Kane pulled the sheets back on Adam's bed. "Hop in," he told him.

Adam practically fell into the bed. His eyes closed before his head even hit the pillow. Kane pulled up the sheets and sat on the bed next to him. "You've got to pull yourself together," he whispered, more to himself than to Adam.

He thought Adam was asleep already, but his eyes flickered open. "I'm a mess," he whispered.

"Yeah," Kane laughed softly. "You kind of are."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Maybe we should talk about this tomorrow," Kane said. He wanted desperately to know what was going on inside Adam's head but he also didn't want to betray his trust. Drunk Adam was still an alpha. He was still his best friend.

"The pack's broke."

Kane knew this already, but a part of him hadn't believed it until now. He didn't say anything, he wasn't sure if he could. There was nothing he could say or ask of Adam that would make sense of it all. The pack that he grew up in, that was always so stable and sure, was suddenly not. It felt like the ground was breaking under his feet and he placed his hand on the bed next to him to stable himself.

"We are in serious debt," Adam said softly. "The kind of debt that you just don't get out of, Kane."

No wonder Adam was a complete and utter mess. This wasn't just a pack he lived in, it was his pack to protect. It was everything his family had worked for their entire lives. Kane probably would be the same in his situation. He thought about their futures for a quiet moment. He had always envisioned he and Adam together, side by side, improving the pack. Yet, now he thought about the cloud of debt and problems that would hang low over their heads, a weight heavy on their shoulders. It wasn't the future he wanted, but just like Adam, he had to face the truth.

Kane had an idea. "When, well, if Nora and I have a mating ceremony, wont her pack help us out?"

Adam looked up at him. "They are already helping us. They've been sending us money since Nora moved here, but it's nowhere near enough."

"Oh." Kane hadn't realised that Nora's family was already sending them money. If the richest pack in the country wasn't making a dint in the debt, Kane wondered how much debt they really were in.

Adams face dropped. He looked up at Kane with guilty eyes. "Once you two have your mate ceremony, then they will give us more."

Guilt took the breath from his lungs. If they didn't have a mate ceremony, would Nora's pack still be willing to give the pack money? He wasn't sure. He didn't want to think of the pressure that question held. He leant closer to Adam, but as he did, Adam's eyes closed and he rolled over.

"Let's talk tomorrow, okay?" Adam mumbled out.

Kane sighed, he knew that he wouldn't get any more information out of Adam tonight. Right now, he had to make sure Mason was okay back at the party. He turned the light off in Adam's room as he left and made his way out of the house. He was thankful that his parents weren't home, he didn't want to have to explain the mess of a son he left upstairs.

Kane drove back to the party with music blaring from the speakers. He hoped that music would calm him down and drown out his thoughts, but somehow, his thoughts were louder.

The party was past its peak when Kane arrived. He realised that when he entered the clearing and almost tripped over an omega who was puking pure beer onto the grass. Kane laughed softly to himself. He remembered those days. He grabbed a bottled water from a nearby table and handed it to the boy, who he recognised as one of Heath's friends. "Drink this," he told him. The boy nodded in appreciation, probably not able to speak just yet.

Kane almost ran into two more people as he walked towards the bonfire. He apologised and as he looked up, he recognised the two boys instantly. "Wyatt!" He wrapped Wyatt in a hug, not missing the hard look Duncan gave him as he let go.

"I'm glad you came," Wyatt said. There was genuine happiness in his face when he said it.

Kane took a moment to look at Wyatt. He was worried that the other day might have just been a fluke and there were feelings there, but as he waited, nothing came. He just felt familiarity, friendship, but not love not desire. He breathed out a sigh. He smiled at them both. "It's so good to see you both. I was worried we wouldn't get to catch up before you two leave."

Duncan wasn't listening. He was looking at the bonfire, a forced distraction. Kane couldn't blame the boy for still hating him.

"Me too," Wyatt said. "I was worried that you weren't coming."

"Well I was here earlier, but I had to take Adam home. He's not feeling well."

Duncan was suddenly interested in the conversation. "Is the Alpha alright?"

"He will be fine," Kane assured them. He didn't know if he was trying to convince them or himself more.

"Oh good," Duncan muttered.

"Have you two seen Mason?" Kane asked. His eyes searched the party around them but came up with nothing. The group of dancing people somehow seemed to double in size since he had left and the dance moves had doubled in tastelessness. He smiled as he spotted Peyton in the middle of the dancing crowd, perched on the top of Heath's shoulders. They were screaming the lyrics to the song playing. He wondered fleetingly how he was going to sneak his drunk brother back into the house.

"Who?" Wyatt asked.

Kane sighed. "Oh, it's okay. I'll walk around until I find him."

"I have seen your mate though," Wyatt told him. "She was taking shots by the fire with Tyler."

Kane tilted his head. Nora was taking shots? He wanted to laugh, she didn't seem like the kind. He was happy, however, that she was letting go and having some fun. She needed it, and after the night Kane had, he needed it too. First, he needed to find Mason.

He told Wyatt and Duncan that he would find them later. Then he started walking around the party. He didn't take Mason as the dancing type, but his eyes still wondered around the dancers, in case. When he came up short, Kane decided to try the other side of the clearing. He didn't make it very far before someone's hands wrapped around his eyes from behind. In the masses of smells around him, he wasn't sure whose hands they belonged to. "Mason?" he asked in hope.

"No, silly!"

He turned quickly and the hands dropped from his eyes. He smiled with cautious eyes as he looked over the person standing in front of him. Her dress now featured a bright pink stain down the side of it. Her hair was falling out of the tight bun she had it in just an hour before.

"Where have you been?" Nora asked. She smiled a little too brightly at him. "I've been searching for you!"

"Well, I'm here now," Kane assured her.

Tyler came to a stop next to Kane, two drinks in his hands. "Oh, there you are!" he exclaimed. "We've been looking for you!"

"I hear you've been getting my mate drunk?" Kane said with a laugh. He pointed at the glasses in his hands.

Tyler smiled sheepishly. "We may have found an unattended tequila bottle."

"Which we may have drank way too much of," Nora added in quickly.

Kane could only laugh. "Well, sounds like you two are having a good time. Have you seen Mason?"

Nora made a displeased sound. "Mason. Mason. Mason," she muttered.

Tyler looked between them a couple of times. "Uh, I haven't seen him, sorry."

Kane didn't look at Tyler. Instead, his eyes were stuck on the sour look on Nora's face. She was looking at him and shaking her head slightly.

"What does that mean?" Kane asked her. 

"You shouldn't be thinking about Mason right now," Nora told him. "You should be thinking about me."

"Uh." Kane didn't know what to say to that.

Nora crossed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Come dance with me."

Kane unconsciously wrapped his arms back around her. He used one hand to push the sweaty hair away from her face. He wondered how many shots it would have taken to get a Beta this drunk. It was only with her leaning on him that he noticed how unsteady she was on her feet. She seemed to be swaying against him and he had to widen his stance to keep them both from falling right over on the grass.

Tyler took a large sip from one of the cups. "I'll see you two on the dance floor." With that, he ran back towards the dancing group. He wasn't exactly running in a straight line and almost tripped over a log. Kane tried not to laugh at him. He was an omega, so one shot would probably be enough to get him wasted.

Nora's arms had found their way to his chest. Kane looked down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. Concern for her flowed through the bond. He couldn't help but worry about her.

Nora nodded into his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here."

Kane knew this was drunk Nora talking. Sober Nora hadn't wanted anything to do with him in days.

"Let's dance!" she demanded. Suddenly she unwrapped herself from him and had a grip on his wrist.

Kane looked around them as he was pulled onto the dance floor. He was trying to see Mason, but in the low light it was hard to tell the groups of people apart.

They ran into Heath and Peyton the second they started dancing. Peyton was still on Heath's shoulders and she reached down to fist bump him when she caught his eye. Hands slid under his shirt and suddenly Nora was in front of him, dancing close. Her wondering hands made Kane feel tingles under his skin. He felt the mate bond between them as they moved, like sparks between them. He and Nora hadn't been this close since the time they had tried to sleep together. His mind was torn between enjoying the feeling and remembering the immense pain in his head that came that night.

He danced with her, images of Mason in the back of his mind. He hoped that Mason hadn't run off somewhere. Now that thought was in his head, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He leant towards Heath's ear. "Have you seen Mason?" he asked loudly.

Heath shook his head. "Nope."

Kane sighed. He leant close to Nora. He was going to tell her that he was going to go search for Mason, but she took his move the wrong way and thought he was trying to get closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in. Their faces were so close together they were almost kissing.

Kane felt Nora's body against her and the bond buzzed with excitement. Tingles seemed to explode around his body where their bare skin touched. Kane felt like he couldn't pull away. The pleasure was too much. He felt frozen in that moment.

Nora kissed him. Suddenly her lips met his and Kane thought he remembered what that felt like, but he was wrong. It was like it was happening for the first time. His whole body felt like it was on fire with pleasure. This was so much more intense than the last time they had kissed. Perhaps it was the tequila or just the intensity and hunger at which Nora was kissing him.

The bond between them strengthened the moment their lips touched and it was like Kane could see inside of her mind. Everything felt right. He kissed her back just as strongly, his hands slipping under the back of her shirt. Then one name pushed itself into the forefront of his mind. Mason. He snapped out of the spell and pushed himself away from Nora.

They both went tumbling towards the ground. He landed on the grass, surrounded by the legs of the people around him. He looked straight at Nora. She was staring at him with wide, shocked eyes. He couldn't move for a few seconds. He felt her pain through the bond and it was paralysing. Her eyes welled with tears.

Kane stood and went to help her up, but Nora got up on her own accord. "You pushed me," Nora stated. She sounded so hurt. "I, I-" she couldn't get the words out.

Kane felt eyes on him. He lifted his gaze and it seemed like everyone around him was intently staring at him with wide eyes. Heath was the only one who didn't look surprised, instead he looked sad. Peyton jumped down off of Heath's shoulders.

Kane took a step towards Nora. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. I can't pretend anymore." He didn't want to say the words. He knew that they were meant for a different time. A private time. Somehow, they just left his mouth on their own accord. He couldn't keep them in.

Nora stared at him with her mouth open, almost like the words were stuck in her throat.

The music stopped suddenly. It felt like everyone at the party was staring at him. Low whispers sounded from the people around him and he heard each and every one. Did he just push his mate? What just happened? Where's Adam? Was that real? Kane Moore just hurt his mate!

Kane pushed his way through the crowd. He ran straight into a group of people. Without lifting his head, Kane pushed past them. He heard his name being called. Kane turned back towards the group, only to see that it was Violet who spoke. Next to her stood Amelia and Mason. Amelia and Violet were glancing between him and the group of people who were all staring at them. It was only Mason who kept his eyes on Kane.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked.

"What just happened?" Violet called out to him.

Kane walked back towards them. The music started up again. Kane saw Peyton walking in the other direction with Nora tucked under her arm.

"I have to leave," Kane told them. He looked at Violet. "Can you make sure Nora gets home safe?"

Violet nodded quickly. "Of course, but Kane, tell me what's going on."

Kane shook his head. He couldn't say any more.

Mason closed the distance between them. He looked up at Kane and his grey eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight. "Let's go."

Kane nodded. He practically ran from the bonfire, Mason by his side. He knew that he needed to talk to Nora, but he had no idea what to say. He felt like the worst mate in the entire world. In fact, he knew that he was. He blinked back tears as they got to the car.

He practically fell into the driver's seat. He heard Mason getting in beside him. "Are you okay?" Mason asked softly.

Kane shook his head. "I'm really not."

He felt a warm hand enclose around his own. He looked down at their intertwined hands. Mason didn't have to say anything. There was something unspoken between them. He knew that Mason was there for him and for a moment he was able to forget that he'd just destroyed his life and jeopardised not only his future but the packs only solution to its crippling debt.