#Abby Floyd | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bobbyfloyd · 24 days ago

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bite the hand | bob floyd

description: in which a benevolent alpha and a wounded omega are brought together in a painful twist of fate

*listen to the playlist here

pairing: werewolf!bob x werewolf!reader

w/c: 20,310 (i am so sorry)

warnings: 18+ only, angst with a positive ending, blood and injury, mentions of death, depictions of grief, attempted murder, blood and gore, violence, smut, werewolf mating ritual, unprotected p in v sex, creampie, knotting, i'm probably forgetting some things

notes: this story has been over a year in the making. it is fully inspired by different conversations and an ask sent by @withahappyrefrain! this story is dedicated to you abby, the werewolf bob fic wouldn't be what it is without you!

wanna be added to my taglist? go here

You had never felt such terror in your life.

Rushing through your veins like ice water, fraying your nerves. Your fear was what pushed you to run, bare feet pounding against the forest floor, plants and branches lashing at your exposed skin, like slithering snakes trying to wrap around your limbs.

Your lungs burned with the labor of your breaths, slicing through you as if you’d inhaled shards of glass. But you ignored the pain, wild eyes searching your surroundings, desperate to find a place of solace.

You were almost there. Sanctuary was close, but you were so fatigued from running that you feared you might collapse before you found it. And to be out here alone and injured meant certain death. Even so, you pressed on, animal instincts taking over, allowing you to zip through the woods in the dark, based on memory alone.

You leapt over obstacles, throwing yourself forward, suddenly struck with an overwhelming sense of relief when you saw lights in the distance. Hope.

But as you lurched onward, you failed to see the slope of the earth until it was too late. The ground gave way beneath your feet, and you were free-falling, crying out in shock as your body tumbled down a steep hill. Down, down, down, until you came crashing to a jarring halt at the bottom. Battered. Covered in dirt. But alive.

And then you heard frantic voices. Shouting. The shuffling of feet. But you were not frightened. These voices did not belong to the enemy. They belonged to your saviors. When a light shone upon you, you held your hands out, palms facing outward, assuring them you meant no harm.

A woman’s voice cut through the air. “Oh my god,” she breathed. Then, desperately; “Get Bob! Hurry!”

She knelt in front of you, her face coming into your line of sight, illuminated by the harsh beam of a flashlight. Deep brown eyes swept over your trembling form. Recognition slackened her expression. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” she assured you, voice trembling. She looked frightened. Shocked.

Another voice rang through the night. One you knew so well. The moment you heard it, tears sprang to your eyes. He was here. Bobby had come to your aid. Everything was going to be okay.

He could smell you before he saw you. A familiar scent that hit him like a ton of bricks, stealing his breath away. His gait faltered momentarily, legs going slightly numb as he processed it. The scent was clouded by the sour smell of distress. It made his nose twitch and his mouth curl into a slight grimace. As he walked toward the pack, they parted to reveal you in the midst of them, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

He swayed slightly, as he took in the sight of you. You looked like you had been through hell. Old, unhealed slashes marred your skin. Your clothes were torn and dirty. Your eyes were filled with such sadness and fear that it made him physically ache.

“Natasha, what happened?” Bob heard himself ask, but his voice sounded disembodied, as if it was coming from somewhere else. His legs carried him toward you, as you tried to pull yourself upright. But you were too weak to do so. He was struck with a feeling so overwhelming, he knees almost buckled.

“She…she just came crashing down the hill,” Natasha informed him, her own voice trembling. She’d been on lookout duty when you arrived. So had Jake and Bradley.

Bob nodded, brow furrowing as he looked upon you. You turned your head, and your eyes locked with his. He gasped softly as you suddenly whimpered, irises flashing bright yellow, mouth parting as your fangs elongated.

You were struck with something so powerful in his presence. His scent, his demeanor. He was the alpha of this pack. A fact you had already been aware of. But it still hit you like a monstrous wave, and before you realized what was happening, you were bowed low upon the ground, right at his feet.

A display of submission.

But Bob found himself lowering to his knees, falling before you, his large hands coming up to so gently cradle your face. “Who did this to you?” He whispered, breathing ragged. Labored. He had a feeling who the culprit was. Who had put their hands on you with intent to harm you. There was a fresh, partially healed scar on the side of your neck. Surely put there by the claws of an angry wolf.

But you couldn’t speak. You simply whimpered, grabbing at his arms, silently begging him to grant you refuge within the confines of his pack. He would never turn you away.

Knowing he wasn’t going to get any answers out of you in this state, he looked up at Natasha. “Go get Penny,” he told her. She nodded somberly before she turned on her heel, moving quickly into the compound, seeking out Penny Benjamin, the pack healer.

Then Bob looked to the rest of the pack members gathered around him. Jake, Bradley, Mickey, Javy, Reuben, Pete. Awaiting the instructions of their alpha.

“Mickey, go ahead of me, make sure the house is ready. I’ll put her in my room.” With a nod, the dark haired beta turned, headed into the compound to do exactly as Bob had said.

Bob looked at the five other wolves. “Pete, stay here and watch the perimeter. The rest of you, sweep the woods. Make sure she wasn’t followed. Once I know more details, I’ll call a pack meeting and fill everyone in.”

“What if we find someone out there?” Bradley asked, face hard set.

“Bring ‘em back to the compound so we can get to the bottom of this.”

“And if they put up a fight?” Jake spoke up.

Bob squared his shoulders. “Do what you must to protect the pack.” His word was final. It left no room for debate. Threats to his family were dealt with very swiftly.

With that, the group headed off into the woods, and the young alpha let out a shuddering breath, turning toward you, still crumpled on the ground. His heart ached within his chest, heavy with sorrow as he gazed at you.

“What happened to you, little pup?” He asked, more to himself than you, as you were in no state to answer, barely conscious. He scooped you up in his arms, supernatural strength allowing him to carry you with ease. Immediately, you curled into him, face buried against the side of his neck, just over his scent gland, breathing in deep.

All the fight had left your body. But you didn’t need to struggle anymore.

“I’ve got you,” Bobby whispered, lips ghosting over your forehead. “I’m here, you’re safe now.”

With you cradled against his chest, he rushed into the compound, which was a small, gated neighborhood made up of well-built, modern cabins. Shielded from the outside world. Bob’s house was directly in the middle of the compound, and he reached it in minutes, where he found Natasha and Penny already waiting on his doorstep.

“How bad is it?” Penny asked.

“Can’t tell, but she needs help. Now,” he breathlessly replied as he carried you up the porch steps. Nat opened the door for him to hurry through, and he carried you up the open staircase and down the hall, where Mickey had already turned on the bedroom light and made sure the bed covers were turned down.

Bob ducked into the room and very carefully lowered you into his bed. Even in your delirious state, you could smell him on the sheets, and you curled up against the mattress, burying your face against the pillows and inhaling deeply.

He looked at Mickey. “I sent everyone else out to patrol the woods and see if she was followed. I want you at the gate with Pete. If they bring anyone back with them, come get me.”

“On it,” Mickey responded, already turning to head out the door, sidestepping Nat and Penny on his way out.

The two came into the room, Nat closing the door behind her. She looked at Bob. “Do you want me out there on the perimeter with them?”

But he shook his head. “Better if you stay here, I think she’d probably feel more comfortable with you in the room.”

Once upon a time, you and Natasha had been very close. Bob assumed her presence would calm you.

It had been two years since any of them had seen you last. Your packs had been friendly with each other, a long time ago. In fact, your families had planned to strike an alliance with Bob’s, joining together as one. But when a new alpha came into power, that hope was quickly dashed.

Your alpha took you away, and Bob thought he would never see you again. Yet here you were, having just stumbled back into his life, bloody and bruised and terrified out of your mind. Bob was not one to act rashly, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that your alpha was responsible for your state. And he determined right then and there that he would not let him get away with laying hands on you. Bob would make sure he could never harm anyone ever again.

He could not imagine harming any of his betas. Each and every wolf under him was family. Not by blood, but by a supernatural bond. They had all pledged their undying loyalty to Bob. And he took that loyalty very seriously. He would never abuse his power. To be their alpha was his greatest privilege.

They would be looking to him now, in this situation. Wanting to know how he was going to handle things. That was to be determined. First, he needed to speak to you, and get some answers. If you were even up for giving him any. He would not push you to talk if you weren’t ready.

Bob took a seat on the edge of the bed, reaching out slowly, placing his hand upon your shoulder. “Can you hear me, pup?” He couldn’t help but use the nickname. It was what he’d always called you, and although time had passed since you’d seen each other, the name rolled off his tongue with ease, as if you hadn’t been apart at all.

You stirred slightly, letting out a soft whimper. He took that as confirmation that you could hear him. “I asked Penny to take a look at you, and make sure you’re okay. If you want to stop at any time, just say the word, and it’s over, alright?”

You managed to open your eyes, though heavy as they were, vision slightly blurred. But you could see Bob’s kind face, and it put you at ease.

“A-alright,” you croaked. You would do whatever he asked, because you trusted him.

“Natasha’s here too,” he continued, “thought you might want that.”

Your gaze flitted to where she stood at the foot of the bed, and you attempted a smile. If you’d been more lucid, you would have seen the unshed tears shining in her eyes. It broke her heart to see you this way.

Then Penny was moving to sit in the space that Bob no longer occupied, speaking gently to you. “Hi there,” she began, “it’s good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances. I want you to know that I’ll do whatever I can to help you, okay?”

She held a medical bag in her hand, which she set on the nightstand beside the bed. Here, in better light, your injuries were easier to see. An array of slowly healing cuts and scratches marred your skin. Werewolves had the ability to heal from injuries, but the process often slowed when severe trauma was inflicted.

Bob and Natasha hovered while Penny examined you. Her touch was gentle, and she verbalized what she was doing before she did it, that way you were aware of her every move. She put a healing salve on the cuts that littered your arms, and then it came time to address the claw marks on your neck.

Up until that point, you had been completely fine, resting comfortably on the bed while Penny did her job. But when she gingerly touched the wound on your neck, you were struck with a visceral reaction.

A vivid, painful memory flashed through your head. And you were frightened. No, that wasn’t a strong enough descriptor. You were terrified. The seething voice of an angry alpha filled your ears, his frame hulking over you. The injured beta, unable to defend yourself.

His claws were at your neck, piercing your flesh. And his voice, venomous and cruel, spoke your name as he said, “I denounce you as my mate.”

And though Penny meant you no harm, her fingers touching your neck took you back to that horrific moment, and you screamed. Limbs thrashing. Jerking away from her. Trying to escape.

No more, no more, no more.

Bobby was there in an instant, throwing himself onto the bed, strong arms wrapping around your upper body, his heart pounding in his chest as he fought to keep you from hurting yourself or anyone else. You had begun to shift, claws sharp, tearing at the sheets. Canines elongating. Eyes flashing bright yellow.

“I’ve got you! You’re safe! No one can hurt you!” He called out, securing you against his body, even as you fought against his hold, growling. He had no choice but to wrestle you onto your back, pinning your arms down. His eyes flashed ruby red, and he spoke in a deep, rumbling growl.

“Enough.”

A tone only alphas possessed.

Instantly, you went limp beneath him, and your eyes cleared, as if you had only just realized what you were doing. Your face crumpled, eyes filling with tears. “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry, please don’t be angry!”

Bob realized that you could smell his rage, so he took a deep breath, steadying himself. He wasn’t angry at you. He was angry at the wolf who had done this to you. “I’m not angry.” Voice calm, soothing. “Not at you.”

As he released you, you surged into his arms, hiding your face against his chest. Seeking him out for comfort, which showed him that you were not afraid of him. He glanced at Penny, who had moved from the bed to give you space. Holding up his hand, he silently told her to wait. He had an idea.

“Look at me.” He guided your face away from his chest, so that he could make eye contact. “The claw marks on your neck…they need to be cleaned and bandaged, so they can heal. Would you rather I put the bandage on you?”

You sniffled softly, nodding your head. Although you knew Penny would not hurt you, Bobby was the only one you felt genuinely safe with. Upon your confirmation, he motioned to Penny. “Hand me everything I need, I’ll take care of her,” he said.

Searching through her bag, she retrieved disinfectant, bandages, and healing salve. “Make sure the area is completely dry before you put the salve on,” she spoke up, and Bob hummed in acknowledgment of her instructions.

“Alright, c’mere,” he told you. Everything else faded into the background as he turned his focus to you. He hardly even registered Natasha and Penny quietly taking their leave from the room, deciding it best that you have this vulnerable moment alone with Bobby.

He guided you to lay on your side, exposing your neck to him. Now that he was able to take a closer look, he could see the extent of the damage. These weren’t just cuts. They were slashes. Deep ones. He found his hands trembling as he so tenderly tilted your head to give him full access to the injury.

He had so many questions. He wanted to know how and why you’d sustained these slashes. But first, he tended to you. Keeping his movements slow and predictable, so as not to spook you. “Deep breaths for me,” he whispered as he moved to disinfect the wound. His heart lurched at your pained whine.

You shook with the effort it took to keep still. To not go back to that terrible flashback you’d been plagued with when Penny had initially attempted to care for you. Your eyes squeezed shut. Your hands gripped the tattered sheets.

“I know it hurts. I’m almost done. Just hold on a little longer for me, pup.” He could barely stomach the pitiful sounds you made. Wanting your suffering to be as minimal as possible, he worked as quickly as he could, and soon, your neck was all bandaged, and it was over.

“Alright, it’s done.” As soon as he spoke those words, you found yourself seeking him out, grabbing at his shirt. He was the only solace you had, after all you had suffered. It was no wonder you found yourself curling into him.

Bob let you have your moment of comfort, his hand coming up to cradle the back of your head. He did not ask you the questions he wanted to ask. You were in no state to be interrogated. You were too weak. Too frail. You needed to rest.

So he simply held you, and if only for a moment, you could both pretend that no time had passed between you. You were back in a place where there was harmony between your families, and the hope that the two of you would enter into a mate bond, officially uniting your packs. Before it was all stolen away. Before you were stolen away.

But now that you were back in his life, he wasn’t going to let you go again. “You don’t ever have to go back there again,” he whispered against your forehead. A promise.

If you heard him, you made no indication of it. You were so exhausted that you found yourself drifting right to sleep in Bobby’s arms. It was the first time you’d found rest in days. He would let you sleep.

As much as he wanted to remain there with you, he had other business to attend to with the rest of the pack. The group he’d sent out to search the woods would soon return. He needed to know if they’d found anything.

So, reluctantly, he lowered you down into his bed, and pulled the covers over you, tucking you in with the tenderest brush of his lips against your temple before he slipped away, hoping you would remain blissfully asleep and not awaken in a panic when you realized he was gone.

Silently, he crept out of the room, turning the light off as he went before he stepped into the hall and shut the door softly behind him. Then he made his way downstairs, where he found Penny and Nat in the kitchen, the latter putting on a pot of coffee to brew.

He felt the intensity of Penny’s green-eyed gaze upon him, and he looked at her. She stood at the kitchen table, her hands clutching the back of one of the chairs.

“Were you able to bandage her neck?” She asked.

Bob nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. “Poor thing’s exhausted. She’s asleep now, hopefully she stays that way for a while.”

The woman hesitated, wanting to say more. Her expression was grim, her normally soft features hardening. “I don’t have to tell you what those claw marks mean,” she stated, holding Bob’s gaze.

He shook his head, swallowing thickly as he leaned against the door frame. “No.” He was well aware. In werewolf culture, when mating with one another, there was a process known as scent marking.

The scent glands were located along the side of the neck. When two wolves marked each other, they were mated for life. Unless, of course, one denounced the other as their mate. A severing of the mate bond would then take place. Claws pressed into the side of the neck. The tearing of tender flesh, effectively cutting any and all ties with the mate.

Bob knew that was what had happened to you. That your alpha had forcefully broken your bond. It was the only explanation for those angry slashes.

Heat crawled up his neck. Wrath, boiling just beneath the surface, warming his blood, sending his heart rate spiking. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He’d always prided himself on being in control. He wouldn’t lose it now.

“Did she say anything about what happened?” Natasha spoke up as she pulled three mugs from the cabinet over the coffee maker.

He shook his head. “No. I didn’t ask, either. She’s not ready to answer questions. But when she is, I want to know everything. I want to know why Finn did this to her. And then I’m going to hunt him down and make him pay for it.”

Finn. Your previous alpha. The one who had divided your pack from Bob’s. After the death of your father, who had once been the alpha, Finn assumed the position of leadership. It was clear from the beginning that he was power hungry. However, it seemed that Bob was the only one that recognized that.

Now, with you curled up in his bed with slashes marring your skin, caused by the cruel hand of Finn, Bob wished he would have fought harder for you. He wished he had challenged Finn. But you had gone willingly. You thought that becoming Finn’s mate was what was best for your family. And Bob could not force you to stay. He’d never force you to do anything. So he let you go, even though it broke him.

Nat spoke again. “If we go after him…if you challenge him…it could mean war.”

“I know.” Although he wanted to make Finn pay for what he’d done, he didn’t want to pit his pack against yours. He knew each one of those wolves. He’d once called many of them friends, and he wasn’t sure he could stand for their blood to be spilled.

The only one whose blood should be shed was Finn’s.

Just then, rushed footsteps could be heard outside, and moments later, Pete was stepping through the door. “They’re back,” he announced, “they didn’t find anything in the woods.”

Bob nodded, face solemn. “Alright. I’m calling a pack meeting. Have everyone meet back here.”

“Sure thing.” Just as quickly as he’d come, Pete left, ambling back into the night to round everyone up.

“Do you want me to go get Amelia?” Penny inquired, referring to her young daughter, who’d been asleep when she left the house.

“She should be here, that way she knows what’s going on,” Bob responded in confirmation.

With that, Penny headed for the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

That left Bob and Natasha alone in the kitchen. Her expression was pensive. Arms folded over her chest. Bottom lip caged between her teeth.

Bob had known her for a long time. He knew her tells. She had something on her mind. “What’re you thinking, Nat?”

“She’s in danger, Bob. God knows how long she was out there in the woods. Alone. Since her mate bond was broken, she was wandering around as an omega. Which means wolves for miles probably caught her scent and will come looking.”

He knew what she was hinting at. “You think I should mate her.”

Dark eyes flickered up to meet his pale blue ones. “Not now, obviously. She’s in no state to handle it. But something will need to be done soon. It’s the only way to keep her safe.”

He let out a sigh, pulling out one of the chairs around the table and taking a seat. “You’re right. But I have to take it slow. I don’t want to do anything she isn’t ready for.”

Becoming mates was a big step. And while it would ensure your safety, he didn’t want to just stake his claim over you. Not when you were vulnerable and frightened. Not after you’d suffered the unthinkable.

And then there was the matter of his status having an effect on you. Now that you had become an omega, your body’s natural response would be to desire an alpha. Bob knew the power he possessed. The power to alter your very chemistry makeup.

His gaze flickered to the kitchen counter, where a pill minder sat, filled with a daily dose of a very important hormone medication. Rut suppressants.

If he stopped taking them, and let his rut happen naturally, it would send you into heat. And within the sacred bounds of matehood, that was a good and healthy occurrence. Something to be celebrated.

However, now more than ever, it was very important that Bob made sure to take his suppressants daily. He wouldn’t risk sending you into heat before your body was ready. And although mating you would bond you to him, thus keeping you safe from other wolves, he couldn’t stomach the thought of pressuring you into such a thing. As he suspected Finn had done to you.

And yet, the longer you remained an omega, the more danger you would be in. That left Bob with a difficult decision to make. But first, he needed to discuss things with his wolves.

One by one, they entered his home, each clearly on edge from the night’s events. Bob had them take seats in his living room. Jake, Bradley, and Javy took the couch. Reuben took the easy chair in the corner. Mickey and Natasha took the small love seat. Penny soon came in with a disheveled Amelia, who’d been pulled from her sleep to attend the meeting, followed by Pete, who trailed after them and shut the door.

Bob stood in the center of the room and waited for everyone to get settled. Some had helped themselves to mugs of coffee from the pot Natasha had made. Everyone was somber.

“No trace of her being followed?” Bob addressed Jake.

The blonde shook his head. “We covered a few miles outside the compound. No sign of anyone. If they were there, they covered their trail well.”

“Any idea who could’ve hurt her?” Reuben spoke up, leaning forward in his seat, elbows resting atop his thighs.

“Yeah,” came Bob’s answer, “Finn. He broke their mate bond. S’where the slashes on her neck came from. But I don’t know the circumstances behind why it happened. Once she’s on the mend, I’ll see if I can get some answers.”

“So now what? If he decides he changed his mind and wants her back, then–” Bradley piped up, but Bob held up his hand to stop him.

“I won’t let that happen. She’s here to stay. “

But Bradley wanted to challenge that. He held the stare of his alpha as he responded. “All due respect, but she’s a huge liability. I want to help her too, believe me, but we shouldn’t forget how she just turned her back on us, on you, to join forces with that asshole Finn.” He was, in fact, one to hold grudges.

But Bob held his ground, never breaking eye contact with his beta. “It’s not that simple. I believe she was coerced into mating him. But I won’t know more until I talk to her.”

“So you wanna risk the safety of the pack for her?” Bradley continued.

“As opposed to what? Sending her back out there to die alone in the forest? I won’t do that, Bradley. We take care of our own.”

“She isn’t one of our own, though.”

“I will not turn my back on her. None of us will. Clearly, she came to us for help. If I toss her out to fend for herself, I’m no better than Finn. She’s staying. And we will protect her. That’s final.” Bob waited for Bradley to continue challenging him. He knew the other wolf’s concern came from a good place. Bradley would do anything to protect the pack. But Bob would be remiss in his duties if he turned you away in your time of need.

“Then we need to make sure we’re on high alert,” Pete interjected, from where he stood beside Penny. “Increase perimeter sweeps. Be prepared in case anyone tries to get the drop on us.”

“You’re right,” Bob agreed. “Bradley, Jake, and Nat, you three were already on lookout tonight. I want you to get some rest. Pete, Javy, Reuben, and Mickey, you can take the next shift.” Then, “as soon as I have more answers, I’ll call another pack meeting. Until then, back to business as usual.”

And thus, the meeting was adjourned, and everyone was left to go their separate ways. As Bob retreated into the kitchen to pour himself a mug of coffee, he became aware of Mickey’s presence behind him.

He turned to look at his friend. He’d known Mickey as long as he’d known Natasha.

Earnestly, Mickey spoke. “I get why Bradley’s on edge, but I want you to know, I think you’re right. We can’t just turn her away. She’s safest with us. With you.”

Bob smiled softly, nodding his head toward Mickey. “She is,” he agreed. But his face grew serious as he approached. “Mick…you and Nat know me better than anyone. You know I don’t like senseless violence. But I’m telling you right now, Finn will not get away with this. One day, I will find him. And I will kill him for what he did to her.”

Mickey nodded. “I know. And I want to be there when you do it. He needs to pay for what he’s done.” That payment would be made in blood.

Bob squeezed Mickey’s shoulder. “You will be. For now, we’ll lie low. I don’t want to potentially bring danger here.”

“‘Course not.”

With a nod, the young alpha turned back to his pending cup of coffee. “I’ll let you head on out for your watch shift. See ya later, Mick.”

When he left, Natasha emerged from the living room, carrying her now empty mug to the sink. “Mind if I crash here?” She asked. “I, uh, want to be here when she wakes up.”

Bob shook his head. “Not at all. Take the guest room. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

With that, she excused herself to head up to the guest room, leaving Bob alone in the kitchen. Mug in hand, he finally decided to move back upstairs to check on you. He determined that he would stay in the room with you, that way he could immediately come to your aid if needed.

When he stepped into the dark bedroom, he was relieved to find that you were still sound asleep. Gone was the bitter scent of fear, replaced by a sweeter, more mellow scent. For now, you were at peace.

Carefully, he set his coffee on the nightstand before he gathered some blankets from the chest at the end of the bed, spreading them out on the floor and grabbing a pillow from off the bed. Then, mug in hand, he settled cross-legged on the blankets, his back against the edge of the bed.

There he would remain until you woke up.

As he listened to you sleep, your breaths deep and slow, his mind wandered. Transported back to a time when you’d still been in his life. The sting of betrayal had settled painfully in his chest as he looked at you, having just been told the news that you were leaving.

“Finn thinks it’s in the pack’s best interest if we become mates,” you said.

He stared at you, eyes watering. “And what do you think?”

“I want what’s best for my family.”

“I’m not asking about your family.” He stepped toward you. “Is becoming Finn’s mate what he wants, or what you want?”

You had no answer for him. All you could say was, “Bobby, my father is gone. Finn took his place as alpha, and it’s my duty to become his mate, for the good of the pack.”

Bob wasn’t letting you go that easily. “You have a choice. You don’t have to go with him.”

But you shook your head, fighting to hold in your tears. “Please, don’t make this harder than it already is. I don’t want to leave you. But I have to. I’m sorry.”

You left him reeling. Before your father passed, you had talked openly of becoming mates with Bobby. Your dad was getting up in years, and wanted to surrender his alpha status. As the daughter of an alpha, choosing to become mates with Bob would create an alliance between your packs.

But when your father grew ill, a shift in leadership took place. Finn, who had been part of your pack since he was a pup, emerged with the shiny new title of alpha. He claimed your dad had bestowed the title upon him.

Bob was suspicious of that. Something wasn’t right. But he was never able to prove that Finn had stolen the title. And even if he wanted to, the opportunity left when, one morning, he walked up to your compound to find it deserted. Your pack had relocated in the middle of the night.

Bob thought he would never see you again.

But here you were again, and he had a feeling that his suspicion of Finn stealing your father’s status was true. It was only a matter of time before it was confirmed.

For now, you rested. And Bob kept watch over you.

Coffee finished, he curled up on the arrangement of blankets, and pillowed his head. There he stayed until the sun’s first rays began to peek through the window a few hours later. He had dozed off but for a moment, allowing himself a cat nap before the day began.

But no sooner had his eyes fallen shut did he hear the sound of your pitiful whimpers. On high alert, he sat up, chest seizing when he saw you began to twist against the bed, clearly in the throes of a terrible nightmare.

Rushing to his feet, he climbed onto the mattress, just as you released a broken sob, crying out “No! No! Please, no!”

He gathered your trembling form into his arms, and spoke your name, even as you fought against him. “Hey, I’m here! You’re safe!””

When your eyes flew open, you realized where you were. Shielded within the four walls of Bobby’s bedroom. With his arms wrapped securely around you. Protected. In a place where harm would not come upon you.

You buried your face in the crook of his neck and began to cry. He soothed you, rocking back and forth, humming an old melody his mother used to sing to him. And after a while, you were calm again.

Cautiously, you lifted your head, and found him gazing down at you. He offered a sweet smile. “Hey there, little pup.”

“I-I’m sorry,” you whispered, fingers curling into the fabric of his white t-shirt. Unwilling to let go.

But he shook his head. “Don’t apologize. You had a nightmare. That’s expected after what you’ve been through.”

Tears welled in your eyes again. There was so much you had to tell him. But you couldn’t bring yourself to speak the words out loud. “Bobby, I…”

“You don’t have to tell me anything right now. You need to focus on resting up so you can heal,” he told you. In the light of the rising sun, you could see every shade of blue hidden in his eyes. Oh, how you’d missed those eyes. So warm and full of kindness.

“Tell ya what,” he continued, “I’ll go make some breakfast. How’s that sound?”

As if on cue, your stomach rumbled. That earned a soft smile from you, and you nodded. “I’d like that. But I don’t want to stay cooped up in here. I’ll come sit in the kitchen to eat.”

“You sure?”

When you nodded, he moved to slide off the bed, reaching out to steady you as you followed. You swayed a little, realizing just how depleted of strength you were, despite your night of rest. Your time in the woods had done a number on you.

Leaning on Bob for support, you allowed him to guide you into the hallway. As you headed toward the stairs, the sound of a door opening caught your attention. You looked up to find Natasha approaching.

She looked as if she hadn’t slept a wink, dark hair mussed, eyes tired. But she smiled when she saw you. “Hey,” she said, “how you feelin’?”

You opened your mouth, but found yourself overcome with emotion. Instead, you stepped toward her and held your arms out. She stepped into your embrace, returning it with her own, careful not to hurt you by squeezing too tightly.

“It’s good to see you again,” she whispered in your ear, “just wish it was under better circumstances.”

As you parted, you gave her a nod, unable to voice a reply. She squeezed your hand, free palm coming up to cup your cheek, and your heart warmed within you. After the way you had left, you didn’t blame her if she wanted nothing to do with you. Yet she welcomed you back with open arms. A true friend, she was.

Reluctantly, you parted from Natasha, and the three of you went down to the kitchen. There, you settled in at the table, and Bob brought you a blanket from the living room, wrapping it around your shoulders before he set about making breakfast.

Natasha sat across from you, running a hand anxiously through her loose waves. It was clear she had questions, but refrained from asking them. It was hard to know what to talk about. After seeing the way you had reacted to Penny tying to bandage your neck the night before, you were in a fragile state. She didn’t want to make it worse by interrogating you.

Instead, she decided to help Bob with breakfast, getting up from her seat and moving to the fridge to gather ingredients.

You sat huddled in your blanket, watching them work, comforted by the sight. It had been like this years ago. You and your friends crowded into Bob’s kitchen as he made breakfast. Happy and carefree.

Oh, how things had changed.

As you watched them, an ache blossomed in your chest, and tears sprang to your eyes once again, threatening to spill down your cheeks. You wished you had never left. If you hadn’t, things would have turned out much different.

But you had made your choice when you left with Finn.

Initially, you hadn’t wanted to. But he had convinced you that becoming mates was the right thing to do. He was very persuasive, and you wished that you hadn’t been so blind to his manipulation back then.

But the influence of an alpha was a very powerful thing.

Your eyes had been opened. You had finally seen him for who he really was. Wicked and power hungry. Murderous.

You had been certain that he was going to kill you, when he severed your mate bond. As his claws raked against your tender flesh, you’d looked into the blood-red of his eyes, and you knew you were seconds away from death.

But it never came. Whether he’d decided to have mercy on you, or simply neglected to make sure you were truly dead. Either way, you managed to escape.

You ran into the night, away from the horrific discovery you had made before Finn banished you. The deepest betrayal. Yet it did not surprise you. Perhaps, deep down, you had always known it to be true.

After you left, you spent days wandering the forest, putting yourself in grave danger by doing so. In your injured, newly unmated state, you were a sitting duck. That was why, when you found yourself in Robert Floyd’s territory, you began running. Searching, hoping, praying he would take you in. Otherwise, you were certain you would die alone in those woods.

You should have known that Bob would do anything to protect you. That his kindness knew no bounds. He’d always been known for his benevolence. A quality that gained him respect as an alpha. He didn’t have to threaten and coerce wolves into following him. They chose to do so, because they deeply respected him.

He had not come about his status by force. Many years ago, before you’d even known him, his family had suffered an attack at the hands of a rogue group of werewolves. This attack had resulted in Bob’s mother and father being tragically killed.

His father’s dying wish was for his son to carry on his legacy as an alpha, and had thus bestowed the gift upon him. A transfer of power, from a dying wolf, to a living one. Bob assumed his role with pride, though painful as it was to go on without the ones he loved most.

But he determined that he would do his parents proud.

Years later, he had built a pack of his own. Each one of them came from a different bloodline. A different backstory. They were a band of misfits, brought together by odd circumstances, but they were fiercely loyal to one another.

What a privilege to serve as one of his betas. If only you’d chosen to remain here with him. But perhaps you’d been given a second chance. You certainly hoped so.

Even after all this time, he still treated you with such tenderness. The fact that he was making you breakfast because he didn’t want you to go hungry made your heart ache. He was good, through and through. Pure of heart.

If only for a little while, you let yourself rest in his care. You ate the breakfast he made, you drank the coffee, you pretended that everything was fine. But when you excused yourself to take a shower, you were struck with a crushing feeling of utter loneliness.

Although Finn had been cruel, he had still been your mate, and now that you weren’t running for your life anymore, you were finally able to process what had happened. You were a lone wolf now. An omega. To be without a mate felt unnatural.

You didn’t yearn for him. Not after what he had done. But you did yearn for the ache in your chest to leave you. You yearned to feel whole again, and not utterly broken from the betrayal you had suffered.

This was how you found yourself curled upon the shower floor, weeping as the water cascaded over your body. Dirt and grime from days spent in the wilderness was slowly washed down the drain, yet you hardly noticed as you succumbed to your pain.

In the kitchen, as Bobby cleared the breakfast dishes, his sharp hearing easily picked up on the sound of crying. Even with you a floor above him, he caught the scent of your distress. Bitter. Strong enough that it dizzied him and had him grabbing the edges of the counter to steady himself.

“Go,” Natasha told him, touching his back. “I’ll take care of the dishes.”

With a nod, he turned, mouth dry, feeling as if it was filled with cotton. His legs carried him up the steps two at a time, and in seconds, he was at the bathroom door, knuckles against the dark wood.

Through the door, he spoke. “It’s Bobby.” But you already knew he was there. His scent carried into the room. And when you tuned in to listen, you could hear his heartbeat. “Do you…do you want me to come in?”

You tried to answer. Tried to say I need you. I can’t be alone right now. But all that came out was a choked garble as more tears spilled down your cheeks. Bob heard it. The heartbreaking sound drove him to close his hand around the doorknob and slip into the steam clouded room.

There he found you, huddled in the corner of the bathtub. He did not hesitate to approach you. You looked up at him and let out a pitiful sound that struck him so deeply, his knees buckled. The weight of your grief settled upon his shoulders as heavily as the moisture that hung in the air, carving him in half, rending his heart in two.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered. He hurriedly shut the water off before he yanked a fresh towel off the rack next to the shower. Already, you were moving toward him, and he welcomed you, arms open, towel in hand. As you surged into his embrace, he wrapped you in the towel, guiding you out of the shower.

But your legs were unsteady, and you found yourself sinking down to the tile floor. Bob had you, though, arms secure around you as he knelt with you. He ended up with his back against the side of the tub as you curled up into his lap, your wet skin soaking into his thin shirt.

He trembled as he held you, chest tight. As if he could sense what you were going to reveal to him. He’d known all along, after all.

“He…he killed him, Bobby,” came your broken whisper.

Bob gently grabbed your face in his hands as he locked eyes with you. “Tell me.”

“Finn killed my father. And when I found out…he tried to kill me.”

He went still. Measuring his breaths. Swallowing the horrific rage that began to bubble up in his throat. The heat of it burned across his skin like fire. Unbearable. All consuming.

And then you took his hand in yours and brought it to your neck, where your slashes were still healing beneath the bandage he’d put there the night before. “I want you to see it.”

Hot tears welled in his eyes as he gazed into yours. “Are you absolutely sure that’s what you want?” He knew what you were asking for. You wanted him to access your memories. Something that only alphas had the ability to do. By sinking his claws into the base of your neck, he would be able to see the innermost parts of your mind.

“Yes,” you told him. Your voice did not waver.

With only a moment’s hesitation, Bob moved his fingers to the back of your neck, taking a steadying breath before he closed his eyes, opening them to reveal fiery red. At that same moment, his claws sank into the base of your neck, just beneath the back of your skull.

You whimpered, your own eyes glowing yellow, mouth parting, fangs sprouting from your gums. Gaze locked with Bobby’s, a searing memory ripped through your mind, and he could see it so clearly, as if he was experiencing it firsthand.

There was Finn, stalking toward you. You were stumbling back, trembling in fear, sick from betrayal. “Tell me!” You shouted, “tell me the truth!”

“You already know it!” He snarled.

“No! I want you to say it! Say what you did!” Hands held out in front of you, body partially shifted, ready to fight against him if need be.

He crossed the space between you swiftly, hand clamping around your throat before you could react. “Fine. You want to hear me say it?” The hatred emanating from him was venomous. “I killed your father, and I took his alpha status.” There was no remorse in his tone. In fact, he sounded proud.

Then he dropped you, and you hit the ground, hard. You’d known it was true. But hearing him say it made it real. A vicious wail tore itself from your throat. “I’ll tell the rest of the pack! They deserve to know!” You cried.

He was on you again, gripping your shoulders, claws tearing at tender flesh as you yelped, too weak to fight. “If you tell them, I’ll kill you.”

Even as you struggled against him, he held you down, using all of his supernatural strength, fueled by rage, to keep you in place. “You know what? I’ll just kill you now.”

And then his hand was at your throat once again as he hissed out, “I denounce you as my mate,” before he slashed his claws across your skin.

He left you to bleed out. Fading in and out of consciousness. Perhaps he was certain that you would die, and that you would take the knowledge of what he’d done to the grave. Or maybe, he intended to return and finish you off later. Either way, he abandoned you.

And when you managed to drag yourself back to the compound on which your pack had been living, you found it empty. Everyone was gone. You were alone.

So you wandered through the woods for days, until you came upon the Floyd pack, and strength surged through you, enough to send you running toward safety.

With a sharp gasp, he retracted his claws from the base of your neck, eyes wide, chest heaving. You fell against him, sobbing, and Bob could hardly process what he had just witnessed.

“Look at me.” Voice ragged. Barely contained. When you didn’t lift your head, he took your face in his hands again, forcing you to look at him. “He will not get away with this, do you hear me? I won’t let him.”

He was vibrating. Filled with such painful anguish and fury that his body ached. But he still remained in control, for your sake. He would not frighten you by reacting the way that he wanted to. Your safety was still his first priority, above all else.

“H-he’s gone. Took the pack with him. I don’t…I don’t know where they could’ve gone.”

Bob shook his head. “We’ll find him. Maybe not right away, but we will.”

Tears still falling, you shook your head. “He’ll kill you. He’ll kill anyone who challenges him. And I can’t…I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t lose me, little pup. I swear to you, Finn will pay for what he did.”

A promise that he intended to keep. No matter the cost. What this wicked alpha had done was a heinous crime. Punishable by death, in the werewolf world. If no one else would challenge him, then Robert Floyd would.

He wanted nothing more than to gather his betas and hunt Finn down. But he had to think logically. He couldn’t just go off in a blind rage. Finn was very skilled in combat. If Bob acted off of emotion alone, he would be defeated.

So he would wait. Anticipating. Calculating. Planning.

For now, his sole responsibility was to care for you, and make sure that you were on the road to recovery. So he would remain here. And he would do his job. Because, unlike Finn, Bob had not come about his status dishonestly. He counted his position as a sacred duty that he would fulfill to the very best of his ability.

So he took a steadying breath and guided you to your feet. Touch gentle. Tender. He wiped your body down. Smoothed lotion onto your skin. Wrapped you in another dry towel, leaving only for a moment to grab a baggy shirt and sweatpants from the depths of his dresser.

And then he was leading you back to his bedroom. A safe haven for you. A place that smelled like him. And now, his scent was your greatest comfort. It also acted as a form of protection. You were safer if you smelled like him.

As you climbed back into his bed, you looked at him, and he knew, in that very same moment, that he would move heaven and earth to keep you safe. You were always meant to be his. And now, he’d been given a second chance. He wouldn’t let you slip through his fingers. Wouldn’t let another alpha take you from him.

“Please, don’t leave,” came your whisper.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He climbed into the bed with you, and you curled against him, like a cat settling in for a nap. Lips brushing against your temple, he said, “sleep, little pup. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

So you slept. And Bobby kept watch over you. Just as he’d promised.

Your journey to recovery was a long, slow process. But he was with you ever step of the way. Handling you with tenderness. Never raising his voice. Never lifting a hand to harm you. He’d sooner cut off that hand than lift it against you in a fit of rage.

As days, weeks, and eventually, months, passed, you found yourself integrating well into pack life. The dynamic was different here. There was a mutual trust between Bob and his betas. You realized that trust had been missing in your own pack.

Finn’s wolves submitted to him because they had no choice. But Bob’s wolves did have a choice. If they wanted to leave, they could. Though none of them chose to do so.

Although some were wary of you, namely Bradley, who had originally believed you might bring danger upon this territory, they all warmed up to you as time went on. Each day, you got stronger. Your wounds healed. Your trauma still plagued you, but it became a dull ache in your chest, rather than crushing agony.

You connected with each beta under Bob’s leadership. You rekindled your friendship with Natasha. You developed a strong connection with Mickey. You even befriended Penny’s daughter, Amelia, who was the youngest pack member, but took a liking to you.

And as the months went on, you found your place with these wolves. They became your family, just as they had been before you left. You bonded with them, and most importantly, you bonded with your Bobby again.

When the cold winter gave way to warm spring, you were doing better than you had been in a long time. Although what had happened to you still lurked in your memory, and would never truly leave, you could lean on your newfound family for support.

And when your footing grew uncertain, and your mind went to those dark places, Bobby was there to carry you through it. Calm. Steady. Reassuring. There was solace with him.

The knowledge that he needed to make Finn pay for his crimes still lingered in his head, even with the passing of time. It was a bitter wave of heat that flooded through his veins every time he thought about it. Sometimes, his fingers would twitch, claws nearly lengthening as he pictured killing the cruel alpha.

Soon.

First, there was something very important that needed to be done. Something that would ensure your safety, by bonding you to him. He needed to mate you.

This was not something that he pressured you into. He would never force you into such a thing. But you made the decision yourself. You knew, just as well as him, that your omega status put you at risk. You also knew that you had let Bob slip through your fingers once before. You weren’t going to lose him again.

You wanted to be his. Wanted to willingly give yourself to him, joining your souls together as one. But it took time for you to decide that you were ready. And that was okay. Bob waited patiently, allowing you time to heal and recover.

And then, one night, beneath the light of a half-moon, you told him you were ready.

You had chosen to go for a stroll after a dinner shared with the rest of the pack around Bobby’s kitchen table.

In recent days, you had become a little more physical. Seeking out his touch, brushing against him when he was near, sitting with your thigh against his, intertwining your fingers with his. Now, as you walked, your hand was clasped in his own much larger one, as your head rested upon his shoulder. Your heart lurched as you considered your words. Bobby could sense your shift in demeanor. Something he was very well attuned to.

“Something on your mind, little pup?” He asked, thumb drawing comforting patterns on the back of your hand.

You tugged on his arm, so he’d come to a stop. Concern shadowing his face, he turned toward you. Gaze open. Expectant.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you…” You hesitated, stopping to take a deep breath. “I’m ready now. To be your mate.”

His breath caught in his throat. “Are you sure?”

You stepped toward him. The heat of his body was comforting. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

He never broke eye contact. Because of this, you could see the shift in his expression. The tightening of his jaw. The ragged breath of air he drew. You reached for his other hand, bringing it up to your breast, just over your heart.

His lashes fluttered. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do,” came his reply. There was a tremor in his voice. He had been waiting for this moment. “I need a few days. There’s a little cottage not far from here. It’s a good place for us to…to have some privacy. I’ll need to get it ready. And then of course I need to stop taking my suppressants.”

You nodded in understanding. “Okay. Do whatever you need to do. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“How long has it been since you were in heat?”

At his question, you stilled. A memory, a painful one, flashed through your mind, and you flinched. “I…I’ve never been in heat.”

Bobby’s brow furrowed, puzzled. “What?”

“After we were mated, Finn made me take suppressants. Said he didn’t have time to deal with my heats, so he didn’t want me going through them.”

And there it was again. Fury, bubbling up in his throat. He swallowed it down like he’d taken a sip of bitter poison. Finn had no right to control that part of you. It was an alpha’s duty to guide their mate through heat. To deny you that was cruel. Not that Bob should have been surprised. Of course Finn would take away your autonomy.

Hands trembling, he cupped your cheeks, cool from the chilly night air. “I’m so sorry. I can’t…I can’t fathom doing such a thing. I would never—will never—do that to you.”

“I know, Bobby.”

He pulled you toward him, arms wrapping around you. “When you become my mate, you will be loved and respected in the way that you deserve.”

You had no doubt that he would make good on his promises.

After that night, you were given five days. Days Bob would spend readying the cottage, and you would spend preparing yourself. Becoming mates was a very sacred thing. It was a ritual, of sorts. And when you had become Finn’s mate, he hadn’t wanted to go about it in the traditional way.

There was no ceremony. He had merely scent marked you and that was that. And just as easily as he’d mated you, he broke that bond without a second thought.

You were eager to experience a true mating ceremony. And Bob would do everything in his power to make you feel special, loved, and cherished during it. You deserved as much.

On the day of the ceremony, you were filled with excitement and nervousness. But Natasha and Penny put those nerves to rest as they helped you get ready in Penny’s residence.

“You look so beautiful,” Nat breathed as she gently placed a crown of burgundy roses atop your head. Burgundy signified devotion.

“You think so?” You asked, gazing at yourself in the mirror. Uncertain.

She smiled that pretty smile of hers that lit up her whole face. “I know so. Bob is going to be blown away.”

Your heart warmed at her words.

“You’ve come a long way,” Penny spoke up, from where she’d been making two flower necklaces, which you and Bob would place upon each other during the ceremony. Pride shone on her face, and in her sea glass eyes.

“Yeah,” you agreed, “I’m not that scared little omega anymore.” A rueful smile tugged at your mouth. Part of you was ashamed, at times, over how you had been so easily overpowered by Finn. But you had nothing to be ashamed of. Few could survive the wrath of an angry alpha, but you had. That was a feat in and of itself.

Penny crossed the room, sincerity in her gaze as she reached for your hands. “You are so much more than that. You are about to become Bob’s chosen mate. That basically makes you queen of this pack. And I want you to know that you have my undying loyalty.”

“Me too,” Natasha agreed with conviction.

“Even though I walked away from him and left with Finn?” Guilt darkened your tone.

Penny squeezed your hands. “That’s in the past. What matters is that you’re here now.”

A soft rap at the door interrupted the sweet moment the three of you shared. “Sun’s setting. It’s time,” came Mickey’s voice.

Nat sauntered to the door and wrenched it open. There stood Mickey, dressed in a loose white button down, half unbuttoned, and a pair of nice slacks. When he saw you, joy and admiration filled his soft brown eyes.

“You look stunning,” he hummed. You thought you saw the mist of tears gathering in his eyes.

“Thank you, Mickey,” you shyly responded, not used to being in the spotlight.

He squared his shoulders. “Are you ready? Bobby’s waiting.”

You looked at Penny and Natasha, and they both nodded in encouragement. “As I’ll ever be,” you said.

Mickey held out his arm, and you let your hand rest in the crook of it. He led you through the hallway of Penny’s house, down the steps, and out the front door. Nat and Penny followed, each holding the flower chains Penny had made.

You closed your eyes and breathed in the spring air before you let Mickey guide you down the porch steps. You would cross the property and meet at the forest edge, where the ceremony would take place.

Soon, you came upon the rest of the pack, who were all gathered in their places. Jake, Bradley, Javy, Reuben, and Amelia stood together, while further ahead, on a small wooden platform, stood Pete, who’d been asked to carry out the ceremony, and, of course, your Bobby.

He looked exceptionally handsome in his blue button down, which was the same shade as his eyes, tucked into freshly pressed slacks. His feet were bare, because there was no need for shoes. After the ceremony, you would shift into your wolves, so the less clothing in the way, the better.

When he saw you, his face lit up like the sun. Tears welled in his eyes. They welled in yours, too. Hand still resting in the crook of Mickey’s elbow, you let him guide you to Bob.

The sun, which was sinking below the horizon, cast a dreamy orange haze over everything, and it made Bobby look as if he was glowing. Perhaps he really was.

All eyes on you, you made your way up to him, allowing Mickey to hold your hand for balance as you stepped onto the wooden platform. There, you stood before Bob. Your alpha. Soon to be your mate. Loving, tender, fierce, benevolent. The one you were always meant to be with.

He took your hands in his, and he gazed upon you with such love and adoration that it stole the breath from your lungs.

Beside you both, Pete spoke. “I’m honored that you asked me to lead this ceremony, Bob,” he said with a smile. “I know this has been a long time coming. I’m happy that you two found each other again.”

And thus, the ceremony began.

“Bob, state your pledge,” Pete instructed.

Bobby never broke eye contact as he made his promises to you. “I promise to uphold this sacred bond, as long as I live. I promise to protect, honor, and cherish you. No harm will come to you by my or anyone else’s hand, and I will not allow anyone to threaten the sanctity of this bond. I’m yours, forever.”

Emotion gripped you like a vise, and you worried you wouldn’t be able to speak. Somehow, you managed to make your pledge to him. “I, too, promise to uphold this sacred bond, as long as I live. I promise to love you with everything in me. I promise that I will be yours until the end of time. My loyalty is to you, and you alone, as my alpha, and my mate.”

Though the rest of the pack surrounded you, it felt as if you were the only two standing there. It was you and him, against the world.

You knew what came next. The moment that would officially bind him to you, and finalize your matehood. Slowly, you knelt, as did he, both of you finding yourselves on your knees, hands still joined.

Bob closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself with a deep breath before he looked at you again. When he did, his eyes glowed ruby. Mirroring his action, your own eyes shone golden as the sun.

Then, he leaned toward you, and you tilted your head, baring your neck to him. The place that had been marred by Finn’s claws months ago, now healed completely, skin smooth and unmarked.

Bobby buried his face against the side of your neck, where your scent was strongest, breathing in deeply. It hit him like a kick to the abdomen, jarring, overwhelming, intense. You smelled sweet. Like a peach ripened beneath the summer sun. Like sugar fresh from the cane. Like everything good and pure in the world.

He rubbed his cheek against your neck, then his nose, then his other cheek. Transferring your scent onto his skin. When he reluctantly parted from you, you proceeded to do as he had done, nuzzling your face into his neck.

He smelled like pine trees and spring air warmed by sunlight. Deep, earthy, sweet, comforting. You let yourself nearly get drunk off of it. Now that you had marked each other, you were pledged to one another. Joined as one.

When you lifted your face from his neck, his hands came up to tenderly hold your face before he ducked forward. You welcomed him, head tilting back, mouth parting, just before he kissed you. Deeply, fiercely, pouring his love and devotion to you into that impassioned kiss.

“Mine,” he growled softly against your mouth, fangs lengthening, scraping lightly against your bottom lip.

“Yours.” An eternal promise.

You remained knelt together as the flower chains were placed upon your necks.

“Let this pack be a witness to this sacred ritual,” Pete said aloud, “our alpha has chosen his mate.”

A chorus of joyous howls erupted from each pack member, and your face broke into a smile as peace washed over you. You hadn’t felt a sense of peace like this when Finn marked you as his. But with Bobby, you did.

As you stood, you turned to your pack, breathing in deeply as elation warmed you from head to toe. Although everything you had been through had scarred you deeply, you realized that all of it had brought you here, to this point. To a new family. A new mate. A new life.

A celebration followed that night. Music and dancing, food and drink. Surrounded by warmth and love, your heart soared. You’d never been so happy.

And when the moon rose in the sky, full and bright and heavy, it was time for the pack to send you and Bobby off. Surrounded by your chosen family, you allowed yourself to shift into your wolf. Bones rearranging. Some lengthening, some shortening. Bare skin soon hidden beneath a layer of thick, gray fur.

In your animal form, you bowed low before your alpha, snout hidden beneath your foreleg. A show of submission.

Bobby in his wolf form, fur a rich chestnut, gazed down upon you, and whined lowly. Stand. His voice echoed through your head. Immediately, you stood, and as you did, he nuzzled his snout against your before the expanse of his body deliberately brushed against yours, further marking you with his scent.

The rest of the pack had also shifted into their various wolf forms, now surrounding you. Another collective howl carried through the forest, and beneath the light of the full moon, you were off, running alongside your Bobby, dashing through the forest like streaks of lightning.

You could not describe the feeling of running with your mate if you tried. It felt as if you were electrified. Aware of his every breath, every growl, in tune with his every instinct, communicating non-verbally.

You felt free, wind whipping through your fur, nothing but forest for miles. This was how it was meant to feel.

For what felt like hours, you ran, playfully nudging one another, pausing to nuzzle against the other’s fur. Gentle nips, soft, non-threatening growls and whines. Enjoying your shared animal nature.

And then, finally, you slowed to a stop when you came upon the little cottage Bobby had spent the last few days preparing. There, on the threshold, he shifted back into his human form, naked skin pale in the light of the moon. You followed suit, standing before him, awaiting his guidance.

He breathed deeply, your scent intoxicating, as he pulled you closer. “Tonight, we rest. We’ll need it, because I stopped taking my suppressants today, and once they’re fully out of my system tomorrow…”

“My heat will start,” you finished for him.

He nodded. There was something in his eyes. Unspoken, even as they narrowed slightly. You realized it was desire. “Since you’ve never experienced it…I don’t know how you’ll respond. It might take a little time. Or, you might wake up to it. No matter what, I’m there to help you through it, okay? I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

You nuzzled your nose against his. “I know. I trust you, Bobby. There’s no one else I’d rather go through this with than you.”

Once again, you were joined in a searing kiss, and you melted into him, bare body against his own. When you parted, he took a shuddering breath. “C’mon, little pup. Let me show you around the cottage.”

He swept you over the threshold, instructing you to wait a moment while he slipped into the back bedroom, emerging with two robes, the same color as the roses that had been placed upon your necks. The color of devotion.

Almost reverently, he placed the robe upon your naked body, before he shrugged into his own. Then, he took your hand. “This place has been sitting empty for a while, so I spent extra time making sure it was perfect for you.”

The place was cozy and quaint. Furniture accented with dark woodworking. An oak coffee table sat in the middle of the living area, a braided rug beneath it. A cozy looking couch, an easy chair, and a rocking chair were strategically placed.

Antique art pieces decorated the plaster walls. An old piano was in the corner. A floor lamp illuminated the room in a cozy yellow glow. The kitchen was small, but practical. Dark wood cabinets. Minimal appliances, just enough to suit the preparation of meals.

And, most importantly, the cottage smelled like him, because he had made sure to scent things like blankets and bedsheets, so it would feel like a safe haven for you.

You were overjoyed that you would get to spend the next few days here with him, undisturbed.

“What do you think?” He quietly asked, coming up beside you, large hand resting upon the curve of your hip.

You leaned into him. “I love it. It smells like you.”

“Hm.” He ran his nose along the side of your neck, breathing in. “When we’re finished here, it’ll smell like both of us.”

Your lashes fluttered as you allowed yourself to get lost in him. Floating, yet still grounded. He was the tether keeping you from disappearing into the clouds.

Gently, he turned you to face him. “I love you, little pup. I need you to know that. I’ve always loved you, and I thank my lucky stars that we got a second chance.”

“I love you too, Bobby. I’m yours forever.”

That night, you found yourselves under the warm flow of the shower. Bob took his time washing you, his eyes alight with worship as he ran the sponge over your bare skin. You did the same to him, the act of washing each other a way of displaying your respect and devotion to one another.

After your shared bathing, you ended up in the king-size bed that smelled of him, bodies curled around each other, whispered words fading into the sleepy atmosphere as you succumbed to your exhaustion. Safe. Content. Whole.

When you woke a few hours later, the first gray trickles of morning light had begun to bleed through the bedroom window. But the light wasn’t what woke you. No, your body drew to consciousness because of the deep-seated ache at the very core of your being.

As you awakened, the ache was dull, but as the sweet, earthy scent of your alpha reached your nose, it grew worse. More intense. Painful. You whimpered softly, squirming against the bed, turning toward Bob, who still remained asleep beside you.

Your head grew foggy. As if you were underwater. Your heart rate quickened. Your skin grew warm. It felt as if an electric current had crackled down your spine. Mouth open, you were suddenly aware that your body was beginning to shift.

You tried to speak, tried to call out his name, but all that came out was a pitiful yowl. Bob could smell you before his eyes opened. So strong it nearly knocked him right out of bed. Gasping sharply, his irises flashed red as his lashes fluttered.

His gaze locked with yours, and he grunted, struck with this powerful, all-consuming need to take control and claim you. Your pained whimpers went right to his heart, settling between his legs, an arousal so intense it was almost violent in the way that it overtook him.

“Bobby…i-it hurts!” You sobbed, grabbing at him, claws biting into his skin. He hardly noticed it, as the slight tinge of pain was nothing compared to the monstrous wave of desire that was spreading through him like wildfire.

“I’m here,” he grunted, “I’m here, little pup.”

You barely heard him, blood rushing in your ears as you tugged at his sweatpants. Why was there a barrier in the way? You needed him, skin to skin, now. Growing frantic, you yanked more insistently at the waistband.

“Hold on,” he said, stilling your hands, but in your heightened state, you snapped at him, growling sharply. Challenging him.

That drove him to action. Snarling, he surged forward, pinning your arms against the bed as his frame hovered over you. “Wait.” Using that firm tone that left no room for argument. The tone that immediately brought out your submission.

Mouth falling slack, you mewled, rubbing your face against his neck, seeking penance.

“I’ll take care of you, I promise,” came his whisper. He needed to steady himself for a moment. He felt reckless. Out of control. Head spinning, heart racing. God, you smelled so good. Intoxicating. It clouded his brain and made him burn with need.

He pressed his nose to your throat, inhaling. Yes, you smelled sweet, but there was something else. Something sharp. Irresistible. It wasn’t emanating from the gland on your neck. It was somewhere else.

Searching, he descended your body, using his supernatural sense of smell to locate it. Lower, lower, lower, until he found himself between your legs, burying his face in your cunt, clothed only by a thin pair of panties that were already soaked through, so much so that the fabric was nearly transparent.

He groaned, fangs elongating in his mouth. He felt like an animal. A beast. He remained in human form, but his wolf was still there, lurking inside him. Taking over his brain as he sank his canines into the meat of your inner thigh.

You let out a squeak of surprise, jolting against the bed. His large hands held you in place. “Mine,” he rumbled, tongue soothing over the bite, which had drawn blood. “My mate. All mine.”

Eyes hazy, you watched as he gripped your underwear, hesitating only for a moment before he tore them in two, discarding the tattered fabric and leaving you bare to him. There was something primal in his face. He was going to devour you. But you were not afraid. Even as he growled and showed you the red of his eyes.

He nosed at you again, allowing your scent to engulf him. Heady, sharp, threatening to suffocate him.

“Please,” you sobbed above him, and the sound made his heart wrench in his chest and the breath leave his lungs. “I need…I can’t…I…” but the words died in your throat.

Unable to stop himself, he opened his mouth and pressed his tongue against your dripping center, licking up the honeyed sweetness and moaning brokenly. You tasted indescribable, intoxicating. And as his tongue came in contact with you, your cunt brought forth even more of your sticky arousal, and he eagerly lapped it up.

But he couldn’t remain there for long, because your pathetic whines drew him back up, until he was hovering over you. As his hips slotted between yours, you could feel him, hard beneath the fabric of his sweatpants, pressed against you. All rational thought left your mind as you pawed at him, desperate for his cock, eager to be filled, sure that you’d die if you didn’t get him inside you in the next thirty seconds.

He soothed you quickly, kissing you fiercely, tongue delving into your mouth, letting you taste him as he reached down to hurriedly shove his pants down his legs. He parted from you only to toss the clothing onto the hardwood floor.

Your gaze was drawn down, falling upon the heavy hardness between his legs. Thick, leaking, blushed at the tip. If you thought you were filled with desire before then, it certainly hit you like a ton of bricks at that very moment. Crushing you. Suffocating you. Searing through your body as if your blood was made from molten lava.

The wave that hit you was so powerful, so jarring, that you curled in on yourself, unable to bear it. It was too much and not enough, all at once.

“Bobby!” You sobbed. Blinded by your hunger.

But he had you. Guiding you onto your back, pushing your legs apart, exposing you to him. “Look at me.”

Frantic eyes flickered to his own.

“I’ve got you, little pup. Breathe for me.” His palm splayed against your chest, and he guided your breaths. Although he, too, was in his own heightened state of arousal, his instincts still urged him to take care of you.

He buried his face against your neck once again, breathing in deep. And then, his mouth parted, fangs sharp, pressed against tender flesh, just as his aching cock nudged into you, inch by inch.

His canines sank into your flesh at the same time he thrust forward, mounting you, filling you whole in one motion. So sudden that you wailed, jolting beneath him. But you were not in pain. Far from it.

The feeling of him inside you, stretching you for the very first time, was enough to bring an overwhelming peace upon you. Your mind, which had been plagued with thoughts of primal desire, soon quieted. Your erratic heartbeat calmed. You became one with your mate, your alpha.

“I’m here.” He spoke, but his voice may as well have been inside your mind, echoing through the fibers of your very soul.

You gasped, your eyes widening as you gazed up at him. “B-Bobby,” you squeaked. You couldn’t find the words. You only knew how to speak his name.

“I know.”

Tears slid down your cheeks, and you couldn’t help but let out a broken sob. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, tugging him closer to you. As he watched your tears fall, he ducked forward, tongue darting out of his mouth to lick them from your skin.

“This…this is…” you tried to form syllables, but your mouth felt loose around the vowels and consonants. “Is th-this what it was always meant to be like?” Your first heat, first experience with your true mate.

Though you had never experienced this with Finn, you knew it would not have been this special, this sacred, if you had. It was different with Bobby. He was gentle. Devoted. Kind. No cruelty resided in his bones. Only goodness.

“Yes, my love,” he whispered, afraid that if he spoke louder, his voice would betray him, “this is how it was meant to be.”

Arms tightening around his shoulders, you pressed your chest to his, and he kissed you, mouth open against yours as he slowly pulled his hips back, nearly leaving you empty, before he pushed forward again.

You gasped sharply, head falling back against the softness of the pillows. With each push and pull of his cock within you, your body reacted, providing you with even more lubricant until he was gasping, glancing down at your cunt, stretched around him. “Oh, honey, you’re…you’re dripping all over the place.”

“Ca-can’t help it. Feels…oh, feels so…so good.”

His mouth parted to let out a choked grunt, head dipping to rest upon your collarbone as he built a rhythm. Slow at first. Almost tentative. But the pace soon grew more deliberate. It wasn’t hurried. Not yet. Instead, he kept his body close to you, unwilling to create too much empty space between you. With the steady grinding of his hips, he rutted into you rhythmically, heavy cock pulsing within you.

The ache of your crushing need was gone, but it had been replaced with a different form of desire. One for him to move faster. Deeper. To stake his claim over you.

“Please…need it harder,” you rasped against his ear, canines scraping at the shell of it.

Bobby obliged, keening low in his throat. You found your legs wrapped around his lithe waist as he plunged into you over and over again, the wet sound of your cunt almost obscene.

God, he was so deep, impossibly so. You felt very ridge and vein of his cock, creating a feeling within you that could only be described as a growing, flickering flame. Increasing in temperature by the minute.

Wanting to stake your claim, as he’d done to you, you opened your mouth, teeth pressing against his neck. Your claws dug into his back as your fangs sank into the skin. Bobby snarled, but not angrily. You felt him twitch inside you.

His eyes flashed bright red once again, and he shuddered, nearly coming to a halt as he nearly lost control of his shift. You’d dulled his shaper senses, and therefore, it was more difficult for him not to succumb to his wolf.

Even so, a slight change in him took place. His muscles rippled beneath your touch. He gripped at the sheets, claws ripping into the cotton. “Can’t…can’t control it,” he managed to grunt. He screwed his eyes shut, vision fading out momentarily.

And that was when you felt it. His cock swelled inside you, not greatly, but enough for you to notice. You yelped. Not because it hurt. Because it made you see stars, as if you were exploding across the sky like a firework.

By some miracle, Bobby held on to what shred of control he had left, remaining in his human form, though the blue of his eyes stayed hidden beneath the glow of ruby, and his fangs and claws stayed extended.

You screwed your eyes shut and mewled as he rutted into you. This felt right. This felt natural. And it was.

Long before either of you were born, your hearts and souls were promised to one another. And although time and other circumstances had driven you apart, you were together again. Knit together by the very fabric of the universe.

“Oh, Bobby, you feel so good.” Breathlessly whispered into the air between you. Heady, smelling of sex and desire and something you couldn’t quite name.

“So do you,” he moaned, moving so his hands were braced on the mattress, caging you in, surrounding you in his warmth, making it seem as if you were the only two living beings in the entire world. And for all you knew, you were. Within the four walls of this home, nothing existed but you and Bobby. You were here, together, to fulfill a primal need to claim, and be claimed. To love, and be loved.

You held onto him so tightly, as if you were afraid he might disappear if you didn’t. Your trembling voice was in his ear, begging him to go deeper. Pleading with him to own you.

I’m yours. All yours forever.

With each nudge of him inside you, you were electrified. Spine tingling. Body shuddering. Your head felt hazy. Buzzing as if you’d consumed something alcoholic. But you were merely drunk off of your mate. His cock, his scent, his entire presence.

Once again, he let his eyes flicker down, to the place where your bodies met. Where you gushed around him with each thrust. “My perfect girl, taking me so well. Like you were made to,” he praised.

Then his forehead was resting against your own as he drove into you more deliberately. “I…I’m gonna fill you up, sweetheart.” He knew he was close. Teetering toward that edge, a flicker, a spark, gathering at the base of his spine.

“Please,” you begged, tearfully.

“And you’ll take it all, won’t you? I know you will. You’ll let me knot you like the good little mate that you are.”

You cried out, trembling against him when he thrust forward particularly deep, sending your body vibrating with ecstasy. “I will! Please, I want…I want you to claim me, want every wolf to know that I’m yours!”

Bobby kissed you again, swallowing your pleas, tongue slipping into your mouth. You feverishly kissed back, but you hardly registered what you were doing as your body began to climb that peak, soaring toward the clouds. For a moment, you thought you really had begun to float, but you remained anchored, grounded, tethered to your mate.

It rushed through you. Building, building, building. Flames growing higher, hotter, brighter. Your eyes rolled back. You couldn’t breathe. Yet you had never felt more alive than you did right then, It was immeasurable. Indescribable.

Your vision went black, flooded with endless galaxies stretching across a velvet black sky. It felt as if you were filled with celestial light, blinding and beautiful, surging across the sky in golden hues.

Your alpha’s name left your mouth in hushed whispers. Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. You knew nothing else but him. Only him. Inside you. All around you. Consuming you.

You were unraveling like a spool of thread. And he could feel it. The way you pulsed around him, so tightly that he almost couldn’t move within you. Grunting breathlessly, he clutched the already tattered sheets, flinching, as if a bolt of lightning had just fallen from the sky and struck him.

“Let go,” he rasped, knowing that he, too, was moments from coming undone. He needed to feel you, before he did. Pulsing, clenching, undulating beneath him.

You let out an animalistic little yip, locking eyes with him. Almost there, almost there, almost… “B-Bobby, I…I’m…”

He moved so that he was on his knees, with you wrapped around him, rocking against his lap. Then he held your face in his strong hand, and a deep growl—no, snarl—sounded in his throat. Then he was using his voice again. That commanding, powerful tone that reminded you that he was, in fact, the alpha. “Come.”

Then you were plummeting. Faster, faster, faster. Certain you would collide with the ground and disintegrate into billions of tiny atoms. But he had you. Arms encircling you, pulling you into his body, holding you close.

Eyes glowing yellow, your gaze locked with his. It hit you so hard you convulsed against him. Spreading through your body. Engulfing you. Swallowing you whole. You let out a wolfish howl, head thrown back as you came apart in the arms of your one true love.

It continued even as you cried, mouth open against his, unable to do anything more than take it. A seemingly endless, surging wave. Bobby held you to him, overwhelmed, watching your beautiful face shift into an expression of unadulterated bliss.

Even as you were still trembling against him, his own release suddenly rushed through him, your pulsing cunt bringing it forth from him. His seed flooded the very core of your being, surely claiming you, as he moaned openly.

As the haze cleared, you fell against him, exhausted. Gasping for breath. Your face rested in the crook of his neck, where you could feel his pulse, quick as a hummingbird. His grip loosened on you slightly, though your bodies remained connected, and would for some time. Slowly, you lifted your head, mouthing his lips sleepily. Whimpering as you felt his cock swell once again. This time it was to bind you to him.

As you looked into his face, you realized his eyes were back to their very human blue. Lovingly, tenderly, he swiped his knuckles over your exertion-warmed cheek. “How you feeling, little pup?” He asked.

It took you a moment to form words. “Li-like I just got claimed by my alpha.”

A delighted gnarl sounded in his chest. “Mm. You’re all mine, aren’t you? Nice and full of my knot.”

Satisfied, you nestled your face against the hollow of his throat. And then, you began to purr. A sound that he had never heard come from you before. It sent a wave of pleasing warmth through him, and he so very carefully moved to lower you both to the bed.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, as you remained tied to him. You could not begin to describe the peace that you felt. Here, in his arms, bodies joined together, you were complete. Whole.

“Thank you,” you whispered, as his fingertips began to trace abstract shapes against your spine. “I…I’m so grateful that I got a second chance to be your mate.”

He bumped his nose lovingly against yours. “So am I. Now that I have you, I’m never letting you go.”

You knew he meant those words with the whole of his heart. You could rest in knowing he was yours until the end of time. There was a sense of refuge that you had never felt before. Finn had never provided that for you, despite it being his job as an alpha to do so.

But Bobby? He did. His very being exuded the safety and security that you so desperately needed. And although he was gentle, kind, and loving, there was a quiet ferocity to him. A determination to protect that which was his. His pack, his mate, the sanctity of everything that he had built.

As you lay intertwined in his bed, basking in your love for one another, you had no idea that that very sanctity would soon be threatened.

For now, you remained unaware. Blanketed in bliss.

Bobby held you in his arms and spoke sweetly to you, breathing whispers of his love and devotion as you remained wrapped around each other still. And after you parted, thighs slick with his sticky spend, you found yourself once again filled with desire. Not nearly as searing as before, but strong nonetheless.

He took you again that morning, filling you once more as you writhed against the bed.

After that, as you lay exhausted, skin sparkling in a thin sheen of perspiration, he reluctantly slipped out of bed to make breakfast, adamant that you both keep your strength up.

After breakfast, you went on a playful run through the woods, which ended in Bobby mounting you and rutting into you against the forest floor as you cried out into the open air, delirious from pleasure.

It went like that for the next five days. The two of you in various states of erotic embrace, driven by your animalistic need for each other.

But it was also a time of bonding. All the in between moments allowed you to enjoy one another’s company. Whispering and giggling well into the night as if you were at a slumber party. Snuggling up on the couch while Bobby read to you out of a poetry collection. Domesticity.

You were truly, incandescently happy. It was as if a heavy, unbearable weight had been lifted from your shoulders. You knew you were exactly where you were always meant to be.

All too soon, however, it was time to return to the pack. Although you didn’t want to leave the cozy little cottage where you’d spent the past week with your beloved mate, he had duties to fulfill, and his wolves were depending on him.

So, after you spent time together cleaning the cottage and leaving it even neater than when you’d arrived, you began the trek back to the compound.

“How’re you feeling, little pup?” Bob asked as he fell into step beside you, the two of you choosing to make the walk in human form, so you could enjoy leisurely conversation as you ambled through the woods together.

You smiled, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm around your waist. “Like I just spent a whole week going through heat with my mate,” you replied with a soft giggle.

He hummed, mouth curving into a smile as he leaned in to kiss your temple. But he grew serious as he asked his next question. “I didn’t hurt ya at all, did I?” He’d already checked in with you before, but he still wanted to make absolutely certain that he hadn’t been too much for you to handle.

“You didn’t. I know you’d never hurt me, Bobby.”

You spoke with such conviction that it made his heart lurch in his chest. “I just…I had to make sure, y’know?”

Your head rested against his shoulder. “Trust me, I would tell you right away if you hurt me. But that’s not something I have to worry about. Not with you. You’re everything a good alpha should be.”

He beamed at the praise. Oh, how glad he was that you believed in him. That you trusted him, and knew he would never harm you. “I love you, little pup. More than anything.”

“I love you too.”

Together, you strolled through the forest, beneath the sun-dappled trees, and you were content. You spoke of anything and everything. Of your plans for the future. Of your hopes and dreams and everything in between. If only for a moment, all was right with the world. You were happy, safe, and at peace.

Until you sensed it.

A scent carried by the wind. It stopped you dead in your tracks, and you gasped, eyes widening as a rush of ice-cold fear swept through you. Bobby sensed it too.

He went still beside you, tilting his head, inhaling. Blood.

But that wasn’t what had stopped you. No, it was something other than the metallic tang of blood in the air. The scent that drove terror through your veins was woodsy and sharp. Liken almost to that of a fire-ravaged forest.

“No,” you whispered. “No, no, no.”

Bob turned to you, face masked in worry. He knew that something was horribly wrong. That the safety of the pack had been compromised. But as he prepared to run toward the face of danger, you gripped his forearm, and he felt the way you were trembling.

“It’s Finn,” came your fearful whimper, as you glanced around, as if the wolf might come out of the shadows at any moment. “He’s here, somewhere.”

His worry morphed into a vengeful snarl. “Stay close to me,” he told you, “do not leave my side.”

But as he spoke, the sound of a howl ripped through the air, and his head snapped up, eyes flashing red. The howl belonged to Bradley. A howl of alarm. Let out as a call to his alpha.

Bob grunted at the sharp pull in his chest. An intrinsic need to protect. He grabbed your hand, and within seconds, you were both running, sprinting through the woods as fast as your legs would carry you.

It reminded you so much of the night you had come to him for help. Then, you were running into a safe haven. Now, that safe haven had been breached.

As you neared the compound, the gate came into view. It was wide open, swaying in the wind, and there was no one watching over the perimeter. The closer you got, the stronger Finn’s scent became. He was inside the compound.

Together, you burst through the entrance, and came upon a horrific scene. Bob skidded to a halt, arm darting out to stop you, immediately yanking you behind him.

You were surrounded by members of your old pack, but that wasn’t what sent a flicker of nauseating dread through you. The worst part was the sight of each of Bob’s wolves on their knees, forced to surrender, because, in the midst of them, there stood Finn, who held Mickey by the throat, claws piercing his flesh, intent upon killing him.

Crimson blood trickled through Finn’s fingers, and down Mickey’s neck. It was clear that he’d been in this position for long enough to deplete his strength. The fight had left him, and he remained limp and pale in Finn’s grasp.

Finn had forced the other wolves into submission by threatening to kill Mickey. And by the looks of it, he was going to succeed if someone didn’t intervene.

At the sight of his dear friend in such dire straits, Bob grew desperate, thrumming with rage. He squared his shoulders and shouted in a thundering voice, “Finn! Let him go!”

Finn turned, Mickey still in his grasp. When you saw him, the one who’d tried to kill you so many months ago, your stomach turned. That same murderous rage burned in his eyes. And he had the nerve to smile.

“Look who it is,” Finn taunted, “I was beginning to think you’d never show up.”

Bob inched forward, unwilling to make any sudden moves that might result in Mickey’s death. His friend gasped, though it sounded more of a sickly gurgle than anything. Bob swayed, fighting to keep himself in check.

“Let my beta go. He hasn’t done anything to you. Whatever your reason for being here is, take it up with me.” His fingers twitched with the urge to rip the cruel alpha apart.

Finn sneered. A face that had once been so handsome to you now made ugly by the harsh expression of wickedness. “My issue isn’t with you. It’s with her.” He jerked his head in your direction.

Bob pushed you further behind him, frame shielding you. “You aren’t her alpha anymore. You have no power over her.”

“You hand her over to me, or I’ll tear his throat out.” For emphasis, he tightened his hold on Mickey’s neck, pulling a pained groan from him.

A shudder went through Bob, his very atoms vibrating with his desperation. He knew that when forced to choose, his chemical makeup would naturally drive him to choose his mate, every time. But he also knew that if Mickey died right here and now, he would never forgive himself for letting it happen.

“You left her for dead! Why do you suddenly care about her now?!” He kept you tucked behind him still, an unmoving barrier between you and Finn. He wouldn’t let him come near you again.

You trembled, pressed against Bob’s back, gripping his shirt. As your eyes darted nervously to each of the faces belonging to pack members you’d once been close to, you wondered if any of them knew. Had Finn been honest with them about what he’d done? You had a feeling that they were completely unaware. That they didn’t have a clue he’d killed their previous alpha and wrongfully claimed—stolen—his status.

“Let him go.” A voice you hardly recognized, but soon realized was your own. You still remained behind Bob as you spoke. But you forced yourself to look at Finn. To hold his gaze.

He looked at you with grave disdain. “You’re pathetic. How quickly you moved on to another alpha. You reek of his seed. But it shouldn’t surprise me that you’d whore yourself out for him. Of course you’d give him easy access to what’s between your legs.”

Bob snarled, incensed. How dare he speak of you in such an obscene manner.

Only briefly, his eyes flickered to his own pack, each one on their knees, forced into a stance of submission. He considered the odds. They were surrounded by Finn’s wolves, and there were a lot more of them than there were of Bob’s.

Bob was well in tune with his betas. He could potentially give Bradley or Jake the silent signal to cause a distraction. It was clear that Bradley was already seconds away from reacting, judging by the look of burning rage in his eyes. But as volatile as Bradley could be, he would not act unless his alpha gave him the signal to do so.

However, Bob knew that the moment he gave the go ahead, Finn would kill Mickey. But Bob also knew what Mickey would say. He would tell him to choose you.

But you couldn’t bear it. No, you wouldn’t let Finn hurt anyone else you cared about. Forcing the fear from your voice, you called out, “let him live, and I’ll go with you.”

“No,” Bob immediately interjected, tone firm.

“Bobby, I have to.”

“I won’t let you!”

“If I don’t, he’ll kill him.”

“He already took you from me once, I won’t let it happen again!” He didn’t dare take his eyes off of Finn, but if he’d been looking at you, you knew you’d see the intensity of his conviction burning in his gaze.

“Make your choice. The clock’s ticking,” Finn threatened.

Your stomach turned. The life was already beginning to drain from Mickey’s eyes, even as he weakly pawed at Finn’s hand around his bloodied neck. If you didn’t act now, it would be too late.

So you stepped forward.

Bobby grabbed your arm, grip tight, insistent, but not painful. “No.”

You turned to face him, and he saw something in your face then. An unspoken understanding passed between you. Silent words that may as well have been shouted at the top of your lungs as you looked upon his face. You knew what you were doing. He had to let you go.

Though it broke him to do so, he dropped your arm.

As you turned to look at Finn, you wondered what narrative he’d spun, to convince the rest of the pack to come here. None of them were cruel and power hungry like he was. If they’d followed him here, he had given a believable enough reason for them to invade Bob’s territory.

No matter what he’d told them, you intended to try to reason with them. Perhaps you could sway their loyalty to their alpha.

“What do you want with me, Finn?” You asked, hands out in front of you, surrendering, approaching him cautiously.

His upper lip curled into a snarl. Then he swept his free arm through the air, motioning to his wolves. “What do I want? Ask them.”

You lifted your head, gaze falling upon each pack member. You’d once been family, but now, you could see the hatred in their eyes.

Finally, one of them—Eleanor—spoke up. “You abandoned your pack. You betrayed your alpha. And now, here you stand, mated to a new alpha. You know how unforgivable that is. You need to pay for what you’ve done.”

“That’s not true,” came Bob’s voice from behind you. He stepped forward, but forced himself still. He would remain in control for as long as he needed to be. If he acted rashly, he’d lose Mickey, and his pack would likely be overpowered by Finn’s.

“You don’t get to speak for her,” Nathaniel, another of Finn’s wolves, snapped. “She answers for her own actions.”

Heart hammering in your chest, you hesitated, choosing your next words carefully. You had a plan, and you knew exactly how you were going to execute it. However, you failed to realize what was coming next, until it was too late.

Letting out a trembling breath, you locked eyes with Finn and slowly lowered yourself to the ground. Much like you had the day you’d been reunited with Bobby. A display of submission.

At the sight of you kneeling before the one who’d betrayed you, Bob’s stomach turned, nausea creeping up his throat. But this wasn’t his choice.

As you looked up, a dark flash of wicked elation crossed Finn’s face. “There, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

It happened in the blink of an eye. Supernaturally quick, yet in slow motion, all at once. Mickey drew in a shuddering, choked gasp, just before Finn slashed his claws across his throat and dropped him to the ground with a sickening, lifeless thud.

A rush of blood pounded through your ears as your heart raced, and you felt as if you had been kicked in the chest, oxygen snatched from your lungs as you wailed out, “NO!”

The red of Finn’s eyes matched the red of the blood that poured from Mickey’s neck, as he surged forward, right toward you. You scrambled to your feet, attempting to bring yourself into a defensive stance, but before you even felt the impact of him colliding with you, the sound of a deafening roar cut through the air, and in seconds, you were hit from the side by a force so strong you went soaring.

Your vision went black for a moment as you hit the ground, and when your sight returned, you looked up to find a chestnut wolf standing in front of you, shielding you. Bobby.

You were suddenly surrounded by wolves of all shapes, sizes, and colors. You were the only one who remained in your human form as apex predators clashed around you. Growling. Pacing. Each side waiting for their alpha to make the first move.

Scrambling to your feet, you stumbled back, yanking at your clothing, throwing the offending fabric aside as your body shifted into your wolf. Without hesitation, you moved to stand at Bob’s flank, showing your allegiance to him.

Finn stood in front of him, and as he lowered down to his haunches, you knew he was preparing to lunge.

He and Bobby collided in the blink of an eye, snapping, clawing at one another. And then all hell broke loose. You watched in horror as your old pack, and your chosen one, broke into a battle.

You didn’t want to fight any of them. How could you? They were your family. It broke your heart to think that some of them might die at the hand of Bob’s wolves, and vice versa.

There was only one at fault for the events that had taken place. Finn was the perpetrator. He was the one who had convinced his pack members that you had turned your back on them. What would they do, if they knew he was responsible for killing their old alpha? And if you told them, would they believe you?

The time for reasoning was over. There was no stopping the violent conflict happening around you. Lives would be taken. The soil of this compound would be soaked with blood. It was already stained with Mickey’s. More would follow.

And as you watched your families clash, you were struck with a grief so intense you almost collapsed under the weight of it.

You tried to keep your eye on Bobby, hoping he would hold his own against Finn. Although Bob was very skilled and cunning, Finn was running off of pure rage and hatred. A powerful, deadly combination.

But you were soon faced with no other choice other than to defend yourself when you were cornered by Theo, one of Finn’s wolves. He growled, eyes trained on you. And then he lept toward you, and you collided with him, desperate to fight him off. If you had to kill him to protect yourself, you would, but you silently prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

Theo’s claws sliced into your flesh. You were holding back, but he wasn’t, so you shut off the human part of your brain and let yourself become the predator you were by nature, fighting for your life.

There was no telling how long the battle lasted. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. The chaos mounted in intensity. In ferocity. Teeth and claws, ripping and slashing. Howls, snarls, roars of pain and rage.

Everything was falling apart. In a way, it felt as if you were on the verge of losing everything. And maybe you were. Maybe you had been given a second chance with Bobby, only to lose him again.

And when the battle finally stopped, it was not because one side arose victorious. No, it stopped when a sickening, harrowing yelp ripped through the air.

Immediately, the wolves around you froze. Everyone went dead silent. Turning to face the source of the yelp. Immediately, Theo backed off of you, allowing you to scamper to your feet.

You’d already known who the howl of pain belonged to. It had struck you right in the heart when you heard it, as if someone had shot you with a silver arrow. And as you took in the sight before you, your world tilted on its axis.

Bobby had been forced into his human form, laying sprawled upon the earth as Finn’s wolf stood over him. Growling. Claws at his throat. Seconds away from making a blow that would kill him.

You were moving before you realized what you were doing. Bones shifting. Fur giving way to smooth flesh as you dashed forward. “NO!” You heard a ragged, primal scream cut through the air, and realized that it had come from your own throat.

You threw yourself to the ground, landing upon your mate’s injured form, putting yourself between him and Finn. Staring up at the cruel, violent wolf. Beneath you, you could hear Bob’s pained groan, and broken whisper, “d-don’t.” He couldn’t bear to watch you die.

But you remained there, shielding him. Protecting him. “I won’t let you kill him!” You cried out, even as Finn growled, bloodied maw dripping onto your bare skin. “I won’t let you kill him like you killed my father!”

When the wolf hesitated, you knew it was finally time to take your power back.

Emboldened, you glared up at him. “Tell them, Finn. Tell them how you killed him and stole his alpha status. Tell them how you lied about it. How you tried to kill me when I found out.”

Around you, wolves had shifted into their human forms. A voice called out, “is that true, Finn?”

“It’s true. All of it,” you answered for him, even as he snarled. He had yet to shift into his human form.

And you knew, as you looked into his face, that he was going to kill you. Even when he had severed your mate bond all those months ago, he’d never looked this murderous. Perhaps you had accepted that this was the end, because you felt no fear, even as he reared back. At least you would die in Bobby’s arms.

You closed your eyes, making peace with it.

But the blow never came. In a split second, another wolf was colliding with Finn, effectively saving your life. Your head shot up in surprise, eyes going wide as saucers when you realized who had intervened.

Mickey.

His sudden distraction was enough to let the rest of the pack gain the upper hand. In a split second, Finn’s own wolves turned against him. Although Mickey was injured, he’d been able to hold him down long enough for Finn’s pack to capture their wayward alpha.

Moments later, Finn was back in his human form, kneeling against the earth as Eleanor and Theo held him in place. “Is it true?” Theo asked. “Did you kill our alpha?”

Finn did not answer. Theo gripped him by the throat, eyes flashing yellow. “Answer me! Did you kill him?!”

From where he knelt, Finn locked eyes with you, and a sneer darkened his face. If he had his way, you would be dead, and he would be bathing in your blood. Now, it was his blood that would be shed.

“It was worth it,” he finally said. “I’m not sorry for killing him. I never was.”

Although you had known it to be true, and had heard him confess it before, it still felt like a slap to the face to hear him say it again. It made it real. He’d actually taken your father’s life. It wasn’t a bad dream. It was reality.

But the nightmare was over now, because, in seconds, Finn’s wolves moved to close in on him. However, this wasn’t their fight. There was only one who had the right to enact punishment upon him.

At that moment, Bobby struggled to pull himself upright, turning to you, taking your face in his trembling hands. He pressed his forehead against yours, and although no words were spoken, you knew what he was going to do. It was what he had sworn he would do from the moment you stumbled into his compound, bearing Finn’s claw marks upon your neck.

He parted from you, and you stood with him, as he called out, “Stop.” The authority in his command drew everyone’s attention to him.

Slowly, he approached the group that surrounded Finn. Gait wavering, because of his injuries. But he stood tall, despite his pain. He did not take his eyes off of Finn, and he realized that the corrupt alpha looked afraid.

Bob stopped in front of him, glowering. “You took something from me.” Tone sharp. Not an ounce of kindness or mercy in his voice.

Finn attempted a scoff, though it sounded nervous. Uncertain. “I didn’t take anything from you.”

With a growl, Bob gripped his hair and yanked his head back. “You took my mate, who was promised to be mine. You killed her father. You tried to kill her.” He trembled with the force of his indignation. “And because harm came to her by your hand, you are going to pay for it with your life.”

Bob leaned in close, so his face was inches from Finn’s. Eyes glowing red as ember, fiery with his rage. “You will never hurt her again. You will never hurt anyone again.”

When he drew back, you closed your eyes, unwilling to watch. But you heard it. The tearing of flesh. The strangled groan. The thud of a body landing upon the earth.

And then it was silent, save for the sound of footsteps moving toward you.

“It’s over.” When your eyes fluttered open, you found Bobby kneeling before you. “He’s gone.”

You were sobbing before you threw yourself into his arms. Face buried against his neck, body trembling. It was done. You were safe.

You remained there on the ground for what felt like hours, holding one another, unwilling to let go. When you parted, you found yourself frantically searching him for any injuries sustained. His chest and torso were covered in claw marks. A particular nasty gash on his side was what had driven him into his more vulnerable human form.

But as you placed your hand upon his chest, over his heart, he was very much alive.

“Bobby…” you whimpered, chin trembling. The gravity of the situation had finally set in. He could have died.

He reached his hand up, cupping your cheek. “Oh, my precious pup,” he whispered. “I’m okay.”

He held you close again, even as his gaze flickered up to take in the carnage. He searched for his own pack members. Counting each of them. And there they all were, now in their human forms. Natasha. Jake. Bradley. Javy. Reuben. Pete. Penny. Amelia. And, by some miracle, there was Mickey. Clearly injured, throat still bloodied, but alive. How he had managed to survive Finn’s violence was unclear, other than by sheer force of will.

Bobby had never been so relieved. As he locked eyes with Mickey, the beta nodded at his alpha. A silent way of saying I’m okay.

Slowly, Bobby rose to stand, with you by his side, arm wrapped around his waist, head resting against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, pumping his lifeblood through him. You hadn’t lost him. Not today.

Together, you limped toward the other pack members, who surrounded you, showing their support to their alpha and his mate. Natasha was the first to step forward and wrap her arms around you and Bob.

“We’re okay,” she whispered. “We’re all okay.”

And then there was Mickey. Leaning against Jake for support, he managed a weak smile. He could not speak, as Finn had damaged his vocal cords. But they would heal in time. Until then, he merely opened his arms and brought Bobby into his embrace.

“I’m sorry I was gone,” Bob whispered, “if I’d been here sooner maybe I could’ve stopped this from happening.”

But as they parted, Mickey shook his head. Although he could not voice his feelings, Bob could see them conveyed clearly in his eyes. It wasn’t your fault.

He lovingly squeezed his beta’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry too. If I’d realized Finn was going to do this…” you spoke up, unable to articulate your feelings as emotion tightened your throat.

But none of them held any of it against you.

“What matters is we’re all safe and alive,” Penny interjected. “And the one responsible for all of this is dead.”

At her words, you nodded, reaching out to squeeze her hand. Then you leaned back into Bobby, unwilling to be apart from him. Not after almost losing each other.

A voice drew your attention outside the intimate circle in which you’d gathered. There stood Nathaniel. As he looked at you, deep remorse gathered in his green eyes.

“I’m sorry we didn’t see it sooner. That we all just blindly believed him,” he said, voice trembling. The rest of his pack came to stand behind him. They all looked heartbroken and full of deep regret over what had transpired.

But you shook your head. “I believed him, too. He…he was very convincing.”

“Still. We should’ve known something was wrong when he claimed you abandoned the pack. You wouldn’t have done that without good reason.”

You didn’t hold any of them responsible. Finn was a master manipulator. He had you fooled, and if you hadn’t gotten wise to him, you never would have escaped his hold on you.

“It’s over now,” you finally said. “Finn can’t control any of us anymore.”

And thus, a heavy weight was lifted off of your shoulders.

You looked at Bobby, and offered a smile, though tired as it was. He returned your smile, and intertwined your hands. It would take a while to heal from this. But you knew that, when the time was right, you would join each pack together as one. Just as had once been planned, before a corrupt alpha had ruined it all.

Thankfully, all hope was not lost.

But first, recovery had to take place. In the days following the conflict, Penny was busy treating injuries. Mickey was a special case that required round the clock care. While Penny was preoccupied with him, you and Natasha worked alongside her, tending to wounds and making sure everyone was healthy.

The physical scars would heal, but the emotional ones would remain raw for a while. Your grief was just as painful as ever. It had been rehashed during the encounter with Finn.

You were relieved his wolves had wised up to him, but so much heartache had been endured in the meantime. Heartache that could have been avoided if you had seen him for who he really was from the start.

Bobby held you as you lay awake at night, weeping softly into the peaceful confines of your shared bedroom, and he assured you that it wasn’t your fault. He knew how you blamed yourself. How you wished you hadn’t been so blind.

“But you saw it,” you whimpered. “You knew something was wrong in the beginning. How could I not see it?”

And that was the thing of it. He had suspected Finn in the beginning. But he hadn’t pushed the issue as hard as he should have. “We both have to live with what happened,” he whispered, “but it doesn’t have to define us. The universe gave us a second chance. Not everyone is that fortunate.”

He was right. Although you had suffered great pain to get to this point, you were increasingly grateful that the universe had given you another chance.

It would take time for you to process your grief and guilt. But Bobby would be right there with you. Your mate. Your one true love. You didn’t have to go through it alone.

A little ways down the road, your packs would finally come together. They would pledge their allegiance to Robert Floyd, the benevolent alpha.

And you and Bobby would lead them. Together. Just like you were always meant to.

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