It was snowing, it had been a month since I was mated and things couldn't be better between us. I thought the sex or the need to touch him would had lessened by now but it didn't. I had learned to control myself somewhat. I also wore a lot of skirts now. Going from living with a bunch of men and sleeping in the bed by myself to sharing it with Lawrence wasn't as hard as a change as I thought it would have been. If anything I couldn't wait to lay beside him. Watch him sleep and listen to him breath. He was amazing. We were amazing.

My first full moon with snow on the ground was tomorrow. I was a bit nervous about the whole freezing to death while we slept but was assured by the others that had never happened before, our bodies ran to hot so we wouldn't really feel the cold. Lawrence promised to keep me warm and that innocent little comment had me excited. I think I was becoming a nimpho.

When I woke up I felt agitated and was on a mission. It had been weeks and still I had not heard from Mason or Dmitri. It wasn't from the lack of trying on my part. Lawrence was still a sleep and I didn't want to wake him so I grabbed my clothes and asked Joseph if I could use his shower. It wasn't hard to tell I was looking for a fight so he nodded and stayed silent.

A quick shower and I was dressed and heading downstairs. It was early still and the house was quiet. Only a few of the guards were awake. Since I shared my secret cave with them only two guards stayed awake at night watching the video cameras. It had been a month and nothing had happened so I tried to get them to lesson the guards in the house but neither Lawrence or Jack would listen.

Boots and coat on I headed for the door. It was Joseph who stopped me. "Where are you going?" He asked but kept his voice down.

"Mady's. I think Mason has had enough time to wallow don't you? If Dmitri is there I will deal with him as well," I answered. No one was going to stop me from doing this. Oh I knew Lawrence and Jack were going to be pissed when they found out I left the house without being escorted by a couple of guards but this was a private matter. Plus I didn't think bringing lions with me would help matters.

"I'm coming," he said slipping on his shoes and forgoing a jacket.

I was going to argue but for one I did not want to bring any attention to me leaving and the second I could defend myself later that I didn't leave alone, Joseph came with me. "Fine."

Here was when it would get a little tricky. As soon as I stepped outside one of the boys in the security room would see. If I could remember who was working I could have called them. Here's hoping they called me first to ask what was going on. As soon as I started the car my phone rang. It was the house number. I almost didn't answer it. "Hello?" I put all the cheerfulness in that one word that I was not feeling.

"Hey Sam. Where are you gong?" It was Miles, Lawrence's third in command. I was surprised to hear him on the phone. We have started to become pretty close over the past month.

"Hi! How is one of my favourite lions doing this morning? How did you get stuck working on the grave shift? I am just heading to Mady's with Joseph. Do you want me to call you when I get there and when I leave?" Never hurts to butter up a man who could completely spoil your plans.

He chuckled. "Samantha he is going to be upset. Yes, please call me when you get there. Call my cell so the house phone doesn't ring. I figure you have less then an hour before he wakes up."

"Thanks Miles, I owe you big! Talk soon." With that said I hung up and raced down the driveway. An hour was on the optimistic side of things.

When I pulled in to Mady's driveway I noticed a couple things: it was not even 7am, most of the lights were still off but the kitchen light, and I lucked out because both Mason and Dmitri's cars were here as well. The sight of their cars seemed to trigger my mission mode again.

I ignored the front door and went to the back where the kitchen was. Joseph was still quiet and followed me. Whoever was up must have heard a car pulling up and the crunch of snow under my boots. I wasn't even trying to be quiet. When I turned the corner the patio doors opened up. It must be Mady who was awake.

It was her and Nate in the kitchen. Walking up to Mady I gave her a big hug, then gave Nate a kiss on the cheek. Then I apologized. "I'm sorry it is so early. Mady it has been a month. It has been long enough." She knew what I was talking about.

She sighed and nodded. "Sit down Joseph and eat some breakfast. We should be safe in here." That's my Mady, a little dramatic.

Nate chuckled. "Go get em Sam. Mason is awake and downstairs working out. Dmitri is still sleeping. He should probably be awake as soon as your done." Nate informed me with a little too much enthusiasm. Nodding my thanks to Nate, game face on and I headed down to the basement.

At the top of the stairs I heard the treadmill going at a speed I was surprised it could move. Halfway down the stairs the sound of the machine stopped. By the time I hit the bottom Mason was standing on the mats staring at me. He showed nothing of what he thought or felt which seemed to piss me off even more.

I had no problem sharing all of what I felt. "I gave you a month of not returning my calls or messages. We are going to talk right now even if I have to tie you up." my voice was a little deeper than usual.

He just stood there and said nothing which again pissed me off even more. I couldn't stand there and stare at him or I might have thrown something to get some kind of reaction from him so I paced. "You are my best friend and I miss you so here is your chance to yell, scream, and tell me what you truly think of me. I am not leaving till you do." I started to say. "Do you think I purposely did all this? Brought stuff down on the pack? Guess what it wasn't me. It didn't start with me anyways. Do you think I had a choice who my mate was? No. Would I change the fact that Lawrence is my mate? No. Do you think I wanted to hurt anyone? Fuck no! So fucking deal with it or tell me to fuck off!" I was breathing heavy now.

By the end Mason flinched and his body relaxed some. He wasn't on the defensive side of things anymore. "You are a big boy Mason so man up and say something!"

"I...things are just different now?" he said with his head down, staring at the floor.

"Why are they different? How are they different? I am still the same fucking person. If you were around you would know that. I take that back. I am a bit different. I am stronger. I am more determined. I am who I am supposed to be. Do you think because I am mated that it changed how I feel about you? Absolutely fucking not!" I stood still and stared him down.

Mason stood tall and stared right back, anger showing on his face. Now we were getting somewhere. "You are with the lions now." He said as if that explained everything.

I really looked at him and tried to understand what he was saying but couldn't. "I am mated to a lion. I am part of both the lions and wolves. That will never change. Fuck Mason, Jack and Lawrence did the whole hand shake thing that anything to do with me was a team effort. And let me tell you I had a bitch of a time keeping my mouth shut about that one. They actually sat there and discussed me while I sat there while I was sitting on Lawrence's lap!"

His face softened and he let out a small chuckle. "Did they really? Never mind I know the answer to that. But why? Why did you let them do that?" It was his time to be confused.

I sighed, "Because it was the best thing for both pack and pride. I don't know what it was like before I came but since the pack and pride have become allies, become friends," I shook my head, "things have grown. Relationships have blossomed. Hell you met your brother. Please Mason tell me what bad has come out of me mating with Lawrence? Besides hurting you and Dmitri. You know I love him don't you. I always will. It wasn't meant to be and that hurts but I can't fight and won't fight was meant to be. I am sorry but I can't."

"I know you do and I will always love you," Dmitri said from the top of the stairs.

I swung around to look up the stairs as he started to walk down. "Hi." It was lame but what else do you say to a guy when he just heard you spill your guts. "I'm..."

Dmitri lifted his hand and shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. I know. I understand, I really do. I know you would never hurt any of us on purpose. I know none of this is your fault. I even think I knew I wasn't your true mate but fought it so hard because I was in love with you. Don't get me wrong I am far from being able to see you and him together. I am not that ok with it. But I can promise I will try. We can try to be friends. And you are right, the merge of the lions and wolves is a positive move."

I had tears in my eyes. I so badly wanted to hug him but I wasn't sure if it would be welcomed. As if he read my mind he opened his arms up wide and I dove in to give him a hug I much needed. After a minute of holding each other tight I lifted my head and stood on tip toes, giving him a gentle kiss on his lips. The were so soft and something was still there but it wasn't enough to stay. Lawrence was my mate and my soul, no one could ever come between us.

"My turn?" Mason asked, five feet away from where I held on to Dmitri.

Refusing to let the man go yet I asked, "Are you done being a boob?" I felt the rumble in Dmitri's chest before he laughed out loud.

There it was, that twinkle I had not seen in Mason's eyes in what seemed like forever. His lopsided smile came next then so did my hug. I missed him so much that it hurt. I would never let things get so far out of control again.

That was when my hour was up, my phone went off. Removing one arm from Mason I dug my phone out of pocket and sighed. "Good morning sleeping beauty," I said with the cheer I truly felt.

"Samantha," Lawrence said with a growl in his voice. Dmitri leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and smirked. He knew anyone besides Jack who called me Samantha instead of Sam was irritated with me. "Do you know what I woke up too?" it was rhetorical and he went on before I could answer. Probably a good call because I had a smartass answer. "An empty bed with my mate nowhere to be found. But that wasn't the worst part of it. Oh no, then I found out my mate left the house with no guards and only Joseph at her side. And to top all that off it is the day before the full moon where tempers are easier to jostle. Where are you?" Oh he was just a tad upset. I hoped Miles was ok.

"Right now? I am in the arms of a man," I said. It was the intake of his breath that made me rush out the rest. I really shouldn't tease him this close to the full moon. "I am at Mady's. Mason, Dmitri and I had to talk."

He was silent for a minute. Probably taking deep breaths and debating what to say next. "I swear to god woman you are going to drive me mad one of these day. I am sending a few men to follow you home. They will wait until you are ready to leave."

Well that went better than I thought but I wasn't going to push my luck and tell him I did not need the extra body guards. I stayed with the safe road. "Love you. See you soon."

"I love you too. Get your ass home in one piece." there was no mistaking the growl in his voice and what he wanted.

When I hung up the phone Dmitri and Mason started laughing. I was about to ask them what when Dmitri said, "No you didn't change, well you may have gotten worse." At that I had to join in the laughter. It was good to have them back. It felt right and I needed them in my life even if it was truly just as friends.