we can forget this morning ever happened." He said.

"Are you threatening me?" Sophie demanded. "If you are you should know that of all things, threats will never work with me. There is nothing you could ever do to me that hasn't already been done, so leave now and don't come back. And you can tell your Alpha, the next time he sends his lackeys to threaten me I will send them back filled with lead." She growled.

Sophie turned and slammed the door before they could say anything else, throwing the deadbolt into place. After a few quiet murmurs she could hear the angry stomps moving down the porch steps and seconds later an engine starting up and a car backing up the drive.

As the anger that had flooded her before eased, she began shaking. Her legs, no longer able to hold her weight, gave way and she slid down the door, landing on the floor with a bump. She could not believe Zack had sent those three goons to threaten her into coming back.

But then again, why wouldn't he? He and his parents had shown absolutely no care or compassion to her in the years she was a member of their pack. Why should now be any different.

But what she did know was that she was no longer a scared child. She was not going to give into threats and intimidation. And she would definitely follow through with her promise to shoot first and ask questions later if they ever showed their faces again. And that included her mate and his parents. She was done being a victim and had no problem showing anyone who tried to take away her hard fought freedom and peace, just how capable she was now.