When you have a room packed full of anxious werewolves, crazy things can happen. We are already a creature that has a higher than normal anxiety, always on the lookout for danger, which is good when you know the enemy that you are looking out for. However, in a case where the enemy is unknown or even one that is close to you, it tends to make wolves more feral.

I could see it on the faces of the Alpha's the most, they were on guard more than the rest, always feeling the need to protect their pack. Yet today, it was me that was the most feral. Lily was pushing at my wall and was slowly making it crumble.

"Protect pups! Want mate! " Over and over she chanted as she slammed herself against the wall I had put into place. Lily was really annoying me, I did not know how she could be so focused on Tate, especially since I had chosen Tim. I knew Lily loved him just as much as I did. However, I was not sure how long I could keep the wall in place, how long I could keep her from pushing through and running to Tate. I just knew one thing that above all else, I was sick of other people dictating my life, it was going to end today.

I sat at the head of the table, this was my meeting, there was no mistaking that I was in charge here. Tim sat to my right, Linc to my left with McKenna hanging her head beside him, her guilt clearly splayed on her face. Tate sat across the table from me, his eyes never leaving me for long, I could feel them on me. It was like he was trying to burrow his way into my soul, little did he know he was already there.

I looked around at everyone, the people that were family. The ones that were friends. The ones that I had thought were enemies. Truth be told, I did not know who was who anymore. My internal compass of right and wrong was spinning in circles, trying to find true north. There was so much tension in the air, it was palpable. Worse than the conversation with Kimber the night before.

I looked around and no one seemed to want to speak first. No one sitting at this table was completely free from guilt, knowingly or unknowingly everyone here had played a part in the events that had lead us to this table. I looked around the table, my eyes settling on each person, seeing if anyone wanted to volunteer first. Silence, I could tell no one wanted to say anything.

I cleared my throat, everyone snapped their attention to me, "I guess I'm going to be the one that starts." Turning to Tim I held his gaze for a moment, then he quietly handed me pictures of the twins, ranging from the time they were first born to ones of them more recently.

"I have a feeling that you all know exactly what this is. What your part in everything has been and although I do not know everything, I will by the time we are done here. " I was taking no prisoners, I wanted the truth and it showed with what I was saying, "I want to know why you all did what you did. Do you know how much all of you have conspired, whether together or separately has impacted my life? You have all taken choices and decisions from me that you had no right to. " I looked around the table, stopping at certain people, McKenna, Kimber, and Tate for the longest.

"Tate." As I said his name, his eye instantly jumped to mine. Tim lifted our intertwined hands and kissed it, as he always did. This was his way of letting me know he was always by my side no matter what. With that I stood up, releasing his hand, not missing the pain that he was choking back. None of this was right, none of this was fair. Especially, to Tim, the person that had done nothing but blindly follow, love, and care for me for the past four years.

I slowly walked to Tate, his eyes following me as I got closer. "Do not do it Allison!" McKenna said, making me turn my attention to her. "You are going to mess everything up! Think of our pack. " McKenna was angry, why I did not know, she did not have a right to be angry.

Tell me, how am I messing anything up, McKenna? Because from what I know you have been the one that messed things up. You knew that this was always going to happen. That is always needed to happen, McKenna. Tim and I decided this a long time ago. " I snapped that here.

"What is going on?" Linc said, looking between me and McKenna. He was confused and I felt bad, because he was going to be faced with a side of his mate that he had never known before. Truth be told this was a side to her that I myself did not know either.

"McKenna's been hiding a lot from everyone Linc." He looked at her, disdain in his eyes.

"Have you?" He whispered and McKenna dropped her head. You could feel the shame radiating off of her.

I continued over to Tate. I reached my hand out, giving him the pictures, that Tim had thoughtfully thought to bring. Tate looked through the pictures, then to me and Tim, pain reflecting back to us in his eyes. "Why are you torturing me with pictures of your pups?"

"Elias and Emmerson." I said to him, Tate shrugged his shoulders and shook his head at me, still not understanding what I was trying to tell him. Then I used their shortened names, hoping he would get the connection, "Eli and Emma."

He furrowed his eyebrow and then realization dawned on him, the names that I had told him I wanted for our pups. He inspected the pictures closer, "Th... They... They are mine?" He set the pictures down and looked at me pleadingly. His green eyes pulling me in. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him, but I could not.

I nodded my head in affirmation, "Why would you not tell me before now?" There was no malice in his words, just sadness at all he had missed, he looked through the pictures again, studying each one carefully.

"I tried, Tate. So many times. " I felt the need to explain further, "I emailed, tried calling, even sent letters, nothing. I figured you wanted nothing to do with me and finally stopped when the last letter was sent back to me as 'return to sender'. But I wanted you to know more than anything. Tim and I both decided that if the chance ever came, we would tell you, you deserve to know about our pups. Just like they know about you. "

A shocked voice comes from the other side of the room, "WHAT ?! YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT HIM? "

I turned to the now standing and shocked McKenna, "Yes, Tim and I did. They know that Tim adopted them, they may be young, but they are not stupid. " She looked at me with disgust. McKenna was digging herself in deeper and deeper. "Honestly not that it is any of your business!" I snipped.

Linc chimed in, "McKenna, control yourself. Whatever is going on here I would like to know. Allison I am assuming we are going to be finding out soon since whatever it is obviously has to do with my mate. " I pursed my lips, not appreciating his tone. He may be Alpha of Haven Woods, but this was not a time for him to demand anything. I felt like a caged animal trying to break free right now, I could feel my restraint slipping.

Then out of nowhere, Missy stood up surprising everyone. McKenna eyeing her suspiciously. The rest of the table curious about what she is doing. "Hi, for those of you that do not know me, I am Missy." She gave a sheepish smile and looked towards her Mate, who was giving her silent encouragement.

"Don't you do it." McKenna gritted out between clenched teeth, "Don't you say what I think you are about to say." There was an anger behind McKenna's words that terrified me.

Missy took a deep breath, "I want to apologize to all of you, because something I did has hurt a lot of people. Now more than ever I can see that it has had long lasting effects. "

"I SAID SHUT UP! I am your Luna and I am telling you not to speak, Missy. " Slammed her hands down on the table.

Linc stood, pulling McKenna back into her chair, "ENOUGH MCKENNA!" Linc howled out to her, "Sit down and DO NOT speak again unless you are addressed!" Although his Alpha command did not work on McKenna it still gave her pause and she stopped. The rage and aggression that McKenna was showing was something new, I did not understand where it was coming from. McKenna crossed her arms, in defeat.

Linc looked to Missy, "Go ahead Missy, please continue with what you wanted to say. You will not be interrupted again. "

We all trained our eyes back to Missy, "In..." she took a breath, Patrick rubbing her lower back, "In Vegas, the Silver Falls...." Audible gasps were heard around the table, everyone here knew the dangers of the drug. "I need to tell the truth, because it leads to a lot of this and I can no longer live with myself. I need you to know, especially you Linc. The person who gave it to me was McKenna. "

"You bitch!" McKenna seethed, trying to pull herself from Linc's arms to get to Missy. But Linc refused to let go. "I will end you!" She was screaming now.

"MCKENNA!" Linc glared at her, "One more word and I will have Nick lock you in a cell. Am I clear? " She was seething now; her face was red, and her fists were clenched. "You are not acting like a Luna, so I suggest you compose yourself right now." The bellowing of his voice made everyone tense.

I looked to my best friend, well who I thought was my best friend, she had betrayed me more than I had realized. "Why?" I whispered out.

"Why what?" She spat, I stepped back. Never had I seen McKenna act like this, nor had I ever realized how much hate she held for me. Well at least that's how it felt, it felt like she held pure hatred for me, and I did not know why.

"Why did you give her Silver Falls? Why did you lie? Why would you make Missy take the fall like that? Why did you not tell Tate that I wanted to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to me? "

"I did not want to lose you. You were slipping away Allison. I did what I did to keep you close. " The anger that she had now slipping away, defeat now registering in her body.

"What are you talking about McKenna?"

"We were supposed to go to school together, be roommates. You were by best friend, but once we got to school it all changed. Everything I did was to protect you or keep you closer to me. I missed you, I still do. Everything was done out of love, the same as always. " She was explaining herself, but none of what she was saying seemed like enough to justify any of her actions. "I knew, especially once you found out you were pregnant that if I ever let you talk to Tate again you would go back. What would I do with you? If you were not in our pack, what would I do? "

"No. McKenna none of that was done out of love. That is the most selfish BS I have ever heard! " I was biting back tears of anger and frustration, "And none of that explain Vegas. Why the hell would you have Missy drug us? " Lily was starting to work her way through, I was struggling more and more to contain everything, my emotions were off the charts.

McKenna sucked in a deep breath, "In Vegas I commanded Missy, she could not disobey a direct order, I even barred her from tell Patrick. Although, it looks like she found a way around that one. " Linc's jaw hardened, he was now in Alpha mode, not mate mode.

"I just wanted you to let loose a bit, have fun. Maybe sleep with Tim, but instead you two idiots ended up married and him marked. " Her eyes falling on Tim, "I am so sorry Tim. I never meant for that to happen. I never wanted you to get hurt. " McKenna was now crying although I do not think it was from regret or remorse, only for the fact that she had been caught and her deceit revealed.

I looked to Tim, who wore a shocked expression, he had been collateral damage in McKenna's quest. "So, has everything been about controlling me? Keeping me around so you always had a friend? " McKenna did not look up at me, giving me my answer. "You are no friend, McKenna. You do not even deserve to be called Luna. You are a disgrace to the title. " I was hurt, I never thought McKenna would be so selfish. She hurt so many people in her attempts to control my life.

She looked so contrite sitting there, looking up at me and then over to Tate, "I have something else to confess too." She dropped her eyes but did not say anything.

"Well spit it out then!" I was fuming, Tim had gotten up and walked over to me, trying to calm me down, but I held my hand up to him, I did not trust myself not to lash out right now. I have never felt this humiliated, hurt, angry before.

"Huh? What else did you do to me, McKenna? I trusted you more than anyone! " I was screaming now, I imagine I looked something like a rabid dog, but I did not care.

"You did not get anything through to Tate because either I stopped it on my end, or I had someone stop it on his end. Mainly my mother, since she has access to the Pack House. She would intercept mail and phone calls. "

I could not even look at her anymore, I was so angry and hurt. I was biting my tongue so hard, wanting to say so many things but knowing that right now they would only make me feel worse. I was trying to reconcile this version of McKenna with the one I had known my entire life and I just could not make it work. I did not know her anymore, if I had ever truly known her at all.

Linc looked at me and then to Tim, his eyes trying to convey how apologetic he was for McKenna's actions, "McKenna is that all?" She nodded her head, "Come with me." He said, jumping up from his chair, his eyes going from Tim, to myself to Tate. "I know it means little, but I'm sorry for my mates actions." He grabbed McKenna by the arm and started dragging her out.

She was not fighting him, but kept calling over her shoulder to me, "Allison, I am sorry. I am so so so very sorry. " I refused to acknowledge her, the friendship that we had was dead, it was all too much for me, "Please Jolly, look at me." I still refused to turn to her, I heard her sobs as Linc pulled her through the door.

Everyone's eyes once again trained on me, but I needed a minute. I walked back over to my chair, taking a seat again. Dropping my head into my hands I was trying to process everything that had just happened. Was I that stupid? How could I not see how McKenna was trying to manipulate everyone for her own gains. Learning of her betrayals felt like my heart was being stabbed repeatedly, at this point I would rather be in a ring letting an opponent pummel me, it would be less painful.

Ally sat there a look of dejection on her face, betrayal in her eyes. McKenna had always been by her side, always thicker than thieves. I remember them growing up, so I could not begin to fathom how Ally was feeling right now.

I wanted to reach out to her, to pull her into me to make things better, but I could not make myself move. I was fearful of actually initiating contact with her, I was not sure if I would be able to keep Knox contained, but I knew she was struggling herself. I watched her reached over to the crook of her elbow and rub her tattoo, the one that we had gotten together.

"Mate needs us!" Knox kept saying, "Lily says go to her!" He was trying to convince me to move, but I did not.

"Nemo." I heard Tim say, Ally turning her head to look at the man that had walked up beside her. What a weird nickname. He pulled her into his arms, cocooning her. "It's all going to be alright." I was instantly jealous, she should be seeking comfort in my arms, she was my mate. I let out a growl, unable to control it.

Markus reached out, putting his hand on my shoulder. He gently shook his head to me; I was about to say something when the light reflected off of the gold band that was on Tim's left hand. I sat back down, my heart slowly tearing apart, I had forgotten they were married. She was doing nothing wrong, neither was he, they were together. Here I was the outsider and it hurt.

Ally looked to me, "Now that we know all about McKenna's betrayal, lets hear about yours Tate. I do not want to hear it from anyone else anymore. I want to know why you did what you did. " She was taking no prisoners now, clearly, she was done with everything and wanted honesty and for once she was going to get it. "Kimber, I already know yours. It is all just selfishness from you to, then and now. Not to mention your mate. "

"You are right Ally. You should know, but first let me tell you that I now know that how I handled everything was wrong. I know I hurt you and I will forever be sorry for that. I know that there is nothing I can say or do that will ever make up for it, but I hope you know that I regret everything I did. " A few tears escaped her eyes, she angrily brushed them away.

I proceeded to outline everything, each thing that had happened starting from the time I had left to go to the Alpha meeting with my father to the most recent discovery of his betrayal. Leaving no event out, providing every detail no matter how minute I laid it all on the table. When we walked away from this everything was going to be known.

"The pack is amazing now, Ally. Things are like they were when we were kids, before my father had a chance to run it all down." I was proud of everything that I had accomplished.

Ally still had bite to her words, she was still angry, so even though her words stung I didn't let it show, "I am so glad that you regret it Tate. Do you see what your lying has done, because that is where ALL of this started. ALL OF IT! If you hadn't lied..." Her words trailed off.

I looked over to Tim, silently asking for his permission. He gave me a slight nod, letting me know that it would be okay, I stood up and walked over to the chair where Linc had been previously. I took Ally's hand in my own, relishing in the sparks that started warming my skin. I appreciated Tim allowing me this, he was a better man than I. I know if I were in his shoes there is no way I would let another man touch my mate. Gently I squeezed her hand.

Ally pulled her hand from mine, to say it hurt would be an understatement, but I understood why she did it. "Everything has been lies; everyone had decided for me. Am I that pathetic that people really think I can't handle the truth?" At first her questions weren't directed to any one person, really, they were for all of us that had lied to her, but then she directed them all to me.

"Tate, you out of everyone never should have lied to me. You are my mate, and it pains me to say that you are because mates should always be honest with one another. I never lied to you, never pretended." Her eyes shot over to Kimber, "You stole so much from Kimber and look, you get your happily ever after now. I hope you feel good about yourself. Because you may think that this plan of yours to use Missy was great, but it was despicable."

"What?" Missy said, looking to her cousin Jason. I didn't know Missy, but I felt bad for her. Kimber uses people, always has. Even if she has changed, deep down she is still just as conniving as when she was younger.