[A/N - POV changes a few times. Hold on tight, everybody]

TRIGGER WARNING: blood and violence

"Mercy screams it's violent love, justice and mercy, justice and mercy. The depth of us created for justice and mercy, justice and mercy. This is where they kiss."
~Flyleaf, 'Justice And Mercy'

~~~

*Landon's POV*

We head out of the church, loading back into Enzo's car. Those of us who had jackets on offer them to the wolves whose clothes had torn, providing them with at least a little bit of coverage. Lia wraps my jacket around her, blushing deeply as Ronnie not-so-subtly checks her out.

I turn to make a comment about it to Ryland when I notice he's not standing beside me. Furrowing my brows, I whip around, looking for my mate.

"Where's Ryland?" I ask the group. No one answers, and dread settles in my stomach. The only answer to my question is a loud scream; one that I recognize as my heart leaps into my throat. "Ryland!"

"Landon, wait!" Enzo grabs my arm. "We should come up with a plan before running in there."

"A plan?! My mate is screaming! Fuck a plan!"

"He's right," Leon cuts in. "We should think about what to do first."

"Leon, are you fucking kidding me? What if it was Lyn in there?" I demand before turning to Enzo. "Or Lillian? Amy and Opal? You would really stand around and wait for a fucking plan?!"

The two exchange an uncertain glance; one I swiftly ignore when I feel Ryland's fear through our bond. Tearing away from them, I race towards the church and slam the doors open.

"Ryland!" I shout, eyes widening in terror when I see my mate sprawled on the floor with a large black wolf over him. Ryland's honey eyes meet mine the second before the wolf raises his massive claws. "Look out!"

Ryland whips around and screams as the claws swipe at him, but the wolf doesn't make contact. Flashes of black and dark brown fur fly through the sanctuary as the wolf is suddenly tackled to the ground. Mateo's wolf, Maverick, snaps his teeth at the feral wolf, shoving him far away from my mate. Ryland scrambles off the ground and sprints to me, jumping directly into my arms.

"I got you, baby, I'm here," I whisper, cradling his trembling body.

"R-Roman," he stammers, pulling back to glance at the fighting wolves. "T-The feral wolf, it's Roman."

"What?" I gasp, holding my mate tightly. That's Roman? The wolf that rejected my honeybee?

His fur is pitch black, matted down to his skin. There are obvious scars covering his large body, and it seems like his left ear was torn at the end. But the most startling feature is his eyes. One bright red, and one blue. I've always been told that feral wolves have red eyes, so why did only one of his eyes change?

I don't have time to think about it, because Roman pins Maverick down, clamping his jaws around his throat.

"Ryland, go get help!" I instruct, setting him down. Throwing my clothes off, I yank Leo forward, shifting as quickly as possible.

***

*Third Person POV*

Leo opens his eyes, growling at the sight of Roman towering over Maverick. He charges forward, slamming into Roman's much larger body. The wind gets knocked out of Leo from how solid the feral wolf is, but his efforts are enough to make Roman release Maverick's throat.

Roman snarls, turning his multi-colored eyes in Leo's direction. Standing his ground, Leo releases a bark of warning for him to back off. Maverick stares at his former Luna; his golden eyes wide with shock. Leo inclines his head, wordlessly letting Maverick know that he's still on his side.

Maverick rises to his feet, and they stand together against Roman, growling loudly. The feral wolf looks back and forth between the two, his eyes flashing brighter. He's scared. He knows he can't take both wolves.

Outside, Ryland pleads the other wolves for assistance. Ronnie shifts back into Valeria without hesitation, but not before ordering Lia to stay put. Leon and Enzo stand frozen, conflicted over aiding Mateo after learning about his part in Easton's death. Not wanting to wait for them to decide, Ryland and Valeria race to the chapel.

A crash pulls Leo's attention as Ryland runs back into the church, followed by Valeria. Taking advantage of Leo's momentary distraction, Roman slams his head against the silver wolf's. Leo yelps, stumbling backwards as the impact makes him dizzy and his vision blur. Valeria rushes forward, supporting Leo before he can fall to the ground

"Leo!" Ryland screams, and Roman's head snaps in his direction. The black wolf sniffs the air, instantly recognizing that scent. The scent that he encountered five years ago; the reason why he went feral in the first place. Roman roars angrily, setting his sights on Ryland and lunging forward.

Ryland shrieks, preparing to shift, but is stopped when the sound of claws sinking into flesh fills the sanctuary.

The blood drains from Ryland's face as he gapes at Maverick, who had jumped in front of him right before Roman could strike. The feral wolf's claws dig into Maverick's chest instead, causing dark red blood to pour onto the ground.

"No!" Ryland shouts, tears filling his eyes for the wolf he barely knew.

With his claws buried deep in Maverick's chest, Roman opens his jaws, intending to clamp down on the injured wolf's throat and snap his neck. In that split second, Ryland acts without thinking and snatches a large shard of glass of the ground. He plunges the shard into the side of Roman's neck, making violent love to the artery there. The feral wolf sputters as he begins to gasp for breath.

His claws retract from Maverick's chest as he stumbles back; thick blood dripping from his wound. Roman thrashes his head around, trying to dislodge the glass. Unbeknownst to him, the glass stabbed directly into his carotid artery. As soon as the shard is removed, the wound bleeds profusely. Roman gasps, growing dizzy quickly from blood loss. His legs grow weak as he stumbles to the ground, his vision slowly turning black.

"Oh goddess," Ryland whispers. "Holy shit. I killed him. Holy shit. Shit. Shit."

Sensing his mate's distress, Leo forces himself to shift, pushing through his intense throbbing headache.

***

*Landon's POV*

I run over to Ryland, ignoring the pounding in my head. He clutches his bloodied hands to his chest, whispering panicked curses under his breath.

"Honeybee, you're okay," I sooth, sitting and pulling him into my lap. "You're okay."

"I k-killed him," Ryland repeats, his eyes growing watery. "I killed someone. I'm a murderer."

"It was self-defense. You're not a murderer. If you hadn't killed him, he would've killed you both."

Ryland suddenly gasps. "Mateo!"

Furrowing my brows, I turn my head to where Maverick is struggling to shift back into Mateo. When he succeeds, Mateo's body flops to the ground as he struggles for air. Deep claw marks penetrate the length of his chest as dark blood seeps out.

My stomach twists as my hands begin to shake. "M-Mateo..."

"I'm s-sorry," Mateo rasps out. His thick curls splay out around his head like a dark halo.

"You saved my life," Ryland says, his tears dripping down. Mateo smiles weakly.

"I couldn't... let Landon's... mate die... again," Mateo manages through labored breathing.

I choke back a sob. "I forgive you. Do you hear me? You're forgiven."

Tears pool out of Mateo's eyes, and the same time that blood begins to drip past his lips. He reaches a cold hand forward, and I grasp it tightly. I offer him a shaky smile as my vision is blurred with tears.

"Say hi to them for me, will you?" I whisper, my voice wavering.

Mateo's lips twitch as he nods his head, and the light leaves his eyes. His grip on my hand loosens; his arm becoming heavier in my grasp. Releasing a strangled sob, I gently set his arm down across his chest, partially covering his wound. Leo releases a pained howl in my head as we grieve for our lost friend.

***

Sniffling, I try to wipe some of the blood off my hands onto my clothes. The car is silent, except for my sniffles and Lyn's soft cries. Ryland rests his head on my shoulder, offering me silent comfort.

Leon instructed Enzo to reach out to Silas, since he is too weak to use the mind link himself. Enzo does as he's told, alerting Silas that we've found Leon and are on our way to the pack.

In the back of the car lies Mateo's body, wrapped in a tarp. Regardless of our group's personal feelings towards him, I refused to leave him in that church. His family deserves the chance to bury him properly.

"I won't tell them," Leon mutters, staring at out the window. "I won't tell them what he did."

Lyn blinks in surprise. "Y-You won't?"

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now. Easton made his choice. Mateo's gone. Telling them would only re-open old wounds and hurt the Pérez family."

His mate smiles softly, pressing a kiss to Leon's cheek. "I'm proud of you."

The Alpha huffs. "Don't think you can act cute, and I'll stop being upset with. I still can't believe you put yourself in danger by looking for me."

"I'm not made of porcelain, Leon. You don't have to treat me as such."

"I fucking will, so long as you're carrying my pups."

"Pups?!" We all exclaim; Enzo swerving the car from shock.

Lyn blushes deeply. "Did I not mention that?"

"Lyn, are you serious?" Ryland gapes, his eyes beginning to twinkle. "You're pregnant?"

The Luna nods with a smile. "I am."

"You should have told us," Ronnie chastises her. "I should've know you weren't merely carsick."

"I only found out a week ago. I'm not that far along."

"You'll be giving birth within three months," Ronnie deadpans. "A few weeks may not be a lot for humans, but it is for us. You could start showing any day now."

"Is that why you guys are getting married?" I ask her.

Leon scowls. "I proposed months before she got pregnant. This isn't some shotgun wedding."

"When is that, by the way? If you guys are expecting, you should have it soon."

"Can you guys do wedding planning later?" Lucca cuts in. "It feels weird to talk about stuff like that while there's a literal dead body in the back of the car."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the car once more as Enzo drives us to the Silver Woods Pack. Once we arrive, I help Enzo retrieve Mateo's body from the car. After making sure he's stable, I prepare to leave with Ryland when Leon grabs my arm.

"Come with us," Leon insists firmly.

I scoff. "In case you've forgotten, I was banished. I'm not welcome here."

"In case you've forgotten, I'm the Alpha," Leon reminds me. "And I say you're no longer banished. Now let's go."

"But—"

Lyn hook her arm with mine and gives me a sweet smile. "Come along."

I glance back at Ryland for help, but he simply grins and takes my free hand. Sighing, I let them drag me along as our entire group walks into the pack. Silas and Celeste are already waiting at the gates with the rest of the pack gathered behind them. Celeste releases a sigh of relief when she sees her son, rushing forward to give him a hug.

"Thank goddess, you're safe," Celeste breathes out, hugging Leon tightly before pulling back and smacking his arm.

"Ow! Mom, what the hell?"

"Don't you ever do something that reckless again," Celeste warns him. Leon rolls his eyes, yelping when his mother pinches his cheek hard in retaliation.

"I'm glad you're alright," Silas says to his son, enveloping him in a hug as Celeste hugs Lyn. I shift nervously, waiting for them to notice them I'm here.

When Celeste pulls back from the hug, her green eyes finally land on me and widen significantly.

"Landon?" There's obvious shock in her tone. "What... why are you—?"

"Landon saved me, mother," Leon cuts her off, and she gasps.

"We all saved you," I correct him, and he shakes his head.

"If it wasn't for what you said to me in the church basement, I wouldn't have stopped trying to avenge Easton, even if it killed me. You got through to me, and you saved my life. And for that, I thank you."

Silas and Celeste are left stunned, and the eyes of the entire pack fall on me. I squirm uncomfortably, not really liking all the attention. Lyn notices my discomfort and quickly comes to my rescue.

"Unfortunately..." Lyn begins sadly. "Mateo was struck down by a feral wolf."

Gasps are heard throughout the crowd as Enzo steps forward with Mateo's body, still wrapped in the tarp. Two older wolves step forward, covering their mouths as they cry. Mateo's parents. Lyn hugs both of them, offering her condolences as she vows to hold a memorial service for him. Enzo and Lyn escort the Pérez family away, carrying Mateo to the pack house. The crowd follows behind them, grieving their lost Beta.

I sigh deeply. "Since Enzo was our ride, it looks like we'll have to either walk or call for a cab. Any preferences?"

Before I can receive an answer, someone taps on my shoulder. Turning around, I suck in a breath when I see Celeste still standing there.

"Landon..." she says softly. "Thank you for bringing my son home."

"You're welcome," I respond tightly.

"A-And, I'm sorry... for the way I've treated you. The pain of losing my son... well, it was easier to be mad at you than him."

I smile sadly, recalling when Leon had said that exact same thing to me at the church.

"I know I could never make it up to you," Celeste admits, "but I want you to know that we're fixing Easton's plaque to display your name. Something that we should have done the moment it was defaced."

"It's not enough," I say, releasing a shaky breath. "You were my family. And you tossed me out when I was suffering from the pain of losing my mate. That's not something I can easily forgive."

Celeste nods her head, looking down. "I understand. Please know that I sincerely regret the way I've treated you. You didn't deserve that. Easton... Easton would've been ashamed of me."

Tears fill her green eyes, and I have to restrain myself from pulling her into a comforting hug.

"The plaque," I croak, my throat thick with emotion. "It may not be enough, but... it's a start."

Celeste smiles softly, squeezing my shoulder before leaving to follow the departing pack. When she's gone, a weight is lifted off my chest, and I feel like I can breathe easier. Turning around, I look at the group standing behind me.

Completely exhausted and dirtied, they all still manage to smile proudly at me. Lia steps forward, wrapping her arms around me.

"You did good," she murmurs, and I smile as I hug her back. She steps away, and I turn to face my mate. Ryland smiles widely, his honey eyes watery. Reaching forward, I wipe away his tears. It seems like he's been crying a lot lately. I'm going to change that.

"Let's go home," I say, taking Ryland's hand and interlacing our fingers.

~~~

I know some of you were expecting something bigger to happen between Landon and Easton's parents, but in the moment of writing it, it didn't feel realistic. That's weird to say for a paranormal book lmao but it's true. There's too much damage to be resolved in one scene; in one book

Thoughts?? I know that was A LOT

Only four chapters left! Happy times only from here on out

Also, this is why I purposefully waited to introduce Mateo until later in the story. I didn't want you guys to get attached, and then be too sad when he died

Q: What was the last movie you watched?
[I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry]

See you next time!
-Gumbie