Noah holds onto my hand as he leads me into the pack house. The living room has been converted into an open space, a table at the front of the room where the council sits. Most of the pack is already here, my parents sitting at the front of the table, along with Jesse, Alexis, Alpha Seren, and Taylor.

Tugging on my hand, Noah pulls me over to the front of the room, sitting us in the chairs closet to the table.

It has only been a few days since my afternoon with Rowan in the meadow, but it still feels like forever since I have seen him. The room quiets down suddenly. Turning, I look over my shoulder to see Rowan and Henry walking in, along with their parents. They walk over to where Rosalie is sitting a few seats down from me, Avery sitting in between me and Rowan.

My eyes are wide as I meet Rowan's and I can see his are pinches at the edges. It seems that we are both anxious about this meeting. By the end of the day, we will know if we will be able to stay together.

A few minutes later, the room quiets down when the alphas stand up. Everyone else in the room hurries to take a seat.

Papa stands up, his eyes meeting mine for a few seconds before continuing their sweep of the room. "Now that most of us are here, we are going to start this pack meeting." He looks over at Dad, who nods his head, before they both sit down.

"Today we are here to talk about Matty Seren and Rowan Zima. As what most of you have probably heard, Rowan has decided to not pursue a mateship with Henry and Rosalie, his destined mates."

Gasps come from around the room, murmuring starting up. Looking around, I see people shooting glances at me, most of them not so nice. Noah squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to him. "Ignore them," he whispers, waiting for me to nod before turning back to the front table.

"Everyone, quiet down," Papa says, looking irritated. "We are here to discuss whether or not it is safe for the pack for them to pursue this mateship."

Dad cuts in then, "Jesse, let's start with you."

The beta sits up then, eyes sweeping across me and Rowan. "Speaking from my own personal experience, I do not think the two of you should pursue this relationship." His words cause my breath to hitch, but I bit my lip. "Only because the mating process has already been started. I know from first-hand experience what can happen if the mating is not completed, and with the recent rise in the number of Infected roaming around, we can not risk having three practically rogue wolves.

Papa nods his head. "Thank you, Jesse." He turns to look at the opposite end of the table, where Alexis is sitting. "Alexis."

She nods her head. "I agree with Jesse on the part where they have already mated. But, I do not see why we have to rush into this. We have some time before their wolves start to act out. We should look back in our archives to try and find a solution to this. If one cannot be found, then I agree that Rowan should finish the mating with Rosalie and Henry."

My body tenses even more, the burning behind my eyes becoming even more intense. But, I manage to hold back the tears that are threatening to spill over. Noah pulls me closer to him, wrapping his arm around my waist.

Dad looks down at Taylor, who is wearing a severe frown. "Taylor?"

"Seeing as I don't want my daughter to go crazy from her wolf, I am going to have to firmly disagree. Besides, there is no reason for Rowan to deny his mates. Unlike my own, who was a psychopath, Rosalie and Henry are perfect mates. This is just infatuation. And we all know how Rowan loves to go against the rules. I am sure this is just one of those times again. Soon enough, Matty and Rowan will be over each other. But I don't think we should have to wait for that to happen. Instead, let's just move the process along."

Mom is glaring at Taylor the entire time, and the animosity between them makes the first tear slip free. Three people against us already.

Papa looks down at Grandpa. "Dad?"

It takes a few seconds for Grandpa to say anything, and he clears his throat. "We all know how rare it is to find someone in this world who we love. So few of our pack mates have mates anymore, with packs being slit and many wolves losing their lives to the infected. We need to stand strong behind our new pack mates, the ones who will one day be leaders. This love should be fostered, not squabbled over. Rosalie and Henry have each other. There is no need for Rowan to be in a relationship where he will feel trapped for the rest of his life. That is no way to live, and if there is one thing I have learned since the beginning of the apocalypse, it is to enjoy life to fullest, not just get by."

Dad and Papa are both nodding their heads.

Mom is next then, shooting a harsh look at Taylor before his eyes meet mine, softening significantly. "Just because someone is your mate doesn't mean they are right for you. Gasps go through the room again, making Mom roll his eyes. "My mates and I went through our own troubles, getting close to splitting up a few times before we finally became who we are today. Many of us in the room are not even with our mates. Why should my son be forced to watch the love of his life unhappily be in a relationship with others? Since when have we resorted to deciding who can be with who? This is not a dictatorship. We don't tear each other down. We help each other grow, because ultimately, that is what is best for the pack. So don't think for a second that I am not going to support my son and his love."

Dad is smiling smittenly at Mom. Papa manages to keep his emotions suppressed, but I can easily make out the warmth in his eyes. They clearly agree with what Mom said, but they have to remain objective, not able to voice their opinion in case it may unfairly sway the popular vote.

"Thank you, councilors." Papa looks out at the crowd. "Now that we have heard from all of them, it is time for deliberation. Everyone is to meet back here in thirty minutes when a final vote will be conducted.

Noah drags me out of the room, leading me upstairs. We go into a random empty bedroom, where he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me. "They are being so ridiculous. I can't believe how selfish Rosalie and Henry are being. It is so unlike them."

"Rowan is amazing," I mumble into my friend's chest. "I can understand why they want him, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

The door opens behind me, making me tense. Noah just pulls away from me though, forcing me to turn around. Rowan is standing there, and when he sees my tears, he quickly closes the door behind him.

"I'll leave the two of you alone," he says, leaning in to give me kiss on the cheek before walking over to the door. "And I'll guard the door, make sure no one interrupts you.

"Thanks, Noah," I whisper. He just nods before slipping out of the room, leaving me alone with Rowan.

The alpha quickly crosses the room, wrapping me tightly in his arms. He kisses my cheeks, before finally pressing his lips against mine. Too soon for my liking, he is pulling away, resting his forehead on mine.

"I won't let them keep me away from you," he says, words harsh. "I love you too much."

"I love you too," I whisper, clenching my eyes tight in an effort to keep the tears from flowing. "But there isn't anything we can do if they say we can't be together."

"We could run away," he says, determination in his voice. "They couldn't keep us apart if we left."

Shaking my head, I move so I can rest my head on his shoulder. "It's too dangerous out there. Didn't you hear what Jesse and Alexis said? There are more infected than usual roaming about."

"Then we just keep the relationship hidden. We'll meet where no one can find us." He pauses for a second, clearly thinking. "Either the meadow or the tree house."

Even though I know this won't work in the long run, I nod my head anyway. "Okay." A knock comes from the door, telling us it is time to go. "If they vote against us, then we'll meet tomorrow night in the meadow."

"Perfect," Rowan whispers, reluctantly pulling away from me when another hasty knock comes from the door.

Noah follows us down to the living room, keeping by my side when Rowan goes to sit in his own seat.

A few minutes later, Papa is calling for everyone to be quiet again. It takes a while, seeing as there seems to be quite a bit of arguing taking place, but eventually, the room falls silent.

"It is time for the final vote," Papa says. "And as we all know, this vote is final." He pauses then, meeting my eyes briefly. "All in favor of Rowan and Matty pursuing a relationship?"

Hands raise around the room, and they are quickly counted. It is over too quickly for me to count, but it seems like a good portion of the room is in favor of us. The only ones I recognize in favor of us are Noah, Beckett, Gwen, Mom, and Grandpa. Dad jots down the number before looking back up.

"All in favor of Rowan pursuing a relationship with Rosalie and Henry?"

Again, hands raise throughout the room. Taylor's hand is the first one up, soon followed by Jesse, Alexis, Tate, and Micah. The final count is written down, and Papa once again takes his seat. Dad stands up then, face remarkable impassive. It is irritating not being able to read him like the open book he usually is.

"The final count is: 21 in favor of Matty," he pauses, hesitantly meeting my eyes, "and 23 in favor of Rosalie and Henry."

Voices immediately cry out, some happy while others angry. Mom is already turning to rip the paper from Dad's hand, looking shocked. Taylor just looks happy, quickly leaving the table to wrap Rosalie in a tight hug. They got exactly what they wanted.

My stomach drops, and I feel as if I am about to be sick. Just like that, my fate is sealed. There is no chance of me and Rowan having a real relationship. Instead, we will be forced to meeting in hiding, all while he has a relationship with his mates. Just the thought of him being with them, living in the same house, have kids together, and growing old together, makes me sick. That is what I want with him. No one else should be with the man I love, especially when Rowan loves me back.

Shakily, I stand up, my eyes staying glued to the ground. Noah wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me out of the room the quickly escalating room. The volume is just getting louder, despite the fact that Dad and Papa are desperately trying to appease people.

The tears are flowing quickly, but I don't even try to conceal them. My heart is breaking, and there is nothing I can do to fix it.