"Piper the Delta, Phoenix the Gamma, Sonny the Omega, and Jason the Omega, I'm inviting you all to be members of my pack. I think we will make a great team and work well together. Please sign the forms, permitting me to kill you and your entire family if you betray me like my last pack." Hunter casually handed out forms to his new pack members as they sat with him and Sam at the dining table.

"I never would, but could you specify your definition of betrayal?" Jason asked with a gulp.

"Just don't try to kill me and I won't try to kill you," Hunter smiled. "Eventually, we will lock together like a family. I want to know that I can trust you with my life."

"That's fair," Jason said while signing his name on the paper and handing it back.

Once everyone had signed it, and the forms were back in Hunter's hands, his dad took them to hide in his room, in case they were ever needed.

"Right, let's go for a run." Hunter turned and motioned for Jacota to join them. He will feel a lot safer with the God by his side. "It's time to start bonding as a pack. It's important for me to know that you are close to each other, even the Omegas."

Piper spent the afternoon explaining her life to the other pack members and also Hunter. Yes, she was over a hundred years old, but like every werewolf, she had a dying need to be a part of a pack. With the Beta position taken, being a Delta of an important pack will suit her nicely.

Flynn and Sophia, her parents, were very grateful and kept thanking Scott, Anthony and Margo for giving their daughter this opportunity.

"Will he be finding any more Omegas?" Scott asked Margo as the boys left through the garden door.

"I'm not sure. Maybe Hunter will look for more when managing a pack is easy," Margo replied, studying William who sat by himself in the garden. Nobody but Sam acknowledged him. She wondered if he was feeling left out, but Scott was sharing the same thoughts.

"I think I'll take him out to eat tonight, just the two of us. It might do him good to do normal human things."

"He'll like that," Margo smiled. "It must be hard for him, living this extraordinary life and not being able to talk to any of his college friends about it."

"I know. I'm hoping Will can make friends with members of Hunter's pack. If I talk to Sam, he will help to include him."

"Sam will do anything for your son. Poor thing. He's head over heels for the boy," Margo sighed.

"I know. Maybe it's for a good reason," Scott said, glancing at her with a sly smile, receiving one back immediately.

"Anyway, I need to go and stand over Anthony as he sorts the laundry. He never knows what clothes belong to what people."

"Let me know if you need help." Scott was then left in the kitchen by himself to think about the past few days. A lot has happened, and all of it is progression. Reyana is now powerless. Hunter has a new pack, and his boys know about his secrets. Everything that once troubled him blew away in the breeze. The only thing left to worry about is the war.

* * * * *

Sam stood proudly. The flames of a small bonfire warmed his skin and those who sat around it, talking happily. The Beta wolf watched his Alpha interact with the new members of the pack, making sure to include the Omega's and treat the wolves equally, which is one quality about Hunter that Sam cherished. Not many Alpha's treat Omegas with respect.

Hunter treats his pack the same way his father does, with inclusion, loyalty, teamwork, and friendship.

"He looks happy," a small voice said, tugging Sam from his thoughts.

"He does," he said, feeling the familiar burst of pride when Jacota talked to him first. "It feels right, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. He chose well."

The day was still light, even though the sun sat low in the sky and shadows moved west, the wind howled through the trees and across the length of the field. Jacota scratched at the tan line on his arm from wearing his watch. He took it off hours ago to wash his wolf in a shallow stream. Hunter had put it in his pocket and supervised the water, not entering for reasons evident to Sam and Jacota.

"We should get back soon," he mumbled, feeling too exposed.

"Yeah, I'll let Hunter know you're hungry," Sam chuckled when the God's belly cried for food.

The boys walked back to the bonfire, and the only person who wasn't joining in was Phoenix. He stood on the grass with sharp eyes. If he were in his wolf form, his ears would be tall with raised hackles.

"Alpha," he said loud enough to end conversations, "another pack is close."

All eyes turned to Hunter who nodded with a raised brow, glancing at his mate. "I know. My old Delta wolf is here. He didn't betray me; he left because he was more suited to the Beta roll. Well, I kicked him out because he had a horrible attitude, but I don't hate him."

Sam had to hold back a snort.

"Is he here to meet us?" Piper asked.

"No, the pack he is in are just passing through the area. It's your job Phoenix to know everything about packs who live close. As a Gamma, you have to protect this pack. You will need to know the names and the scents of every pack close by."

Phoenix nodded and sat down close to the fire, warming his hands with a content smile.

"How did you know it was him and his pack?" Jason asked, moving back from the fire when the heat got too much.

"I know Brad's scent, and he sent me a text earlier to let me and my dad know that he was peacefully passing through our territory. Now that I have a Gamma wolf, they will get in touch with Phoenix from now on."

Everyone nodded, ready to learn each others roles and responsibilities, eager to know more.

When Brad and his pack had left the area, they put the fire out and made their way back to the house before it got dark. William and Scott were still out when the pack returned to their waiting parents.

Jacota hoped his brother was having a good time away from the stress of the werewolf world. Being a human in among the supernatural must be daunting.

"Well," Anthony murmured, nudging his son's shoulder, "how did it go?"

Hunter could barely contain his grin when he said, "Great. Better than great actually. It feels so good to be in charge of a pack again. Do you think I'm going too fast?"

"Not at all," Anthony said, squeezing his shoulder. "But if you do, slow it down and don't rush. You have all the time in the world, okay?"

Hunter nodded, waving his pack goodbye and wishing them goodnight as they left with their parents and Phoenix left by himself.

"A lovely bunch of kids," Flora beamed, flicking through the Enchiridion as usual.

"Yeah," Margo said, keeping an eye on Veronica who was hovering near the door.

"You can trust Veronica you know," Flora said after winking at Alfred. Mating season was almost starting for her and her mate.

"I know. I just wish she didn't give off such a harsh vibe. Sonny's mother felt very uncomfortable around her."

"That's Sonny's mother's problem, not Veronica. She's a demon. It's not like she can help it."

"Meloras doesn't creep people out, and she's a demon."

"Yes, but she is paired with an angel, who I'm guessing has mellowed her demon characteristics. Veronica is part human. If she were one hundred percent demon, she would have tried to kill us all by now," Flora said. "Scott told me."

"It's true," Veronica said from the doorway, "I would have ripped you all apart limb, by limb." She walked over and sat opposite Margo at the table. "I know you're not scared of me, and rarely judgemental, so I would appreciate it if you put a little bit of trust into me. This is your world, and I have no place to cause mischief here. All I want is peace. Even your little God over there can tell I mean that truthfully."

Margo waited a moment, then smiled with a nod.

"I do believe you're here for peace, but you have a dark past, and I'm making sure you don't fall back to that. You are around my family day and night. It's only normal for us to be cautious."

"That's fair enough." Veronica nodded. "When can we go and explore this world though? No offence but staring at that field all day is making me want to gouge my eyes out."

* * * * *

It was 11:30 in the evening when Jacota climbed into bed next to Hunter, they waited until each other felt settled and comfortable before talking about something that has been eating away at them all evening.

"He's not just a werewolf is he?" Hunter sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, Brad's pack were in the area, but they were not even close enough for you to tell that they were near. I couldn't smell Brad, or sense that they were close, yet Phoenix could hear them from miles away."

"It wasn't normal," Jacota said and pulled the duvet up to his chin, fiddling with a loose thread at the corner. "I would have had to concentrate for a while to know they were in your territory."

"Yeah, and you're a God. It doesn't help the fact that mum couldn't find anything about him. There are no records of a Phoenix Flame anywhere, yet we both trust him enough to be a member of my pack. It's weird." Hunter was frowning with frustration.

"Whatever he's lying about, he's ashamed. When Phoenix thinks nobody is looking, he seems so down." Jacota tucked a cushion underneath his head, and his scent reached Hunter quicker than his parent's cooking. "Maybe my dad knows something."

Hunter moved close and rested his face against Jacota's shoulder, closing his eyes to concentrate on his warmth.

"Tomorrow, me, you, and Sam, are going to find him and see what he's hiding. He is a part of my pack now; I won't let him pretend to be someone he's not, even though we don't know who he really is."