I couldn't help but feel excited to see Levi again. My wolf howled out in agreement, we were more than excited to see our father. The run was long but we made it well.

We rested all day and when we woke up we felt our veins hum in anticipation. We would push through, we had too. I was on a mission now, a mission to do right by the pack, my pack.

Ethan had stopped by around lunch to check on me. My house was clean, like nothing had ever happened, yet the memory still shook me up. I felt horrible about lying to Ethan. I told him I would see him later and I knew he was going to be furious if he found out what I was really doing. He was worried enough about me as it is.

I could hear the power in his veins hum a hair louder, though. He was still fighting with himself, but the fire was starting to slowly burn and it was a fire that you can just put out. I wasn't about to either, I was going to pour gasoline on it until it lit up like the Fourth of July.

I wanted to tell him everything. Harboring this many secrets felt like a poison. It made the pull twist. I knew in a way it was wrong, it was so wrong. But Billy was right. He wasn't ready. If I told him now I don't think he would be ready to handle it, to do anything about it.

It was frustrating as hell, but still. I had to be patient. I had to keep trying because I could feel the fire in his veins spark every now and then and remind me of what he could be. What he can be.

Maybe I was too soft on him, or maybe I was too lenient? Maybe I should push harder until it almost broke both of us? I didn't know. I was frustrated as hell with my warring feeling mixed with the pull.

Ryder and Evan had come for me that night. We ran hard, incredibly hard. But the way back didn't seem so far this time, probably because we weren't at the mercy to the pace of a larger group. The moment I could start to smell Levi I pushed and pushed and pushed as hard as I could until I saw silver eyes looking at me.

He let out a relieved sigh. He looked different. Younger. His hair was shorter, much shorter. He had cut it close to his head, a bit like Lander's. He looked like the young version of him I saw at the tree; healthy, strong, with blazing silver eyes and white blonde hair. I swear he even had less wrinkles.

He was wearing his favorite plaid shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and held a big shirt in his hand for me. I almost cried when I saw him. I didn't think I would have missed him this much.

I quickly shifted a few feet in front of him. He quickly tugged the shirt over me then pulled me into his chest. His beast reached out to mine and hugged our bond that was still strong like iron.

He nuzzled my hair gently before kissing my crown. "Charlie girl," he sighed before pushing me back to look at me. His eyes landed on my cheek which made his beast let out a bloodthirsty growl. "I am going to have his ass."

I smiled then pulled myself back into his chest. He sighed tiredly and rubbed my back. I could feel how close his beast was, his beast that was two seconds away from tearing out of here and finding the blood that it craved.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I should have. I'm sorry Levi."

"It's ok girl, we're going to make things right, ok?"

I nodded. He looked at me a little longer. Something flickered across his eyes but it left before I could realize what it was. He stepped beside me and started to push me towards the rest of the group.

Lander snapped his head towards me and jogged over with Liam in tow. He wrapped me up in a big hug and kissed my crown before looking at me like Levi did. His eye swirled furiously too. He looked at Levi and let out a tense breath. "I feel a royal ass beating coming on brother."

A vicious snarl ripped through the air. Liam was staring at me with a murderous expression that almost shook me. He looked different. Different but the same. He was less a boy, and more a man. More defined, chiseled, and refined into himself. Levi had been doing him good.

Yet I felt nothing. Nothing at all.

I looked at him and it was if the bond was nonexistent, the only feelings I had for anyone in that way were for Ethan.

There was still longing in his eyes but there was also rage and pain. I sighed and stepped out of Lander's hug then walked over to Liam who leaned down so he could gently hug me. "He doesn't deserve you."

"Liam," I sighed out. I shook my with a warning to him. I wasn't going down that road again with him.

"Char?" Remi called out. I smiled and ran to him while Evan and Ryder pulled their shorts on. Billy and Jake trotted in right as Remi gave me an easy hug.

He sighed and looked back at Liam. "Don't worry about him, he's just worked up over all of this."

I nodded. "Thanks, Remi."

Levi was watching me curiously. I couldn't tell what he was thinking because he would push it back before I could catch on. He walked over to me and pulled me away from Remi then led me over to where the group was gathering.

Billy and Jake pulled some clothes on then sat on some rocks next to Evan and Ryder. "Uncle," Evan nodded.

Levi looked him over with an amused smile. "See Billy's been doing you good?" Evan rolled his eyes while Billy chuckled as he walked to Levi. He shook Levi's hand then set the saddlebags with the files and the journal by his feet.

Levi propped me up on a rock and looked at me again before rumbling. He shook his head then looked back to Lander and Liam who were both close to turning as well and running with him to Mangata.

"Alright, I want to hear everything. Every damn thing. The vamps told us but I want to hear it from you." Billy nodded at Levi then opened up the saddlebags.

He handed the files to Ryder who walked cautiously over to Levi; the older alpha was assessing the tracker with an eye that made Ryder a little nervous. Levi chuckled and took the files from Ryder. "Won't bite you yet boy."

I rolled my eyes while Liam bit back a laugh. Levi looked at Liam with an unamused brow. "May be biting your ass later though Liam." I bit back a laugh with Evan as Liam muttered a string of curses under his breath. Levi looked at the papers then up at Billy. "Alright, what the hell is this?"

"Those are two reports on rogue sightings before the attack at Mangata. One was a month before the second was a week before. Both seen by wolves whose story was shifty when we went back and questioned them. But the thing is, they were just like the rogues Charlotte has seen. Both times when the patrols came back, there wasn't a trace of them. It was like they were not ever there."

"Who looked into it?" Lander asked.

"Thomas and me. First time we brought Chris in, but we had nothing and eventually it fizzled out with the trail. The next time Thomas suggested that we not, he thought it was nothing especially since the witnesses' story was a little shifty, but I told Chris. I had a feeling about it. Chris was livid, but there was still nothing."

Levi flipped through the pages furiously and read over the testimony from the gamma and omegas. "Shit," he hissed out as his chest vibrated. He handed the files to Lander who started to flip through them as Liam looked over his shoulder. "What else?"

"This," Billy said as he reached in for the journal. "I don't know if Derek told you?"

"They did, I want to hear it from you," Levi answered firmly.

Billy nodded. "It was Chris' journal. I have all of them. Something told me I should. I've been through all of them and this is the only one that stood out to me."

Evan took the journal and walked to Levi, but unlike Ryder Evan didn't budge. When Levi let his beast come forward, Evan's just met his. He let out a breathy laugh and took the journal from him.

It didn't take long for him to see what I saw. For the sound of a vicious growl to ring through the forest. Lander walked over and looked at the book in Levi's hands and snarled loudly. I put my hand on Levi's shoulder. It seemed to calm him down, but only a little. "Levi, we can't do what it is you want right now, you know we can't."

He rumbled. "If I find out that he really had anything to do with it, with Eve or my pups, there is not much that is going to stop me from ripping his damn throat out girly."

His voice laced with dark intentions made me shiver. I looked at Lander who nodded in agreement before I felt my beast rumble as well in approval. Levi turned back to me and looked at me knowingly. "Now tell me what you saw at the tree. Derek said it was for you to tell, so spill girly."

I let out a tense breath and nodded. Evan gave me a reassuring smile as did Billy. "The first night I was with Evan. I touched and it was like I was looking into someone memories, into the past. I saw," I sighed before I looked back at him. "I saw you and Eve. She was asking you to come with her that day but you said you couldn't. You promised you would first thing in the morning, you called her 'little red.'"

His eyes widened with shock as his body stiffened. I bit my lip while he places both hands against the boulder and leaned on it while he looked at his feet and let out a long hot breath. "Tell me what else girl."

I nodded. "I saw Thomas on the phone. He said something to someone about 'her being there around four' then told someone who walked in his office that 'we're ready.' Then I saw Margaret. She was making a sandwich and singing in her kitchen. Ethan walked in from fighting with Eli. She called him 'white hot' then sent him upstairs to take a shower.

"The next time Evangeline and Andrea were with me. I saw you and Lucas sparring. You were going back and forth with each other. Then it showed me Miranda giving Margaret some tea. They complained about paper worked before I was pulled again."

"Pulled to what?" Lander asked.

I let out a long sigh. I wasn't sure how much of the next memory I should tell, but I wasn't going to hide anything else from Levi. "I saw Ethan when he ran to the tree house. It was the day Evangeline came for him. He almost killed himself–" I stopped as the pain twisted the pull. Ryder's eyes widened before he muttered a string of curses under his breath. "His pain was so much. It was so much to handle, I could feel it as if it was mine." I took a deep breath and pushed the pain from that memory away, if Ethan felt it he would come looking for me. "Then I saw Evangeline come and get him before I saw the next memory.

"It took me to Chris' office, he was writing furiously in his journal. Thomas came in and asked him about the barbecue, he seemed stressed, but I couldn't tell why. After Thomas left he slammed his fist down on the desk and yelled 'Dammit,' and that was all. That was all I saw."

"Brother," Lander called out to Levi.

He was pinching the bridge of his nose, breathing heavily, and trying hard to keep his beast at bay. I felt pain for him. I felt bad about the pain it caused him but I knew we had to tell him, we had to talk about it.

"Do you think it's all connected?" Liam asked.

"Yes," Levi bit out. "How the hell is it not? This isn't a coincidence. Damn tree," he grumbled out.

"What do you think?" I asked gently.

Levi looked back at me like he was almost surprised. He cocked his head and eyed me a little before flickering his eyes to Lander then back to me. "Well girl, think it's pretty obvious. We got us an alpha who isn't supposed to be one. We also got a few throats to rip at some point."

"Levi," Billy said calmly, diverting Levi's attention away from me. "We agree, but we need proof. You know as well as I that you can challenge the sitting alpha without a solid reason, it's our pack laws as well as your's. What we have is all good maybe for the current rogues, but it's not solid enough to connect the past."

"He's right brother," Lander said reluctantly.

"What's the temperature of the pack and warriors?" Levi asked.

Billy shrugged. "I would say half and half. I've been digging around. My warriors I know well. Half are definitely loyal to Ethan and me, would probably die for him if they had to. The other half are either sour wolves or wolves that respect the hierarchy, thus they respect Thomas."

"What about Ethan?" Lander asked.

Levi grumbled some curses under his breath before scratching at his head. "Boy still have his head stuck up his ass?"

"Yup. It's way deep in there uncle," Evan answered. Levi chuckled a little darkly then looked at Lander. "May have to have a chat with Ethan when we go down for the council meeting."

Lander rumbled a little as he started to smile deviously. "I like the sound of that."

"Ethan's still fighting with himself so much that if we told him all of this, well, I am pretty sure it would just bite us in the ass," Billy said. "He's stubborn like Chris. Has to come to things on his own. We can lay it in front of him, but unless he's ready to step up and be who he's supposed to be then it's useless."

Levi rumbled a bit more. He let out a stressed breath then looked back at Lander. Lander chuckled a little, shaking his head before he looked back at Levi. "I am real excited for this 'chat' brother."

Levi chuckled darkly and nodded. "Me too, boy needs it."

"So what do we do?" I asked.

Lander let out a stressed breath and scratched at his hair. "Billy is right, we can't do anything without solid proof. It wouldn't be right otherwise, as much as it pisses me off. We wouldn't someone trying to challenge you on anything but solid evidence brother. The past seems to be part of the key to helping with the present. We need to dig, there has to be something."

"I agree," Billy added.

"Alright, we'll be down there in less than a week," Levi said. "Keep your heads low and if there are any more rogues you do not go to Thomas, understood?" We all nodded which seemed to make him feel somewhat better. "Ev, I want you to have Ryder run a route with Remi and Bowie over our shared border until he knows every damn stone on it. Rogues came in last time to both packs undetected, maybe there is something on the line."

"We can do that," Evan replied with a firm not.

"Those two witnesses still around?" Lander asked.

"Nope, died in the attack," Billy answered.

"Shit," Lander hissed.

"Doesn't mean that there are not others," Liam added. We all looked over at him while he mused for a second before looking back at Levi and I. "Well, what if no one else reported anything because the last two were dismissed? Maybe there is someone like that? That and, well Char was attacked at home–" He was cut off by Levi's snarls. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down but I knew it wouldn't do any good. I nodded to Liam who looked back at Levi at little nervously. "What I am trying to say is maybe some neighbors saw something?"

"That's good son, Billy can you try and get some men on that?" Lander asked.

Billy looked to Lander and nodded. "I'll get with our pack doctor. She's got a way of finding out things. Her mates a good man too, good hunter."

"Good," Levi added. "I want Evangeline to keep her head down and try to keep Miranda happy. We need to make them think that everything is fine. She'll hate me for it, but we can't afford for Thomas to get wind of this right now. Well, we could, it would just mean that I could rip his throat out sooner."

"Brother we don't know for sure," Lander replied more firmly.

Levi sighed a little. "True, but doesn't mean that I still don't want to do it."

"What about me?" I asked.

Levi looked back at me then flickered his eyes to Lander before returning them to me. "You and me are going to have a talk Charlie girl."

I felt my wolf rumble softly while I shivered at the serious look in his eye. I nodded and let out a sigh before flickering my eye to Remi who gave me a sympathetic shrug.

"Alright, Billy report back if you find anything, same to you Ev, otherwise we will see you all in a few days at that damn council meeting." Levi said as he pushed himself off the boulder. "Charlie girl, let's take a walk." I slid off the boulder and nodded.

"Want us to wait?" Evan called out.

"Yap," Levi answered. "Lander you're with us, Remi too, Liam you stay the hell put." Liam started to rumble but was cut off by a warning growl from Levi. Levi looked back at Evan and Ryder and nodded. "Keep him here, I don't care how you do it."

"Shit," I hissed out. I was in for a beating. I could feel it coming.

"Sorry Char," Remi whispered out in a sing-song voice.

"Alright girl let's go," Levi said next to me. I let out a hot huff then stepped with him.

We walked quietly together through the forest covered with darkness. I could feel his beast brewing, but even still, I felt better just being around him. It calmed my beast down and gave me more confidence in our cause.

"Now tell me about Ethan," Levi said next to me.

I sighed as we walked along the soft grass while the trees swayed in the night breeze. "He's scared. I see the fear in his eyes, Levi. I get it. I felt the pain when I was at the tree, but it's hard not to be pissed off and frustrated with him. I know he knows. I know he knows the right path, he's just battling with himself. Derek says I should be patient and I tried talking to him but I don't know, sometimes I feel like I'm trying to pull a dead horse to water."

"Well, part of that is true. Ethan does know better and that boy knows. I remember him when he was young, he was strong like Eli. Chris raised that boy better than that," he almost growled out.

"I know," I sighed. "It's just hard it's getting harder. The pull is stronger every day and I don't know, I don't feel right about letting him mark me now."

"Well, I don't either, boy needs to pull his head out of his ass first and so do you."

"What?" I snapped my head to look at his lips tug into a smirk.

"Charlie girl, Ethan is a grown ass alpha male and girl, he doesn't need you to be 'patient' with him, he needs you to beat the damn truth into his ass. You've gone soft girl..." I raised my brows as his voice trailed off. We were at a little clearing that he started to walk us in the middle of. I looked at him curiously and he just chuckled. "Oh girl, I see it in your eyes. I saw when you first got here. You've gone soft girl, just admit it."

"What?" I practically scoffed out. "I have not Levi, it's not that easy."

"No shit, welcome to life girly," he snapped back. "Keeping secrets from your mate because you think he can't handle it? Girl those are going to eat you both up and you're not helping. Now I agree with Billy on this, but you should have told Ethan about that damn tree."

"Do you think it would have made a damn difference?" I hissed out.

"Maybe girl, but you won't know now will you because you felt like you had to protect him from himself. It may have made a damn difference, Ethan isn't stupid girl. But you've gone soft girl, you let that mate of your's tell you sweet things that break your cute little heart, so you just hold his hand instead beat his ass."

I growled lowly as Levi stepped away from me and started to walk an arch around me. "Levi–"

"Isn't that right Lander? Our girl's gone soft."

"Didn't peg you as the type to hold someone's hand girly," Lander said deviously as he stepped around a tree. "You going to hold my hand if I tell you what a hard life I've had?"

I snarled at him. The hair on the back of my beast was starting to raise. Levi looked back to me again with a wicked glint in his eye. "What are you afraid of girl? Your own damn mate? Afraid of what? Girl, you think you couldn't beat his ass to the ground? Or are you afraid you're going to hurt his cute little feelings?"

"He isn't going anywhere Char," Remi said as he stepped out from behind another tree. "The pull is too strong, you can push him hard but it won't matter. He'll always come back."

"And you're going to let him because you've gone soft Charlie girl," Levi replied.

I flickered my eyes to him as my chest vibrated again. "Levi," I warned.

"What? You got some serious shit going on over there girly. You're talking about challenging the sitting alpha and luna. You want to be a luna when you get worked up over this shit? You can't hold a packs hand all the time Charlie girl. Anyone can hold someone's hand, that's not what makes a strong ass luna."

"Char, you need to pull your head out of your ass. It's not the time to wait on Ethan. We don't have time for that. The rogue sighting have increased and we need to start acting," Lander added diplomatically.

"You think the moon paired you with him because she thought you were real good at licking his wounds girl?" Levi said from behind me as the hair on the back of my neck raised. "Any damn female can do that, he doesn't need you for that." I snarled again. My beast didn't like the thought of other females coming near our male.

"The girl I've been raising as my own doesn't take that kind of bullshit. She pisses you the hell off because she knows it's good for you, because it's right. She also eats all your damn ice cream, but she doesn't hold your damn hand and tell you sweet things to make the demons feel better. She beats you back to the demons and makes you face them like you should have a long ass time ago.

"Oh girly, you've gone soft. You let him get away with his bullshit because he tells you sweet things, sounds kinda familiar doesn't it?"

I lost it.

Levi knew it was coming. He ducked out of my way but I snarled again. This time, I was walking a circle mirroring his. He growled lowly at me, but I returned on just as full of murderous intention.

"Is this why you brought me out here? To piss me the hell off?"

"No girl," Levi chuckled out. "Well, maybe a little."

With that, Levi charged at me. I ducked at moved out of his way, but he spun quickly and send a fist to my ribs. My beast growled furiously, our recent injuries hurt like hell, but the adrenaline pouring in through my veins pushed me forward.

I blocked his next blow then sent a fist right into his ribs, it didn't move the alpha male though. He pushed forward with his beast and I pushed back just as hard. I ducked his next blow but missed his knee coming for my back.

I yelped out and lost my balance; ass first in the ground I looked at his shit-eating grin and felt something snap in me.

I lunged at him. I lunged with a vicious growl and rammed a fist right into his liver. He tried to swing at me but I blocked it then sent a fist to his collar bone before stepping to the side so I could kick at his shin while my elbow met his mouth.

I walked away and started to stalk him while he wiped off the blood from his lips with a smile. "Oh girly, this is going to be a real good time."

Levi lunged at me and nailed my shoulder then wrapped an arm around my waist and slammed me to the ground. I was on the ground, but I wasn't done. I head-butted him hard, which I know he hated, then let his mouth meet my elbow again.

I pushed him off of me and scrambled to my feet as he jumped back to his. He side stepped me and went for a shot at my kidney from behind, but I turned quickly and hit him hard in the sternum.

He stepped backward. His eyes were glowing and his wolf was snapping out at mine.

I could feel it. I could feel her snapping her teeth as our blood began to feel like a fire. A fire that masked the pain and fueled me with rage. I wasn't about to let this male push me around, and neither was my beast.

"Shift," Lander called out. Levi lunged and I lunged in response, letting her come forwards with rage and fury coursing through her veins.

Levi slammed into me but my female got a good bite of his shoulder. Levi snarled at me as we rolled together before my beast scrambled up. We started to stalk each other.

Blood was dripping from different parts of us, teeth were snapping at each other. He may be our father, but we were not about to let him dick us around. My beast agreed. She felt the power in his veins, but our veins burned just as bright and just as furious as his.

She ran towards him then pivoted last minute, confusing the male so she could ram his side and take a good bite at the skin underneath his front leg; the soft skin where his leg met his torso.

Levi snarled at his and wiped us off of him with his claw. My female slid a bit in the dirt, but she was quick to get back on her feet. She snapped again at the male who growled viscously at her. She retuned it. She returned it hard enough to make the pebbles on the ground shake.

The male scoffed before he charged at us. Teeth met flesh as he bit into my back; but my beast didn't care, she just turned and bit his ear, slicing it as she pulled away harshly.

The male shook us with his teeth and tossed us into a tree, but we cared not. We licked the blood flowing down to our lips and snarled at him. She wanted another go at him, my beast could do this dance all damn day.

She ran towards him like she did our bear. She sliced at his thigh with her teeth, causing his leg to buckle slightly while she whipped around; she charged again and jumped on his back, sinking her teeth into his ribs until she could feel the bone. She was merciless. She knew it was our father, but even our father did not get to push us this was.

Levi whipped around and bit at the soft skin behind our neck then threw us off of him. He shifted back to his skin with a murderous glint in his eye.

My beast snarled at him before she let me come forward. I shifted to my skin and started to circle around him as he did me.

He chuckled then sent a fist my way. I caught it, to his and my surprise, then used the opportunity to push him back hard. Something clicked in me and it felt like my veins were electric power lines pumping at the maximum output.

I lunged at him and knocked him hard to the ground then landed a hard blow on his chin followed by another. He growled viciously and nailed my chin before he flipped us over as his fans started to protrude again.

I lifted a clawed hand to his neck while he moved his mouth towards mine. It was in that moment, that tense moment when my claw pressed into his skin and his teeth pressed into my neck that it sunk in.

Levi pulled back and looked at me proudly and nodded. His eyes searched mine before a smirk tugged at his lips. "There's my daughter."

I let out a hot breath and lowered my hand. Dammit, why was he always right ?

He chuckled and rolled off of me while Lander walked towards us with some clothes. "Nice work girl, haven't seen this one tie with someone in a long time."

"Shut the hell up Lander," Levi grumbled.

Lander chuckled as he handed me a shirt with a wink. I slipped it on while Levi pulled his jeans back on; my breath was still labored, but I felt like I had just woken up, like I had torn some kind of false skin off of me.

Levi turned towards me with a knowing smile while I wiped the blood dripping off of my lip. "Look at me," he ordered firmly. I met his silver eyes; his beast that was proud with his pup. "You feel that girl?"

I nodded. "Yes,"

Levi nodded. "That's our blood girl. That's your blood. That the blood of the female that I know you are."

I let out a hot breath and nodded. "I hate that you're right you know?"

He chuckled heartily and scooted closer to me. "Charlie girl, you shouldn't be surprised by now."

I rolled my eyes then looked back at him deviously. "So we tied?"

"Apparently," he grumbled. I laughed to myself as my wolf licked her lips in delight of the news. "Girly, the moon has a reason for everything, as much as I still wanna beat her ass. Do you feel that right now? That feeling in your veins?" I nodded. I could feel it alright. I could get drunk on the energy from it. "Ethan needs that, he needs to feel that. He needs you to beat it out of him. Anyone can hold his hand girl, not everyone can beat his ass like you can. You challenge a part of him and bring a part of him out that only as his mate will you be able to do."

I sighed and nodded. "So you're saying he's due or an ass beating?"

Levi chuckled a little darkly and mused for a bit. "Well, he's definitely getting one from me." He looked up at me with a half-smile. "Ain't nothing wrong with putting his ass in the dirt. He needs to be reminded of what his blood can do."

"And then what? What do I do?"

"Well I don't know little luna, what do you think?" I snapped my eyes to his teasing ones, but I knew he was serious in his own way.

I rocked my head back and forth for a moment before looking back at him. "I tear some throats out?"

Levi laughed heartily. It shook his body and somehow infected mine with laughter. He settled down for a minute before looking at Lander who was looking at me proudly before he flicked his eyes back to me. "That's my Charlie girl."

"Sounds just like you," Remi called out.

"It's a damn good thing, you should learn a thing or two boy," Levi snapped back. "I should let her have a go at your ass."

I bit back a laugh while Levi grumbled. He scooted over to me then wrapped his arms around me. We are both covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, but I didn't care.

My wolf rumbled in approval. She loved our father, as did I. Our father who constantly reminded us of what we were, of who we were.

"You know I only do this because I love you girly."

"I know," I sighed out. "I love you too Levi."

He sighed and kissed my crown. "Good. Now you need to get back. You're mate's due for an ass beating from both of us. I would say he's lucky that you're getting to him first, but I don't know..."

"Could you get Elliot to film it?" Lander teased.

"Piss off Lander," I grumbled back.

Levi kissed my forehead before chuckling again. "That's my girl, now let's go."

He helped me up then walked me back to Evan and Ryder who were both a little sweaty. They looked like they had both been tag-teaming to keep Liam at bay. I groaned. I wish he would find his damn mate.

Evan snapped his eye to me and they widened as big as the damn moon. He looked at Ryder who looked back at Liam. Liam growled as I neared him, which only made me roll my eyes. "Really Liam this is nothing. You need to settle down."

"That's right, you're next up Liam," Levi said from next to me.

Liam groaned before muttering something under his breath. Evan looked me up and down then back at Levi. "You ok to run home?"

I nodded. "Yup, just peachy."

I turned to Levi who hugged me for a long time. He kissed my crown and sighed a bit. "You're my pup girly, you better not forget that again."

I nodded with a smile. "I promise."

He kissed my forehead then nodded to Evan. "Look after her, understand?"

Evan nodded. "Course uncle."

We started walking back when Liam trotted after me. "Char," he breathed out. I turned around and was suddenly wrapped up in strong arms. I felt the pull twist a little then his skin started to burn mine. I bit back the pain and pushed him away as gently as I could.

"Liam, stop," I ordered firmly. "I am not yours, you have a mate out there. You need to let this go. I do care for you, but as a friend."

He growled a little and Evan snarled at him. Evan then put a hand on my back and stepped closer to me. "Let's go home."