There were too many questions about the wolf and not nearly enough answers. As they approached, Will pulled her slightly behind him, ready to face the wolf first. He curled his hand around hers, fingers intertwining, and didn't let go.

Harley loved it.

"I don't get it," she whispered behind him, "wouldn't his first instinct be to protect the Omega?"

"It should've been."

"I'm not even a wolf. Does your wolf sense me as a wolf?"

Will shook his head, his focus never leaving the rogue. "My wolf knows you're different. But he likes you."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"Mmhm."

The thought of Will's wolf liking her gave her butterflies. Especially since wolves sometimes didn't agree with their human counterpart. Having the animal like or even love someone else was a wonderful sign.

She put her other hand on Will's arm, resisting the urge to admire the muscle there. Focus, Harley. "This is the third time I've seen him."

"Every time he's been spotted on pack grounds, you were there."

"He's snuck through that many times?" If a rogue got through their patrols that easily, how safe where they really?

"It doesn't make sense. And I've talked to the patrols. There should have been a trace, a scent left behind. They've gotten nothing."

"Is that possible? To leave no scent?" Scent was everything to werewolves. Unless this rogue washed himself in the stream over and over, there was no way he'd--

Will's hand tightened painfully, his entire frame tensing up. "Harley. Harley, a wolf's scent can become normal if they move about the same territory often enough."

"You're telling me this wolf has been on the property the whole time? Hiding? Wouldn't he get caught sometime?"

Will's voice sounded hollow as he said, "not necessarily. Not if he knew the territory well enough. Not if he's had years to get to know it by heart."

"Will, I don't understand."

"If his scent has been here for years--if he was once a part of the pack, then the patrols would write him off--"

And then she knew. The fur, the way he treated her. Deep down in her gut, in her soul she just...knew.

She crumbled to her knees. "Mathias?"

The wolf whined and padded over. He nudged at her chin with his muzzle and accepted her fingers as they threaded through his fur.

Within seconds her heart burst, sobs wracking her frame. Over and over she said his name. Like if she'd only say it enough, it'd help her realize this wasn't a dream. Her brother was alive. He'd somehow, someway survived the attack, the explosion.

"How?" Her voice wasn't much more than a croak. "The attack--I thought...how?"

Mathias looked up at her, his amber-green eyes big. He tried to convey something to her.

But her brain had started an endless loop. Mathias was here. Mathias, her brother, had survived the attack. Somehow. And he'd been here the whole time on pack territory.

Her heart clenched painfully as another thought took over. "You've been here all along. And I left you." After the attack, she'd gone to live with her Aunt Tracy and Uncle Eric for years. For years, Mathias had been right under their nose, closer than she thought. "You have to hate me. For abandoning you like that."

Mathias only whined. He put a massive paw on her knee and settled down until his head rested in her lap. Over her shoulder, Will had dropped into a crouch and ran a soothing hand over her upper back.

"This is good though," she continued, the hope quickly climbing up from her stomach, "we can find Ben, and then maybe get a little place in the territory..." and rebuild their home. "Mathias, can you Change? I want to hear your voice."

She wanted him to hold her, wanted to see his hair, his bright smile, and the way he'd matured. Would he have long hair? Dad's strong jaw? Did he get rid of the baby fat? Usually wolves started to go through puberty after their first Change. Mathias had only just Changed when they'd been attacked, so she'd never gotten to see the way he'd grown. Would he be tall like Will and tower over her?

Mathias didn't respond. "Mathias?"

"Maybe he just needs a minute," Will said, though he sounded like he wasn't to sure.

Out of nowhere, Mathias' ears flipped back ,and he jolted upward, growling over her shoulder. Harley glanced back. Alpha Mark had come out of the house and made his way over. "Mathias, chill, it's Alpha Mark. Remember Alpha Mark?"

Will stood as the Alpha came over, dropping his head slightly in respect. "Sir."

Alpha Mark ignored Mathias' growling. "Did I hear you call him Mathias?"

"Yes, Sir."

He frowned, "as in Mathias Pierce?"

Harley nodded, her hand still threaded through Mathias' fur. "Mathias, relax."

"I don't think he likes anyone but you, Harley," Will said.

"That's not true, he doesn't mind having you around either," she pointed out. And it was true. Mathias had let his guard down around Will when he rested on Harley's lap. He didn't feel a need to protect her when Will was close. She tried not to think too deeply about what that meant.

"He wasn't too fond of Cam, if I can recall."

Maybe. But she kept looking at Mathias and the way his hackles had raised. His amber-green eyes had gone distant. Like there was no recognition there.

"Mathias," she barked his name, but when his gaze flicked to hers, her whole body jerked. As she analyzed him, he'd begun to back up, his muzzle pulled back in a snarl.

"Will--"

Will had noticed the same thing. "He's feral."

"No." Harley's eyes filled and she let the tears fall, if only so she could see. "No, no, no, no. He was just here! He was just with us!"

He had been. Just a few moments ago, the wolf in front of her responded as she talked, listened as she asked questions. Now, nothing. Standing before her was a creature who sensed the dominance in Alpha Mark and acted as a wolf would--he'd gone on the defensive. If this were Mathias, truly Mathias, he'd know this was Alpha Mark.

"Harley, he's been alone for a long time." Will's voice was sad. "I doubt he's even Changed back."

"The attack might've influenced him," Alpha Mark spoke, "if he'd been hurt or scared, he probably wandered off and found a corner to hide in. By the time he'd feel comfortable enough to move, he'd be worried about being attacked at any moment. It's happened before--traumatic events sometimes damage the wolf bad enough that--"

"--he can't shift back," Harley finished in a whisper.

Alpha Mark nodded reluctantly. "He might never shift back. As it is, it looks like his memory is coming in bursts. In a few years, his human side might disappear completely."

Harley watched as a certain focus came back into Mathias' eyes. He shook his head, glanced around, and laid down slowly. She knew right now that he was here with them, that he recognized them. But how long would that last? How long until he went back to pure wolf, relying solely on animal instincts? And how long would it be before...he wouldn't recognize her at all?

"There's something we can do right?" She asked.

"Contact might help," Will said, again rubbing at her upper back. "If we can get the animal side to bond with the pack and with you, then at least the animal will be friendly." If Mathias doesn't return.

Alpha Mark crossed his arms, his expression grave. "As it is, I don't like the idea of a rogue hanging out on my territory--"

Fire shot up her bloodstream. She wanted to yell at him that this wasn't a rogue. It was her brother, Mathias. The brother she'd thought was dead along with the rest of her family and just as much a part of the pack as anyone else. He belonged in this pack more than her, the shiftless girl. She opened her mouth to ask how he could possibly tell her to abandon him, but he continued.

"--but if he's not a threat to me or mine, then I'll have to learn to deal. That being said, if he doesn't continue to act civil, I'll take matters into my own hands."

Kill him. Alpha Mark would actually kill him. And she would have to let him because you couldn't have feral, aggressive wolves roaming the populated area. However, Harley would have to be six feet under before she let anyone kill her brother. She took that knowledge, that rooted feeling, and embraced it. If it ever came to that, she'd take Mathias and run off. Find somewhere to live, a place to start over that they could call home.

"I need time," she said. "I need to know how bad it is and if he really won't be able to Change back."

Alpha Mark seemed surprised at the determination in her tone. "Yes, well, I can give you a week. He is not allowed anywhere near other pack members. He can stay in the backyard, but I refuse to let him into my home."

She would work with what she was given. "Okay."

"A note of warning, Harley. You will be on your own. With Ben gone, I do not have the resources to have my wolves babysit you while you train your brother to behave."

The way he talked made her grit her teeth. He spoke as if the whole situation was some child aspiring to do something they would never achieve. Like he was just humoring her.

"I got it," she said through her tight jaw.

"Feral wolves are animals of instinct," Alpha Mark said, "they are not to be messed with and will do what they think is necessary for the preservation of their lives. Remember that."

And with that, Alpha Mark gave Mathias a narrowed look of warning and headed back into the house.

Will coughed, "I think that went alright, don't you?"

~

Ben

Ben woke up in the dark. It took a second for his eyes to adjust and when they did, he glanced around at the metal box around him. At the end of the box, by the door, a set of bars had been screwed in.

Where was he? What was this box? It reminded him of the trailer his dad and Cam used when they moved houses and had to bring all their furniture with. Cam hated every second of it--all the piling up and unpacking drove his brother mad.

In the dark, the beginnings of a smile curved the corner of his lip at the memory of his brother. Then it dropped when he remembered what had happened.

Harley. Was she okay? Had she been taken too? And this box, did she sit in one? Or did that rogue get her out in time?

He had to get out. Otherwise, if they did have Harley, she could be in trouble. With as much force as he had, Ben used the side of his fist to bang into the wall beside him. A tinny bang sounded out--steel. These walls were thin sheets of steel.

Shit. Steel was a pretty durable, flexible metal, but it also was strong. It'd take a lot of force to break through and even with the added strength of his wolf, that would not be enough. Crawling forward, Ben ignored his sore back and arms and curled a hand around the bars near the front. He jerked on them once. Nothing. However, there was what looked like a latch on the side where the bars met the wall with a lock attached. That must be how the bars opened.

Something on the other side of the door clicked, and then the front of his box began to open. He threw up a hand to shield his eyes from the bright outside.

"So you are alive. Good." A low, female voice said.

Ben pulled back and sat against the wall, squinting. He really didn't want to be too close to those bars in case whoever was on the other side decided to try and reach in with a weapon. Though if they had a gun, he was trapped and unable to run. The thought made his wolf whine.

"Who are you?" He asked.

The woman behind the bars crossed her arms over her chest. She had blonde hair, long, tied into an extremely tight ponytail. Though her features were strong and her expression intimidating, wrinkles had begun to form along the edges of her mouth and eyes. In another life--one where he hadn't just been tranquilized and kidnapped--he'd have thought she was beautiful.

"My name isn't important. What is, is that you answer my questions. Then maybe we won't have a problem."

"I don't have a problem with anyone," Ben said, resisting the urge to hold his hands up. For some reason he felt like he was facing up against a caged tiger. "And I don't remember stepping on anyone's toes."

Further down, somewhere outside the box-cage, a wolf howled. Ben's senses went on alert. There were other werewolves in other box-cages.

"What is your relation to the Willow Creek wolf pack?"

"Why do you need to know?" He fired back. Why would he tell her anything?

"I'd be careful, child. I'm not the one in the cage."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't really my choice to be here." He wasn't usually this snarky, but he thought about what Cam would do in this situation. Or what Will, one of the toughest wolves he knew, would have done. Fake-it-til-you-make-it came the answer.

Surprisingly the lady laughed. "You Willow Creek wolves never do things easy, do you?"

"Look Miss, I don't know what you think I did or what you think I can do for you, but I can assure you--"

"It's not about what you can do for me, but what I can do for you. If my men find out you haven't been helpful, well...let's say they're quick to draw," she said, then in a more curious tone, "I wonder what Ms. Pierce would say if she saw you now."

Ben bared his teeth. "If you've done anything to Harley, I'll--" he cut himself off, not really knowing what he'd be able to do while trapped in a cage.

"I should let my men kill you now--one less abomination in the streets."

"The Willow Creek pack did nothing to you," he growled. So that was it then? The lady and her "crew" had a thing against werewolves. Just what they needed, some humans deciding they got to play God. Another thought came to him then, sharp and fast, and he sucked in a breath. This lady didn't know his name. She kept calling him child, not Ben. But she knew Harley's name.

His blood went cold. "You leave Harley out of this. She can't even shift--she's just a human and has nothing to do with any of this."

Those words set her off. She stepped forward, close enough that he could see the steely rage and the tight jaw. "Harley doesn't deserve to be human. There are other people out there who need it a hell of a lot more than some stupid little kid."

Now he was confused. Humanity wasn't something to be given. Just like being a werewolf. It's something you're born with, not a gift.

He must not have hidden his puzzlement well because the woman noticed. "Interesting... Ms. Pierce has a more unique past than you think, little wolf. Has she spoken at all about her father? About her childhood?"

To be honest, Ben didn't know much about Harley's childhood. Other than the attack on her family. Still, that didn't mean he'd ignore his loyalty. "It doesn't matter. Harley is protected by the pack. Good luck getting to her."

"Oh, I have my resources. Some of them are closer than you think, and I am not opposed to doing what I have to to serve the greater goal." she declared with a swarmy smile. "Forget the questions, maybe I'll just keep you around as a participant. I'm sure you'll be useful to me somehow. Enjoy the fresh air, wolf. It won't last long."

The lady walked off.

Tired beyond belief, Ben slumped back and rested his head against the steel wall. These people must not know much about wolves. Already this cage was making him restless and his wolf aggravated. Too much time in here and any wolf is bound to go stir crazy. A stir-crazy, aggravated wolf was something no one ever wanted. Especially if they were to escape--they'd lash out at their trappers and anyone in the way.

These people had other wolves here and had been keeping them for who knows how long. Ben curled his fingers into a fist. How many shifters would he find trapped here if he looked?

More pressing matters rose to the surface. For some reason, this woman had it out for Harley. And it involved her latency. He had to get out and find a way to warn her, Will, and the pack.

But how?