Jenna was just about to introduce Tim and I to the advancing Kimber, who was now standing in front of us. But when she looked at my stiff stance and guarded face, along with the protective way Tim was holding me she stepped back.

"Well, um... I think you might know the bride after all." She said, turning her attention to Kimber, who was standing anxiously, holding Jason's hand. None of us said anything, finally the awkwardness got to Jenna, "You know what, I will see you all later." She turned, "Sam! Let's go! "

Jenna grabbed her daughter's hand and hightailed it out of there pretty quickly, no one giving her a second glance as she retreated to the safety of the pack house. I stood there in a standoff, unwilling to make the first move, refusing to say the first word. Tension filling the air.

Kimber broke the silence first, "Allison, can we please talk?"

I pursed my lips, still not saying anything. Eying her skeptically, Kimber was not someone I trusted in school and she is not someone I trusted now. Did I want to talk to her? She had played a pivotal role in the events that marred me for life, was there anything she could say that would help with any of the scars that still remained? Probably not. I shook my head, no there was nothing she could say that I wanted to hear.

"Tim, I think we need to get the pups and leave." Tim just gave me one of his looks, the kind that told me that I needed to reconsider what I was doing. Somehow, he always knew, he was always the one with a voice of reason, understanding, and forgiveness. He was not moving, he wanted me to face one of my demons.

"Please, Allison. Hear me out. " She was begging, "There are things you need to hear." She pulled away, turning to a common building that was standing behind us. Pointing toward it, "There is a room in there where we can sit, so we will not be disturbed."

Tim shoved me a bit with his shoulder, telling me that we should go with her and Jason. I was hesitant, but in the end relented and followed them, clutching Tim's hand as we went. I clung to Tim's hand like he was the only thing stopping me from falling into the depths of a raging volcano.

Jason and Kimber led us to a room with long pressboard tables. Nothing fancy, you could tell that this room was used for pack events, just like a community center in a town. There were finger paintings on the walls, no doubt done by the young pups. I sat down at the table; my posture rigid as I glared at Kimber. You could never be sure to know her intentions, so I would not be giving her the benefit of the doubt.

**Calm down, Nemo.** Tim's voice rang through our link **She could have answers that you have been looking for, wanting.**

I closed my eyes and nodded my head just enough for Tim to see.

**I don't like this. Lily doesn't like this.**

**I know, love, but this is something we knew was going to happen sometime.**

**I know. I just wish it was through a letter and not like this. A letter I can hide behind.**

Tim reached for my hand that was under the table and gave it a squeeze after intertwining our fingers. I took a deep breath, allowing myself to relax, just a smidge. I still refused to break the silence. I readjusted myself, pulling my hands from underneath the table, placing them in front of me, Tim's hand still securely attached to mine.

"The pups," Kimber said, "They are Tate's." My eyes snapped to hers and I growled. Whatever she had to say, she could leave my pups out of it. Jason visibly tensed, but Kimber calmed him down, "Jason, relax. I am talking about her pups. Of course, she is going to be on the defense. Especially considering our history."

"They look like him. Your little boy is his exact replica, that is how I know." Tears were now in my eyes. If Kimber knew then it wouldn't be long until Tate knew, she would tell him. This is not how I ever wanted him to find out.

"Leave the pups out of this." Tim stated, "They have nothing to do with this conversation."

"But I think they do." Kimber said. "They are Tate's pups."

Tim stood his ground, looking Kimber in the eyes, "They are MY pups. Maybe biologically they are his, but I am their Daddy, so do not speak about them. You want to discuss events, then do it. But they are not a topic we will be discussing."

Kimber nodded her head, Jason too. Both of them knowing that the line in the sand had been drawn. Again, an uncomfortable silence feel around us, the tension could be cut like butter. Tim took the lead, realizing that my silence was all that I was willing to offer, "Was this all a ruse to get us here?"

"Our wedding?" Kimber said, "No, our wedding is real, we really are getting married in three days. And I feel bad about this, but I forced Jason to use Missy to get to you. He wanted nothing to do with my plan, but I had to tell you the truth Allison. I knew that you were with Haven Woods, I just didn't have any way to get to you." Kimber's eyes were now boring into mine, searching for something.

"What do you mean, you used Missy?" I asked, finally breaking my silence. Anger bubbling in my veins.

"When I found out she was in Haven Woods Pack, I needed to find out if you were there. Missy never knew who I really was, we never told her. I needed her to bring you here." I rolled my eyes at her, "With the relationship that her and Jason used to have, if we could get her to show up, to introduce her new 'family', the ones she always talked about, I knew that I could finally talk to you. It was really the only way."

"You know you are just as conniving now as you were then. You have not changed, have you?" Disgust in my voice, "Missy is too good of a person to be used like that." I turned to Jason, "And you have the audacity to call yourself her family, say that you love her and care about her. Disgusting!"

Jason looked contrite sitting there, as I scolded him like I would one of my pups when they had done wrong. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Kimber jumped in, "You need to know... McKenna refused to tell Tate where you were or pass any messages along to you."

"DON'T LIE!" I slammed my hands on the table. I would accept many things but lying was not one of them. McKenna was my best friend, sister, confidant, she wouldn't keep something like that from me. Would she?

"I wish I was lying, Allison." Remorse for something she didn't do reflecting in her eyes. "McKenna has known for years that Tate is trying to get in touch with you. She refused to tell him where you were, refused to tell you he called, refused to give him your number."

I turned and looked at Tim, I could see the unease in his eyes. This is something we had talked about countless times, the 'what if' games. But now that the 'what if' was staring us in the face the reality was all too much. I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun and needed to make a life or death decision. Why couldn't my life be simple? Why did it seem like it was always a struggle?

"McKenna told him time and time again that you had moved on, found someone else. That he needed to forget you, let you live in peace." She closed her eyes and took a breath before opening her eyes again.

"Why are you doing this?" Tim asked, "Why are you trying to hurt her even more? Haven't you all done enough to her?"

"I know it must feel like I am doing that, but that isn't my intention. Allison needs to know everything. She deserves the whole truth. And yes, it is going to hurt, but truth is never an easy pill to swallow."

"You know it might have been nice to know this years ago. Things are complicated now, more than they were when the twins were first born. Telling me all of this because you think I need to know is not going to help with anything. It is only going to make it worse." I was seething at this point, a hundred things flying through my brain. The inability to focus on one thing making it harder to process all this new information.

How could McKenna betray me? Did she? Was Kimber lying or did Tate really reach out to McKenna? Who did she really think she was? She knew Tim and I wanted to talk to Tate, that we had been trying. Well tried, for a while that is. She knew we wanted him to know about the twins, that was his right to know. Eventually I had given up because I never got a response, phone calls unanswered, emails bounced back, letters returned. But we knew if we had had a chance, we would have taken it. Now years later, things were more complicated than ever.

Kimber then began to explain everything, recounting the night in exasperating detail the night that Tate took over as Alpha. How both their father's had paid the price for the destruction that they had left in their wake, although I think they got off pretty light for murdering my father. But then again, death was too easy, they deserved to live in misery. I could say without a doubt I hated those men and what they had done to hurt so many members of the pack.

"He has changed so much Allison. All of this has turned him into a gracious Alpha. You should see everything that he has done. Homes are repaired, streets are cared for. The parks are clean. Tate has taken everything negative and turned it into something that has benefitted the pack. You would be proud."

"You're right, I probably would be, but Kimber it is all a little late. Things are complicated and I can't be with him. I am married, happily married. I have pups, I am almost a pack doctor. What is telling me all of this supposed to accomplish?"

Kimber looked between me and Tim, "Things are always complicated, Allison. What I am telling you is not meant to come between you two. I am not saying leave Tim for Tate, I would never do that. You look so happy Allison!"

"I am, very happy." I leaned my head onto Tim's shoulder. "We may be a bit unconventional, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

"Allison, I hope that you hear me on this last piece. I am sorry to be the one that has to tell you and you can hate me if you want to, McKenna is not the friend that you thought she was, Tate didn't choose someone else over you. I hope you realized that you were always enough, that you were always what he wanted. That he loved you then and he loves you now."

The truth of her words hit me like a freight train. Kimber was not quite the villain that I had painted her to be all those years ago, but still wasn't blameless in everything that had happened. Her words left me wondering if I had really painted anyone in my life correctly, I mean McKenna, betray me? I never thought she would do something like that. Truth always has a way of coming to light and right now, The Goddess was shining the spotlight down on the shambles of my life illuminating everything.

"I need to process all of this." I said, standing I walked toward the door. The scrapping of the chair against the floor letting me know that Tim was coming behind me.

"Don't take too long Allison. Tate is coming to the wedding and will be here tomorrow. You need to figure out what you are going to tell him, because he deserves to know. I won't hide anything from him. There has already been too much of that, he deserves the truth as much as you do."

Lily was defensive, wanting to take over a tear Kimber apart for her threat, but taking all my self-control I pushed her down. I knew deep inside that I would never not tell Tate and that Kimber was doing what she thought was right by Tate. I couldn't blame her for that. Tim and I had promised each other that when we were given the chance, we would tell him, and I was not about to break that promise to myself. I had a feeling that if we did that it would end up eating at us and tearing us apart.

I was facing the door, but she still heard me, "When will he be here?"

"He will be here by lunch tomorrow."

I took a deep breath and looked at Tim, trying to convey to him the sorrow that I felt. The heartbreak that was about to befall both of us was unavoidable, something we knew would be coming one day. "When he arrives, we will be at the playground. Bring him to us and for the love of the Goddess, don't tell him. If my life is going to blow up, I am going to be the one holding the grenade." With that we walked out.