Mavis stepped out onto the front porch that morning as the sun was just beginning to rise. Setting a vibrant golden glow over the whole compound. She quickly set her black duffle bag down on the top step. Her head tilted upward as she took a breath. Exhaling out of her nose she looked at her bag with dread. Biting her bottom lip she picked it back up again, and pulled it over her left shoulder before she continued down the steps. Her recently injured left shoulder wouldn't be able to hold the weight for very long, but her right side needed a break.

She rubbed at her inflamed eyes as she walked down the snow-covered road. Her restless night left them throbbing. She hadn't slept well again last night. Her daughter's cries haunted her dreams. Forced to watch on repeat, as Samuel mercilessly dug his nails into her little arm, laughing causticly as he let go and Isla's head would smack against the floor. A pool of dark blood would then form around her head and Mavis would be violently forced awake.

She grounded her teeth. She really needed to shoot something. It probably wasn't the healthiest therapy plan, but it worked for her. She could relieve some stress and work towards her target.

"Luna," the guard acknowledged her, tilting his head downward as she passed through the gate.

Mavis blew through her nose in annoyance. She was pretty sure that was the same guard she had told yesterday to quit calling her that. She had decided last night that she was done with this bullshit and if anyone tired to call her Luna, she would just ignore them.

She hastened her pace. Not that she'd need to be in a hurry. It would be at least an hour before James would be at their usual spot. This was a rare opportunity to get some alone time. So she was going to make the most of it.

It was still hard for Mavis to wrap her head around the idea that she came out here with James everyday. Only a couple weeks ago, she still despised his irritating ass. Mavis felt exhausted just thining about it. She had fought with him so many times. He aggravated her to a degree she didn't think was humainly possible. While she was healing he had been unbearable. Followed her everywhere. Constantly on her heels or outside doors. He took his bodyguard role way too seriously in her opinion.

Then their was Travis, the exact opposite. She never saw him. He'd shown up a few times while she was recovering to allow James to go pee or eat something. Other than that he was a ghost to her.

Mavis looked ahead and exhaled a white plume of relief when she saw the shooting range. Around a month ago she came out here with a bag of guns and ammo. Of course, he followed and continued to follow every day after that. Just watching and waiting. Smelling the air. Mavis shook her head, she swore she would never get used to a werewolf following her around.

Then two weeks into her training he had really thrown her for a loop when he asked her to show him how to shoot. Turns out he was actually pretty good at it and he was a fast learner. She scowled, a little too fast in her opinion. From there he started to fuck off a little. Gave her some space. He would still follow her out here everyday and he always went to Isla's grave with her. At least now he was tolerable to be around.

"Your early." James spoke up from behind her.

She turned and found him leaning up against a tree. "You're early, too."

"I'm always early." James got up from his spot.

Mavis sat her bag down in the snow and kelt down to unzip it. She pulled out her .357 magnum double action over under double-barrel revolver.
     James's brows drew. "Are you sure about this, Mavis. That's a pretty big gun."
    "I'm sure," she loaded the cylinder.
     "What about your shoulder? You're human. It takes longer for you fuckers to heal. What if you hurt yourself again? Ivan would beat my ass and Halic could kick yours."
     "I'll be fine. Quit acting like a mother hen, it's lame." She rose from her crouched position. Safety on, but it was fully loaded and ready.
     Mavis was almost gitty with excitement as she approached the range. Ten years. It was hard to believe that much time had passed.
       James chuckled. "Alright, you stubborn ooaf, fire that damn thing. But Luna just know I'm against this idea."
      Mavis let out a long breath thru her nose. He was trying to piss her off, wasn't he?
      Whatever, she didn't care what any of them thought. James, even though he'd given her space was still nosey. Halic was overbearing, he was so afraid she would hurt herself that he

t the moment Mavis didn't give two shits what the twins thought. Halic was over protective and Ivan was so set on her being his mate, that he continued to forget her feelings.

She raised the gun. Her index finger proficiently slid into place, while her left hand settled under the right for added stability. She sucked a final breath and exhaled slowly, before holding her breath. She put light pressure on the trigger, squeezing slowly so she wouldn't anticipate the shot.

The gun fired.

Mavis clenched her jaw as the kick jerked her shoulder back painfully, but she unloaded the rest of the ammo into the target anyway.

"Jesus, that gun fires fast."

"It only fires as fast as I can pull the trigger." She cleared the empty shells, dumping them into her open bag.

Her eye slid shut as her shoulder throbbed.

She let out a shaky sigh. "I guess they are still just a little too much for me." She admitted turning to look at James when he hadn't said anything in a while.

His eyes were glazed over. His mind linked to another pack member. Mavis set her revolver down inside her bag, before grabbing her pair of FN Five-sevens and loaded them with full clips.

"We're needed over at the south side, they found a dead scout." James approached her suddenly, picking up her bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on."

Mavis's brows knitted as she slid her guns into their holsters and followed. The scout had been found fairly close to where they were, but there a small group had already gathered. Mavis and James pushed past all the pack members and came to a stop in front of the body.

The scout was young. He had to be no older than eighteen. Mavis's gut tightened. The poor kid must have tried to shift back after he was attacked. She removed her coat and crouched down beside him, covering his lower half with her jacket. Her eyes then traveled to the worst of his injuries, the wound on his chest. Mavis's brows furrowed.

"Alright, everyone move back." Ivan's deep voice cut through the endless chatter.

Mavis turned her head in his direction as he moved through the crowd and came to a stop on the opposite side of the boy's body. His eyes instantly found hers and held onto them. Mavis could see he was fighting an internal battle with himself. His chest moved up and down rapidly as his eyes filled with pain. He swallowed hard before he finally turned to look at the body.

He sighed loudly, "it's Isaac." He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his fingers through the ends roughly. "How'd he die?"

"I think it was a rouge, Alpha." The scout that had found the body answered.

"This definitely wasn't a werewolf," Mavis interrupted.

Everyone's attention was on her now.

"How can you tell?" Ivan's gaze felt heavy from his position above her.

"His injures," she pointed to the wound on his chest. "Either he was killed by the smallest werewolf ever or the world's strongest raccoon." She rolled the body over to inspected the other side but wavered when she saw the huge chunk of flesh missing from his lower back. Mavis's breath caught in her throat. 'Were those teeth marks?' Her eyes widened in alarm, as her pulse rose into her throat.

"What would do that?" Ivan asked his eyes still on the gruesome wound.
     She sucked in a deep breath. "I'm.. I'm not sure." Ivan's eyes instantly shot to hers. Exchanging a glance that made Ivan swallow. He turned towards the scouts, "take him home. Lock up the compound and keep everyone inside for now. I'll inform his family." He quickly approached Mavis and without a word he snatched her wrist, and yanked her back onto her feet, keeping his grip tight as he urged her to follow him. She didn't much care for his tactic, but decide to follow, waiting until they were far enough away from the others before she jerked at her arm back. "Let go, Ivan." He didn't, instead he turned to face her, his brow was set in a firm line. "I'll let go, but you have to stay close to me." His stare made her feel hot all over. He was completely series. His gaze turned back in the direction they'd just come and he let out a shaky breath. Mavis's eyes widened, was he nervous? He'd always been
--

when it came to the protection of his pack, this was very unlike him. "What's going on, tough guy?" She looked him straight in the eye. He removed his black coat and set it around her shoulders. "I'm fine.

"You do realize I probably have a better chance of defending myself against whatever that is..." She pointed in the same direction, "than any of them."

Ivan huffed annoyed. "You're staying with me, Mavis."

She growled. "This is not what I want to be arguing with you about, right now, Ivan! I'm telling you that I'm not going with you to see the boy's parents, because it's not my place."

His expression hardened. "What do you mean, it's not your place?"

"I never agreed to be the luna of this pack." She reminded him.

He moved closer to her, causing her to take steps back until her back bumped into a tree. Mavis's eyes widened, he hadn't been this bold in awhile.

"There's no agreeing to it, you just are. You might have decided not to accept it, but you can't change what was naturally intended."

"I'm not going to be controlled by this matebond mojo. There is still such a thing as self control."

"Really?" His face moved into the crook of her neck and breathed out, the sensation causing her knees to weaken.

"Stop that!" She snapped, and tried to push past him. He snaked an arm around her waist, sending a wave pleasure up her spine.

"Ivan." She warned.

"You're my mate." His hot breath fanned her chilled ear. She shivered slightly not from the cold, but the sensation. "That makes you the luna, whether you like it or not." He smirked.

"Would you let go." Her expression was anything but amused.

"Face it, little mate, you're mine."

"I have no plans to face this, Ivan. I have no interest in a relationship, right now. I'm technically a widow."

"I know you are a widow." His serious tone caught her off guard. "I will never try to replace him, he was your husband, but I am your mate. I understand this is hard, but you can't keep ignoring that we have a bond, Mavis." He took a strand of her hair in between his fingers. "I can tell that you actually like me."

She punched him in the chest. Not hard, but enough.

His eyes widened before he bursted into a roar of laughter.

She glared up at him. "Move, or I'll wolfbane, ya."

He grimmaced. "That's not very nice."

"What happen to giving me space?"

He sighed loudly. "I tried, Mavis," he let his arms drop to his sides as he took a step back. "But the more I try to stay away, the stronger my desire for you becomes." His eyes were ablaze.

Mavis turned away unable to meet his intense gaze.

"The more you try to fight it, Mavis, the harder its going to be for you, for me, and for Halic. No matter what you do you'll never be able to run away from this."

"You'd be surprised by what I can run away from."