Three days later...

Her wolf woke her.

Lyndis groggily opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling fan. It was humid still, hot and muggy even in the middle of the night. She ran her hand over her face and glanced beside her, but she already felt the bed was empty. Lyndis listened hard for a moment. He was nowhere in the house.

She pushed up to sit and tried to make sense of the feeling she was getting from her wolf. She ran a hand back through her mussed up hair and immediately looked to the nightstand to grab her phone as an overwhelming urge to call her mother came over her.

Lyn paused when she saw nothing there. With a frown, she pushed the sheets aside and got up to see if it had fallen, but she couldn't find it anywhere.

It was missing.

Lyndis stood there for a moment. She felt a strange chill course through her.

She turned and immediately bound down the steps to shove through the front door into the muggy night air. Lyn didn't hesitate; she shifted and started full speed toward the cottage.

By the time she was within earshot, all her worst fears were confirmed. The sounds she was hearing made her push all the harder. There was angry shouting, scuffling and the young one's crying. Lyndis came to an abrupt halt as she broke through the clearing.

The shock of the scene quickly wore off as anger replaced it.

Lyn didn't hesitate; she shifted to skin and moved toward the group gathered beside the road. A dark figure had immediately broken off from the group and was already halfway toward her. Who it was only added to her fury.

"Lyn, you shouldn't be here..." Gaius began as he yanked off his shirt. Lyn didn't fight him as he pulled it on over her head, but she didn't let it stop her.

"What's going on?" Lyndis growled once she put her arms through it. Gaius gently put his hand on her shoulder, but she just shoved passed him. He was right on her heels.

"Lyn, you need to go home." Gaius insisted as he grabbed her arm. Lyn ripped free of his grip and sent him a vicious scowl as she closed the distance across the field. Lyndis took a moment to take in the scene.

Their cars were packed; her family was dressed. They must have been told to leave. Lyndis was horrified.

"Lyn, go home," Geoffrey growled. He was holding Renault. If he had still been her Alpha, it would have been a command.

"What are you doing?" Lyndis ignored her father and growled at Vitor. Vitor stood beside the fiercest of his enforcers. They all had grim looks on their faces.

"Lyn..," Gaius begged from behind her as she felt his fingers wrap around her arm.

"NO!" Lyndis growled and shoved away from Gaius again.

"Gaius, control your mate." Vitor snarled. Gaius again tried to grab her, but Lyndis would have none of it. She heard Marius growl and move toward them, but Geoffrey stopped him.

"I demand to know what's happening!" Lyndis continued fiercely. Vitor's jaw tensed. Lyndis knew she had thoroughly angered her new Alpha, but at present, she didn't give a fuck.

"Our territory issues have escalated. We cannot have them here right now, but my father will be more than happy to continue their arrangement once things have settled down." Gaius said quickly and quietly near her ear. Lyndis could barely breathe through her anger.

"My mother just had a pup; you can't be so heartless as-" Lyndis growled viciously toward Vitor in broken Portuguese.

"Enough." Vitor cut her off. His cold tone would have frightened her if she wasn't so deep in her own fury.

Lyndis looked at her family again; there was something off about their demeanor. Her mother was holding Adalyn, her baby sister tightly to her chest. Iyana was clinging to her side and looked terrified. Marius and Mathieu stood in front of them, their eyes alight with rage. Mathieu had Andre.

Lyn swept her eyes across the others. They all looked on the defense, their eyes trained on the enforcers. Lyn furrowed her brow; something felt wrong, why did they look on the verge of fighting?

Lyndis looked to Aldrick, her uncle, who was clinging to his baby daughter Sophie. Treves was standing in front of them, looking enraged. Lyn looked to Julian next; he had Sylvie in his arms. She was softly crying with her face buried in his neck, clinging to him for dear life. Both Thibault and Serge were standing in front of them, looking on guard themselves.

Lyn looked to Christophe last, he was holding Aurelia tightly, and Ced and Vince were tense and angry beside him. Nearly all their eyes were glazed. No one was moving; it almost seemed like they were so tense any movement would set them off.

Lyndis looked back to Vitor then, and a horrifying realization started to dawn on her.

"Then let them leave. What's the problem?" Lyndis asked, her voice breaking slightly from fear. She was terrified to hear the answer.

"Lyndis-" Geoffrey began, but Vitor cut him off.

"Go home," Vitor snarled viciously. It was clear his patience was at an end. Lyndis felt the full effects of the command slam into her. It made her take a step back.

"No..." Lyndis growled through grit teeth and immediately fought it. Vitor's eyes flashed with lethal anger, and Lyndis got the distinct impression he rarely met defiance from his pack.

"Gaius," Vitor growled viciously.

"Lyn..." Gaius begged again; his tone was desperate. Lyndis looked at her father; the pain of defying her Alpha's command was slowly taking over. She was starting to shake from it. Her breath was coming out in halted jerks, but she willed herself to stay put. Her father's face suddenly looked furious as he looked at Vitor.

"Stop! Release her!" Geoffrey growled. Her father knew her stubbornness. She got it from him.

"STOP!" Marius shouted.

"LEAVE, NOW." Vitor snarled instead. Lyndis felt like she'd been struck. The command's effects worsened by a thousand, and she nearly buckled over from the pain.

"NO!" Lyndis screamed and made tight fists at her sides.

"Lyndis!" Marion shouted. Lyn could barely think through the pain now. She heard everyone yelling at once, her parents, her uncles, cousins, brothers, and Gaius. She felt Gaius hands on her. He was trying to pull her away.

Despite the pain, the anger from the sickening betrayal began to break through. It soon became the only thing she could feel. How could he do this to her family? After everything they'd been through?

The extreme anger was almost blinding now. He was a fucking rat, to take advantage of her family like this. How could she have given her loyalty to him? How could she continue to follow him? She couldn't, not after this! He made her sick.. he-

SNAP.

She felt it inside her chest, like the snapping of a twig. Lyn didn't even know what it was until the command's effect suddenly released. Lyndis took a relieved breath and glanced up when she realized she was on her knees. Vitor was staring at her now, his face hot with rage. It took Lyn a moment to realize why. She'd broken her bond. She was Alphaless.

Lyndis met his eyes with a hot angry glare of her own.

"You best rethink that child," Vitor growled in the darkest tone she'd ever heard spoken by anyone.

"Lyn..." Gaius spoke from beside her. His tone was disbelief. It knocked her back to reality. Lyn shoved up from the ground and away from Gaius. She glared hatefully at Vitor.

"I cannot... and will not follow a coward!" Lyndis growled viciously. Vitor took several steps forward, his eyes wolf glazed with rage, he was on the verge of shifting.

He suddenly left her line of sight as Gaius grabbed her and shoved her behind him. Lyn heard movement from the left, and it was clear everyone was about to shift.

"NO! STOP!!" Geoffrey shouted.

"Stop," Vitor growled to his own enforcers, his voice strained. A tense moment of silence followed as everyone went still. The only sound was her pack sister's soft crying.

A long stressed silence followed.

"I have made a very generous offer. I prefer to do this peacefully, but if you wish to foolishly act otherwise, I will take what I want, one way or another and I will not be merciful." Vitor said viciously, and to Lyn's horror, Gaius translated his father's words into French.

Sylvie's sobs came out harder; she was practically wailing now as she clutched Julian tighter. Lyndis swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she glanced over at Geoffrey.

The look on her father's face broke her heart. Lyndis felt sick. She knew full well what Vitor must have told them.

He was forcing them all to leave, but their females stayed.

She met eyes with her father then, and it seemed like they held gazes for eternity. Finally, Geoffrey looked to Marion. Her mother's eyes looked fierce. She tightened her hold on Adalyn; she wasn't even two years old yet. She was still a baby.

"Marion..." Geoffrey began gently as he handed Renault over to Marius.

"NO!" Marion screamed at him. Adalyn started wailing. Lyn felt her throat tighten with emotion, especially as Geoffrey walked over to her. Marion attempted to back away, but he stopped her.

"Give her to me," Geoffrey commanded. Marion emitted a heartbreaking sob as she attempted to fight the command. Lyndis felt the sting of tears start to build in her own eyes.

As much as it hurt her insides, she knew her father had no choice. Lyndis looked back at Vitor with pure hatred. He and his enforcers were remaining silent now; most had even retreated a small way. Lyn realized they were trying to give them space to say goodbye now that it was clear Geoffrey didn't plan to fight.

"Geoffrey... please," Marion begged with a broken voice as she held Adalyn tighter. One of her hands went down to pull Iyana closer to her. Iyana was clutching close to her side, her small face buried in her mother's shirt.

Lyndis looked back at the rest of her family. They all had looks of stunned fury on their faces. Nearly all of them were looking at Geoffrey now.

"Marion... now," Geoffrey commanded. Marion emitted another heartbreaking sob as she loosened her hold on Adalyn and weakly handed her over to him.

"Dad-" Marius started furiously.

"Quiet." Geoffrey snarled at him. Marius was shaking with rage, and Lyn could clearly see the wolf in his eyes. She glanced at their infant brother in his arms, and it immediately made her nervous.

"Lyn..." Geoffrey said, though his eyes remained on Marius, clearly threatening him not to challenge him.

Though Geoffrey was outwardly showing the cold exterior of an Alpha, Lyn knew her father...

This was killing him.

Lyn pushed away from Gaius and made her way over to them. She watched Geoffrey pull Adalyn close in a fatherly embrace. Adalyn had stopped crying; the pup was clearly confused. Geoffrey nuzzled her face for a moment and took a deep breath of her scent as he planted a hard lingering kiss on her temple.

Finally, he gave her over to Lyndis, and though it was brief, Lyn saw the heart-wrenching look in his eyes. Lyn felt the hot tears streaming silently down her cheeks now. Her sister squirmed in her embrace. She was trying to go back to their mother. Lyndis just held her tighter.

"Iyana..." Geoffrey spoke gently. Iyana finally pulled her face away from their mother's embrace. Marion was sobbing now. Lyndis didn't think her heart would be able to take much more of this. Iyana looked up at their father, her eyes were red and puffy, and silent tears were streaming down her face as well.

"Be my strong girl, and go with your sister," Geoffrey commanded. Iyana emitted a sob and threw herself into his arms. Geoffrey pulled her up against him, just as he had done Adalyn. Lyndis felt like she was about to start hyperventilating now, the tightening pain in her chest was growing harsher and harsher with each goodbye.

Adalyn started wailing again when Lyn wouldn't let her return to Marion, and if on cue to his litter mate's distress, Andre started crying in Mathieu's arms. Marion snatched him from Mathieu and held onto him tightly in her own heartache.

Finally, Geoffrey set Iyana down, and she sobbed as she made her way to Lyn. Lyn ran a hand comfortingly through her sister's messy hair. Geoffrey looked to Aldrick next.

"Geoffrey... please, don't do this." Aldrick all but whispered. She didn't think it was possible for her heart to break anymore, but the tone of her uncle's voice shattered what little remained intact. Her uncle was always so strong.

He clutched Sophie to his chest. Treves turned to him and hugged his sister between the two of them. They had lost nearly all their family, and now Vitor was about to take one more from them.

"Aldrick," Geoffrey spoke in his Alpha tone to his brother, the tone of warning. She heard a choking sound from him, and Lyn gently handed Adalyn to Iyana and weakly made her way over to gently remove Sophie from their arms.

She couldn't ask them to hand her over. She avoided their eyes; she couldn't handle seeing any more heartache. Geoffrey looked to Christophe next.

"No." Christophe's voice was harsh. It was clear his wolf was very close to the surface. Aurelia was clinging to him; her small body was shaking with silent sobs now. Lyndis took a slow breath. Ced and Vince looked on the verge of shifting. Lyndis met eyes with both of them, silently pleading.

They couldn't win this fight, not now.

Vince was gritting his teeth so hard; she was sure they would have shattered if he'd been human. Lyn glanced briefly over at Vitor. The look on the male's cold, hateful face was increasing with impatience. Vitor's murderous intentions were clear in his expression what would happen if they disobeyed.

Lyn glanced back and met gazes with Vince. She tried to portray wordlessly that this would be temporary, that she would do everything in her power to find some way to get them out of here, but now, they had to do this.

It was agree or die.

"Vince..." Lyndis pleaded gently. She knew what he was thinking, what they had witnessed in the square was running through his mind. To leave Lyn there was already killing him, now the thought that they were to leave the rest of their defenseless females had him nearly losing it. His angry gaze briefly went to Aurelia, his sister, the gentlest of all their pack, and Lyn knew the kind of strain he was going through with the overprotectiveness of his wolf.

Vince's eyes met hers again, and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

Vince finally tore his gaze away from her and turned to his father. Before his father could protest, he tore his sister from his grasp. Aurelia wailed in protest. Vince pulled her in for a brief hug before he planted her down on her feet beside Lyndis. Aurelia instantly threw herself against Lyn's side, and Lyn grit her teeth as the anguish washed over her in a fresh wave.

She looked to Julian last. Thibault and Serge were already hugging Sylvie goodbye. She couldn't even look at Julian's face. Finally, Thibault carried Sylvie over and gently set her down beside Lyn. Lyndis swallowed thickly and looked at her father. At the moment, even with his cold exterior, he looked so broken.

"Dad.." Lyndis said weakly. He moved over to her and pulled her into a hug, ensuring not to crush the wailing child in her arms. All her pack sisters were sobbing. It was breaking her heart more and more.

He planted a firm fatherly kiss on her forehead and took a moment to lightly brush his hand over each of the girl's heads. Lyndis glanced to her mother next; not realizing until that moment that Lyn herself had joined in the chorus of sobs.

Her mother did not approach her. She knew if she did, she likely wouldn't be able to pry herself away. Lyndis swept a glance at the rest of her pack, and she knew full well the rest of them were struggling with a similar sentiment.

"In the cars, now," Geoffrey commanded. Lyndis stood there numbly as the rest of her pack brokenly left the clearing beside the cottage. Lyndis kept her eyes on her father all the while. He had yet to move.

"Take care of them," Geoffrey said firmly, his voice strained. Lyndis broke into a fresh sob and gently handed Sophie over to Aurelia as she launched herself into his arms again. Geoffrey pulled her close now unencumbered. From over his shoulder, she could see the heartbreaking look on Marius' face as he awaited their father.

This was supposed to be a blessing to her family, and now it had become the most unimaginable nightmare.

"Urfarah ad fidem," Lyndis spoke lowly before she even knew what she was doing. Geoffrey instantly released her, his eyes slightly widened.

"Lyn..." He spoke firmly. Lyndis took a slow breath as she felt the Alpha link to him reopen. From behind them, she heard Vitor snarl. It stirred something inside her.

Lyndis glanced briefly back at Vitor with a look of pure defiance as she moved to her mother next who was sobbing beside the van. Lyndis pulled her mother into a tight hug.

"I love you. I'll take care of them. They'll be back in your arms soon, I promise." Lyn whispered in her ear. It only made Marion sob harder.

"Aharnuz ad fidem," Lyndis said, this time loud enough for Vitor to hear.

"Lyn..." Gaius spoke from somewhere nearby. Her mate's voice fueled her rage. Lyn released her mother, but before she could do anything else, Marius yanked her into a tight brotherly embrace. Lyndis pulled in an unsteady breath, especially as the rest of her pack joined in on the quick goodbye.

Lyndis furiously wiped her eyes and moved back to her crying pack sisters. She scooped Adalyn back into her arms and held her tightly. She didn't want to start taking them back home until her family had safely left the lands. She didn't trust Vitor.

"I did not intend to do it this way," Vitor spoke with strained civility that held an underlying hint of rage as he cast Lyn a brief glance. Lyn knew that anger was directed at her. She held his gaze, something a wolf of no rank was never to do with an Alpha.

She currently felt no intimidation from him, the Alpha in her own blood had flared with a force the likes she'd never felt before. Her fur side saw him as not worthy of her lowered gaze and certainly not her submission. The fury increased in Vitor's eyes at that, but he forced his gaze away from her, back to Geoffrey.

"I will honor our arrangement, once they have settled and their loyalty has shifted. Until then, I'm afraid you will not be welcome on my land." Vitor continued. Gaius was still translating.

Lyndis grit her teeth and looked at her father. He was staring at Vitor with the vilest look she'd ever seen on her father.

"You and I both know zat will take some time after zis. I expect zem to be treated as full pack members and nothing less." Geoffrey spoke harshly in English. Lyn felt a bristling of pride. Although he had no true power at the moment, Geoffrey's Alpha blood was far above Vitor's. She didn't have to see Vitor's face to know he flinched at Geoffrey's tone.

"Of course," Vitor spoke in English, but rage was still clearly evident in his voice.

"Now leave," Vitor added with a snarl. Lyn grit her teeth, as Geoffrey met her gaze one more time. He turned, and Lyndis stood there numbly as she watched her family drive away.

The clearing went silent aside from her pack sister's heart-wrenching sobs.

"Lyndis..." Gaius began gently.

"Don't talk to me." Lyndis snarled at him. The complete and utter betrayal that had been briefly suspended by the grief had fully crashed down on her now.

Is this why he'd wanted to take her away? His strange tone three days before suddenly made sense now...

She felt sick.

"They'll come home with us..." Gaius continued, and she could hear the strain of hurt and remorse in his voice. It made her all the angrier. But before she could retort, she was ripped backward by her hair. Lyndis would have dropped Adalyn if Gaius hadn't been quick to grab the toddler. Lyndis gasped as she hit the ground hard.

"Father." She heard Gaius' startled voice from her right. Her pack sisters had gone silent in shock. Before Lyn could fully register what was happening, Vitor ripped her up by her hair and forced her harshly onto her knees. Lyn glared defiantly up at him. His wolfish eyes were alight with rage.

"You dare defy me," Vitor spoke in a tone that may have frightened her if it hadn't been for the circumstances. Lyndis snarled back at him; she felt the full wolf glaze in her own eyes, the prick of her elongated canines on her lower lip. She was shaking with the effort not to shift; her Alpha was rising to the challenge.

If he wanted a fucking fight he would have one.

"Know your place." Vitor snarled, his hand moved, and Lyn was fully prepared to take the strike, she was going to meet it with teeth and claws, but it never came. Gaius violently separated them. She tumbled backward before she was able to catch herself.

She suddenly felt the surge of fury from his wolf through their bond.

Protective rage.

Lyn glanced up at Gaius's back. It was clear he was close to shifting. His whole body was tense and shaking. She could practically feel the anger rolling off him.

Movement from the left caught her eye. Vitor's enforcers were tense. They seemed uncertain what to do. Lyn's gaze snapped back to Gaius.

He was about to attack his father... his Alpha.

And Vitor's enforcers wouldn't let him, no matter if he was the Alpha's son. It yanked her quickly out of her anger. Lyn's chest tightened with fear.

Fear for her mate.

"Gaius.." Lyndis spoke gently without even thinking and reached out to touch him. Her wolf desperately wanted to soothe him before it came to that. The moment her fingers brushed his leg, she saw his form go slack. His breath caught, and for a moment, he just stood there in stunned silence.

Finally, he stumbled back a pace and immediately dropped to one knee, one hand planted firmly on the ground as his head lowered.

"I-I apologize fath- Alpha." Gaius's spoke in Portuguese. His voice was shaking. She didn't know if it was still repressed rage or shock at himself for doing what he just did.

"Remember your place, boy," Vitor growled at him. Vitor's eyes shifted to her then. Lyn couldn't suppress the snarl.

"And tame your mate," Vitor added viciously. Gaius just nodded with his head still lowered. The rage from her Alpha flared anew, especially as Vitor's gaze shifted to her pack sisters. They had all gone silent in shocked fear. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"Get them back on pack territory. Now." He snarled at his enforcers before he shifted and darted back into the jungle. Lyndis felt like she could barely breathe. For a moment, no one moved.

"Get in the van." One of the enforcers barked at them. Lyndis shot him a glare and glanced beyond him. A van sat idling on the road. She heard Gaius move beside her, and his hand brushed her arm. Lyndis shoved him away violently.

"Don't touch me." Lyn snarled at Gaius. He was standing over her now, the expression on his face helpless. Lyn shoved off the ground and moved back to her sisters. She pulled the two toddlers into her arms and gently ushered the others toward the car.

She felt her own inner emotional turmoil, but she had to keep it together for her sisters' sake.

"Take them to my home," Gaius said firmly to the enforcer. Lyndis didn't bother looking at him as he shifted and took off into the jungle after his father.