Akela watched from the porch steps as the Alpha, Luna and their heir sped off in a car towards the airport with Delta Sam behind the steering wheel.

Her guts churned with worry. Her Alpha was willing to risk the safety of not just himself but his mate and heir too. His human mate. For her.  the idea seemed a bit stupid at first. Why would he, a strong Alpha of mixed Cizinec and Connor blood demean himself to help her? She was nothing but a poor rogue girl with no family and no value.

"Don't worry. He won't risk his family," Ameer reassured with a hand on her shoulder.

She looked at the Beta, with tears in her eyes.

"He used to be a rogue. He was outcast and alone for years, Akela. He's going to do what he can for you," Ameer smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around her in a reassuring hug.

She couldn't quite get used to how they all seemed to be touching each other in the valley pack. They all greeted each other with hugs and seeing mates kissing was no longer a reason to turn away.
Up there, on the mountain, the pack cared about each other as well, but touching was a family thing in their own home.

"Preston will kill them..." Akela muttered. Worried that she may have sent her Alpha family into a death-trap.

"Hopefully Alpha North is proud enough to show respect," Ameer chuckled and squeezed her shoulder.

"Besides, I have this," the Beta said and revealed a wristwatch next to his usual one.

"If this glows red, it means Zeke has activated his one and we go rescue," he grinned.

Akela sent a skeptical look around the assembled pack. An assorted selection of children and youngsters up to old Hunter.

"Not us. Not alone..." Ameer grinned and pointed to a notice Ezekiel had hung by the door.

"The phone numbers to all our allies," he chuckled and gave Akela another reassuring pat on the back, threatening to send her flying into the thawing flower beds.

She sent another look towards where the car had gone.

Somehow, this kind and caring Alpha had decided to risk everything for her. Her breath felt ragged and sore. Her face was set in a worried frown. She understood why she couldn't have gone with them, but she wished she had. She could have been a bargaining chip. 

But Ezekiel had just given her a hug when she suggested it and laughed his fatherly, warm laugh.

He didn't want to risk the Connor rage, he told her.

Akela understood that she was safer here and that Zion and Abel both would be livid if she had gone, but for the first time since she was a child, she sent a prayer to the moon goddess.

Her introverted worries were interrupted by something cold being pressed into her hand.

She looked down to see a set of car keys.

"Finn!" Ameer hollered and a set of footsteps were heard thumping down the stairs.

Once the young boy was in the doorway Ameer grinned at him.

"Get your coat. And see if Naomi wants to come along for a drive," Ameer grinned.

Akela stared at the keys in her hand and sent the Beta a questioning look.

"We're teaching Akela to drive!" Ameer smiled, still aimed towards Finn.

"But..." Finn protested.

"And Both you and Naomi need to get out of the house instead of moping," Ameer ordered.

Finn turned and walked in with a loud, long, drawn-out sigh.

"They worry as much as you. Both their dads just went up north. If anything bad happens, Finn becomes Alpha. That's a huge weight," Ameer explained, making Akela feel even worse. In her own guilt, she hadn' thought of Ezekiel's pack or Sam's family.

"Don't kick yourself even more. I know you feel this is your fault or something... disrupting our peaceful lives and all that, but Zeke is a good man. He would have helped you even if you had pledged allegiance to Gerry," Ameer smiled and shooed her towards the garage.

The key in her hand belonged to a smaller estate car.

"It's Hunter's... When he gets his licence," Ameer said with a swoop of his hand to urge Akela to unlock it.

Akela looked at the small object in her hand and pressed one of the little buttons. The click from the car doors told her she had successfully unlocked the doors.

"In you go," Ameer smiled and sat his bulky self into the passenger seat. Akela hesitantly opened the drivers' door and sat down. Her hands shook as she clumsily fumbled to attach the seatbelt. All the time she felt Ameer's friendly smile on her.

"Okay. First thing. Put the key into the starter. Right side of the steering wheel," He instructed.

Akela did as she was told but felt his hand on hers as she started turning it.

"Not yet," he grinned.

Akela let go and turned her face towards him, revealing how nervous she was on top of the worry she already felt for the Alpha family.

"First you adjust your seat and the mirror. Make sure your foot can get the clutch to the floor," Ameer said, trying to hold back a chuckle.

Akela did as he told her and listened carefully as he explained what the various buttons and pedals did.

"Now, press the clutch in with your left foot, and turn the key," Ameer rounded off.

Akela stared at him in weird surprise.

"Go on," he encouraged.

Akela looked at the key, her hands shook as she reached for it. Quickly she drew her hand back.

"What if... What if I crash into something?" she asked, looking fearfully at the apparently narrow garage opening.

Ameer laughed. It sounded safe and warm.

"You won't," he chuckled.

Akela drew a slow breath and turned the key carefully.

The car jolted to life with a lingering screechy coughing sound.

"Now let go of the key," Ameer grinned.

She did and the noise settled into a deep, steady rumble.

Her hands positioned on the wheel as he instructed and carefully she eased the pedals, making the car lurch forward two centimetres before the engine sputtered and died.

"Try again," Ameer encouraged.

On the second try, the car rolled unevenly forward until they were clear of the garage. Ameer instructed her to stop to let Finn and Naomi jump into the back seat.

"Right. Let's go pick up the pizza!" Ameer grinned.

Akela looked at him, feeling terrified.

"I'll tell you what to do. Just ease off the clutch like you did, and head for the road," Ameer nodded.

A few minutes and an uneven car journey later, they returned to the house, with the whole car smelling of warm pizza. In the back seat, the two teenagers were giggling and trying their best to throw Akela off her focus, while Ameer's voice was a constant stream of encouragement and instructions.

By the time they got back home, Akela was sat with a wide smile on her face, feeling like a true champion. She had mastered this fuming, noisy, metal beast of a car. A contraption her father had always told her to stay away from and something she on her journey had tried to avoid. 

Her smile was making her cheeks burn, but she didn't care. It felt good. She had driven a car. According to the two youngsters in the back seat, she drove like a granny, but apart from that, it felt like she had conquered the world.

"See! You can do anything you want!" Ameer grinned as Akela stopped the car, front first in the garage. The two in the back seat started applauding sarcastically.

"Yay! You didn't crash the car!" Naomi laughed and scrambled out of the car and into the house after Finn who was holding a pile of pizzas.

Ameer looked at Akela's smiling face.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Akela looked at the kind face of the man next to her.

"Like I can conquer the world!" she smiled happily.

"You did good," Ameer nodded and left the car, signalling that the lesson was over. 

Akela removed the keys, undid the safety belt and left the garage, clutching the keys as if they were a magic amulet that could unlock a whole new plane of existence.

"We'll do a driving lesson a week until you feel comfortable going to town to get your licence" Ameer grinned once they were out of the garage.

Akela looked at him, feeling a bit stunned, but the genuine smile on his face told her that he believed she could do it. Before he could say anything else, the front door flew open and two men came rushing out, both looking panicked as they practically ran for Akela.

"Akela! Thank the Goddess!" Zion said with worry etched into his eyes.

"We thought you had gone with Zeke!" Abel added, looking equally frightened.

"I was so scared!" Zion said.

"I seriously thought I'd have to go after you!" Abel said.

'The two of them talked over each other, both circling her, crowding her and fussing over her like a pair of puppies who had been left alone for the first time.

"Guys..." Ameer ordered, firmly enough for the both of them to step back. The two younger men both looked worried and both were on the verge of touching Akela, while Ameer was slowly shaking his head in a mixture of amused and exasperation.

"I thought you were gone..." Zion whispered, tears wetting his eyes.

Akela looked at him, to see the relief and care he felt.

"I was driving... I drove a car!" she smiled, the joy from the acheivment still buzzing through her body.

Slowly, Zion's worried frown melted into a look of pride and happiness.

"You drove?" Abel accused, still full of the earlier worry.

"She has to learn at some point..." Ameer informed.

"And how did it go?" Zion asked, still with his eyes locked with Akela's.

She nodded happily.

"I liked it! I mean... Beta Ameer only took me out to distract me from feeling guilty about Alpha going north, but it was fun! I actually drove a real car!" She grinned.

Before she could register the laugh from Ameer, a pair of arms were wrapped around her and her face was buried in Zion's neck.

"I'm so proud of you!" he whispered into her hair, and somehow she knew he wasn't just talking about the driving.

"Thank you," she replied and found her arms wrap around him in return.

Behind her, she felt Abel join the hug.

"Just tell us the next time you decide to run off, yeah?" Abel chuckled.

"Or not..." Ameer commented dryly from the side.

Akela looked at him to see a smug smirk.

"You do not belong to either of these big puppies. You can do what you want!" he continued.

The two guys started straightening and releasing Akela from the hug.

"At least that's what my wife tells me, and I'm damned if I'll ever risk pushing her away by protecting her too much," Ameer smiled, with his eyes on Emily who was stood at the door smiling back at him. The fire in his eyes was lit the moment he saw her.

"Come inside. The pizza is getting cold," She said and returned into the house where the sound of youngsters could be heard.

"As you wish, delbar-am," Ameer said softly towards her retreating form. The warm smile on his face revealing the full meaning of the endearment.

Akela found her face turning towards the man in front of her. He was still holding her hand and there was a soft smile fully focused on her on his face.

"Let's eat," he smiled and Akela nodded. She went up the stairs, one man on each side, both holding her hands. And for the first time in her life, she felt she had the power to shape her own destiny.