Ada forgot what day it was until she was crossing the street after work. There was a battered hatchback she didn't recognize in the street out front of their house and she assumed it must be the new—to him—car Aidan had told them about a few days prior. The three of them were on the couch with a laptop centred on the coffee table, Sam in the middle, to her surprise. Considering how seriously they all seemed to take positioning in most aspects of their lives, it seemed odd Aidan wasn't front and centre. Then she spotted the disgruntled side-eye from Noah, and she figured they must be fighting again. Aidan was nodding along to something being said, but the other two glanced to Ada. Sam smiled, Noah just stared for a moment.

"We've made all the changes you suggested last time," Aidan responded in a smooth, confident tone. "And no, there hasn't been a slip up yet. Noah has been doing very well."

Noah, who had been leaning on his fist away from Sam and gazing longingly out the window, started when his attention was requested. He didn't straighten, but he did turn to the screen, silent as ever. His eyes pinched, the only hint on his face to his discomfort.

"I would rather hear it from you."

Ada knew that voice anywhere. Chase sounded much as he had when she met him, somewhere between calm and annoyed. As she ditched her boots and bag, Noah cleared his throat and shifted until the couch squeaked. His crutch was leaning precariously against the back of the cushion.

"I haven't lost time since the coma." His eyes flicked to Ada as she approached, but she simply straightened the crutch on her way to the kitchen. He cleared his throat again, softer this time. "Not even a minute. I can only guess the brush with death was as much a wake-up call for him as for me."

Sam looked like she wanted to follow her into the kitchen, probably as the conversation had nothing to do with her just then, but Ada gestured for her to stay put with a warm smile. This was good for her, she should be part of it even if the topic was someone else's. Her grin met her eyes before she returned to the computer. Ada could just see Chase for a moment between them.

"That had better be the case. What of Cain? He hasn't been answering our calls."

Ada began to prep the coffee maker for a full pot. Anything less with the four of them in one place was foolish. Especially in the wee hours, a mistake like that was usually met with a groggy insult. Maybe from Ada. She might not respond well to being teased with coffee.

"He's on vacation, essentially. He's taking some well-earned time off." Aidan's way of saying Cain was finally getting some alone time with his boyfriend in his own home while still working pretty much nightly—with said boyfriend. Not a bad deal.

"Did he not move with you?"

"Not this time. He may yet, there are still things for him to consider." Though casual on the surface, Ada got the feeling Aidan was shutting the door on that topic.

Chase huffed. "Have him call me soon, there's something I need to discuss with him."

Aidan agreed. Ada saved herself some trips and poured coffee for them at the table. She started for the stairs, but Chase must have seen her enter, because he said, "Ada? You should sit in on this, too, as it does affect you some."

With three sets of eyes on her, she dragged the chair over from the desk and settled in behind the couch between Aidan and Sam, heart kicking painfully. It never got easier to be addressed by him. There was just something so unnerving about Chase. She clutched her mug and tried to get her nerves under control. She wasn't expecting to sit in on their meeting, even when she knew it was happening.

"So, I was planning on giving you more time to settle in, but one of the strays we've been tracking is actually not far from where you are. Now, I don't care which pack he joins, but he's got to choose."

"What's his name?" asked Sam. To her left, Aidan darkened slightly.

"Eli Thorsen; he's thirty-two, just defected from the Australian pack. He's had some trouble adjusting to pack life. He was bitten five years ago, this was his second pack. They wouldn't give me any details on why it didn't work out. They like him well enough, it seemed."

"He hasn't done anything ... untoward?" Aidan reached for his mug and acknowledged Ada briefly over his shoulder.

"Not that anyone is aware of. This should be an easy first task. Eli is, to my understanding, a reasonable guy. You shouldn't have to resort to drastic measures."

So Ada didn't know too much of the inner workings of pack politics, but she did know that one didn't simply exist outside a pack. Something to do with the way humans used to hunt them. It was all they could do to survive. She guessed being connected like that would be safer than not, though why they took it this seriously was beyond her.

Sam finished her stretch before asking, "Is he expecting us?"

"No, not expressly, though he should be expecting to be contacted by someone soon. He's been here just under a week now."

Ada cleared her throat, already second-guessing speaking. "I'm sorry, but how does this affect me?"

Chase smirked. "Do you not care what sort of people might come in and out of your home?"

"Right." She shut her mouth. That did make sense. Of course she had considered that they were one step away from becoming a werewolf landing pad. She just didn't think anyone would consider how she felt about it—anyone on their end, at least. Sam and Ada had talked it over once or twice.

Her phone buzzed, filling her with trepidation. She was grateful to be behind the rest as she barely had to sneak to retrieve her phone and pull up the message.

'Charles was just here.'

'Huh?'

What the fuck would he be doing at the police station? Talk about risk, what could be so necessary? She swiftly set it to silent before someone heard all the buzzing.

"I was planning to wait longer before giving you a job like this. I know the timing is somewhat inconvenient, but it can't wait. Unless you're not up to it."

"We are," said Aidan, squaring his shoulders. "When do we leave?"

'He asked if I had spoken to you recently.'

'And?' Her fingers flew, the response sent in barely a heartbeat.

"As soon as possible. I don't want to give him a chance to do something stupid. That would be the last thing we need right now."

Though it wasn't directed at him, they were all painfully aware of the subtle jab which made Noah flinch. Things were almost back to normal in town, though people were always on the lookout for wolves. Amalie's death made national headlines, but faded away just as quickly when nothing ever happened afterwards. Sam was always careful when she went for a run to stay far way from populated areas and to keep her nose keen lest she be spotted by a hiker, or worse.

'Of course I said no.' Relief bathed her, and another message rolled in. 'Said I heard you were in Manitoba these days, don't know if he believed me.'

"And if he refuses?" Aidan's tone was dangerous, drawing her attention back.

"Tell him it's you, us, or he has twenty-four hours to get out of North America."

Heart racing for new reasons, Ada tapped out, 'He knew where I lived, even if he didn't see me. He might come back here.'

"And then ...?"

"I don't need to say it, Aidan." Chase's firmness drew her attention back to the screen. His face had gone rock hard.

"Understood."

Sam seemed uncomfortable, and it dawned on Ada that they were likely talking about putting this man to death. She shuddered. She didn't want to ask just then, as she didn't know just how much Chase was fine with her knowing, and she would rather not find out. She was just happy to be in on things at all.

'Tell me you don't still live there.'

Ada rolled her eyes behind her hair. 'Of course not, but I still live in town.'

"Do try to convince him, though. From what I understand, he's good to have around. He supposedly has connections in Egypt, and you know how they feel about us."

'Why the FUCK do you still live in town?'

'I met someone.'

"You really think Eli is going to be able to mend those bridges?" Aidan couldn't keep the scepticism from his voice.

'Fuck off.' A second later, another appeared. 'Well move, what the hell are you thinking?'

Hillebrandt wasn't one to coddle feelings. Still, knowing that's just how he was didn't stop the sting.

"No, but it's a better foot in the door than we've had in years." Chase sighed, drinking deeply from his mug.

'Don't you think I want to? There's a lot going on.'

It's not like she could tell him about Sam and the packs. Not only would it sound like lunacy, he couldn't possibly understand the reasoning behind staying here. Though she sometimes entertained the idea of moving overseas, she liked it there, regardless of the dangers or the people tying her to it.

"Anyway, I'll send over the information I have. Get over there as soon as you can before we lose track of him."

The sign off was brief, and all three were off the couch in an instant. She pushed back to the desk, stowing her phone as though she hadn't just been texting. She didn't know why she was so uncomfortable sharing this problem. Sam shared with her.

No, she did know why. Sam's a helper, but this was a problem she couldn't help with. Sam's only experience with burgling and joyriding came from books. Unless Ada wanted a physical solution to Charles and Jocelyn, there was little she could do to help. She didn't want to worry her unnecessarily.

"I guess we're travelling. On foot, by car, or plane?" Sam asked Aidan, who was cracking his spine by the banister. Noah passed on his way to the kitchen.

"Foot, probably. Do you have a small backpack or something you can carry in your mouth?"

"Yeah, I think so." As Sam turned to her, Ada pasted on a smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Of course not."

Time alone would be both a blessing and a curse. She dreaded being alone with these concerns, but at the same time, it would give her time to focus on the problem at hand, to form solutions rather than simply dwell and wait for someone else to do it for her. Indeed, if Hillebrandt was only going to be texting to make sure she was still alive, what good was he to her anymore?

"Hopefully I won't be gone long." She gave Ada a cheeky grin.

"Can I ask something?" Ada joined them by the steps, bringing her mug along. "If he refuses to join you and stays after the time is up, are you going to kill him?"

Aidan's face hardened. "Unfortunately, that's the law. He has plenty of time to move on should he refuse both of us. It shouldn't come to that."

"Why do you have to in the first place? What's so vital about you all staying connected?"

Aidan frowned and shared a look with Sam, who quickly took to examining her feet. "You haven't told her?"

"It's not a big deal," she said, meeting Ada's perplexed gaze. "It's just part of the package, I suppose. When we answer to an alpha, they can force us to be honest, among other things."

Ada's brows rose. "Not a big deal? That sounds like a pretty big deal, to me. What sort of 'other things'?"

"Orders, in general."

"You're telling me Aidan could order you to, say, kill Eli, and you would just have to do it? That's insane."

Aidan, to his credit, seemed uncomfortable. "Just because I have the capability to doesn't mean I would."

"But you could."

"I could ask Sam, or Cain, or Noah, to do a lot of things, to which they would have to. But I don't. I wouldn't."

"Sam, please tell me you see why this concerns me." She cringed in response. "Is this why you couldn't tell me anything before? Why Aidan had to make me guess what you all are?"

"Yes, that's right," Aidan cut in. "Though, to be fair, I didn't know I could do so when I told her not to tell you anything. If I did, I never would have used it."

Ada glared at him. "And I'm just supposed to trust that?"

"That's the foundation of our entire way of life, so yes. I do hope you can."

"Ada," she murmured, laying a hand on her arm. "I wouldn't follow him if I wasn't sure that he wouldn't do that to me. And there's nothing forcing me to stay if it comes to that."

Ada held her gaze for a while, trying to find a hint of any doubt. She softened. "All right." To Aidan, she said, "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Aidan held up a palm, saying, "No need, I understand how concerning this is."

What a strange night that had been. It felt like years ago that Sam stood before her, trembling from head to toe as she tried to explain her strange behaviour. No kidding, Ada was certain Aidan had assaulted her; what else could make someone shake so hard they couldn't speak, couldn't type a single word? She swore that wasn't the case, and Ada believed her. There was just something she couldn't doubt in the way Sam said what she could. Still, Ada was wary, just to be safe, but she trusted her answer. Now it made so much more sense. Any scraps of doubt kicking around her mind were destroyed. It was magic stopping her from telling Ada. Well, Ada was right that Aidan had done something, but the reality was much more palatable, as unusual as it was.

Don't get her wrong, she was still very concerned of the potential abuses of such an ability. She could only trust werewolves could hold their own. From what she understood, they were a close-knit bunch. She doubted any would allow such deplorable use of power.

"What's the purpose behind it?" she enquired.

"Since our people are spread out over the world, it can be hard to keep track of what everyone is doing, even with the help of the internet." Aidan scratched his chin. "It was, is, a surefire way of finding out if someone has broken the law, and just how severely. It made cleanup easier so we could beat public attention. Around this time, too, we were gathering up as much documentation as possible on our kind to destroy."—Sam flinched—"It was the only reason we managed to stay on top of damage control and sink into the shadows."

"So you just ... ask?"

"Well, demand, really. I have to truly mean something. I could tell Sam to go get me a drink and she wouldn't do it unless I was vehement."

Sam grinned at Ada. "It's true. He asked me for the last cookie earlier and I told him to go to Hell."

"She did," he snickered.

Ada sidestepped to let Noah in or through as she heard him approach. He stopped next to her, though giving her a wide berth.

"I don't mean to be a buzzkill," he said, flat as ever, "but can we go home? My back is killing me."

Aidan set down his mug at once and felt for his keys. "Of course. I'll let you know what he sends me, all right?"

"Sure thing."

Aidan gave her a one-armed hug and waved to Ada as he held the door for Noah. And just like that, they were gone. The car's motor gave a sad little whine like it was unhappy to be carrying two fully grown werewolves.

"I meant it," said Sam softly, leaning against her arm. "Aidan hasn't, and wouldn't do anything like that."

Ada put her arm around her. "I know, I believe you."

Sam went on a run not long after. The nice weather wouldn't be around forever, and she wanted to take advantage of it while she could. Ada didn't mind. She grabbed her book and thought to get lost in another world for a little while.

Ada must have nodded off; she started awake at the return of Sam's car with her book open over the bridge of her nose. Only the lamp behind her head was on. The last thing she remembered, she was thinking about how she should go to bed at the end of the chapter. Apparently she didn't make it that far. When Sam entered, Ada was propped up on her elbows, getting her bearings. Sam grinned.

"Good book?" There were twigs in her hair, and a small smear of dirt across her cheek.

"Yeah, what time is it?" Ada got up and stretched as Sam dropped her bag and keys, locking the door.

"Three-ish." She reached for Ada as she approached. As Ada drew her closer, she realized the dirt on her cheek was actually a smear of dry blood.

"Not yours, right?" Ada brushed some of it off with her thumb.

She grinned. "No, just a rabbit."

Sam smelled of pine sap and something sweet as honey. Ada burrowed her nose into her hair near her throat as she drew her in. Scalding fingers explored her spine.

"I'm probably all sweaty and stuff," Sam protested a moment later, halfheartedly pushing at her shoulder. "I need to shower."

Ada began to straighten, but noticed a faint sheen along Sam's throat. So faint at first she thought she imagined it. Like the finest glitter, it seemed to paint the curves of her throat for just an instant when the light was right. Ada trailed a knuckle over where she thought she saw it, feeling Sam's racing pulse beneath her touch. Whatever it was, it wasn't there now.

Sam took that hand in hers and led Ada upstairs.