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"Hey mom!" I yell as I enter the house, closing the door behind me with a thud. "Are you cooking lasagne again?"

"Thea!" The squeal of my younger sister erupts me from the heavenly scent as she barrels around the corner, her curls wet atop her head. She is clad in fluffy pink pyjamas and carries her tattered old bunny in her arms as she slams into me with a large hug.

"Hey Lex," I say and she just squeezes me tighter, making me laugh. "Wow, I missed you too. Where's mom?" She pulls back, her toothy grin revealing two small dimples.

"She's telling off Josh, he hit me when I just was borrowing his truck." She doesn't frown at the memory but grins mischievously, like telling on her twin brother brings enough joy to overpower the pain of being hit.

I laugh, bending down next to her. "Are you alright?" I ask and she nods. "Did you and mom go visit dad today?"

Her brows furrow a bit before she fully pouts, crossing her arms. "I don't want to talk about that. Let's play, you never play with me anymore. Everyone is always so sad and I want to play."

Lexie stops her foot for emphasis so I pick her up swiftly, making her squeal. "Oh you want to play?" Her boisterous laughs fill the small apartment and I grin widely. "How does an aeroplane ride sound?"

I make a swooshing noise as I torpedo us into the living room in an eruption of happiness. But my feet stop abruptly when I enter to see my parents both sat on the couch, a serious look on their faces. "Dad? Why aren't you at work?"

My father sends me a soft smile. "I've been given leave," he says and it hits my gut as I place Lexie down only for her to run and squash herself into his lap. His strong hands wrap around her tightly as she snuggles into his chest. "It's for a few months, fully paid, and I've got the offer of a promotion when I return."

I tentatively place my bag on the ground, furrowing my brows as I move to sit on a sofa across from them. "That doesn't sound bad, why are you both so miserable?"

"It's more about why I was given leave that concerned me. My boss said he'd had a discussion with the Alpha and ultimately decided that it was in my and the packs best interest to give me a break from work to focus on family."

"Do you think maybe he was trying to help?" I offer, though the knot in my gut remains.

"I think it was a strange sort of threat. One that was pushing me to resolve my issues with the pack house so that you were more accepting of... He reminded me of the laws, too and how his company felt about protecting its stance within the community," he says grimly and I notice how tired he looks, how his face holds barely any light. It must be so hard on the twins, to see him like this. When I was their age he had it together, he had hope of a future but now... it's like his world has come crashing down.

Lexie squirms in his arms and lets herself off the couch, bounding down the hall with her teddy in toe.

"I... I will speak to Micah. I'm sure there is some kind of misunderstanding, he told me that unless you continued suing the pack that you'd be left out of this. You guys did stop, didn't you?" I ask and their silence is answer enough, it makes my hands start to shake. "I told you to stop. If the Alpha finds out about thi-"

"We aren't suing them, we've learned that option won't work," My dad interrupts. "There was an altercation at work. I overheard one of my managers talking with my coworkers on break. His mate is a receptionist at the school and they were talking about me and you and your situation." He purses his lips, trying to find the right words.

My mom locks her gaze with mine, a concerned look passing over her face. "We know you have been skipping school, Athena. They inform parents and we know you haven't been coming back here but with all of your freedoms getting taken we decided to cover and let you have some fun for yourself. That and Henry's parents came to us and we figured you were off doing something together," she says and I look down.

"School just isn't..." I don't know how to respond. Yes, part of the reason I skip is because school sucks and hanging with my friends is immensely better. But I also want to rebel against the packs hold over me and right now, doing what they don't want is the only way how. It feels empowering almost.

"We get it," my dad says. "I just lost my temper over what they were saying, how their opinions on my baby girl were only suited to serve that little prick." He means Micah. "At least now I'll be able to spend more time with you, your mother and I were thinking maybe you'd like to finish your school year online, we've looked into it all and it can be arranged. You'll have assignments and classes all the same but you can do what you please in your spare time—I can take you out on some more lessons for your driving or we could take a trip out of the pack," he suggests and my mind swirls.

"It's... it sounds great," I reply, but not even I'm convinced by my tone.

"But?" My mom asks.

I run my hand through my hair, flicking it over my shoulder. "If I give up school, Henry and prom and graduation—I'm even less normal than I am now. I still want to do all those things and experience it and I know that I complain but today... I think things can get better. I skipped—yes, but lunch was alright and people aren't staring as much."

My mom places her hand over mine, stopping me and offering an understanding smile. "It's your choice sweetie. Just know that you can take us up on the offer whenever you'd like."

My dad nods, resting his hand on her shoulder. "And I can pick you up from school if you want to get out and skip, no questions asked. Just feign a cough and I'll be right there."

I nearly do a double-take at his honesty. This is all coming from the same people who enforced an ethics of hard work in school from day one, who preached the importance of going for our people and valuing the opportunity I had.

"Thanks, I love you guys," I say just as my alarm rings from my phone. I pull it out, shutting off the sound that signals Micah will be here soon. "Speaking of, I've gotta go out tonight. It's nothing major I'm just going to get changed and head off because I'm running late as is." I may have told them that the dinners were cancelled in an effort to convince them to drop the law suit, to show Micah isn't totally unreasonable.

"Alright, well don't get up to too much trouble," my mom says and I leave my belongings on the table, rushing down the hall to pull down my ladder.

I pull my clothes on faster than I ever have before and as soon as the shirt is over my head I beeline for the ladder, reaching it just as a knock sounds through the house. My heart stops completely and I freeze before I hear my parents footsteps, igniting a static beat once more.

I nearly fall down onto the ground as I rush towards the living room but its too late, my dad is already at the door and before I can yell for him to stop he's opened it up wide, revealing none other than my mate.

"Evening sir, I'm here-"

"I know what you are here for and she's busy. You'll have to try stop by some other day," my dad cuts in, his voice ice cold. Micah's gaze lands on me immediately and my dad turns with it, staring at me.

"I—I can explain," I start and the look on his face, a mix of betrayal and fear is like a knife to the heart.

"She's busy," he says, turning back to Micah, his voice colder than before.

"Explain herself? There is nothing to explain, Athena and I are just going to have dinner and hang out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that," he says before taking a deep, regulating breath. "Sir, I apologise if I have come at an inconvenient time but your daughter and I have plans. I'll bring her home at a reasonable hour and she'll be completely safe with me, that I can assure you."

"I have dropped my law suit with your family, done everything that was asked and you can't hold up your end. There will be no more dinners, no more unnecessary interference with my family or things will get ugly," he says and Micah tenses, narrowing his eyes at my dad.

"Is that a threat?" He asks, a sneer coming onto his face.

"Dad," I warn, making him look at me. "It's fine, okay? Micah and I are just going to have dinner. I was going to tell you but then that whole thing with work came up and it didn't seem right-"

"What whole thing with work?" Micah asks, carelessly stepping over the boundary into our family matter with nothing but seriousness on his face.

My dads softened expression at my reasoning turns sharp as he stares Micah down once more. "It's none of your business, this is a family matter. If you and your pack stopped trying to involve yourselves in our lives then there would be no issue at all."

I size them up then, a foolish thing to do considering the obviousness of the answer I'd find. Micah wasn't just pure muscle, like all Alpha's to be, he knew how to use it. That and he could turn himself into a bloodthirsty wolf whereas all my dad could compete with would be his smart words.

If they broke out into a fight, my fathers fate would rest on my ability to use myself as a human body shield.

"If your issues stem from myself and my pack then it does involve me. Perhaps if we had a discussion we could come to some sort of understanding about the situation. I don't wish to cause you or your family any trouble."

Both my dad and I have nothing to say to that. But before either of us can, my mom walks into the living area, the twins hot on her heels as she dries her damp hair. "What's going on in here?" She asks and at sight of Micah, Lexie and Josh cower behind her legs. "Micah, this is unexpected."

She looks to me, checking if I'm alright before raising a brow.

"Good evening Mrs Mennison, I don't mean to intrude. I was just talking with Athena and your husband about resolving some issues," he says and she hesitates, her hand outstretched to stop my siblings from moving any closer like Micah is some sort of deranged beast.

"I was supposed to go for dinner with Micah tonight," I admit, utterly defeated. "But I didn't tell you guys because I knew after today how you'd feel about... me skipping our family time again." Micah isn't stupid and he surely knows that they don't want me with him because of their opposition to our bond but I have to try.

"Right," she says, pursing her lips in thought. "Well I guess you'll just have to have your weekly dinner here then."

The three of us look at her in complete shock. "Honey don't you thin-"

"We can't leave him stood out there," she cuts in before staring straight at Micah. "You're serious about wanting to help resolve our issues?"

Micah gulps. The future Alpha of our pack, a man that should bow to no one is stood here quivering at my moms mean voice. "Y-yes ma'am. All I want is for us to all get along."

"Fine, then come in. I'm just getting the dinner out now, Parker go take a shower and then we can sit down and just talk like civilised beings." My Dad breathes in deeply before stepping aside, allowing Micah to walk in, glaring at him all the same.

Micah looks so out of place in my tiny living area, his size alone sets him apart but not one thing about him right now screams comfort. He is just as uncomfortable as I am, probably more so. My dad pushes past him as he takes in my home, just like I did his, eyes scanning over photographs and little pieces of memorabilia.

"I won't be long," my dad says to me, sparing one final glare at Micah before exiting the room.

"Lexie, Josh, come help me prepare. You two can wait in the living room until dinner is served," my mom instructs and Micah nods.

"Of course," he says politely, walking near me which she surveys like a hawk.

"You can go nowhere else, understood?"

"Mom," I interject, there's concerned and then there's rude.

"No it's okay, I get it. It's your home," he says though I can tell he's shocked by the complete lack of hospitality. He's probably been raised on etiquette and customs and I highly doubt he's been spoken to in such a way by anyone aside from his parents perhaps. But it's not like we are savages, I was taught the importance of manners and being a kind, considerate person at a very early age.

He offers her a tight lipped smile. "I won't leave the living room," he says and I instinctively reach out and light take ahold of his bicep, tugging him forward.

It seemed such a natural, normal thing to do with Henry but even the slightest bit of contact created a tension. "Let's uh, let's just go." The living room was visible from the kitchen but only if you made it a point to look and it was far enough away that I knew eavesdropping wouldn't be an issue but I still turned the television on regardless.

I flick through the channels and land on a program about wild geese, setting the remote on the coffee table. "It's no intergalactic super film but it's this or pop culture news for the next hour."

He chuckles, leaning back into the sofa to make himself somewhat more comfortable. "This is fine, I don't mind watching... pregnant geese from time to time." The joke is forced and his entire body is tense, like all of his senses are open in the case of a threat and I gulp, glancing around the room. "You have a lovely home."

I snap my attention back onto him. "Oh, thank you. It's not a lot but we make it our own," I reply and he nods.

"Where do you sleep?" He asks quizzically.

"Hm?" What an absurd thing to ask someone. I don't even know what he'd do with the information if I gave him an answer I mean—

Shock covers his face and he shakes his head. "No, that—that sounded weird. I'm sorry, I just meant because this housing block was designed to have two rooms per apartment. I studied it in some pack development work I did with the betas years back and I was simply curious because," he sighs, realising his ramble. "Because there are five of you."

"My dad's a carpenter and we are fortunate enough to have attic space. So when the twins came along we revamped it up into a room and yeah, its... small but I like it up there. It's cozy," I reply and he nods.

"That's handy," he says, nodding before gulping, leaning in a little closer with fear lining his eyes. "Um I was just wondering," he looks back to the kitchen, his voice reduced to a whisper. "Could you maybe give me a little pre warning on whatever has gone down so I don't walk into this thing blind? Is it really that bad?"

I wince, glancing to the hall expecting my dad to waltz out. I lean back a little and tuck my hair behind my ear. "Essentially my dad was forced to take leave because the company wanted to protect their relationship with the pack. Because they know how he feels about us and because I'm skipping school and they blame him-" I let out a deep breath, stopping myself. "It's honestly probably not the worst thing considering the stress he is under but it's..."

"Invasive," he confirms, his lips set into a firm line. "Did... did my father have anything to do with it? I mean I didn't know about your dads work, truly, but he has been... concerned, about your absence from school. I thought he was just grilling me about it though, I didn't think he'd go so far as to do this."

I didn't realise Micah was facing the blame for my truancy. I guess I should've known, my record has been squeaky clean up until I met Micah and they probably have access to such a fact.

"I think he may have been involved in the process, yeah," I say, glancing down. "But I don't know for sure, he was mentioned but it could've been misinterpreted."

"I wouldn't doubt it," he says, frustration taking over his features before he wipes it off, sighing heavily. "I'll have to look into it more when I get home. But you shouldn't skip your classes, not because of me. Your future isn't completely annihilated just because of our bond, you can still go to college or get a career—it's just something to remember," he says and I look down. I know he's coming from the right place.

"My grades are fine," I reply softly. I'm not skipping school to throw away my education, I'm skipping to find some fun underneath the chokehold of this bond.

He nods, dropping the conversation to let silence ensue for a moment as he taps his knees. "Have you put any thought to the trip? I think they have planned to move it to this weekend, its closer to the pack we play on Friday than to here. Gia said that you guys had a spot on the bus being with the school paper."

A camping trip with his entire friend group. I inhale shakily. I'm not working this weekend, Henry and Gabe have taken all the shifts in the quieter time to give me a chance to relax. Honestly, my plans were to go down to the store and hang with them regardless, I'd already convinced Gabe to take me out driving and it was a thrill that had become addicting lately.

"Uh, I don't know." His brows furrow. "I don't think I'm actually going to the game."

"Why not?" He presses.

"I'm not sure the paper is the best thing for me right now. With everything in my life going on it just seems like adding another thing onto my plate might not be the best thing," I say, folding my arms to hug my waist as he stares at me with guilt lining his eyes.

He nods. "That's up to you I guess. But Gia is one cartoon away from being sent off to boarding school by her father and you aren't the luna yet." I try not to grimace at the thought. "So someone needs to be there to make sure that the pack is properly scrutinised."

I laugh dryly. "Isn't that supposed to be your job?" I don't want a role within his power structure, and I certainly don't want the job of babysitting the packs misgivings.

"If my job gave me complete power and control over independent media then there'd be an even bigger need for someone like you on the paper. I check myself but its important that it comes from the people too. My father may be Alpha but he is still reminded from time to time of his role and challenged within the pack for his motions."

"That's good to hear," I joke and he laughs, dropping his smile entirely to turn around just as my father walks from the hall, his hair still wet. Micah stands up, distancing himself from me immediately and I appreciate the respect.

He looks between us and doesn't say a word, walking straight into the kitchen with a clenched jaw. I wince as I wait for what I know is coming. "Athena could you please join us for a moment?" My father yells from the kitchen, out of sight from where we are now.

I stand up and try to push past Micah but he begins walking to the kitchen too, despite my dad's obvious attempt to separate us. The second we enter his head snaps up to where Micah stands a scowl before he turns his attention to me. "Athena could you help us to set the table please?"

"I can help," Micah jumps in before I have the chance to respond, forcing my dads attention onto him once more. If I was at the receiving end of such a hateful stare the last thing I would do is interact with it. Micah with has a whole heap of nerve or is oblivious to the current vibe.

"Athena can manage this task on her own," he replies and my mom places a hand on his arm holding a set of plates.

"Many hands make light work my love," she says to him pointedly before looking to Micah with a soft smile. "There is cutlery in the draw to your left." I think my moms facetious attitude might be just as scary as my dads clear disdain.

"Alright." Micah's phone starts to ring in his pocket and we all look at him, even the twins. He pulls it out and looks at me, placing the phone down. "Uh, I've just got to take this. I'll be one moment."

He moves to the living room and my dad comes up next to me immediately, taking the cutlery to the table to seem inconspicuous. "Athena, I don't want you bringing up anything to do with my work situation. I'll handle the discussion, I don't want you to put yourself in a bad position okay? This... we need to be careful. Trust me."

I furrow my brows at his tone. "Sorry about that, let me help," Micah says, brushing up next to me before grabbing the plates from my hands to set the table. My dad shoots me a firm look and I nod slightly taking a seat as my mom brings down the food.

"Dig in, kids," she says as she takes her own seat and everyone follows her, all of us soon sat with food in front of us.

"Mr Mennison," Micah says and I try not to tense despite the fact his voice is so smooth and sure.

"Yes?" My dad responds, turning from my little brother who was interrogating him on some cartoon.

Micah clears his throat. "I just want to say that I am truly sorry for the packs infringement on your personal life. I know that my family and yours have had our differences but I do hope that we can all move past that and start anew. I'll speak with my father and see to it personally that this doesn't happen again."

The table falls silent aside from my siblings as they bicker with each other, over what I don't know. I'm too consumed glancing between my mate and my father to care.

My dad resumes cutting his food casually. "I appreciate that. I understand that family is an important thing for wolves is it not?" He asks Micah taking a bite while he stares straight into his eyes. It's considered a threat to high ranking wolves to make such a move and the way my dad does it... Micah clenches his jaw but holds the contact without leaping across the table.

"It is." My dad pulls his attention away and I notice Micah relax.

"Then I'm sure you can understand me wanting to protect my family, at all costs. Because no matter what, I will protect my family and hear me loud and clear." My dad resumes his eye contact. "If you ever hurt my daughter or my family then title or no title I will make sure you pay."

"Dad!" I yell, making him break eye contact with Micah who is completely tense beside me.

"It's okay. Mr Mennision, I don't appreciate your threats and I wouldn't recommend you announce those feelings outside these walls. But I promise you, I won't hurt your daughter. It's comforting to know that there are people like you who would protect her to such lengths but you don't need to fear anything like that from me." His response even shocks my dad who just sits stunned into silence for a second before nodding.

"Good. Now, I hear you play ball."