"Did you see Niall's face? Poor guy" chuckled Ju-long, his smile quickly turning into a scowl at the hard punch he received from Blake. His arm throbbed in pain and a small smudge of blood leaked through as one of his fresh wounds were tugged open.

"Thanks, now I'm going to get shit from Niall once this chat is done" glared Blake furiously, his jaw clenched as he fumed at the predicament Ju-Long had put him in it.

Niall was no push over and expected to be included in every aspect of Blake's life which made sense because they were mates. However, with the way things were going it just wasn't possible, they had to keep all their cards close to their chest if they wanted a royal flush.

"About that, what the hell is going on? I know this isn't about the damages because though it's seemed like absolute carnage there was hardly any serious damage" questioned Simeon as he reluctantly left his daughter and Jana inside the tent. He really wanted to be with them at this time but this all needed to be cleared up first.

"It was almost as if it were a ruse, a distraction of some sort" chimed Blake sarcastically, his finger resting on his chin as he pretended to ponder the situation.

Simeon snorted at his silly behaviour "we all know it was. The prisoners are gone just like we suspected they would be" shrugged Ju-long, words dismissive as he played the situation off.

"All of them?" Gasped Blake, earning himself a cut eye and kissed teeth from Ju-long

"Of course" he replied dryly.

"Good, that's very good..." mumbled Simeon ignoring the natural banter and ribbing between the two males. Blake acted stupid and Ju-long always hit him with that dry sarcasm. They were like two siblings constantly winding each other up.

"What happened to the person who let them go?" He questioned curiously, things adding up in his mind as he tried to visualise their next move.

Things hadn't gone exactly to plan but it hadn't been so unexpected. The timing wasn't perfect but they had gotten all that they needed. They were one step closer to where they needed to be. All they needed to do was make sense of this carnage.

"People, as in more than one. One traitor was smart enough to leave with the prisoners but the other one ..." interjected Ju-long his fingers waggling as he indicated that there had been more than one traitor.

"Well what are we waiting for boys" grinned Blake, his hands and neck cracking as he charged off in the direction of the main camp but came to a grinding halt when he realised that no one was following him.

"Are you not coming?" Questioned Blake, shock lighting across his face.

Simeon merely shook his head, arms folding as he stood by the tent. Blake's mouth opened as if he was about to say something biting but Ju-Longs strong pinch shut him up. Blake's hands raised in a defensive position as he backed off.

There were some unspoken words between Simeon and Ju-Long before he turned his back on them and headed back inside the tent, ignoring Blake's mumbling under his breath.

The flap of the tent swung open, Niall's head tilting up as he sighed in relief.

Poor Niall looked as if he was about to self expire and practically flew from the tent the moment he saw Simeon. Cursing under his breath as he stormed out, thunder across his face.

Simeon bit back the chuckle at the mans dramatic actions but his flat lips soon tilted upward in a wide grin at the sight of his females. Jana was grinning, a wide smile spread across her lips as she chatted avidly with Lian. All tension and hostility seemed to be melted from her face. He wasn't sure what they had spoken about but whatever it was had been good for them.

He was happy that both of them had reached some sort of agreement. He had known Lian for years, not as long as he knew Khan but Lian had come a little after they had met each other. She had been Ju-longs shadow for as long as he could remember. Even from young she had always worn a serious look on her face, as if the world had beat her down and it had.

It was hard being a female, especially a female alpha. It was in her blood, she was meant to lead but the same opportunities had not been given to her. From birth Lian had been taught to ignore her nature, to tamp down her natural urge to lead. She had been forced to ignore it, to fight it until no one even knew what she really was. Her nature was so deeply buried, so hidden.

Seeing Lian with a smile gracing her lips was something he had waited a long time to see but seeing a smile on Jana's was something else.

She had been through so much in the past few months and so much of it, if not all of her suffering had been because of him. He had hurt her more than anything else and yet here she was, sitting in the tent with his daughter on her lap as if she were her own.

Zo's pale blonde hair was covered in soot and her cheeks were grey with dust but she was laughing, her hands clapping at something. Something that he wasn't even hearing because he was captivated, captivated by his daughters ability to still laugh even through the traumatic events she had been through. He wasn't deluded enough to think that she was actually okay but she was laughing and smiling and it was because of Jana.

Jana. His mate. The female that he had tested like shot from the moment he had met her. Hot and cold but mostly cold.

He had shut her out, downplayed her worth and when she had needed him he had been there but not really. When she had been grieving he had grieved with her but it hadn't been for long. As the weeks had gone by he had changed back to the same man he had always been. Forgetting that the loss of her ability to have children was something Jana still struggled with and would probably always struggle with.

He had been nothing but selfish and yet she was still here, selflessly giving to his little girl.

"Tata" she called, grabbing the two females attention. Jana's head twisted as she tried to find Niall, realising that he had left and she hadn't even noticed.

Making his way toward the bed, he nodded at Lian as she sneaked from the room, her head nodding back before the flap was closing and then it was just them three.

"Hello moja miłość," he called back, sitting down and pulling her into his arms.

His eyes roved over her dirty skin as he looked for any untreated burns and boils, his teeth tutting heavily as he began questioning her. The foreign language rolled over Jana as Zosia rapidly replied. Her eyes wide as she kept speaking and then her hands were waving back at Jana as she said something.

"Zo said you saved her... I guess that makes it twice" he rumbled, thanks in his voice but it wasn't light. His tone was dark, self depreciative as he began to see how his absence was affecting his daughter.

Jana was running around trying to protect his child while he was running around doing what? Trying to save the world? Well what good was saving the world if there would be no one to sit back and enjoy it with when it was over.

Zosia needed to be his priority, he thought she had been. He thought that by doing this he was providing for her, making the world better for her but he was wrong. Deluded even.

Zosia didn't care about anything but her Tata and as far as fathers went he was failing. Failing horribly.

"I have a habit of diving head first into things, especially now that by body is telling me I'm invincible" she chided.

She wasn't but with Simeon's blood flowing through her veins she could withstand a lot more than before. Even now, after having been at the centre of the fire a couple hours ago,her body felt almost as good as new. Sure, she had a few burns and her chest still pained her from the smoke inhalation but otherwise she felt like she could take on the world.

"It doesn't mean you are moja miłość" he mumbled, sliding beside her on the bed as he placed Zosia down. "You need to be more careful Jana" His brows knitted together as he tried to implore her to take care of herself.

His thumb hesitantly rubbed along her jaw, gentling against her slightly raw skin. His dark eyes swirling with emotions that played with her mind. She hated how Simeon could show her a little care and her body always jumped to attention.

It was the bond. The bond that still niggled deep within even though her mark seemed to have faded as if it had never existed. Fading like dust, just blowing in the wind.

"You're right. I do need to be more careful"  she agreed to his complete surprise.

She wasn't indestructible and she couldn't withstand everything. She had been through so much, lost so much and though it wasn't all her fault, her rash behaviour seemed to place her in danger more often than not.

Her hand lay over his, fingers wrapping around the digits as she pulled his hand away.

"But I also need to protect and defend me and Zo because you can't" his eyes darkened in annoyance but this time he kept quite. He didn't bite back or snap at her, he merely shut up and accepted her words for the reality that they were.

He wasn't around to protect his daughter and as much as he wanted to be there for her, he clearly was incapable. He was her father but it seemed that everything came before Zosia.

He didn't want to get into it, they had been fighting for so long and after all that had happened he just wanted to get along. To be at peace, though he knew that at some point he would have to admit his wrongs.

They were dwindling in limbo, rocking back and forth on the edge.

Something had to be done and it was up to him to make that move because it seemed that Jana was falling fast over the cusp.

She was falling down

Down

Down

And by the time she hit the ground there would be no chance left for him to ever redeem himself. His time was now or never.

His head titled down as he stroked along Zosia's dirty blonde hair, her cheeks pink as she snuggled along his chest. Her lashes fluttering as she sucked on her thumb. She hadn't sucked her thumb in such along time and so it relayed how stressed and out of sync she was.

"Zo" he whispered, nudging at her face. Her big green eyes swooped up to look at him. Her nose wriggled as she popped her thumb out of her mouth, the damp digit falling to her lap.

"How about we go swimming?" Her eyes lit up and then she was nodding her head, tumbling over her words as she spoke rapidly. Her excitement obvious as she pulled at his hair to get him moving.

Jana's body shifted on the bed as she tried to sit up, her back clicking as she stretched out her joints. She would take this distraction for now but she was sure that soon after they would need to discuss somethings. Like the conversation that he had just had with Blake and Ju-long. It hadn't slipped her mind that the conversation was serious just like all the events that had just transpired up to this point hadn't slipped her mind either.

Climbing to her feet she followed the two outside, her body swaying slightly with the cloying thick air. The world buzzed around her and her brain thudded as cold air whipped into her face and rushed down her chest.

Thick arms wrapped around her shoulders and steadied her, securing her body against his chest as he mumbled in her ear "Easy now."

"Sorry" she croaked, wiping at her brow as she tried to disentangle her body from his but he didn't let go. Tightening his arms around her, he slowly ushered her alongside him. His steps slowing the closer they got to the heart of the camp.

There was destruction everywhere but even in the wild disarray it wasn't as bad as she had imagined it would be. Flashes of the fire that had been burning flickered through her mind as she tried to compare the two images.

"I thought it would be worse" she murmured, noticing that quite a few of the tents were spared.

"Yes, well it seems their intention wasn't to kill but to create a distraction" he replied nonchalantly which only spiked her attention. He tried to skirt of her attention but she was persistent and so he settled for a later.

Her nails biting into his skin as she clung to his arm, her feet crunching against debris as she listened to what little information he would give him.

The fire had started off at the back of the tent which was ridiculously close to the cabin and the natural pool. The flames had fanned out but because of the warmer weathers there hadn't been as much wind to aid the fire. It had spread towards the centre of the camp but had been quelled and prevented from spreading much further.

The flames had been angry and aggressive but by luck or likely by design it hadn't caused any permanent damage and only a few pack members were severely wounded. A young woman of about 21 had severe third degree burning all along her side from where a hot beam had landed and sizzled along her skin. The fire had lashed at her body until someone had heard her screams.

She was currently sedated and being administrated over by the healer that had come with Lian. A few other members had some second degree burns and a few first degree burns but there seemed to be no deceased which was rare.

It seemed that death and destruction was something this camp was used to.

They stopped by to see the wounded and check up on the pack, offering help wherever they could. However, it seemed that no one wanted their help as they were merely ushered off with light smiles frwscing their lips.

And so with a guilt laden heart she did, she left the pack as they were and headed towards the bathing Cabin alongside Simeon and Zo.

They stripped down to their underwear and then they were diving into the water.

Jana surfaced first, her head whipping around as she swam about to look for Zosia. The little girl surfaced second, her legs kicking erratically as she squealed and flapped about to get to Jana. Jana's arms pumped fast as she cut through water, her heart thudding as she struggled to get to Zo.

Their fingers touched.

Wet limbs breezing past each other until she was sinking down.

Bubbles forming around her lips as her hair gathered around her like a Halo.

Her lungs burned as a vice like grip wrapped around her ankle as she sunk down, the shadows dancing above her and then she was surfacing. Lungs crying as she gasped and coughed for air.

"You played me" she choked, water sputtering around her face as she stared in shock at the blonde haired devil.

"Tata told me to" she grinned her mouth spread into a proud smile as she floated about in the water like a professional.

"Oh did he now" she growled, her brows narrowing as she began flicking the water at Zo, earning wild screams from the little girl. Her small arms waving about as she tried to mimic the large waves that Jana had created.

She screeched loudly as a large gush of water flew over their faces and soaked them through as Simeon's body crashed through the water.

Jana abruptly turned around and dunked his head in the water before she retreated away, giggles slipping into the air as they played.

Their time in the pool was nice. Odd but nice. They had gone from a life threatening situation to frolicking around in the pool as if they had no fear in the world but of course they did.

There was a lot Jana didn't know. A lot that she needed to know and more than a lot that Simeon and her needed to discuss but at this moment she couldn't find the energy to care.

Since she had been here, nearly every moment of her time had been spent thinking about what was happening next or trying to deal with what had happened and so much of it she hadn't even begun to process. There were somethings that she had merely burried deep within, pretending to have dealt with it when in reality she hadn't because to try and confront it would only decimate her.

She needed this moment and not as way for Simeon to bide his time as he tried to find a way out of telling her what she needed to know. Not as just a distraction to get her mind off of all the horrific things she had done and seen on her own volition.

She needed this moment because seeing Zosia smiling and laughing reminded her off the real reason she stayed here. Why after those first few weeks she hadn't just packed her bags and ran back home. Why even after she had mended things with all her parents and had lost her mind, she hadn't gone home.

It was because of Zo.

She loved her and if Zosia was stuck here then so was Jana because it seemed that in this world, no one else could protect the her the way Jana would.