Achy.

That's how my back and the pull felt.

Sore and needy.

I blinked eyes open and looked down. It smelled like Ethan, but Ethan wasn't there. He wasn't there at all. I sighed as desire swept through my body. He had been there, I knew it. That bed smelled too much like him.

I flushed as I looked over my body. I was practically naked, which meant he saw me... Shit.

I groaned inwardly as someone knocked on the door. I snapped my head around and lifted myself up at bit. My back was sore, but it wasn't unbearable. "Yes?"

"It's me," Evangeline said from the other side.

"Come in," I replied stiffly as I sat up and pulled the sheets around me.

She walked in and closed the door behind her with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she nuzzled my cheek.

I"Better, it's sore but not awful."

"Good, let me look?"

I nodded and let her moved around so she could look at my back. She chuckled gently then came back around and smiled deviously. "Ethan must have licked and licked at that all night."

"So he was here?" I breathed out.

She nodded. "Mhmmmm, Billy came and got him early this morning. He thinks he has a lead on a gamma who may have seen a rogue recently."

I shook my head. "Hold on, does Ethan know?"

Evangeline smiled and nodded. "Oh he knows Char, it took Liam, Levi, Lander, and Evan to keep him from running out of that door last night to tear Thomas' head off."

My eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Evangeline pulled up a chair that was sitting next to my bed so she could sit across from me. "Apparently they got into him pretty good. Liam said it was like something snapped. He and Levi tied." She smiled a little as she looked down and shook her head. "He feels like my dad used to now. Like the alpha he's supposed to be, that he knows he is."

I felt my beast stir as realization set in. "Oh my God," I breathed out.

"I know," Evangeline sighed. "He's like he used to be but more. He feels like a true alpha now."

"So, what is he doing? What are we doing?"

"Well," she breathed out. "He wants Thomas' throat now but Levi wants to wait, surprisingly. Levi wants to see if Thomas was actually behind the attacks. If we kill them now we may never know. Eventually, he got Ethan to agree. Ethan's out with Billy right now, I think he and Evan are going to try and go through our dad's old office later."

"And what about you?"

She looked at me sadly as her wolf stirred. "I wanted to stay but Levi said it would look odd. There's no reason that Liam shouldn't be taking me with him, so I'm leaving today with them."

I felt my chest tighten. My sister. She was my sister and she was leaving me. Her eyes grew glassy as she watched my response unfold. "Don't do that, I can't handle seeing you do that Char."

I pulled her into a hug and nodded. "I'm just going to miss you a lot," I sniffled.

She nodded. "I'm not that far. Only across the line. We'll see each other all the time, I promise."

I nodded as she pulled back. I wiped some of the wetness from my eyes and let out a deep breath. "Ok then, so what's the plan for today?"

"We're headed out mid morning. Evan said he would come walk with you to the valley since it's probably not good for you to shift."

I sighed as little tears started to pool. It didn't help Evangeline, she just started tearing up as well until we were both a teary-eyed mess.

We laid there and laughed and cried and laughed and cried and laughed and cried until Evan knocked on the door. "Sis, they're almost ready."

"Ok, let me help Char get dressed," she called back. I nodded to her and let her help me slip a loose t-shirt dress on and my favorite pair of Ked's. She carefully hugged me again and nuzzled my cheek. "Tell Andrea I said goodbye."

I teared up some more and nodded. "Tell her yourself when you come to visit."

"Well, then I'll be saying hello, won't I?"

"Exactly," I replied a bit more cheerfully.

We nodded to each other then slowly walked out of my room. It wasn't that bad to walk, but Evangeline was right, shifting would have hurt too much. I sighed and looked up to see Evan waiting in the kitchen. His hair was still wet from a shower but his eyes looked tired.

"Morning Evan."

He turned to me and smiled. "Morning little sisters."

"Ready Evangeline?"

She nodded with a sad smile. "Yes, let's go before I turn into a puddle of tears."

Evan laughed a little but I could see the sadness in his eyes. He walked to me and nudged me a playfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I sighed out as we stepped out of the house.

Evan helped me carefully down the stairs and to the path where Liam was waiting for Evangeline. She jogged to him and jumped into his arms as he pulled her into a kiss. My heart twisted; It made me think of Ethan.

I sighed as Liam set her down and turned to me with a playful smile. "See that you got scratched up pretty good Char?"

"I could say the same for you," I replied as I eyed his bruising cheek.

He chuckled and looked knowingly at Evan. "Your mate throws a mean punch."

I eyed Liam more curiously. "What did you all do last night?"

"What needed to be done," Evan answered as he fist pounded Liam.

Liam nodded. "Beat the alpha out of him, that's what we did."

I raised my brows and looked at Evangeline who was wearing a shit-eating grin. "I'd watch that neck of your's now Char."

I let out an annoyed growl. "If I wasn't hurt I would have your ass, Evangeline."

She just rolled her eyes and laughed with Liam who slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her forward with the rest of us in tow. I groaned a little next to Evan who walked with a watchful eye over me to the valley. Different packs were heading out in various directions, while some of our pack members were sparring in the rings near the forest while other wolves rushed past them to go about their daily business.

I sighed a little. I couldn't stop thinking of Ethan. I remember his scent did smell different this morning. He smelled like himself, but he also smelled more male; there was more power reeking in his scent, more energy still buzzing from where he had slept.

I felt giddy. I could only pray that it was true. That what they were telling me was true. That my male had finally pulled his head out of his ass to be what we all needed him to be.

Lander, Claire, and Levi were waiting in the middle of the field for us. I looked around for Ethan, but caught no sight of him. I was itching to talk to him. Claire rushed to me and nuzzled my cheek. "We're always close by Char."

I nodded. "I know," I breathed out.

Lander hugged me next and kissed the top of my head. "You've got a good man Char, just keep his ass in line for us ok?"

I smiled a little into his chest and nodded. I nodded right as I felt him coming. I looked around to see Ethan walking with Billy down the field towards us, and it was like I was looking at a new wolf.

My breath hitched a bit. He wasn't just another strong male, he reeked like a damn alpha. From here I could feel him; feel his scent caress my skin and his blood hum it's way over to me like it was waves lapping at the shore. Other wolves stopped and stared only as long as they could before they had to avert their eyes.

I felt joy start to spur in my as my wolf howled out in relief. Even from here we could see it, see the change. I let out a long sigh of relief as Lander chuckled a bit. That is until Ethan stopped walking. He stopped walking and looked into the forest as Billy stiffened up next to him.

"Shit," Evan hissed.

"What?" I breathed out.

Ethan started to storm towards the rings like he was on a damn mission to kill someone. I looked over to see Levi already chasing after him and felt my belly drop. "Shit," I hissed. He better not have lost his shit and decided to challenge Thomas now.

"I got her Ev." Liam walked up to me and let Evan bolt from his place to the forest after Levi. "Sorry about this Char," Liam said before he knelt down and pulled me over his shoulder.

I hissed and looked up at Evangeline who was starting to run next to Lander and Claire. "What's happening?"

"Hopefully not what I think it is," Lander answered tensely.

Liam jogged as quickly and as carefully as he could with me, but it still hurt. It was a dull pain but compared to my thumping heart driven by my rapidly growing anxiety, it was nothing. Nothing because my beast whined out to her mate, prayed that he was alright and not in the middle of a fight that would not get us the vengeance we thirsted for.

We made it through the forest where the sounds of angry growls could be heard over a growing crowd. Liam pushed his way through the people, which was more than awkward for me since I could barely see where the hell I was going. He set me down as carefully as he could before snarling at some of the other warriors to get out of our way.

"What's happening?!" I asked over the growing murmurs to a warrior looking out into a ring.

"Ethan's about to beat the shit out of Arron, it's about time too," he answered happily as another wolf next to him growled in agreement.

I felt my heart beat a little fast as Liam tugged me forward. There was another growl followed by a, "You're nothing but a damn pussy shit beta," spat out by a voice that I recognized as Arron's.

I felt my blood boil. A growl tore through my lips as Liam continued to tug me through the crowd. "How did this happen?!"

Another warrior leaned down little to me while he kept his eyes on the ring. "Arron started spatting off about Ethan's mate. Called her 'scratching post' and was just spewing shit at him. Ridiculous, that girl saved his damn sister yesterday."

"Yes she did," I hissed out. The warrior looked down at me and his eyes widened in realization about who he was talking to.

"Boy, either shut your mouth or I will let him shut it for you," Levi growled out.

"Whatever, I don't take orders from a washed out alpha who hid away with a vampire for ten damn years."

I snarled loudly as my beast pressed forward; the sound met more snarls including a vicious one from Ethan's lips. The crowd moved quickly out of our way, in time for Liam to tug me next to Evangeline who had a murderous expression on her face.

Arron was smugly staring at Levi and Ethan with a couple of older seasoned warriors behind him, I figured they were loyal to Thomas. Dogs. My wolf snapped at them, she wanted their necks and if our back wasn't scratched up we would have them.

Arron flickered his eyes to me amusingly which made Ethan snarl. "Heard you got a little pussy yesterday?"

The next thing I knew Liam and Ethan were pushing me back as I snapped out at Arron. I let out a deep blood-curdling growl that shook some of the cockiness off of him. Fur was starting to come through my neck and the pain in my back was minimal to the fury that was raging through me.

Since when did he become so arrogant? At the meeting, he looked like he was going to roll over like a scared pup. Like he hated every moment of being anywhere near a wolf with blood more powerful than his. Where the hell did this come from?

"Baby you need to calm down," Ethan whispered hotly to me.

I growled lowly while Arron whispered something to one of the warriors. "If you don't beat the hell out of him, then I will," I snarled.

Ethan chuckled darkly before he put both his hands on my shoulders and stilled me. He looked at me with devious eyes that held sinister promises for the wolf in the ring. "Oh sunshine, you don't know how sexy that is coming from your lips," he whispered to me before quickly kissing my lips and turning back towards the ring.

Evangeline pulled me next to her as Liam walked around and angled himself towards Aaron with us behind him. Ethan stopped next to Levi whose lip was twitching; itching to sink his fangs into the pathetic little runt in the ring.

Evan walked to stand next to Lander who chuckled darkly. Lander flickered his eyes to Ethan before looking at Aaron. Evangeline tensed next me to as Arron started to pace as little in front of him. "It's too much attention, Thomas will know."

"And what's wrong with that?" She looked over at me worriedly and I shook my head. "I saved his daughter, this he can't argue with."

Evangeline nodded then looked back in the ring. Levi spat next to his shoe then flickered his eyes to Ethan then back to Arron. "Save the fangs for Char, you know how much she likes them," he said with a dark smile before he walked over to lean against a railing with Evan and Lander.

Evan cocked a smile and winked at me. He mouthed 'want to make some money?' across the ring to me. My beast stirred as we eyed our younger brother curiously. I nodded and gave him a go.

He chuckled and looked over at Liam. "Fifty bucks says my brother breaks his arm in the first three minutes."

Liam cocked his head while Ethan looked over to Evan and shook his head with a chuckle. Liam nodded approvingly as Arron listened to something one of the warriors were whispering to him. "Twenty-five says he rips a toenail off."

It was like it turned into a gambling ring at a fight in Vegas. Evan was making bets with like six different wolves as Ethan casually pulled his shirt off, drawing a vibration from my chest that made his lips twitch. Lander just laughed to Levi who winked at me mischievously.

"Which piece do you want Char?" Ethan called out as he started to stalk Aaron.

I mused playfully for a second as Arron walked away from his half of the ring where there was an evident split of wolves; half loyal to us and the other half supposedly loyal to Thomas. He started to walk in a circle while Ethan watched him lazily. "Scalp or the ass babe, it's your choice."

"Scalp? Really?" He called out while Evan continued to make bets with the wolves around him.

Evangeline growled in approval while Liam snarled at the opposite side of the ring, letting his beast come forward. We ought to let Liam have a go at a few of them. I nodded. "Yup."

Arron eyed me and scoffed. My beast surged forward and snapped her sharp teeth at him; his eyes widened as Evangeline licked her lips as she eyed the other side. "I'd like to have their hides too."

"This is brilliant," Liam muttered. He was looking between both sides approvingly.

I cocked a brow as Evangeline stilled before her eyes widened. She looked to Liam excitedly then leaned towards me. "Liam said that Ethan wanted to see what the potential ratio of wolves, warriors, loyal to him and Thomas is. He wanted something more solid than a ballpark figure. This fight's been coming for a while, and these warriors and pack wolves can't stay away from a brawl like this." My mouth dropped. It was damn brilliant. Evangeline chuckled a little darkly and leaned back to me. "Not like he had to do much. Aaron was on a rampage this morning, it was an easy opportunity to kill two bird with one stone."

I snapped my gaze back to Ethan. My male was cracked his neck then looked up and winked at me. I shivered as desire and approval rushed through me. It was brilliant. Standing here as more warriors gathered on either our or their side, it was easy for us to eyeball what kind of split in the pack we had to deal with. I wondered though, how many of them were truly loyal to Thomas?

"Last call!" Evan yelled out. A few more wolves placed bets; money was being swapped while a couple gammas tried to keep tabs on all the bets going. Evan just eyed me playfully. "How does thirty percent look?"

I mock scoffed at him. "Forty-five Ev."

"Forty little sister!"

I nodded. I nodded and when I did Ethan lunged at Aaron. He lunged at him but he wasn't going to make this short. I knew that look in his eye. He was going to make this wolf suffer not only today, but for days after.

Arron jumped up and swung at Ethan but only hit ribs that didn't care. Ethan hit him hard in the mouth, knocking him off balance before he caught his next punch. He pulled Aaron towards him and yanked him around then slammed his extended arm onto his knee; the crack made it sound like it was broken. It was nasty enough.

Evan jumped before pointing at Liam. "You owe me fifty bro!"

Liam rolled his eyes and looked back at the fight that was more like Ethan beating Aaron around. Arron nailed Ethan hard a couple times; he wasn't a green wolf. He had been trained and practiced. He was the Sergeant of Arms after all, and even he didn't get that title without earning it, but he was no match for my male.

My male that nailed him hard in the mouth, before hitting hard again. Aaron got two hits into his chest, but Ethan just jabbed him hard in the ribs before reaching forward quickly and slamming into his nose, breaking the damn thing.

Arron staggered back. His side was yelling different things at him, most of which I didn't hear over Ethan's growls. Levi chuckled and looked over at the pup who my mate had beat around then nodded. "Shift."

Arron jumped forward and let his skin turn into fur; a beast with amber eyes, a family trait. He snapped at Ethan but Ethan just chuckled darkly and shook his head. My wolf rumbled in approval. She reached out for Ethan's beast, caressing him; we could see his chest shiver a little, it made my mouth tug into a smirk.

Ethan lunged forward and let his chocolate fur sprout. He shook himself out then roared loudly at Aaron, a roar loud enough to let most of the other wolves know exactly who he was–what he was. Aaron stilled for a moment then growled back at him. Arron flickered an eye to me as Ethan started to walk around the end opposite to me; he walked slyly by me and stopped only a few feet away from me then snapped at Ethan.

Nope.

Ethan was not having that. I snarled at Arron, causing him to shuffle a few feet away from me as Ethan came charging towards him. He would be lucky if Ethan didn't actually kill him.

Ethan ripped into his ribs without mercy and let his teeth cut Aaron down to the bone. Aaron snapped at him and got a few bites, but Ethan easily threw Aaron off his body like he was a pup. His beast growled again in a warning.

Aaron was trying to hide a limp, but he wasn't doing a good job. I looked up and saw two familiar blonde wolves squeeze to the front. Amber looked into the ring a little horrified as Larissa's eyes swirled with venom. Larissa stepped forward but Amber actually pushed her back and whispered something hotly to her. She looked back up and met my eyes, nodding respectfully at me. I guess she was actually grateful that I saved her life.

Both Evangeline and my beasts stirred in shock. I nodded back to her then looked back at the ring. "What the actual hell?" Evangeline whispered from next to me.

"Who knows," I breathed out.

Arron ran towards Ethan, but Ethan expected it. He swiped a paw down and knocked Aaron's head down, causing him to stumble and trip. Ethan was quick, though, he snapped down and got a good piece of fur from Aaron's head then yanked his head back and forth until a little patch of fur tore off in his mouth. Arron yelped out while Ethan trotted away with his prize. He walked proudly over to me, paying no mind to Aaron in the ring, and dropped the patch of fur at my feet.

My heart swelled and my beast growled in approval as we looked at the patch of hair at our toes. "That is so oddly romantic," Evangeline said from next to me as she looked at the fur near my toes.

I sighed softly–dreamily and nodded before I looked back up. Amber looked horrified, but her brother had it coming. He was stalking around Ethan madly, who was just biding his time. Levi and Lander were bullshitting with some of the other warriors while Evan was already collecting money from the wolves who already knew that they were going to lose.

Aaron charged at Ethan again, but Ethan side stepped him then turned around quickly and grabbed a hold of his hind leg. He shook it wildly and crunched it in his teeth until the leg looked more like the plastic limb of a Barbie that someone put in a blender. He tossed Aaron aside then ran back over to him; grabbing him by his front that he had already injured and making sure that it was really broken.

He tossed him aside again like a rag doll. I looked up to see the faces of the other wolves around us. They looked both horrified or absolutely thrilled about what was happening. Ethan's blood was flaming wildly like white fire; it lashed out at Aaron who was barely walking now. I still couldn't understand what got into him, just the other day he looked like he was going to piss himself when Ethan so much was looked at him.

Ethan walked up to him slowly; he was licking the blood off his lips and eyeing Aaron like he eyed that moose that we first killed together. I smiled inwardly. My beast and I were more than pleased with our male right now. Our male that had finally come into himself and pulled his damn head out of his ass.

Aaron tried to move but Ethan just jumped on him. He bit hard into his shoulder, holding nothing back; it sounded like baked granola crunching in his mouth. He released his shoulder then quickly took a hold of Aaron's uninjured back leg and started dragging him. He drug him across the ring until he dropped him in front of me.

I smiled a little as his blue-green eyes swirled. I shook my head as my lips started to form a proud smile. "He's all yours."

Ethan rumbled which made my wolf shiver. Levi was nodding approvingly while Ethan drug Aaron back to the center of the ring. There was really not any fight left; he was just toying with him until he felt like making Aaron submit to him.

He was looking hard at Aaron, snarling loudly until Aaron flinched. He snarled again at Aaron, causing him to shake as his fur started to ripple and bones started to crack. Soon Aaron was sitting in his skin that was beaten the hell up while Ethan snapped his jaws at him.

Arron eyed him as realization and fear started to fill his eyes.The same fear from yesterday. The fear that I had seen before, why did I not see that earlier?

The ring was quiet at Ethan slowly walked to him. Arron tried one last time to swipe at him but Ethan smacked him across the face with a paw then took his neck between his jaws. Amber gasped a little as the color drained from her face.

Ethan held him for what looked like an eternity before Aaron finally thrust his neck into Ethan's mouth. A smile erupted on my face, but the ring was silent. I don't think the wolves around us, other than our group, knew how to handle it. Everyone just stared at Ethan in awe.

Levi and Lander chuckled darkly and pushed off the rail as Evan collected an absurd amount of cash. We were going to have to find something amazing to spend it on, something we could all enjoy.

I was listening to something Evangeline was saying when I felt the wolves behind me move away. Ethan walked to me; stirring my beast and her approval up. She more than approved of our male right now, and I was more than inclined to agree.

I chuckled as he stepped forward and nuzzled my palm. Letting out a sigh and rolling my eyes a little, he nudged me gently. I cocked a brow then nodded at him.

I turned and started to walk with him; my hands running through his fur as the crowd of wolves moved away from us. We got a few feet away from everyone when I let out a low chuckle. "I liked my scalp."

He rumbled in approval then rubbed his head against the side of my hip. I shivered and kept playing with his fur as we walked. "Where are we going?"

He flickered a playful set of eyes to me when made me roll my eyes. "I'll take that as a 'surprise.'"

He licked my hand, sending electric tingles up my palm which made me laugh. I sighed. It felt right. I knew that there was a lot of crazy shit going on, but right now I felt pretty damn happy with my life.

An older warrior ran up to us in his fur. Ethan immediately got in front of me until we realized it was Billy. He held Billy's gaze for a while as Levi, Lander, Liam, Evangeline, and Claire caught up to us. Ethan sighed then nodded.

"Evan, take Charlotte home, Billy said that Remi and Ryder think they found something," Ethan ordered across our link.

I felt my heart race. It was like a little electric current straightened all our spines. Lander looked to Levi who nodded at him before he lunged into his fur and trotted up next to Ethan.

"Tell Jake to come over to her cabin too, make it look you are all just lounging around," he added. He stepped to me and nuzzled my palm again before he turned and ran for the forest. I let out sigh as the emptiness set in.

Evangeline and Liam both gave me big hugs, well big yet gentle considering my back. They lunged into their fur and trotted off together towards where Ethan had run. I felt Levi stir behind me, Evan stepped away a few feet so we could have a moment to ourselves.

He sighed and smiled at me a little warily. "You know the way home girl, now listen good," he said before he leaned closer. "If anything happens to him I want you to come home. You get Evan and you two run hard until you get to our line, do you understand?"

I felt my wolf whine, I wasn't going to leave Ethan. I could never do that, especially if he was hurt or in trouble. "You know I can't do that."

Levi rumbled and shook his head. "Damn stubborn pain in my ass."

"Yes, but I am still your favorite pain in your ass."

He smirked. "True girly, that is true."

He sighed and hugged me close to him and kissed my hair. "You keep your head down and stay close to Ethan, alright?"

I nodded. "Ok," I breathed out as my eyes started to feel a little glassy.

I pushed back the twisting in my heart and let out a tense breath then nodded at him. He brushed some of my hair back and smiled at me. "I love you Charlie girl, you're my damn pup and you better not forget that."

I smiled teary eyed smile back and nodded. "I love you too Levi."

I sighed as he kissed my forehead one last time then pulled away from me. Evan walked up and wrapped an arm carefully around me as we watched them all run into the forest. I looked over at his eyes that were also a little glassy. "There's beer and ice cream back home."

He smiled and kissed my crown. "Let's go little sister."