Jana sat along side Simeon as her father shot glares down the table, his hateful stares directed mostly at her. He was beyond upset with the way she had spoken of him and Neema. He was more angered with her harsh words then he was with Simeon's blatant groping of his daughter.

The friendship between her chosen mate and her father was one she couldn't quite understand, there was something more about it she couldn't put her finger on.

In all her years of living in this compound she had never seen Khan act so familiar with someone outside of his family. The way they had spoken to each other with such banter and humour was baffling. If Khan had caught any other man groping her in such a manner she knew heads would be rolling. With Simeon Khan had commented on it but brushed it aside, as if he did not mind his friend fondling his daughter.

Khan had in fact looked like he was pleased that her and Simeon were getting along which was absurd. He hadn't even brought up the topic of a mating. Khan had just given him a stern look which caused Simeon to raise his hands further up her back out of respect but still cling to her body.

When Khan seemed happy with the level of decency, he had slapped him with some mannish drivel. All thumping on backs, punching of arms and veiled threats and jokes. It was so confusing to watch. The threats were heavy and yet they were all made in humour as if it was normal.

"Simeon, how do you know my father?"

Jana was beyond curious to know how the two males had built such a friendship. Khan was not the easiest person to like and from what she had seen of Simeon they were hardly alike.

He was slightly possessive like Khan, it was shown from the way he gripped her body and dared any man to appraise her. He was nice though, Jana had heard from various people that when Khan had met Neema he had been cruel and neglectful. Going so far as to cause her bodily harm which had of course been reciprocated by his volatile wife.

The way Simeon handled her was with utmost care, as if she was a precious gem that would crumble in his fingers. She could never imagine Simeon hitting her but then she did not know him well enough to be sure about that.

Him and Khan could be one in the same. She loved khan, she genuinely did, he had done so much for her. Not many men would help raise a child that was not his and yet Khan hadn't even needed to be asked.

She did love him, he was the only father she knew and cared to know, but she would hate to be mated to a man who resembled his personality.

She would never find peace if she did. She was too feisty and mouthy and he was too stubborn and demanding. Everyone had too bend to Khan's will and she would be damned if Simeon tried that with her.

There was that saying though. 'Birds of a feather flock together.'

//--//

Khan stood by the fireplace watching the logs being swallowed up by the soldering heat of the fire. His hands were resting against the mantle as he contemplated the dilemma before him.

"You can't have her."

His back was still turned to the man who stood in the archway of the door. Khan did not fear having his back towards his friend, the man had seen him at his weakest point many times and had failed to stab the proverbial knife into his back. No, he was a trustworthy person, but Khan was not ready to let her go yet, not after today.

He still had amends to make, Neema was inconsolable and would continue to be so until their relationship with their daughter was mended. If she left the compound as they were, Khan feared they would loose her forever.

Jana felt too much for too long. She would hold this grudge and when she had forgiven them, her pride would stop her from returning. Least it look as if she were wrong.

Pride was such a damning thing and it was something his family had in abundance, there was not one humble bone in any of their bodies. It was a pity, they needed someone who could just turn the other cheek even when they weren't in the wrong.

It was his fault, he had raised all of his children to be competitive fighters, with that came his misplaced pride. It seemed one could not have one habit without having the other.

"I respect you Khan, which is why I came to you. But you can't actually stop me from having her," his tone frank and dismissive to khan's reluctance.

Khan had no right to prohibit a male from claiming what he deemed as a mate. Whether Khan was an alpha or not.

"She is my daughter and she is grieving from the loss of her family and of love, I can't let her leave," he growled in frustration that was directed at himself, "not like this."

He had pushed his daughter away, his little Jana. The blonde angel who had trusted him so deeply she had allowed him to scare her monsters away and now he was that monster. The monster who kept her locked away, trapped her within the four walls so she could be safe but not from him and his harsh words. He was always too hasty and Jana's heart was the softest. She talked up a fierce game as if she was strong and she was but deep down her heart was hurting and he did that.

"You're acting as if I am giving you an option, przyjacielu," his voice lilting in that foreign tongue that wasn't so foreign to Khan's ears anymore, not after years of knowing each other.

Khan spun around to face his friend as he marched towards him. His fist was itching for a punch but the twitch stopped as soon as he caught the grin on his friends face.

"Don't forget whose territory you are in," grumbled Khan as he shot him a sharp glare before a smile rose on his face. The two males had known each other for years, so such snide comments and ribbing was a common occurrence between the two. It was in fact one of the key factors to their friendship.

"I will let her decide, but after we speak" said Khan reluctantly.

Their friendship transpired over years. Khan trusted him with his life, so he knew without a doubt in his mind if one of his daughters were mated to him then she would be protected, respected and loved. He would be disrespecting Khan if he treated her any other way.

The two had first met when they were stationed at Simeon's grandfathers compound for training in their pup years. They instantly formed a comradeship, one that allowed Simeon to drop in and out of khan's home unannounced. All the guards at the gates had been informed of his friend's tendency to show up whenever he pleased. On many occasions Simeon had used Khan's hospitality without informing Khan he was even there, Khan would only find out after he had left.

The fact that Simeon stood before him now in all his dirty glory had Khan aware that it was a dire matter. Other then his wish to take one of his daughters for a mate Khan knew that his friend Simeon, had a number of important matters to discuss.

"What are you really here for?" Questioned Khan as he took a seat down on a stool near the fireplace. He motioned for Simeon to take a seat as he prepared for the conversation ahead.

Someone took a seat, heaving a sigh as shared the bad news with his oldest friend, "The violence is becoming worse. The fucking Resentiam are attacking from all corners, their support is somehow spreading," his tongue rolling as his accent poked through in his anger.

Khan was floundered by the news. For the past 17 or so years him and his two brothers and large number of Alpha's across Europea had attempted to weed out the resilient and growing human resistance.

They had managed to gain the support of 97 percent of the human population who remained outside pack protection. They had even set up a new legislation that allowed them to vote in a body of human representatives to support the interests of humans in each Compound. Each each compound council would then nominate a chancellor who would represent the humans of their compound within each Regional council.

The laws had seen that each compound and the humans within would be protected or represented by a body of their own electorates. Though the Alpha still held the majority vote, it was a step closer to providing the democracy of old, though without the corruption.

Every few years the human electives would be reinstated or voted out. It had brought a sense of collectiveness and solidarity between the races that was previously unseen. The animosity between sewage dwellers and wolves had not completely disappeared but it had improved, especially as a number of Alpha's had banned the whipping of humans who had remained in hiding. It was an antiquated practice as was the public mating ritual though many Alpha's still favoured it.

Wolf and human relations had improved and there were a lot less sewage dwellers, many of whom ad left hiding voluntarily.  Humans who had lived in poverty for years, hating a race they had no understanding of, had seen the light. With the light of their new homes above ground, came liberation. Liberation that was not enough in some people's esteem. They would not stop until they had righted the wrong that their insipid human society had caused.

Though of course the Resentiam had remained alive, the small slither of power was not enough for them. they wanted more, always more. Humans were greedy creatures as they always had been, never learning from the mistakes of the past instead repeating them as if it were a cycle.

The Resentiam were becoming violent though, for years they had been burrowed underground. Words and resistant gestures, the odd reference by a dying human or a dead wolf carved with a message but never to this level and never against their own kind. There had only been one large attack on a wolf community ever but never on their own kind.

They were changing, becoming harsher, crueler. How could they burn their own people? setting aflame their new homes above ground. The poor sewage dwellers had traded in dank tunnels for the light of day to only have their families burnt in the light of day.

The Verum Resentiam were gruesome, sick..

"They are leaving their establishments and heading to the nearest compounds in drones."

Simeon's face had turned grim at the thought of those poor weak humans who had thought the new builds were their salvation. They caught no break, whether they lived in the dank conditions of their old homes or the pristine houses of new.

"A war is brewing beyond these walls Khan. They march in like the goddamn army. Burning homes and causing desolation! Alpha's are being forced to extend their walls to create homes along their compounds, it's crazy," his head shaking in anger as he thought of all those deaths, for what? A cause that would never win.

They were in dangerous times. The burning had not extended this far yet but soon Khan would see the flicker of flame that turned everything in its paths into ashes. 

"What do you need of me?"

Khan was all for killing those who were causing havoc along the land. They had finally settled into an agreement that suited both races but these humans were challenging that and in the process destroying innocent lives despite the fact that they were their own people. The very people the irrational militia sought to liberate from the wolves' clutches.

It was idiotic and repulsive.

Khan would lend all he could to help the struggle, and if push came to shove he would have one last hunt.

-----

przyjacielu = Close friend