Akela was trapped in a glass cage watching Kira struggling to free herself from Alpha Preston's grip. Her hands repeatedly slammed against the smooth surface between them while she screamed for her sister. The skin cracked and a thin varnish of red blood spread across the glass wall with every impact of her fists.
The salty tears wet her cheeks and mixed with the cold sweat as she felt Preston's touch as if it was her and not Kira he was hurting. She closed her eyes, resting her face on the glass only to find it wasn't glass but flesh.

Akela looked up to see Alpha Preston's grey-haired chest and realised she was lying down and Preston was moving his body on top of hers. Her hands pushed the bare skin of his body in a futile attempt at getting away from him, but his victorious grin above her and his iron-tight grip on her hips made it impossible.

Somehow she had swapped places with Kira. Her body was pinned down under Alpha Preston as he moved while Kira beat the glass wall between them, hollering for him to stop.

Akela looked at Kira only to meet the hateful eyes of her sister.

"You always had to have everything!" Kira snarled.

Akela, still pinned under Preston, gasped in shock.

"You got away. You found your mate... in fact... you found MY mate! And now you're taking my Luna position! Why do you have to be so selfish!" Kira snarled and landed a kick that smashed the glass.
Akela watched in horror as Kira walked towards her, drawing a foot back to kick.

"Kira! No!" Akela screamed just as Preston's naked body changed into a thick duvet and his hands became tender and gentle as they stroked her forehead.
In her ear, his oddly feminine voice repeated her name soothingly.

"Akela. Sweetheart. You're safe, child," Grange shushed gently as Akela woke up.
Dry and fresh tears coated her face and the previously comfortable duvet had tangled itself around her body.

"There you go, Akela. It was just a dream. You're safe, Akela," Grange smiled and sat the girl up, holding her tightly in a hug.

"Kira... Kira hates me... Kira... I got away... Kira... her mate... She's his Luna... Oh, my Goddess... What is she actually wants to be there? What if she hates me for leaving? I should have stayed with her! I should have... I should have...." Akela sobbed, the dream still vivid in her mind.

Grange simply held her and rocked her.

"Kira would not hate you, sweetheart," the older woman soothed quietly.

"But I'm here. I'm safe. And I found our mates. Both our mates. And she's marked by Preston... and I'm not... And her baby... her baby... He's never going to let her go because she has his baby... " Akela said, her heart still hammering.

She was inhaling Grange's fresh flowery scent, sobbing into the older woman's shoulder when a sharp ringing came from the kitchen.

Akela looked up to see old Hunter, dressed in just a pair of pyjama pants wander through to the kitchen. The old man shot her a worried look as he passed by.

"Yeah," she heard his voice.

Grange had her head lifted to pay attention, but her hands were still stroking Akela's back gently.

"Calm down, Zion. She had a bad dream... no... she's perfectly safe... no... Zion! You don't have to come down here to check.... Akela is safe!... go back to bed Zion!" Hunter was chatting.

There were some whispers before Hunter's steps approached the door.

"Zion wants to know if you're okay," Hunter grinned.

Akela held her hand out for the phone. Somehow she craved his voice.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Akela... " Zion's concerned voice was heard through the phone.

She wasn't sure what to say but just hearing his breath was calming the residual panic.

"I felt you. You were so scared," Zion said softly.

"It was a dream," Akela replied. She somehow felt his worry.

"So? You're safe?" he asked. his worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah. Just a bit shook up," Akela replied.

Zion was quiet for a little bit before she drew a breath, ready to talk.

"I dreamt about you. you were in danger. And then I woke and felt your fear," he said.

Akela gave a short "oh...". She didn't know a bond could do that. The run down here from the mountain pack village was quite a distance. Even her twin bond with Kira faded with distance. She reached into her severed twin bond. Just in case. But it was still silent. Severed. Even after a few months of running, not having her sister's mind within reach felt wrong.

"Do all mated bonds do that?" she asked.

"I don't know... I've never been tied to anyone else like this before," Zion replied carefully.

He could sense his family and roughly estimate where they were through the mind link. And he could mind-link another pack member if he needed to, but he'd never felt another person's emotions before.

In Akela's mind, his hope that this emotional link had some kind of significance wormed its way into her consciousness. Somehow, it felt like a careful hug. Comfortable and safe.

"Me either..." Akela said.

In the background of the phone call, a door flung open.

"Zi! Akela... Something is wrong and granny Grange's phone is busy...." Abel was heard in the background.

Zion must have gestured to his phone because a few seconds of a scuffle was heard.

"Akela?" Abel asked into the phone.

"That's my phone, Abel!" Zion grumbled in the background.

"And it's Akela!" Abel obviously grinned back.

Another scuffle was heard.

"But you're okay?" Zion asked.

"Compromise! Loudspeaker!" Abel said in a slightly muffled voice.

"Yeah okay... If it will keep your spit off my foot..." Zion sighed and the sound of the phone changed.

"Akela! Are you okay?" Abel asked.

"I dreamt about Kira..." Akela said quietly. Grange was still sat on her bed, looking at her with a faint smile, presumably directed at the two idiots on the other end of the conversation.

The two men were quiet.

"Umm... I dreamt there were two of you and one of you hung off a rope over the edge of a cliff and the other was attacked by a big black wolf.... I had to choose which one to rescue," Abel said quietly.

"What? but that's what I dreamt! And I woke up and knew Akela was scared! I could feel it!" Zion said.

"You did? I felt her being in danger too..." Abel asked.

"It was a dream..." Akela said.

"Yeah. And I rescued the one attacked because the one with the rope could climb up," Abel grinned.

"Huh... I pulled the one with the rope up because then we'd be two to fight the wolf," Zion replied.

Akela couldn't stop the smile from breaking through her tears. Her heart was calming down just from hearing their voices.

"Thanks, guys," She said.

"For rescuing you? Any time, baby," Abel smiled.

"No... For being worried enough to call in the middle of the night..." Akela said.

Grange grabbed the phone and Akela nodded gratefully. Now that she was calm again, she felt tired.

"Now. Boys... Get back to bed. Akela is safe here. You know that. It was just a dream... No. you don't need to come see her. She's fine... Abel! Go to bed! You too, Zion! ... Or I'll show Akela the photos of the time... right... Good night boys," Grange said into the phone and hung up.

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes when she looked at Akela again.

"I'll show you the photo albums tomorrow. You might as well know what you're in for..." She grinned.

Akela chuckled back.

"Thank you, Grange," she said.

"It's Granny. I'm Granny to all the kids, you included," Grange smiled and leant over, leaving a kiss on Akela's forehead.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," she said and left the bedroom, hoping that the rest of the night would be dream free.

She left the phone in the kitchen before she joined Hunter back in their own room.

"No regrets?" he asked.

"I will never regret taking that girl in. She's lost all her family. I can deal with a few nightmares if it means she's happy in the long run," Grange smiled and snuggled up to her own big, protective giant of a man.

"That's why I love you," Hunter murmured into her hair.

Grange lifted her head to look at him.

"I just want her to be happy," she said.

"And she will be... With your care and those two dumbass boys, she will be stronger than ever in no time," Hunter grinned.

"And if Zeke and Archer decide to help her free her sister... if that's what her sister wants..." Grange sighed.

Hunter nodded.

"Well... I met Alpha Preston's father once when I was visiting my grandmother. The North pack aren't exactly known for easy negotiation..." Hunter huffed.

Grange lifted an eyebrow.

"Where do you think my red hair came from? My mother was a north wolf. My dad had to pay tribute to move her to Shadow Mountain land," Hunter chuckled and grabbed his now grey, curly hair that with age had lost the auburn colour.

Grange thought for a moment.

"Maybe that's what we can do? Pay a ransom to buy Kira out?" She suggested.

Hunter chuckled quietly and shook his head.

"Nope. If he's made her Luna, it means he wants her to stay," He said and yawned.

"Now, put your pretty head to sleep, my love. I'm sure the pack will need us again tomorrow. I'm supposed to go pick up a pair of new puppies for Zeke," he said and tucked Grange tighter into himself, before falling asleep.

It had always amazed Grange how her mate was able to fall asleep as if pressing a button. She looked at him with a happy smile. To her, he was still the most handsome Lycan she had ever seen. She lay down with a smile. Her last thought was a silent prayer that Akela would find this level of happiness too.

***

Hey, Readers!

Thank you for sticking with me.

I'm trying to keep up with this story, but with my Master Dissertation and teaching, it's not been a priority.

If you can tolerate a few typos, I'll edit once my life is a bit less hectic!

I would still appreciate your votes and comments (feel free to point out mistakes...). This story is vaguely plotted out, but I'd be happy to take reader's ideas for where this is going.

I'd love to hear what you think so far.