Thomas sat in the interview room, sipping the cup of water as there was little else to do. It had been at least three hours since the last round of questions ended and clearly his parents requests at being present and their demands for allowing in some legal assistance had been denied. He didn't care though, willingly sharing whatever it was they asked for. He was an adult after all, able to make his own decisions since the lie of being seventeen was no longer necessary and exposed.

With a sigh he sat back in the chair, drumming his fingers on the metal table as he glanced up at the camera in the corner, the little red light flashing constantly. What did these people think of him? It surprised him how much he cared about their opinions. Maybe because in the end, they would be the ones to handle his fate. Prison seemed likely, the idea of it terrifying yet maybe because he was being so cooperative now, they would take it easy on him. He wasn't a man of god, he held no religious values yet this was almost like his chance to repent. If he believed in some kind of higher power, perhaps he would be praying now - apologising for his sins with promises to do better from now on. He didn't need a god to grant him forgiveness, no all his prayers and wishes of second chances were focused on something that was nearly as unbelievable as an almighty power; a werewolf.

"Alright Thomas, you're free to go." A loud voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts and looking towards the door, Detective Green stood there as grim as ever.

"Go?" He asked in disbelief. Like to jail, or court or a new cell or to go?

"Yeah. You can thank your parents later. Now get out." He snarled, the hatred in his eyes as he looked at the younger man unmissable.

"Don't you have more questions? Has everything I told you checked out?" He rambled, not moving from his seat.

Detective Green hesitated for a moment before coming in and closing the door. He nodded at the camera and Thomas turned around in time to see the little red light disappear.

"Why'd you do it?" He asked and they both knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I thought it was the right thing. I told you how I was raised, where I was sent, the training we got. It's no better than a cult." Thomas explained nervously. "She was different. I think I knew all along she did know, that she was playing me as much as I was playing her. It made me think."

"So you're here because of a girl. One of them?" Really what Detective Green should have said was one of us, as Thomas knew this officer was a werewolf too. So all he did was nod. "Yet you still provided information to your folks, to the 'cult' because you, cared about her?"

"No. Kind of. I didn't tell them everything." He promised. "Please, is she okay? No one will tell me anything"

Detective Green looked completely deadly then as his nostrils flared and his skin altered to more of a red. "May Winters has been reported as missing. She was never recovered from either of the facilities. I can give you more if you like, after you kept talking about the girl I looked her up, been checking the reports as they come through. Want to know the tests that were undertaken there, that they sought out runts like her for? Maybe you'd like to see the x-rays with her number on from where she was provided medical care for broken bones, internal bleeding and-"

"Stop, I don't-" Thomas snapped, his eyes watering with unshed tears.

"You asked dickhead." A file was dropped on the table and the detective opened it up, spreading an assortment of images across the table. "Now you get to see."

It was a lot to take in and Thomas struggled to understand what he was looking at - yet he knew. He knew what had to be going on, it couldn't have been as civil as the stories they told. The guilt and self loathing at being apart of it, all of it, had him turning to the side to throw up which only made Detective Green scoff with disgust of his own. Every werewolf he'd apart of catching, every trap he set, everything he had done to support this so called cause had his head pounding. He wasn't supposed to care. The creatures didn't deserve their empathy, but just as May had said - they really were still people. May's family weren't faking being normal. Her Dad really was a cool dad, her mother wasn't there as a breeder or prisoner. He saw only what a real family was, one that loved and cared for each other. May was who she was because of them and now because of him, she was what? Gone. Dead? Either way, he knew who ever they found was not going to be the May he had known.

"Where is he?" The shrill voice of his mother broke into the room and like a tornado his parents swept in and gathered him up. "You, I will be reporting you. All of you."

"Mum, enough!" Thomas yelled, slamming his fists down on the table. "Do you not understand what we've been doing, what this whole organisation is a part of or you do just not care?"

"We will talk about this later." She snapped at him, and glaring at the detective, dragged her son from the room.

"We'll be in touch, don't you worry about that." Detective Green called out after them.

It was just too bad they never got to leave the building before their bail was denied.

_________________

"We are lost." May sighed, suddenly feeling extremely small and insignificant in such a wild, vast land. They stood like two ants on top of a hill, with nothing but sloping forests and mountain as far as the eye could see.

"Yup." Caleb agreed. "If we keep heading east, I think we'll be okay."

"You said that this morning about heading south."

"True, but then I remembered the sun sets in the east and when I was still with mum that was behind us back the way we had come from." He explained.

"Well, it's all we got to go by so guess we'll keep going then?"

Caleb nodded. "Just before dark we'll send out a call and see if we get any answer to help guide us back."

The plan almost worked, yet it wasn't their pack that answered them, but one of the wild ones. It helped though, as Caleb recognized the voices of the first lot of wolves he had come across on his own. Soon after they found themselves following a new smell curiously and after seeing paw prints different to theirs, the cougar they found had them quickly running the other way all the while May was amused with the memory of a cat versus dog video she'd seen on youtube. The outcome wouldn't have been the same if their paths had met, prey was scarce in this region and two young wolves may have made an appealing meal to that cat. Besides, she'd never been a fan of any feline species - especially those that were bigger than her.

It was nearly midnight when they finally found somewhere to rest for what remained of the night. They'd barely stopped all day and tired legs matched equally tired bodies so sleep found them fast and easy. Dawn came and went and the sun was high in the sky when the sleepy pair emerged, hungry and missing the comforts of home. A soft bed, pillows, hot showers and breakfast. May could almost smell the pancakes greeting her as she entered the kitchen, her father smiling at her as she took a seat while her mother stayed by the coffee machine as though it was her only lifeline. Distracted with her thoughts, she turned to find Caleb a few meters away as he briskly walked down the hill, tail high, ears up and alert.

With a whine she raced after him, and as they left the cover of the trees her stomach recoiled for a moment at the deer, or maybe it had been an elk -carcass, especially when the memory of maple syrup, covering those fluffy, hot pancakes was all she could think about to the point of practically tasting it. The small gathering of wolves growled and stood defensively at the intruders, but it didn't take much for Caleb to work his way in with no real argument and May joined him, not enjoying the kill like she had before. Food was food and they were hungry, only with full bellies they didn't keep going as fast as they had, plus the pack lazily ran with them.

Three awkward pups struggled to keep up; their winter coat more like fuzz as it battled their puppy fur, while they just loved being included and able to travel with the others rather than be left behind at the den. Late afternoon naps were had by all, and when May woke Caleb, the duo moved off without their escort yet the alpha watched them go with wary eyes - finally feeling comfortable now the strange creatures had gone. He hadn't liked how he felt around them, wasn't sure if he should fight or submit. His nerves were on edge, similar to how he got before storm, but thankfully all had passed with his family safe and the territory they had fought hard for seasons ago was still their own.

It was nearly dawn when Caleb paused and raised his nose to the sky, his call breaking the silence of the night before May joined in. Nearby an owl took flight, it's sleep disturbed, while those under the ground shuffled around anxiously at the prospect of a predator lurking nearby. Miles behind them, the faint answer of the pack told them how far they had come. This time May went first, Caleb starting as she stopped before they sang together, and from his bed, it was Braydon who first heard it. Instantly he was gently urging Miranda to wake and seeing him frantically getting up and throwing things her way to put on - first her big jacket, and then boots, he rushed outside as the lights came on in Bianca's cabin down the road. Chad was right behind him, and Miranda hurried to do up the buttons on her jacket as she ran out in a sleepy daze.

The second May heard her father's call she answered, Caleb joining her again as another, then another started, acting like a siren, drawing them in closer and closer until finally the forest gave way to a rather large clearing with dead squares of grass a tell tale sign of a camping ground. More lights turned on inside the cabins, lighting up the dark as the two young wolves hesitantly journeyed closer before the large male appeared on the path, another right behind him. Caleb nudged May's shoulder, urging her onwards and ever so slowly she started to move. The other two did as well, with Miranda coming up behind them. Her hands moved to her cover her mouth as barely managed to stop herself from screaming out her daughter's name.

It was Nate who made the first move, charging towards his twin, Caleb braced himself and was ready, the pair rolling backwards as Nate knocked Caleb off his feet. With a growl, Caleb kicked him off yet Nate wasn't done as he nipped at his sibling, tugging on his ear as the pair wrestled again. May barely saw it as she inched towards her father, her belly grazing the dirt as her tail wagged against the leaves and the back of her legs. Her ears were down as she approached, nervous and terrified, yet so excited her whole body shook like an overeager puppy. Slowly Braydon approached the submitting figure of his daughter, and as she rubbed up against his chest and licked at his muzzle, Chad dared to come closer with Miranda at his side.

Braydon licked Mays snout and face before bumping their heads together. In the same instance he fell to the floor, and slunk around him in a more cat like fashion, before doing the same with Chad. He gently tugged on her ear before head bumping her too, and falling to her knees, Miranda opened her arms.

"Oh my baby girl!" She sobbed and it wasn't the wolf that fell into her arms, but May.

"Mum, I've missed you so much!" May cried, holding onto her as though if she let go, it would stop being real. "I'm sorry."

Miranda couldn't answer her as she rocked them back and forth, softly crying against May's hair. Braydon appeared then, a blanket in his hands which he draped over May's back. Neither May or Miranda knew how long they stayed like that, but when they finally looked around, the shifters had all dressed, including Caleb and stiffly they got up from the ground and May clung to the blanket as the cold set in.

"Come on, let's go inside into the warm." Braydon told her, his arm over her shoulders as he kept her close, with Miranda under the other one.

May looked around the unfamiliar cabin as they went in, savouring the warmth as it fought back the cold from her skin. Instantly her mother was making hot chocolates, and her father added another log to the fireplace, yet putting her hand out, Caleb was there to hold it. They sat at the dining table, and as Caleb's' family fussed over him, Bianca helped Miranda. With everyone sitting, warm and comfortable, hot chocolate warmed their bellies and a feeling of happiness May hadn't ever known had her smiling into her cup.

"Should we get a doctor, are you hurt or hungry? Do you need anything?" Chad asked, completely out of his comfort zone.

"I'm okay. Honest." May assured him, glancing at Caleb who was onto his second hot chocolate. "I ah, um, I guess, well I'm sorry. For running off. I was being stupid and we-"

"Don't May. We understand." Braydon smiled at her from across the table and she knew he did. "I'm just glad we have you back."

"Me too." Miranda added, leaning over to kiss May's cheek.

"Yeah, but I'm still sorry." May sighed. "I didn't think, and you must have been stressed out as it was."

"Will it help if you ground you?" Her Dad asked curiously, making her look at him in complete shock. "Kidding. Really May, we understand. Trust me on this. Why do you think we're here and not still out there?"

She hadn't actually thought about that. "You stopped looking for me?"

"We knew you'd come back when it was time." Bianca assured her. "Both of you."

"That's it?" May asked, not quite sure how to take these very, calm and relaxed versions of their parents.

"With everything that's happened, that's it." Miranda put her arm around May's shoulders and she instantly leaned against her mother. "We are just so relieved you're here. I was just so terrified that we'd lost you."

"You nearly did." May admitted softly.

As the first light appeared the horizon, the group split up to return to their own cabins and to get in some sleep. Reluctantly Caleb and May separated and logically she knew it had to happen. They still had their own families and lives, being apart might even be good for them. It wasn't permanent either, and he wasn't even that far away. She showered and got dressed, feeling more normal already and as soon as she laid down on the fold out sofa, she was asleep. Caleb was much the same, yet barely an hour later they both woke up in a panic due to the other one not being there. It was more than the last couple of weeks they'd shared together. The fear that they were back in the cell, with a guard standing over them or a doctor ordering the other away - had Caleb up and going to find May who met him on the verandah as she went to do the exact same thing.

"You're okay?" She asked him instantly.

He nodded. "Just, I woke and you weren't there and well, I thought they'd taken you."

"What are we going to do?" May sighed with a shiver.

"Nothing. Come on, you don't have to share a bed with Nate so we'll stay here." Caleb decided heading back inside the Winter's place.

This time when they slept, the nightmares stayed away.

_________________

Every day they spent back in the real world was exhausting. Putting their parents at ease, they agreed to having a doctor check them over. Miranda stuck by May's side the entire time, giving her some comfort that it wasn't going to be like before, where as Caleb was able to rationalize that little bit quicker and separate the facility to the present. The therapist assigned to them was a shifter, nothing at all like Doctor Brown and whether the pair of them went together or on their own, she took small steps in getting them to talk to her. There was no pressure, no threats, no games and after two sessions, May wondered if perhaps she hadn't completely lost her mind.

The patience and love shown towards her broke her heart as she struggled to adjust with the return to her home. To think she thought they'd be disappointed and angry with her was completely ridiculous and as each day went by, she found herself sharing piece by piece of her ordeal with her family - Caleb too. Talking to them was easy, They listened. They might not have understood as much as they thought they did, but they tried and that was enough. Safe in their own homes, in rooms that hadn't been touched since they left, both Caleb and May found a weird sense of peace about it all. The memories still made them flinch at the sound of a door sliding open, the beep of a microwave made them shudder, and even a trip to the shops with their parents left their nerves on edge as everyone they passed was looked at with suspicion and fear. Despite this, they found comfort in doing simple tasks like helping with the washing, watching TV and even doing the dishes. Chores they once hated were now the favourite part of the day as it gave them the sense of normalcy and control they had lost when being trapped in a cell.

"I hate it, that they're still fucking with my head." Caleb growled at May as they sat outside her backyard three weeks later. She had to take him outside as the panic attack that started after hearing squealing tyres from a neighbour's car reminded him of the accident when he was taken.

"It's not always going to be like this. It just takes time." She told him wisely.

"But how much time?" He broke down at that, and she curled up against him. Instantly his head was buried into her shoulder and she let him cry for as long as he needed to.

"I wish we could do more." Braydon sighed, turning away from the window.

"Me too. Eli wants to see May, all of them do. Tiffany too. I don't know how much longer we can keep them away." Miranda frowned.

"The pack as well. A decision still needs to be made about Oliver."

"Kill him." Chad grumbled from the doorway.

"I want to agree, but death just seems so, so barbaric." Miranda glanced at Braydon who only shrugged. "We are above those evil people."

"Are we?"

"Yes!" She argued.

Chad sat down beside her. "Yeah, but I still want to rip him apart."

"Me too." Braydon agreed as the phone rang.

Ignoring them Miranda went and answered, the look on her face making Braydon go closer as he strained to hear the other end of the line.

"Tomorrow. I'll speak to you then." She said quickly and ended the call.

"What's tomorrow?" Braydon asked.

"Your family want to see you." Miranda said bluntly. "You could blow them off while we were away, but it's no secret we're home now."

"I don't have family and even if I-"

"They were in there too Braydon!" She snapped, interrupting him. "Just give them five minutes. I think they earned that."

He snorted, unimpressed and before he could say anything else, May and Caleb came back in.

"What's wrong?" May asked, sensing the tension in the room.

"Your Dad's family want to see him." Chad told her.

"You can't!" May exclaimed a little too loudly. "I mean, I don't think you should."

"Why not?" Miranda asked cautiously, seeing the change in her daughter. "May, what's wrong?"

"It's just, you can't. There was, I didn't, you have to understand it wasn't on purpose." She rambled and feeling the bile rise in her throat she ran to sink and gagged. Miranda was soon there, rubbing her back gently and grabbing a glass for some water while Caleb hadn't moved.

"Honey, what wasn't on purpose?" Her mother asked.

May couldn't answer and as she gripped the sink, her hands tingled as they had after she felt the bone break beneath them.

"It was a test." Caleb spoke up instead, not looking at anyone as he simply stared at the floor. "They wanted her scared, to see if I could feel it and the wolf they put in to attack her was related to you. Oliver told me afterwards. It wouldn't hurt her, but I didn't know that, so when I came in, she thought I was going to hurt May and vice versa so we got in a fight. I worked it out before she did, May was trying to get us to stop."

"I couldn't. I tried. I did!" May's voice broke then and no one really knew where this was going.

"I wasn't fighting back, and she got hold of me. May tried to get her to stop, and in the process-"

"I hurt her really bad. I wanted to kill her, and, and, I just grabbed her and, and I broke her leg." May confessed.

"You, broke her leg?" Chad asked, trying not to sound too relieved.

May nodded, unable to shake the memory just yet.

"Oh my darling. The things you would have seen, had to do and- I wish we had protected you from all this. We failed you both." Miranda wiped her eyes as May hugged her.

"It's okay Mum."

No one said anything for a few minutes and it was Braydon who broke the silence. "I'll see them tomorrow."

"I'll come with you." Miranda told him.

"Me too." May glanced at Caleb who nodded. "We all will."

The reunion was arranged at neutral territory and land at Deans was decided upon. What none of them expected was for the pack to find out and by the time they arrived, the crowd had gathered eager to see the young heroes. Against their parents wishes, Caleb and May got out the car and the whispers they heard surprised them. There was talk from survivors of what they had seen and heard from Bianca's son; his escape attempts, the amount of times he was taken away, the sounds that come from his cell. It was much the same for May, yet there was little pity to be found. The pack was in awe and the runt they had rejected was looked at with new respect.

"May!" Eli called from the shed, running through the group to get to her.

He grabbed her up in a hug, while Caleb stood anxiously nearby and knowing he had gone with Chad to the other facility, May was so happy to see him here, and unharmed. "You're back. You're okay."

"You too!" She cried against him, and as Kyle and Morgan yelled something from behind them, the nosey onlookers ventured inside or shifted and ran out across the property. "You were right Eli."

"About what?"

"I was stopping myself from shifting, I'm the biggest idiot."

He grinned, "Na, just stubborn. This will teach you to listen to your elders."

"You're not that much older than me."

"I'm old enough." He boasted. "May, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am you're here."

She hadn't realised how much she missed him either. In those few weeks before she had been taken, Eli had become a good friend, an ally. She trusted him, and nothing had changed in their time apart.

"I missed you." She admitted, hugging him again.

"May?" A male voice asked from beside them, and letting Eli go she gasped as she barely recognized the man standing there. "I can't thank you enough for what you did, for me. For my family."

Caleb was behind her in an instant as she stepped back, not quite prepared for the shock of seeing Eli's father looking so, well. Closing her eyes she turned away and pressed herself against Caleb as her parents came closer, unsure of what to do. They hadn't expected everyone to be here, especially not Eli and his family. Really there wasn't anything they could do as the image of the last time May had seen him was fresh in her mind. The chains, the smell, the blood and death.

"You saved me." He told her gently, as Amy ran over and attached herself to her father's leg. "All of us."

May shook her head. "I didn't do anything."

"You did. You gave me hope. When you said I'd see them again, I didn't believe you, but then things started to change. Some of the guards started to sneak in food, water. One even began to give us medicine. We all started to believe that we could survive, that help was coming. If we hadn't had that, well. There would have been a lot less of us here today." He paused, sucking in a sharp breath. "I was so close to giving up."

Slowly May looked at him again. "Me too."

"I don't believe that for a second. You did what you had to do to survive and you did. You beat them, the fact you're here today proves that." He told her wisely before looking at Caleb. "We all did."

It was then that Morgan came over, dipping her head slightly towards Bianca and Braydon, she smiled softly at May. "If you can, there is someone else that wants to see you."

"It's okay if you don't want to." Caleb whispered as he could see the fear and hesitation all over her face.

One look at Eli's father though had her nodding and Morgan led them towards the house instead of the shed. It wasn't the same place as when Dean lived there, but there was definitely something homely that still lingered in the building. The others stayed behind as Caleb and May followed Morgan in the living room, and May's hand was quickly slapped over her mouth as she saw who sat on the lounge chair.

"Hello May." David smiled weakly at her, and his parents sat silently in the corner of the room, their eyes full of tears as she had come in. "Good to see you again."

In another world, one that exitsed months ago - those words were not ones he would ever say, unless they were filled with sarcasm and the promise of cruelty. Now, they were genuine, thankful and he awkwardly shuffled into more of a sitting position. The movement clearly hurt.

"I thought you had died." May sobbed, the past forgotten as instead she thought of the beaten, broken shell she had last seen. She hadn't even asked about him in fear of having her doubts confirmed and the hold she had on Caleb's hand was nearly crushing.

"They say I did on the operating table, but I don't remember." He forced a laugh, that turned into a raspy cough. His leg was was wrapped up, his arm too and while he didn't as fragile as he had at the facility, he was far from recovered. "I can't shift. They ah, think I've lost my wolf. Ironic huh. Healing like a normal human sucks, but I'm alive."

For not having her wolf, he had made May's life hell yet she didn't enjoy the turnaround in their situation at all.

"I just wanted to see you, so thank you for coming. I wanted to say sorry for everything, for how I used to be. I was an idiot. A real asshole. You're the strongest one of us all, don't ever forget that. You too Caleb. I heard about you. The guards used to talk. Sucks having a famous mum right. Alpha's son." He wasn't mocking, but there was something in his tone before a few tears ran down his cheek. "Fuck them, you know."

May boldly moved closer, kneeling on the floor as she took his good hand. "The past doesn't matter anymore. None of it. You will get better."

"If I was you, I would still hate me. I would've kept kicking you while you were down. I'm glad they didn't ruin you."

Looking back at Caleb, he gave her a tiny smile and May knew what she said was true. The past, none if matters anymore. She wasn't the person she was and there was no point in trying to get her back. This, here and now was the girl taking her place.

"As if they could." She smirked making David smile.

"You're amazing." Caleb told her as they left. "What you have done for these people, you're something else."

Seeing their families waiting outside, May saw a lot of amazing people. It wasn't all about her and she didn't doubt that any of them would not have done the same thing. "It's what I had to do, you would have as well. We're not the same people we were Caleb, I don't know if we ever will be, but Eli's Dad is right. We beat them. We're still here and it's always going to be a part of us, but it will not destroy us either. We've come too far."

Caleb stopped, keeping May with him for just a second longer and kissed her. "I'd be lost without you. Through all of this you've been what has kept me going and before that, well, I've always needed you."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Together right?" 

"Always." He promised.