I wonder how that conversation is going, telling Asher and them about the Rogue Kingdom.

I'll go back in a bit. The silence is nice. The wind blows softly as I take a deep breath. My eyes snap open. Sandalwood and pine, accompanied by a rogue scent.

Thatcher.

I stand and shake some snow off my body. I look around, my eyes narrowed. I spot Thatcher's sandy blonde coat along with the rest of the Rulers, Daring, Four, AJ, Max and Darcy. I growl softly as I notice they're coming towards me.

And just when I think things can't get worse, one of Moonblood's patrols shows up behind me, growling at all of us. Thatcher growls back and I know they'll start fighting if I don't do something. But I also can't keep them apart on my own.

Guys, I'm gonna need some help, I say. Thatcher's here with the Rulers and facing off with one of the pack's patrols.

Be there in a flash, Killian replies.

Asher's just getting told about them now from the patrol, Clove adds.

I look at Thatcher just as he takes a step towards the patrol. I growl at him, making him look at me.

Come on, Queenie, he whines. You're no fun.

Go find fun somewhere else, King, I say. Out of all packs out there, why come here?

Like I said before, Thatcher replies, stepping closer to me. A king needs his queen.

One of the patrol wolves growls again. They can't hear our conversation so they don't know what's happening. Thatcher looks at his group and nods. Daring goes to lunge but before he does, I use my power and create a wall of flames in between us and the patrol. The tongues of flame burn high, too high for a wolf to jump and the line of flames is too wide to jump across.

I hear some of the pack wolves yelp in surprise. Daring sends a glare at me, so I stick my tongue out at him. Killian appears next to me, dropping down from the branches. I guess he climbed a tree on the other side of the fire and jumped across that way.

"Hello tops and bottoms," Killian says, grinning.

Daring gives a wolf grin and waves with one paw with a bark. The rest of the Rulers just roll their eyes.

Stop the fire, Queenie, Thatcher says.

Why? I reply. You'll just attack them.

Exactly, Thatcher hisses. I want blood to be spilt.

Then go find a different pack to attack, I say.

Thatcher growls. Not unless you and the rest of the Royals come with us.

I don't want to leave yet, Killian says, pouting.

King, we leave on the fifth of January, I say. Then we're back in our house and everything goes back to normal.

Except it won't, Thatcher replies. You think you can just walk away from Alpha Asshole after this vacation of yours? You won't be able to! By then the bond will be too strong and you'll be attached to him like a leech.

How do you know? I ask.

Thatcher hesitates, something rare for him to do. Because that's what happened to me.

What? Zaine asks.

He and Clove drop down forms the trees like Killian did.

"You can stop the flames, Reina," Clove says. "You'll pass out if you keep them up. Asher and them can protect themselves."

I hesitate then nod, letting the flaming wall behind us disappear and reveal Asher, Raiden, Scott and Dean, all in wolf form. I guess Asher told the patrol it was OK to leave.

They walk up to us, Asher beside me, Raiden beside him with Clove on his other side. On my other side, Killian wraps an arm around Zaine's waist, Scott and Dean sitting together next to Zaine.

Thatcher growls, baring his teeth at them, Asher especially. Asher snarls back, his alpha power radiating off him.

King, what happened? I ask.

Thatcher doesn't answer. Instead, he lunges at Asher. Asher meets him head on and they both go down in a flurry of fur, teeth and claws. The rest of the Rulers attack Raiden, Scott and Dean, leaving my friends and I alone.

I growl softly. Strange, help Raiden with Daring and Four. Flash, Changeling, you're with Scott and Dean against Max, AJ and Hoe. I mean Darcy, Max, AJ and Darcy.

Of course that's what you meant, Zaine says.

I give him a wolfish smirk before turning to join Asher in fighting Thatcher. It's pretty easy to tell Asher's brown fur from Thatcher's sandy blonde as they roll in the snow, clawing and snapping at each other. It'll be hard to hit Thatcher, as they keep twisting and turning, never staying still and turning the snow red.

I hear one of them growl and a spray of red droplets hits the snow, melting into small dimples in the snowy white. Asher manages to throw Thatcher away and I take my chance. I lunge at Thatcher, my jaws sinking into his side before he realizes Asher's not the only one he'll be fighting.

Ignoring any pain he's feeling, Thatcher throws me away from him. I'm hurt, Queenie. I thought we made a deal. No attacking each other ring any bells?

Would you not break that deal if I had gone after your mate? I growl.

Thatcher's eyes narrow. Touché.

He lunges at me. I meet him head on, clawing at his chest. He nips my ear, raking his claws down my side and making me hiss. Asher barrels into Thatcher's side, knocking us apart. They both growl loudly, circling each and waiting for the other to make the first move. When Thatcher's back it to me, I lunge. He's expecting my move and dodges to the side.

I growl and use my power to conjure flames over my fur. I lunge at Thatcher and when he tries to dodge again, I swing my tail to the side and just barely hit him. Thatcher lets out a barely audible whine as the flames burn into his side. While he's distracted, Asher lunges again, tackling Thatcher and managing to pin him to the snow. I let the fire disappear as Thatcher snarls but doesn't fight.

You're getting better at that, Queenie, he says. The fire thing.

Practice makes perfect, I reply, walking closer and sitting by Thatcher's head.

Asher gives me a proud look, a wolfish grin on his snout.

When did you say you'll be back? Thatcher asks as if it's just a normal conversation and he's not on the ground with Asher standing over him.

The fifth, I reply.

You better be back, Thatcher says. He suddenly throws Asher off him as if he weighed almost nothing. Rulers, let's go.

Thatcher turns and runs off, the others following him. Asher gets up and comes over to me, sniffing me and checking my wounds before he licks my cheek.

"Babe, you OK?" I hear Zaine ask Killian.

I look over at them and see Killian with his arm around Zaine's shoulders, leaning on him for support.

"I'm fine," Killian pants, seeing the concerned looks from not only Zaine, Clove and I but from Asher, Raiden, Scott and Dean as well. "I just went a little over the top with my speed. Got AJ pretty good though."

"Flash, that's going to be the end of you one day," Clove says. "You use your power almost too much in battle."

Killian gives her a sheepish smile. I shift back to my human form, my clothes reappearing on my body thanks to the spell on my chain necklace. The other four wolves look at me, surprised.

Scott disappears through the trees and returns a few minutes later in human form and carrying clothes for Asher, Raiden and Dean. They take them and quickly go behind trees to shift back, reemerging a minute or so later.

"Why'd they leave?" Raiden asks. "And why'd they come here in the first place?"

I shrug. "Don't really know. Thatcher's odd like that, does his own thing. Though he did say he wants us back at our house on the fifth."

My twin's expression darkens and so does Asher's. His hand grabs mine tightly, in a way that clearly says he's not letting me go.

"Now, when did you shift and why don't your clothes rip?" Asher asks as we start walking back to the pack house.

"A spell on my necklace," I reply. I hesitate slightly. "I shifted the morning of your sixteenth birthday, Asher."

His eyes widen as he looks at me, "Really?"

I nod.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Raiden asks, his voice sounding slightly hurt.

I look at him. "I wanted to surprise you and Dad that evening. Then it just got pushed aside, out of my mind."

Asher winces and so do Scott and Dean. Asher's thumb starts rubbing gentle circles on the back of my hand.

He leans close and whispers softly in my ear, "Rei, I promise, I'll be better than before."

I smile softly. "I know."