"I don't even know where to begin." I stated honestly as I sat down on one of the chairs across from Mikko."

"Sure you do. Don't play coy."

"It's not that. It's just been a long time."

Mikko nodded and leaned back into the chair, ready to answer whatever questions I had. Here was this great opportunity and I had cotton mouth.

What did I want to know? Did I even want to know some things?

"Let's just start at the beginning. When Finn sent you to look for me in that club on the night we met, what were you supposed to do with me?"

Mikko let out a big sigh. "I was just supposed to make sure you didn't try to go to the pack house."

"So us talking wasn't really supposed to happen?"

He shook his head. "No. I really didn't have to do anything that night. I could have just left you alone, knowing now that you had no intention of seeing the pack. But as soon as I saw your face, I was just too tempted."

"Tempted because I look like her?" I didn't have to say her name for him to know who I was talking about.

Mikko just nodded his response, not speaking.

"Did Finn set you up?"

He nodded. "I'm sure he knew."

"How where I was?"

He smiled slightly. "I tracked your phone."

I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious. "Do you still track my phone?"

He shook his head. "No. I had the claim mark on you. I didn't need it anymore."

"How did you know who I was? You didn't really ask my name first."

He sighed and avoided eye contact for a moment. "Eddy had some clothing you left at his place."

He looked back and smiled at the face I made. It seemed so long ago that I had been with Eddy. At this point it was a distant memory that didn't actually feel real anymore.

I didn't really like the fact that Eddy had been in on this either.

"Why were you such an asshole to me? I couldn't really go anywhere while I was pregnant."

He sucked his teeth for a couple seconds. I could tell he was thinking. Probably of a way not to bruise my ego. "To be honest," he said slowly. "I didn't want to be in a relationship with a human... again."

"I saw you and Abigail when we got back."

He gave one slow nod. "The relationship that I had once had with her has been over. That was one way we communicated, but hasn't been something that's continued."

"It didn't look very over when you took her to your house to clean."

He held his palms up at me, in a submissive way.

"We did just clean. She berated me a bit, let me know how stupid she thought I was, but that's all that happened."

"She knew about your wife?"

He nodded. "She's been around a long time. She knew my idea of wanting to keep you at bay and understood the reasons for it. She didn't agree with them, but she understood. I figured, the more I push you away, the less likely you'd seek a relationship."

"And that's why you brought that woman into my bed?"

He had been anticipating that. He showed no reaction at all.

"That woman was actually a member of this pack that I just strong armed into pretending."

"You risked the lives of your children to trick me? It looked pretty real to me."

He nodded. "At the time, I didn't know the consequences. I thought it'd be easier to keep you away, like I said."

"You wanted to keep me away to save your feelings?" I was pretty exasperated at this point.

"Yes," he kept his eyes on mine, "I didn't want to risk loving anyone again. It killed the person I was when Jess died."

"The person you were?" I asked, interested in this. "You were a good partner once?"

He shrugged. "I used to be a lot better than I am now."

"You mean you didn't go around putting claims on women in your past?"

He shook his head, serious. "The only one who had one, other than you, was Jess."

"Then why'd you put it on me?"

His eyes flashed amber as he looked at me. "I've had a lot of issues with control since I met you. My wolf's wanted to mark you as his since he saw you. If you hated me, he couldn't get that close." He got off the chair and paced away from me. "It's not any easier to fight him with this mark on my neck."

"Are you still going to fight him once your side of the bond is done?"

He shook his head. "No. Once it's done I won't have to hold him back anymore."

"Did you even want the mating bond, once you found out that I had changed?"

He looked at me from across the room. "I did. I just didn't think it would happen so fast. I thought I'd have to work for it, seeing how much damage I caused between us."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

He shrugged. "You don't."

I'd have to take a leap of faith. At this point, I didn't really have a choice. Finn wouldn't let his son go for long with a half bond.

"Why the change of heart now? It wasn't so long ago that you kicked me out of your bed."

"There hasn't been a change of heart. I'd say it's more of a change of behavior." His eyes narrowed on mine now, serious. "You know why I kicked you out of my bed. My wolf and you attempted a mate bond without me knowing. A mate bond would have probably killed you." He shook his head, remembering, "I was furious when I came to and found you willing."

He stayed anchored by Finn's desk. Just by looking at him, you could see that he was still angry about it. "You could have died for a very stupid reason."

I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

"And then you ended up pregnant again." He looked down and shook his head. "It was like nothing I could do could get you to run away from me."

"I don't understand why that's something you'd have wanted. Didn't you want your children to have a complete home?"

"Of course I'd want that for them." Mikko nodded and looked back up at me. "It's just not something I'd ever wanted for myself again."

"That's a terrible excuse for how you treated me, Mikko."

He shrugged. "When I lost my wife, I obtained a title, which is something hard to do." He took a deep breath, "Being known as the Black Wolf is only a coincidence with my coat. I killed thousands. Not just of wolves, but of witches, hunters, and humans. I killed anyone who crossed my path. It became widely known that my heart was as black as my coat. Once I was able to control myself again, Finn made me a promise: he would end me if that wolf resurfaced."

Thousands. He killed thousands of people.

We were silent for a moment as I took that in.

That's why he had so many enemies. That was probably one of the reasons why Finn assumed control of the entire continent. To make sure that his sons enemies couldn't band together against him.

"I never meant to have a family in order to keep that from happening again."

He let everything sink in for a moment.

"If my wolf wouldn't have bit you, initiating the mating mark, would that even be something you wanted?"

He smiled and nodded, still keeping his distance. "Yes, this would've been something I wanted in the long run."

"Because I managed to make the change without dying?"

He nodded.

"Are you still going to be my superior?"

He shook his head. "You're my equal when you're my mate. Everyone will treat you like my equal and you won't accept anything less. You'll get better at it as time passes."

"Is there a ceremony or anything we'd have to do?"

He shook his head. "So far, you're not one to wait for tradition. You've had a forced upon Changing," he held up a finger counting as he listed "you've violently been added to the pack, and you marked me without regard for consequences. We don't really need a ceremony for something that's already happened."

"Is the pack angry with everything that's happened?"

At this, he came closer and sat across from me. He shook his head slowly. "I would say shocked, rather than angry. It all happened very quickly."

I had expected the pack to be somewhat angry with me because of everything that had happened. Maybe Mikko was just lessening the blow for me. Maybe they were relieved that it had finally happened and maybe the drama level would come down a notch.

"I didn't tell you something before, when we were." I looked over at Mikko, "About what JJ told me when he had me in that cabin." Mikko looked at me with some interest. "JJ said that there was someone old that had told him a grand plan."

"Did you hear a name?"

"Marshall Alexander." I shook my head, remembering the awe in JJ's voice. "I can't believe anyone would think that old wolf was a revolutionary."

I could see Mikko thinking in his eyes. He had to be putting together a plan with the pack. I could feel the pack connections vibrating with activity.

"Jones was mind washed. His alpha should have been able to detect and stop this before it happened. He was probably in on the whole thing. I don't think the pack will stay whole much longer."

"You're going to have the alpha replaced?"

Mikko nodded. "He can't lead a pack any longer. He's poisonous to the united packs."

By the time we came out of the office, I was emotionally drained. I was glad that it was time for dinner, because I was ready to sleep for days.