Hey guys. I'll keep this short becuase this chapter is... well... you'll see.

I would truly love to hear what your guys' honest reactions to this chapter are so please comment.

and please enjoy

Avery's POV

I don't know what happened.

One minute everything was good. Everything was normal. Things felt like they used to be.

And then suddenly it was like a bomb exploded.

It had been about two weeks since Rick's family left from Christmas Vacation. They had spent a week with us and I was starting to feel... accepted.

They were all so close; as if they were a private club and yet they seemed to just accept me with open arms. Mary spoiled me rotten the entire week with home baked goods and home made scarves and sweaters. Jakob and Greg were great as well. They were funny and supportive. Jakob could write an entire book full of jokes and stories to share and Greg brought along a trunk full of games that all of us enjoyed immensely.

I can honestly say that when they packed up to leave I felt sad, but also loved as we waved goodbye to their retreating car.

The next two weeks went... honestly a bit rocky between Rick and I. But not all bad. He had somehow convinced me to stay with him at his cabin and had taken Scott to move some of my clothes and personal stuff from my cabin to his. There were a few doctor's visits that he drove me to but otherwise we were in a world all our own.

The quiet woods, the soft snow, and hot chocolate. For a while I felt good; and coming to the close of the two weeks I felt more confident in talking to Rick about... everything...

But then it happened.

The day came where I was starting to build up the courage to talk to him but then he was called out for an emergency at the company and had to leave. So I was left alone in the cabin. Just me and my thoughts. I was beginning to second guess myself when Evie called. She had asked how I was doing and I told her honestly I felt like I needed some time out of the cabin so she offered to take me grocery shopping with her.

I agreed.

I tried calling Rick to tell him where I was going but he wouldn't pick up so I left a message and a written note on the door of the cabin so he would know one way or the other. Evie picked me up shortly after and we drove into town.

The grocery store in town wasn't anything special. Just a family owned place with all the essentials. Honestly there were only about eight aisles with a bakery near the check-out.

"Would you hand me the butter?"

"Yeah."

I reached over with my un-casted hand and handed the package of butter to Evie who placed it in the cart, piling it on top of her small collection of food. We walked on for a while in silence eyeing the aisles with unseeing eyes until finally Evie broke the silence.

"Everything going okay?"

I gave a short sigh and looked rather closely at a box of Cheerios with a dancing bee on the cover.

"Oh come on Avery. It's been three weeks since we've been able to talk face to face, something must have happened. Anything." She shrugged her shoulders giving me a sideways glance and I felt a much longer, harder sigh leave me as I mindlessly itched at my cast.

I needed to talk to someone about all this and if I couldn't talk to Evie than I couldn't talk to anyone.

"I'm thinking about, for lack of a better phrase, breaking the ice with Rick about... about... everything."

Evie stopped for a moment and looked at me as I stared back blankly. After a second she coughed and then smoothly kept on walking. I followed silently by her side as we both thought over my words. Finally Evie continued.

"So you know."

"Yeah."

She nodded and shrugged giving me a sheepish look and a soft pat on my injured shoulder, "You doing okay? I mean, with the whole... mate thing?"

I stared off blankly down the aisle of toothpaste and toilet paper and finally gave a semi-firm nod.

"I guess I kind of always knew. It just took my mind a while to catch up with my body."

Evie nodded as she grabbed men's shampoo and women's deoderant, "I'm sorry. I didn't think it was my place to... to assume that..."

I patted her shoulder and shook my head, "It's okay. I probably wouldn't have believed you if you told me. Like everyone says... it's all about instincts, not logic."

I smiled at her and we went back to walking down the aisle, the silence a little bit more companionable.

"I think I've finally... gotten up the courage to, um, talk about it with Rick. But I think maybe I'm about to chicken out..." I looked down at my feet and felt my cheeks redden with a bit of shame.

I flinched slightly when there was a firm pat on my back. I turned to see Evie smiling up at me with one of those few strong, genuine smiles that make your insides warm into mush and you realize, not for the first time, that you have been lucky enough to find a true friend in this great big world.

"Why don't you go grab us some canned spaghetti sauce. I'll make us lunch later so we discuss what you want to say." Evie smiled one last time and gave me a soft shove off into the direction of the pasta aisle.

I walked rather awkwardly as I read the signs above each aisle until I found the one with pasta.

I roamed about until I found the canned spaghetti sauce and of course it just had to be on the top shelf... I looked down at my casted arm feeling the faint dull ache in my chest and then back up at the stupid jar of red sauce. I took a deep breath and prepared myself mentally for the challenge.

I stepped forward and reached up blindly for the jar with my right arm. I felt around randomly until I felt the smooth surface of a jar. It was just out of my reach at the tip of my fingers.

"Come on...." I came up a bit more on my tip toes and felt the dull ache in my chest spark in my ribs sending a sharp hiss from my lips. I could feel the jar in my grasp and I was so excited to finally get it that I yanked it back and suddenly felt my feet slip out from under me. I landed in a sore heap on the floor with the red sauce safely clutched to my chest.

"...ow..."

"Hey, you alright there?"

I looked up squinting through the pain to see a fuzzy figure staring down at me. I could hardly speak so I just shook my head. Then there was a hand before my eyes.

"Here I'll help you up."

I hesitated for a moment before finally taking the hand and being hefted back to my feet. As I stood I noticed a small puddle of water on the floor where I had just been standing.

"They really should put up signs when there's water on the floor."

I paused, that voice was familiar...

I looked up at him and my eyes widened, "Nate?!"

He chuckled as he carelessly brushed off a few specks of dirt from my shirt.

"It's been a while hasn't it Avery?"

I nodded mindlessly as I looked him up and down. Nate was thick and huge as any proper enforcer would be. He had grown a few grey hairs on the top of his brown head but otherwise he is just as he was when last I saw him. I realized I was staring awkwardly and coughed, blushing slightly, then said, "Thank you for earlier..."

He looked at me curiously and I elaborated, "You know for calling me about the students at that bar."

His eyes lit up with the memory and he smiled nodding, "Oh yes. Those little delinquents. I hope you got them home safely."

I smiled and nodded. There was an awkward pause after this where Nate's attention was turned to my injured arm. He pointed at it, "You doing alright? I heard about the incident but when I went to visit there were no visitors allowed so..."

I rubbed the arm tenderly and nodded, "I'm healing, slowly but the doctor says surely. And don't worry about it I was out for quite a while and only recently got my bored butt out of bed."

We chuckled and I felt that bit of warmth come back in my chest at looking at Nate. It had been a long time since I had been able to talk to one of the members of my old pack.

It was nice.

"Well um... I have to go give this," I held up the red sauce, "to my friend... Maybe I'll see you later?"

This was said as an afterthought and very thought through. I don't know why but I sort of felt this need to get in touch with my old pack again. A small thread of the life I used to live was still attached. It was thin and frail but it was there and I wanted to make sure it wasn't cut for good.

Nate smiled and nodded, "Yeah, if you'd like I could stop by sometime and we could catch up."

He offered his hand and I took it with the spaghetti sauce held up by my armpit. We gave a firm handshake and I turned to go. But just as before my feet slipped out from under me and I was sent sprawling backwards into the arms of Nate who looked down at me laughing.

"You certainly know how to make a guy laugh!"

My cheeks reddened to tomatoes and I averted his gaze whispering a soft 'thank you'.

What happened next came almost like a punch to the stomach.

One moment Nate was helping me to my feet the next all I saw was a very large shadow falling over the both of us. My gaze turned to the owner of such a monstrous shadow only to widen at seeing Rick standing there.

But he didn't look happy.

"Avery?"

Nate turned to look behind himself to meet the taller, larger, and angrier gaze of Rick Kodiak. At first I could see the muscles tense all over Nate's body as he seemed to unknowingly come to face off with a fully grown Grizzly.

"Can we help you?"

I flinched at the tone of Nate's voice as he all but growled at Rick. I couldn't possibly understand what would possess Nate to speak to Rick like that. Until it dawned on me that the two may have never met...

Rick's face contorted angrily as he all but spat out at the smaller wolf, "Yes, you can start by stop touching what is mine."

My eyes narrowed and an angry lump formed in my stomach at those words as Nate turned fully to Rick and the two began to growl menacingly at each other.

"Yours?"

This one word was short but loud enough for the two to turn slightly to me. Nate one the defensive and Rick on the offensive as they both looked at me in question.

"Avery, do you know this guy?"

Rick growled as he moved to grab ahold of my wrist only to have me step back out of his reach. His eyes widened and a flash of hurt crossed his face but it was only met by my own growing anger.

"Yes... he's..." I didn't continue for I didn't know exactly what adjective to describe Rick as.

Rick noticed and his shoulders tensed and released repeatedly in a display of nerves.

"Avery... I..."

Nate looked between us before he moved to put a hand on Rick's shoulder to push him aside slightly to give us both space. But sadly Rick didn't like that.

"Don't touch me."

Nate didn't seemed fazed as he did release his hold on Rick but didn't move back, "Look, why don't we all calm down before someone does something they will regret."

Rick's muscles were tensed so tightly they looked like rocks and I could see the way they shifted under his clothes that he was going to shift. Nate must have sensed this too because his body language read, 'Defense'.

But I wasn't afraid of Rick.

"Rick..."

Rick's eyes didn't leave me as he stepped forward only to have Nate do the same, putting himself squarely between the both of us.

Rick didn't like that.

In a flash Rick grabbed Nate by the throat and slammed him into the wall as the most horrifying growl echoed throughout the grocery store.

My blood ran cold.

Nate began clawing at the hands wrapped around his throat. He growled in fear and his teeth elongated into fangs as his nails grew into claws. But Rick seemed oblivious to all of it as he inhaled large gulps of air as if he were drowning.

Then he spoke in a gravelly voice that growled like a broken motor from his chest, "Get out of my way!"

"RICK STOP!!!"