After a good nights sleep, Akela woke to someone knocking on the door. Before she could answer the door opened and a young girl entered with some clothes.

"Hey. You're awake!" The girl greeted. She had the same brown eyes as Zion and dark hair like Abel's.

"I'm Diana... Delta prime among these rascals," she smiled.

"Oh..." Akela wondered at a female head of fighting.

"When my brothers are more busy arguing over the Beta spot... " Diana laughed.

Akela nodded shyly.

"Zion said you'd need clothes," Diana smiled.

Once she was dressed, Akela was led to a large, comfortable country kitchen. A long table was set and a frightening amount of people were eating.

Akela looked around the table seeing a spot next to Zion and one by Abel.

Both looked at Akela expectantly. Abel even patted the seat next to his with a wink.

"Idiots," Diana muttered and dragged Akela to sit with herself and another young woman.

"This is Nia. Luna River's sister," Diana introduced with a smile at the other woman.

Akela smiled shyly but the woman didn't show any friendly affection back.

Thankfully Diana guided Akela to the seat between herself and an older woman looking like an older, female version of Abel.
Next to her was obviously her mate. A handsome man with the same build as the three younger men.
Alpha Gervais at the head of the table gave her a friendly smile. Next to him Luna River looked focused as she was feeding a small child some goo on a spoon.

"Let's eat," River smiled and gestured to the food on the table.
Akela had grown up on basics, so the abundance was a surprise in itself.
She didn't even know what half of it was.

"Zion did the pancakes," Diana informed loading Akela's plate with a fluffy round thing.

She studied it before looking to see what the rest of them were doing. River picked up on her confusion and gave her a small smile before she cut a piece off her own breakfast, eating it with a knife and fork.

"It's really tasty with syrup or fruit," River smiled.

"Thank you," Akela smiled and accepted the tub of blueberries handed to her by the Luna.

Across the table, Zion paid close attention, wondering if he should have added cinnamon to the batter. The rest of them seemed to wolf the pancakes down, but for once he wasn't interested in their approval.

He watched as Akela cut a piece and saw her face warm in a smile as she let the flavours hit her taste buds.

"This is good. Thank you," she said and nodded at Zion. 

Their eyes met and again Akela had to draw a breath at the shivers running down her spine. Her wolf was ready to shift and wander over to lick his jaw. A mate who was able to cook was more than she had hoped for, but the sudden clenching of her chest wasn't related to the food. Akela subdued her wolf and took another bite, struggling not to blush as she felt a wave of relief surge from Zion.

She lifted her eyes to him again, wondering why he was so happy for her approval. Surely, being an Alpha family wolf he wouldn't need anybody's approval. But for some reason, the little spikes in his happiness seemed to happen every time she looked at him.

Akela looked at Abel who was glaring at his brother.

"So... he cooks... what do you do?" she asked and got his attention and a heart-stopping smile. Two seats over she heard Nia huff a deep breath.

"I build..." Abel grinned.

"You build?" Akela asked.

"Yup. All the new houses in the village are my design," he boasted unashamedly.

Next to him, Zion rolled his eyes.

"What! I'm not supposed to tell my mate that I can provide a home for her?" Abel snapped.

Zion's face scrunched in some kind of irritation before he stared at Abel.

"Your mate?" Zion asked.

"Yes, fur-face... mine!" Abel nearly growled.

Akela was sat there looking between them, feeling all semblance of control slip from her grasp.

"I'm sorry," she said, standing from the table to leave the room before her tears could spill over.

A few wrong turns along a corridor landed her in a small office where she slumped down into a chair with her hands in front of her face and tears releasing.

She had no idea she was followed until a pair of arms wrapped around her in a hug.

"Hey, sweetheart. What's wrong?" River mumbled into her hair.

"I don't want... I can't... They are both so..." she struggled to explain.

"Immature?" River suggested.

Akela shook her head.

"I can't... let somebody own me... not again!" Akela sobbed.

River hugged her again while Akela sobbed.

"You're scared," River said, sensing Akela's past through her Luna senses.

Akela nodded.

"Will you tell me what happened to you?" River asked.

"I'm so sorry," Akela cried, embarrassed to be making such a mess of herself in front of this lovely luna and her family.

"Will you tell me?" River asked.

Akela wiped her face and looked at the luna with shameful eyes.

"Diana is already whacking the two of them for freaking you out," River smiled after a quick mind link.

"They say they want me now... I can feel them. But as soon as they find out how I selfishly abandoned Kira up with the North pack... I'll be destroyed, they won't look at me the same..." Akela sniffed.

River studied her carefully.

"Last night. You said he kept you and your sister because he wanted an heir?" River recalled.

Akela nodded.

"And you said your sister was claimed by force?" River asked.

Akela nodded again.

"I think so... She pretended to enjoy it..." Akela nodded.

River was quiet for a while, not wanting to make the wrong assumption.

"We had to... He said I had to... or he would hurt Kira," Akela sniffed.

River closed her eyes as a brief flicker of pain coloured her face. 

"You were abused..." she concluded.

"Not me... It's not like we had a choice... but Kira wouldn't let him take me. She made him want her so I wouldn't have to," Akela said quietly.

"And your sister?" River asked.

"She had his pup..." Akela said.

"Willingly?" River asked.

Akela shrugged.

"As willing as it can be when you're in a silver cage..." Akela frowned.

River nodded in sympathy.

"Right. Let's go finish breakfast, and then we'll figure this out. I'll have a talk to those two testosterone idiots," River smiled and helped Akela back to her feet.

"I'm sure they didn't mean to freak me out," Akela smiled sadly, feeling embarrassed by her own reaction.

"Nah. They need to behave. I mean. Both of them have been longing to find their one, so they get a bit overexcited," River chuckled.

They made their way along the hallway back to the kitchen where two worried men jumped from their seats rushing towards Akela.

"I'm so sorry," "Are you okay?", "We're idiots," and a million other worried concerns flew into the air as the two of them crowded around River and Akela.

"E-hem..." River expressed with a strict look at the two of them.

Sheepishly both of them went back to the table before River sat Akela back down with a fresh plate.

"Now. The two of you! Until she says so, neither of you are her mate! Got me?" River commanded.

"Yes, Luna," the two muttered like scolded schoolboys.

Akela looked up at the two of them, both with matching sheepishly apologetic faces.

"Now. Akela has been through some terrible stuff, and until she's healed, the two of you back off!" River nearly growled.

Abel's eyebrows shot into the air before his face flipped into an angry scowl.

"Who?" he asked, looking at River.

Zion had his eyes on Akela, his mind making connections as his face grew serious.

"Alpha Preston.... You said Alpha Preston North has your sister... That's who hurt you," he said quietly.

Akela's eyes filled with tears again.

Zion nodded in quiet understanding. It explained the fear he felt in her, the terror she had felt at his and Abel's bickering.

There was a slight haughty sniff of a sound from Nia.  

"Abel, Zion... Perimeter!" Gervais ordered quietly.

The two of them nodded, Zion threw a final look in through the door frame before he went upstairs to get his running gear. Abel was already out the door in the shape of Krystoph, keen to get away from Zion and the jealous emotions he felt when looking at him, but also to run off the anger he felt at knowing someone had hurt Akela so much.

Akela felt both their desperation and anger. It didn't soothe her, her soul still felt fractured. But at least the calming presence of Luna River made her feel safe. Somehow she knew River would never allow anyone to harm her.

Once the Betas were gone and Diana had taken Nia out Alpha Gervais fixed her with a friendly smile.

"Right. We know you came from the north. And we know you're looking for uncle Zeke. And River just told me not to ask too much because you have been in an unforgettable and terrible situation," Gervais said.

"It's okay," Akela replied softly.

Next to her, River spontaneously took her hand. The warmth reminded her of Kira and her eyes watered up.

"It's just... Kira. My twin sister. She's still there," Akela replied softly.

"Okay. So let's start with the easy stuff," Alpha Gervais smiled.

"Who are you?" The older man next to the Alpha said. 

Akela suddenly realised she was looking at one of the famous Connor Alphas. The Shadow mountain Alpha. The one who would have helped her mother.

"I'm Akela Kira James. My father was Link, my mother was Lexi. He was a North delta who ran away from his duties to be with mum. She was a southern wolf but I don't know how they met," Akela said.

River gave her hand a squeeze, which encouraged her.

"We lived as rogues. Summers roaming. Winters in packs if anyone would take us in,"  Akela said.

"And then mum got ill... and we were heading for the Shadow Mountain because my dad said we would find help here," Akela said with warm tears burning behind her eyes.

"Here? Why?" Archer asked with a deep frown.

"My dad always said that if we were in trouble, find the Connor brother packs. One to seek help. The other to seek fighters. But apparently the Cizinec heir was a myth and I'm without a plan," Akela said quietly.

The leaders exchanged looks.

"Right. So you've got a twin. Who is claimed by force by the most feared warrior alpha of the north," Gervais summed up.

"Yes," Akela nodded, holding back another round of tears.

"And when you showed up here, both Zion and Abel felt a bond with you," Rayleigh continued.

"Apparently, yes... But I'm not sure I want a mate... I'm not sure I'm able to have a mate because just the idea terrifies me and..." Akela babbled but was silenced by a reassuring squeeze from River's hand.

"I'm sure they are both lovely..." Akela continued with an apologetic look to the older pair.

"Twins for brothers," Rayleigh said quietly.

"That would make sense," Archer nodded with a warm smile at Akela.

River looked at Gervais, mind linking him some kind of information and he straightened in a sudden anger.

"He raped you? Both you and your sister?" Gervais asked.

Akela shrugged.

"Not me. Only Kira. She gave herself so I wouldn't have to," She mumbled.

"Right. There is no way either of my brothers are going to come anywhere near you until you are healed. Your body is one thing after your journey, but your mind needs to rest," Gervais smiled warmly. 

Akela felt safe despite his strong Alpha aura. He was a different, caring Alpha. Not a dominant, fierce Alpha like the one holding Kira.

Kira.

Akela drew a breath for courage. 

"Is there a way to get Kira free from him?" she asked carefully and very aware of overstepping every boundary of polite conversation with an Alpha.

"Was that your plan?" Archer smiled.

Akela nodded.

"You were coming here to ask for help in freeing your sister?" Archer asked again.

"Well... My dad spoke of the Cizinec heir and his warriors... I was hoping I could... trade.. or something," Akela frowned, feeling naive and stupid.

Archer gave a roaring laugh.

"Well... If you're destined for one of my sons I guess it's only fair to help you out," he grinned.

Rayleigh nodded next to him.

"Once you're a bit stronger, we'll go visit Zeke," Archer smiled.

***

Hello my lovely readers.

I am grateful to see you have decided to follow this journey.

I know I updated A Woman's Best Friend several times a week. And a lot of you want me to write this a bit faster.

The trouble is that I'm kinda stuck with a lot of work on my Master degree and a job as a teacher. I have rough-sketched 30ish chapters but I'm seriously lacking time to write the fillers in between. 

I will try to maintain a once a week publishing schedule, and if you stay with me, I might up the frequency once we reach the end of May and I have more time to actually write.

Please leave your comments and votes. I am very open to suggestions and input and, who knows, Your comment might bring up something I hadn't thought of that will change the entire story!!!! 

This book is still under construction and I will happily bring back a secondary character from A Woman's best Friend if there is someone you are missing or if there are things that do not make sense.

Thank you for your support. I am eternally grateful for every read, vote and comment.