*3 Years Later*

Peggy's POV

Leigh and I are currently not talking. Which is kind of pointless. I hear her thoughts and she hears mine. The reasone why we aren't talking is because she thinks that we're near the territory of the Black Oars, and I think that we're no where near their territory. Mainly because we haven't seen any black skulls with a red stripe hanging in the trees. We are lost. 

After walking for two days, we stumble into a clearing with a stream running through it. The grass that filled the clearing felt like plush carpet beneath my feet. Sighing softly, I lay down under a shade tree. Leigh of course is yelling at me to keep walking, but I refuse to move. 

LEIGH GIRL, I'M TIRED. I KNOW THAT YOU COULD KEEP WALKING FOR ANOTHER FIVE DAYS, BUT NOT ME. WE'RE BOTH TIRED TO THE BONE. JUST GIVE ME GIVE MINUTES, ALRIGHT? THEN WE'LL LEAVE. 

JUST FIVE MINUTES PEGGY.  She says as she yawns. THEN WE NEED TO FIND A PLACE FOR THE NIGHT. IT'S NOT SAFE SLEEPING OUT IN THE OPEN. She sighs and I feel her settle down. Even though I'm really more of a backseat driver at this point, Leigh is kind enough not to ignore me and let me have say in most of what we, or she, does. She lays her head on her paws, and we close our eyes. Sleep lays claim of us within seconds. 

Jerking awake, I look at the sun. There's maybe an hour left of daylight. Our five minute nap turned into a six hour nap. LEIGH. LEIGH!

WHAT?

WE SLEPT LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO FIND A SAFE PLACE FOR TONIGHT. 

I'M SORRY PEGGY. I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE THAT TIRED. YOU WERE RIGHT. 

AND SO WERE YOU LEIGH. YOU WERE THINKING OF OUR SAFETY. 

I step into the stream and we drink. The one thing that we have never had a short on was clean water. I get an idea as I watch the fish swim around. Lowering our muzzle closer to the water, I wait for a fish to swim by. With lighting speed, we grab the fish and toss it onto the bank. Leigh gets the idea and within ten minutes we have several nice size fish for dinner. 

Taking our time to eat, we watch as the sun gets lower and lower. We wash out mouth in the stream to get the blood out of our fur. I was just about to turn around, when I hear a faint snapping sound. Keeping my head lowered, I concentrate on the location of the sound. After several minutes, I could make out the sound of ten huge wolves around me. I was only guessing at the number because I only heard them when they brushed up against a stick or a bush. 

Pulling some pine needles into a little circle, I lay down. LEIGH, WE HAVE ABOUT TEN WOLVES CLOSING IN ON US. WE ARE IN TROUBLE GIRL. DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE. She doesn't answer me, but I know she's there. 

Lying down, I place my head on my paws and slowly close my eyes. Concentrating on my breathing and heartbeat, I make them slow down. To the wolves it would sound like I was slowly dying, but I wasn't and they didn't know that. The slower my heart beat, the faster they ran. By the time it was almost too faint to hear, I could hear the sounds of bones poping back into place. They've shifted back. 

NOW! Leigh yells at me. WE CAN ATTACK AND GET AWAY.

LEIGH, I'M NOT ATTACKING ANY WOLF WHILE THEY'RE IN HUMAN FORM. THAT'S NOT RIGHT AND YOU KNOW IT. WE'RE PROBABLY ON THEIR TERRITORY, AND SINCE WE'RE NOT WITH OUR PACK, THEY MUST THINK WE'RE A ROUGE. THEY'RE JUST DOING THEIR JOBS. LIKE WE WOULD BE DOING BACK HOME. 

Suddenly, the most breathtaking scent hits me. It smells even better than Job's did, I think for a second. Wanting to open my eyes and jump up to see who belonged to that scent, I force myself to keep my heartbeat low and steady. Then I heard his voice, oh so smooth, strong, yet I could detect a gentle hint in there as well. "Moses, tell the doc that we're bringing the rouge in and she's in need of attention. Also, tell someone to get a cell ready just incase we need it.

"Jake, tell the alpha they borders are all clear and to send another patrol out every five and ten minutes in both directions. She could be a scout for a larger partry and we don't want to be surprised." Then I heard him stop beside me and mumble so faint that I thought I made it up. "Though I highly doubt a wolf as pretty as her would come here to attack us. It's more likely she's lost, alone, hurt and dying. It's a shame." 

As he takes me in his arms, shocks flood my body. Leigh starts going nuts. MATE! She screams happily. MATE, MATE, MATE, MATE. His scent of pine, cedar, honeysuckle, and a hint of ocean air surrounds me. I couldn't help but sigh contently as his arms tighten around me. He leans closer to me and I feel his nose brush agianst my neck as he takes a dep breath in. "Mate." He whispers, causing Leigh to howl in happiness. She scares me sometimes. 

Brice's POV

They gusy and I was on the last part of our sweep of the southern border, when we stumble upon the scent of a female rouge. Yet, it didn't smell like any rouge we've ever run on before. BRICE, THE ROUGE'S IN THE CLEARING BY THE STREAM, one of men links with me. ALRIGHT. TELL THE GUYS WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A NET AROUND HER AND SLOWLY CLOSE IN. WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE HER IN CASE SHE'S A SCOUT FROM A LARGER ATTACK PARTY. 

I feel him cut the link, knowing that he's relaying my orders. The alpha seems to think that the rouges will be making an attack on us soon. And I couldn't agree more with him. Over the last two months alone, we've captured or fought well over one hundred rouges here and there. 

The closer I got to the clearing, the stronger her scent became. Silas, my wolf, was starting to act like a pup. Her scent of sweet pea, pine and vanilla swirls around me. DUDE, WHAT'S UP WITH YOU?

I DON'T KNOW BRI. I JUST KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS GONIG TO HAPPEN TO US. 

GOOD OR BAD?

THAT I DON'T KNOW AS WELL. I HAVEN'T FELT LIKE THIS SINCE WE MET FAITH. I can tell that he's worried. But I'm also glad to see him acting young and happy again. Since the death of my, um our, mate five years ago, he's been moody and depressed. 

When we reach the clearing, we make sure to stay within the trees. I watch in awe as a golden wolf catches several fish. I almost laugh outloud at someof the thoughts I heard from the guys. They were impressed as well. START MAKING THE NET. BUT STAY SILENT. IF WE SPOOK HER, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH HER. I order as I keep my eyes on her. 

Like our name, we form a net around her like a ghost. And if it hadn't been for that pup, Gil, she would have never known we had found her. I knew that she heard the sound of the twig breaking, because her ear twitched just the slightest. She kept her head down as she finished cleaning her face. Then she made a bed and laid down. 

We start closing the net around her when Silas speaks up. BRICE, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER. HER HEART RATE'S DROPPING, he whispers to me. I zone in to listen and then shot forward like a bullet. The closer we got the slower it beat. Something within me hated that, and I let out a growl. 

Reaching her, several of us shift back. And I immedatly start handing out orders. "Moses, tell the doc that we're bringing the rouge in and she's in need of attention. Also, tell someone to get a cell ready just incase we need it. Jake, tell the alpha they borders are all clear and to send another patrol out every five and ten minutes in both directions."

I bend down beside her taking in her wolf. SHE'S ABSOLUTELY GEORGOUS. Silas tells me sighing soflty. I chuckle at him but agree. SHE IS.  "Though I highly doubt a wolf as pretty as her would come here to attack us. It's more likely she's lost, alone, hurt and dying. It's a shame." I whisper more to myself than the guys. I pick her up and cradle her against my chest. Sparks exploded within me and Silas was having a field day. SHE'S OURS. OURS! WE HAVE A MATE, BRICE. WE. WILL. ACCEPT. HER. He all but growls at me. WOULDN'T DREAM OF DOING OTHERWISE OLD MAN. I joke with him. 

Although I knew about second chance mates, I really didn't expect to find mine. And I didn't expect her to be beautiful, or so young looking. I place my nose along her neck and breath deep. I tighten my arms around her. Joy floods me as she sighs softly, as if she was happy in my arms. "Mate." I whisper softly, but I could tell the guys heard. Although they did the right thing in not showing they heard. 

I turn and start walking towards the house. The guys flank me. Within ten minutes, the pack house comes into sight. The doc was standing on the porch waiting on us. As soon as we entered the house, most of the guys disappeared. Most probably went to find their mates. I head to the doc's office and lay her on the table. He makes me leave so he can examin her, but Silas hates it. So I stand outside the door feeling like a love stuck pup all over again. I grin when I realize that's just what I am. 

BRICE, I NEED TO SEE YOU IN MY OFFICE IF YOU'RE NOT BUSY. My alpha links with me. I take one glance at the door, and then walk down the hallway. Knocking on his door, I wait until I hear him call me in. I enter and close the door behind me. He waits until I'm seated before he starts. "Moses said that the rouge wasn't awake for too long after y'all found her. What happened?"

"I'm not sure Ryland. We watched her eat several fish from the stream then make a bed and lay down. We started to close the net just like procedure. Silas told me that something was wrong and I notcied that her heartbeat was decreasing. So I rush forward. I get to her, told the guys to alert you and the doc. When I picked her up, shocks exploded in me. Ryland," I say looking him in the eyes, "She's my second chance mate. And I'm not letting her go. Even though I wasn't expecting this.

"As alpha I know you hold the right to not accept her, but I'm just letting you know that if you chose that path, then you'll be losing me as Beta." I say, my voice ringing with love and sadness. I would hate to leave my pack behind, but I wouldn't let my mate leave without me. I watch as Ryland slowly nods. "I would have been worried if you didn't tell me that Brice. She'll stay with the pack. And seeing how she's your mate, we won't need the cell for her." He tells me laughing. 

I smile back at him and laughs as well. I stand and shake his hand. "Thank you Ryland. You're a great friend and an even better alpha." 

"I like this girl already Brice. She's brought my friend back to me." I nod and turn. I need to get back to her.