"Blake, you have got to talk some sense into him." The sigh and shake of the head I received in response had me turning to face Leo. "Please. You are all walking into a trap if you try to fight those rogues now. You don't know their strength or what they have against you."

"Macey, it is our duty as the men of this pack to protect it. We will not cower away from a battle," Blake tried to reason with me, but all I could see in my mind was Chase running into a losing fight. He would be hurt.

"Leo?" I pleaded.

"As Third in Command of this pack and Head Warrior, I agree with Blake's stance in this." It was pure surprise to me that Leo actually took my opposing side in this. It was hurtful.

"You were supposed to be my friend," I snarled.

"I am your friend, Macey!" Leo snapped, his eyes widening as he stepped towards me. Blake held him back with a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"You are just another wolf."

As I said my words, Chase's office doors opened and slammed closed. The Alpha himself stood before me, making Blake and Leo immediately turn to face their superior.

"Will you always use that as an insult against us?" Chase asked me. Without taking his eyes off of mine, he said, "You two are dismissed."

Both men bowed their heads slightly and headed out. Blake stopped beside Chase for just a moment and whispered something that I could not hear.

Chase nodded once in reply, still not dropping my gaze.

"I understand you being worried about me, Macey."

"I'm not worried," I lied with a grimace. The knots in my stomach and the aching in my chest proved otherwise.

Chase let out a slow sigh. A painful sigh.

"Even when I know you are lying, it still hurts that you say things like that to me. I will be going into this fight. I will be leading my men as well."

"Are you not considering that I am actually terrified of you going? I will admit it if that is what it takes to make you rethink this." I took a large intake of breathe and slowly let it out. "I'm worried about you, Chase."

A soft smile grew on his lips. "Macey, I want you to know that I am considering you, always. You are the reason I am doing this."

"What do you mean?"

Chase froze for a few seconds. He cleared his throat and slowly sat down behind his desk, clasping his hands together in front of him. "The threat to the pack is also a threat to my mate."

"That's bullshit and you know it." I wasn't comfortable with lies. These animals that had a clear advantage over me in strength could keep every ounce of truth from me. I could be oblivious to everything.

"Macey, please understand that there are things I am not entitled to tell anyone, even you. It is only for your own safety that I keep my own secrets."

"Fine. I have my secrets, you can have yours." Even to my own ears my voice sounded bratty and spoiled. I practically stomped my foot and flipped my hair behind my shoulder just by speaking in a tone like that.

An amused grin stretched onto Chase's face. "Secrets? Like what?" His challenging eyes intrigued me and I felt a part of me begging to play along with his game. His game could be dangerous, but it could be oh so very fun. It was a battle between my newfound accepting side of these wolves and my always serious and never playful side of the hunter.

"Just secrets." I hummed, walking up to the desk and trailing my fingers along the edges. I slowly stepped my around the desk, getting closer to the alpha staring at me. "Just secrets about...abilities. Events. Feelings."

Chase looked directly up at me as I stood beside his chair. His head was turned to the side as his body remained facing his desk. "Feelings?" Chase inquired. It delighted me even further that he was interested in the feelings part of my tease.

I took a deep breath and forced my hand to raise up to play with his hair. He looked pleasantly surprised at my actions, while I was having to remind myself to stay calm. "You're uncomfortable."

I nodded but still didn't remove my hand. In fact, I let it trail down the side of his face to trace his jawline.

"Macey," Chase reached up and covered my hand with his. I suddenly felt restricted and I tensed up. "No, it's okay." Chase slowly let his hand clasp my wrist as he stood up, keeping my hand firmly placed on his jaw. Then he rubbed his palm against the back of my hand.

"You're really beautiful." I muttered. Chase's eyes widened. "Please don't do this."

"I have to, Macey. It's my only choice. I have to eliminate this threat and protect my pack, my family. They are all I have left."

"You are leading some of them into their death by doing this."

Immediately, Chase was stepping away from me. The action made me frown. The hard look of his face and the anger in his eyes cautioned me that I had stepped over the line.

"I realize the threat, Macey. I am risking myself as well, but I am still not backing down. The men of this pack are strong and noble. They know the danger but they also know that it is a risk they must take to protect their families." He practically scoffed. "You were alone on that full moon, yet you speak of having a brother. Where was he?"

"Don't you dare insinuate that my brother doesn't take care of me. He loves me. He cares for me," I stated. My own temper began to challenge Chase's.

"He isn't the only one," Chase grumbled, shaking his head, biting his lip, and raking a hand through his hair. "You idolize him."

"He is my older brother. I look up to him," I admitted.

Chase nodded. "He wasn't there, yet you still believe in him and love him. Here I am, taking my pack to war and doing everything in my power to hold myself back from you. Even in all that you look down on me and believe that I am horrific."

I couldn't stop my own frown as I started away from Chase. "Go into your stupid battle. Come back alive, but besides that, I don't care what you do."

"Macey." The resigned sigh in Chase's voice didn't stop me from stumbling further away.

"I'll see you at dinner," I mumbled, walking out of his office and closing the door behind me.

I was in search of Penelope, finding that she was one of the few people around here that I liked in a small way. She was friendly and didn't seem threatening. I believed I could easily take her in a fight, and I enjoyed her company.

I had absolutely no way to find the girl besides to wander around the pack house until I stumbled upon someone I knew that I could ask. I wasn't comfortable stopping any of the wolves that I wasn't familiar with. The risk that they would take my approach as a challenge wasn't worth it.

"Leo!" I saw his familiar back walking towards the back door. He fumbled in his steps then kept walking.

A frown made its way onto my face and I jogged to catch up to him. "Leo!"

"Oh, Macey," Leo gave me a nervous chuckle when I stepped in front of him. "I didn't hear you."

We both knew that was bullshit.

"Can you tell me where Penelope is?" I held back the urge to confront him on trying to leave me behind him. The possessiveness of a certain Alpha didn't have me questioning his actions.

"I was actually about to go for a run. Border patrol, I'm really busy."

"Can you mind link her and tell her I'm looking for her?"

"I-I don't think I really have time. I really have to go to, Macey, I'll see you later." Leo grabbed at the door handle but froze when he noticed the frown on my face.

"I'm really sorry, Macey." Leo leaned down to kiss the side of my cheek but was interrupted by a cough.

"Commander Jackman." Mark walked up to us. "I will be happy to escort Luna to Penelope. You can leave."

Leo glared at a steady looking Mark, nodding with a tight smile. "Of course, thank you. Goodbye, Macey."

"What was that?" I snarled, breaking the silence after Leo was far out of range of hearing us.

"I was keeping Alpha Chase from going ballistic again. He could have seen or heard about Jackman kissing your cheek. Wouldn't want that, huh?" Mark stepped up to me.

"I think Penelope mentioned going out to the lake. I am still your posted guard and I will be happy to escort you to her," Mark stated while opening the door for me. I didn't move.

"You are being awfully kind. Please don't kill me," I glared, "I will fight back."

Mark rolled his eyes and stepped through the door without me.

"Oh, I see. You just want to see Penelope, don't you?" I walked quickly to keep up with a once again glaring Mark.

"Shut up," Mark grumbled.

"Why don't you like to talk about Penelope being your mate? You criticize me for not readily accepting Chase."

Mark sighed. "It reminds me that she doesn't know about it. She doesn't care."

"Why don't you start trying to make her fall for you?" I suggested.

Mark remained quiet.

"Are you shy?" I let out a laugh. "Awe, that's a little adorable."

"She's with another man." Mark had stopped walking. He was tense and his fists were balled up with white knuckles. His body was practically vibrating.

"What?" I looked all around us. We were in the middle of a field, no lake in sight. "How do you know?"

"I'm a tracker. I can smell him with her." Mark buried his face into his hands.

"At the lake?"

"I think so. It's a mile further."

"You were going to make me walk a mile!" I snapped. "Mark, that's really far, maybe you are wrong."

"No," Mark slowly dropped his hands and raised his head. "I'm not wrong."

"Mark-"

"I'm an incredible tracker. Better than anyone."

"Chase said you were a fighter."

"I can shift and get to them in seconds. He's with my mate, I can kill the threat right now." A sadistic smile had stretched onto his lips. It was a terrifying experience just to be near him.

"He's laughing." Mark's grin widened. "Not for long."

"Mark, no!" I tackled him right as he stepped to go forwards. Our grunts hit the air as our bodies hit the ground.

Mark immediately threw me to the side and stood up again. I kicked out my foot, causing Mark to trip and fall face first on the dirt and grass. I took this opportunity and climb on top of him, raising my elbow in preparation to knock him out.

He was faster than me and flipped us over, me on my back with him on top of me. The pressure knocked the air out of my lungs and I brought my legs up to wrap around his waist.

Mark growled and I felt claws sinks into my calves, the pain causing me to scream out.

I'm in danger.

Whatever it was in me that made me send that thought out was strange to me. I didn't know why I had the need to project that thought. My mind was too focused on the battle to think further into it.

My legs fell from Mark's waist and he jumped up and ran forwards. I grabbed his ankles, once again making him fall to the ground in the middle of his shift. I was know facing an enraged wolf.

Pushing myself up, I immediately collapsed onto the ground. My legs were useless and all I could do was prepare myself. The beasts was snarling, glaring down at me and slowly stalking closer.

I heard what sounded like a thousand howls, seeing two wolves racing towards us. One was far closer to us and gaining at an unimaginable speed, while the other was further behind it. They came from inside the tree line.

The blonde wolf that was strangely fast lunged over Mark and stood over me. Her backside was to me and her fur was bristled. Mark's wolf immediately lost his threatening stance and backed down, shaking his head.

Penelope.

"Macey!" I felt hands on my shoulders and I was pulled up and walked away from the other wolves. Chase, a very shirtless Chase, was holding me with Blake's wolf standing hostile beside us. He looked ready to attack and that unsettled me. "Blake, make sure Heath and Penelope are okay. Get Mark under custody and ready to be questioned. I want to know what happened."

"I attacked him," I answered Chase's unasked questions and his eyes shot to mine. "I had to."

Chase sighed and shook his head, beginning to walk away from the four other shifted wolves.

We walked silently through the field, and into the tree line. It seemed like the trees perfectly separated each individual field and area in this pack land, letting for easy organization if you knew where you were going.

"Chase, my legs hurt." I spoke up when the pack house was just in sight. Chase nodded and kept walking.

Looking to his face, I found myself transfixed to his green eyes. They were so pronounced and bright yet closed off in this moment. They were hiding his emotions from me and I recalled something Chase has said to me before.

"Us being linked means that I can feel your emotions, and you can feel mine. You only have to stay open to my mind and to me and you will see this."

I closed my eyes, feeling something, someone deep in my head. It was weird and I had barely been able to identity it before, but the presence was warm and soft. It was strength and love and weakness all in one. The presence was comforting to me and I instantly became dependent on that presence.

The presence was him; Chase. He was a presence so beautiful and when I pushed further to connect with him, I physically felt the tingles on my body intensify. It made Chase growl lowly but his face remained closed, as if he had no idea what was going on.

I closed my eyes once again, refocusing on his presence in my mind. It was so subtle at first, like it was hiding, but quickly found its way to me and latched onto my mind. I felt such an immense takeover of my mind and body. My hand latched onto Chase's shoulder and I felt myself delved into his mind. His memories.

I saw people; A woman, smiling at me and then man who appeared suspiciously like Chase pulling his arm back and tossing a football in my direction. The woman had been standing over me and I felt so little. The man had a small beard, not fully grown out yet well into not being shaved. He wore regular clothes, smiling proudly as the football disappeared into my arms. There was Blake, at the age of a child, holding a fish on a hook. His front tooth was missing. Then there was me. I was standing in my living room, a gun pointed at myself with my face a look of fear. The room was dark, but I could clearly see all of the events. I could feel the emotions.

Shock welled into my mind, confusion mixing in along with a powerful strain of dominance. I felt euphoria and love, a need to hold myself in my arms. The need was so strong that it physically hurt to stay standing in the doorway, time froze around me to prolong this moment. I want to run forward and kiss this figure, cherish her and never let her go.

I was feeling everything Chase had felt the first moment that he saw me.

I felt his disappointment now. The realization that he was at a loss on what to do with me hit me hard and hurt. He was scared and angry, possessiveness over what was his overwhelmed everything else. Chase wanted to dominate me and accept me, and he wanted my dominance and acceptance in return. However, he felt lonely even with me in his arms.

"Stop it!" Chase dropped me and I fell onto his bed, bouncing on the impact. "You don't get to invade my mind like that. You don't get to attack my pack member and then make me feel so weak and uncertain."

"I didn't mean to," I lied. Chase scowled at me, making me gulp. "I didn't know."

"Didn't know what? Say it, Macey." His face was hard yet his eyes were terrified.

"You love me." I stated it as plainly as I could, my voice coming out choppy and small.

Chase tensed and closed his eyes for a split second. When he opened them, they were endless pits of obsidian.

"You're memories, they were so innocent. So human," I mumbled, talking more to myself than to Chase.

"What did you expect? A dead childhood filled with anger, war, and death?" The rage that Chase exhibited was so raw that I could barely move. I was scared and uncertain but I just couldn't get my body to cooperate. There was a threat, an antagonized wolf, yet I stayed unshifting on the edge of his bed.

"Yes," I admitted.

Chase stayed silent. His hands clenched into fists and he looked down. "You're bleeding."

The pain in my legs had not vanished, it was just numbing down with the preoccupied state of my mind.

"Chase, I didn't attack him without a purpose."

"Why did you then?" Chase bent down and took one of my legs into his hands, shredding away any of the fabric that was in his way.

"He was going to do something he would regret," I answered. I couldn't tell him about Penelope being his mate. I had promised Mark that I would keep his secret, and the fact that Chase wasn't aware of Mark's tracking skills didn't go over my head. There were things being hid by Mark and it wasn't my place to reveal them.

"What was he going to do?"

"I can't tell you," I muttered. Chase looked up at me and his eyes darkened from the bit of green that they had returned to.

"He did something to you?" Chase's voice grumbled low as he tightened his grip. I let out a yelp at the pain from his fingers digging into where Mark's claws had punctured my skin.

"No! No, Chase, that hurts!" I tried to pull myself back, but I was halted in my actions.

"I'm sorry." Chase had his head down as he held my knee firmly. "Macey, my wolf needs to know. His scent is on you from that fight, but if it is on you for any other reason..." Chase trailed off as he took a deep breath.

"I can't say. It was only from the fight, and it wasn't his fault. He was already angry and about to shift I was only trying to stop him," I explained.

"Don't ever do that again, Macey. His claws didn't do any permanent damage; he didn't even go very deep into your legs. I'll wrap them." Chase disappeared into his bathroom for a few minutes before he returned with gauze pads, wrap, and a white tube of medication. "I'm going to run this on the wounds to keep them from getting infected."

I nodded my head, biting my lips at the pain to keep from making a sound. It was only a few torturous minutes that I had to endure before I felt a soft pressure just below my knee. Opening my eyes, I saw Chase placing the softest kiss on my leg.

"You'll be okay."

"Your mom was gorgeous." I felt myself get nervous. I wanted to talk about his memories, why I had seen those specific events, but I didn't know if he was comfortable with discussing it.

Chase stood up to his full height, towering over me. "Yes, she was. She was amazing and so gentle. My dad loved her. I idolized her."

"Why did I see those memories?"

"I'm not sure why because I don't know what you saw. Whenever you accepted the presence I have in you mind, you experienced the connection." Chase sat down next to me on his bed.

"I saw your mom. Then I saw your dad, I think, throwing a football at you. Blake was holding a fish and smiling." I briefly recalled the events that I had seen.

"That was it?"

I shook my head, taking a deep breath.

"What else?"

"Me. I saw me whenever you came into my house on the full moon. That was whenever I first felt your emotions."

Chase smiled gently and nodded his head. He brought his lower lip into his mouth for just a second before releasing it again. "I am just fully recovering from that bullet you shot into me." He said it with amusement, but I only frowned.

"I shot you," I mumbled.

"Macey-"

"I shot you and you were in love with me the first moment you saw me." My mind was spinning. I felt sick. "I thought you were a beast, but your memories were so mundane and happy. Better than most of mine, actually."

Chase placed his hand on my covered knee and I accepted the heat of his palm. His comforting touch was enjoyable.

"I planned on making you love me so you would trust me, then I was going to run away, maybe even kill anyone who got in my way. But you already loved me." Chase nodded with a sick expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." I raised my eyes to see Chase staring at me. His eyes were pure green, capturing my gaze. I couldn't break our trance no matter how nerve ridden I was.

"I forgive you, Macey." Chase's eyes only left mine for barely a blink, flicking to my lips then back up.

"You can kiss me." God, my whole body was shaking with an uncomfortable terror. Chase took in a deep breath at my words.

It was one moment of silence and then another where his mouth was on mine. My eyes shut with the warmth and pleasure that came with my mate kissing me. It was only a brief kiss before he slowly pulled away, both of our eyes opening simultaneously.

The sickening feeling in my stomach increased, and the door to the bedroom began to open. I felt my stomach flip and I bent over, throwing up the contents of my stomach just in front of both mine and Chase's feet.

"Alpha," the voice that came from the opened door was wary sounding. "Rogues are attacking."

~~~~

I don't even know how long this update took, but school is responsible for the wait.

Blame school.

THANKS FOR READIN', FOLKS!