Nathan paced back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the house. His mate was inside with a rouge that clearly wasn't all there. He was telling her about a ritual to bring forth her wolf that could kill her. And he knew she was actually considering it.

Malcolm was fighting him for control. He wanted Nathan to shift and destroy the rouge for even suggesting that Paige could die. Nathan was inclined to let him. The only reason he didn't was because of the look Paige had given him. It was one full of anger and doubt. She was angry at his possessiveness and was doubting going through with it because of it.

If she didn't go through it it because of him he'd never forgive himself. Having a wolf and being connected to a pack was the greatest thing he had in his life. The feeling of belonging, of community, of home. Having a wolf was exhilarating, the constant companionship, the feeling of wind in your fur as you race through the forest. Nothing could compare to it. He can't imagine not having that.

Patrick watched him pace with a look on his face that Nathan couldn't parse. "What?" he asked, tone harsh. Patrick just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It infuriated Nathan even more. He stormed over to him and got up in his face, "Say. What's on. Your. Mind." He paused between each word, trying to be intimidating.

But this was Patrick. Patrick knew him well enough to know when he's putting on a front.

"I know you're worried about losing her, but I don't think that'll happen."

"She is in there with a rouge right now!" he practically shouted. He stalked away.

"Yeah, but that's not what you're worried about. Micah's the best young warrior we've seen in a while and from talking to Dorothea, he's always been overprotective of her. Nothing in there is going to hurt her. No, what you're worried about is her leaving. Choosing not to stay with you. What you're worried about is rejection."

Those words were the pin to the balloon of his rage. He deflated as he let himself acknowledge his terror. All day 'what if's'had been running through his mind. What if her wolf won't wake and she leaves? What if it does wake but they're not mates? What if he's to controlling and it drives her away? What if she decides the life she built without him is the one she wants? What if she doesn't want to give everything up to join the pack? What if? What if? What if?

"I can't make the 'what if's' stop," he said quietly. "They just keep spinning around and around and around in my head. I feel like I'll go crazy if I lose her. It feels like I'm already half way there."

"Well, I don't know much about mating, but I do know how to read people, and judging from the way she looks at you I'd say there's a pretty good chance she's not going anywhere. Even if her wolf doesn't wake up."

"You don't know her like I do. She's got self-sacrifice down to an art form. If her wolf doesn't wake up she will leave. She'll go back to London so the mate bond will fade and I can find someone else. She knows the importance of having a good Luna. She won't take that from me or the pack. No matter how she feels about me."

"I already think she's a good Luna."

"You do? I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't like the threat she posed to you but I can't deny her brilliance. How she calmed you down in the car, how she keeps her cool even in the most stressing situations. I heard about what she did for Holly. Even if she never gets her wolf, I think she will be an incredible Luna."

"How did you hear about Holly? That was literally this morning."

"I know everything." He shrugged. "The point is, I think we need her. I know you need her but I think the pack needs her too. She doesn't take any shit but she's all kindness and caring and compassion. I can't think of anyone better to lead the pack with you."

"Her father asked her if she was seducing me?"

"What?!"

"Yeah, this morning. That's why I locked down the gym. She was there on the punching bags but they weren't effective enough. I made her fight me."

"Damn. Want me to take care of him?"

Nathan snorted. "Trust me, if it wouldn't make her more upset I already would have."

"Wait, is that why you had a cut on your face this morning? And why her hands are all bruised?"

"Yeah, she's fast and her endurance is insane. With how much power she was throwing she should have burned out way before I did, but she didn't. Rook came out to play and she wasn't messing around."

"Rook?"

"Cuz she has a mean right hook." He let out a big sigh. "I love her so much. I've loved her since she put me on my ass in Sydney. I never stopped loving her and now with the mate bond... I can't lose her."

"Well, then we better do everything we can to make sure she stays."

"Paige won't be manipulated."

"I never said anything manipulation. I'm talking about about laying out the facts and presenting the best picture of why staying is mutually beneficial for everyone. We're going to need all hands on deck. Leave it to me."

When Paige and the others came out the all had somber looks on their faces.

"Well?" Nathan asked anxiously.

"He wouldn't come out. He wouldn't even tell us what the ritual is," Paige answered.

"I'll come back and try again tomorrow." Professor Moran said, "We will figure this out."

"I thought you were leaving tomorrow, that's why we had to meet today," Paige said.

"I was going too. I'm supposed to give a lecture at UCLA Friday but I can reschedule my flight, I'll reschedule the lecture if I have to."

"No Professor, I don't want to inconvenience you-" Paige started.

"It's no inconvenience Paige. You're family, even if you disappeared for five years. If this is something you want I want you to have it. I'd want you to have it even if you don't so I'm willing to move somethings around for you."

They headed back to the university. Paige fell in to step with the Professor. She had barley even glanced at Nathan and it stung. He knew she was still upset with him. At the university the Professor gave them directions to the park Annie and Theo were going to be at and they said their goodbyes with promises to hear from him tomorrow. The park was to far walk so they went back to the car.

"Paige?" Nathan was desperate for her to look at him, to know she didn't hate him. She looked at him and he could see an exhaustion in her eyes, an exhaustion that couldn't be remedied with a nap.

"Not now, Nathan. It has been an incredibly long day. I just want to go say goodbye to Theo and head back to the pack. Can we do that? Can we just, not talk about it right now?"

"Sure, whatever you need."

They made it to the park and Paige climbed out of the car and called to Annie and Theo. The young wolf ran to her and she swung him up in a big hug. Nathan and Micah followed her out, Patrick said he was going to check in with the other team and get some coffee.

Theo had pulled Paige over to the swings and Nathan leaned against the fence that surrounded the park, wanting to give Paige some space. Micah stood next to him. Nathan watched as Paige embraced another female, who's scent marked her as a rouge. Nathan did his best to push his anxiety away.

"Alpha?" Micah said.

"What is it Micah?"

"I'm going to say something and I want you to take it as a brother looking after his sister, not as a pack member threatening his Alpha."

"Understood." Nathan knew something like this might come from the young warrior.

"You hurt my sister again and I will find away to hurt you. I don't care that you're the Alpha and could beat me in a fight. I will hurt you, just as much as you hurt her. She barely survived the last time. I won't watch her hurt like that again."

"What do you mean barely survived? I thought she didn't tell you all about what happened between us."

"She didn't. I saw it." Nathan gave him a quizzical look and Micah continued, "Paige wasn't doing well and Lennette called me. It was right after our pack fell and everything was chaos. We hadn't joined the Silver Crescent pack yet and since we didn't have a pack, I was able to fly there without having to get permission. When I got there..." He trailed off. "I stayed for a month and I don't even think she remembers I was there. We've never talked about it. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep. She just sat there and stared out the window. She was wasting away. It wasn't until we had the memorial for the pup that she turned a corner."

"She told me about that. She said the Lennette did it all."

"Like I said, I don't think she remembers me being there. Lennette and I have talked, best we can figure is that she pieced things together after the fact. She remembers the memorial but only remembers Lennette being there because she was there for everything after. My point is Alpha, it was bad. Really bad. Before I met my mate, Paige was the most important person in my life, now she's number two. I've been protecting her since we were pups and I'll keep protecting her. Even if it means threatening my Alpha."

"You're a good brother, you should know that I love her. More than the mate bond, I loved her in Bali."

"And you still left her." Nathan's heart clenched at Micah's accusation. "I know why, and I don't blame you but you still left her."

"I won't leave her again. I won't lose her again. I just want what's best for her."

"Even if that means letting her go?" Nathans head whipped around to Micah. "If this doesn't work, if you can't wake her wolf she shouldn't stay here and you shouldn't ask her to."

Nathan opened and closed his mouth a few times. He was trying to find words to reply to that but couldn't. That was one of the 'what if's' that ran through his brain but he hadn't actually thought about what it would mean. He was right, of course he was right but Nathan didn't want to believe it. Paige had spent enough time as the human in a wolf pack. Asking her to stay would be selfish of him. But that didn't mean he didn't want to ask her anyway.