Celia POV

Sometimes when I can't sleep, I think about Terry; I wonder why he had my mother neckless. He said he knew what had happened to our parents, but why had he kept it a secret from me? How many more secrets could he still keep from me? I wish to know, too, I want to know what happened to them, but I'm still not strong enough to face Terry. Not after everything he put me through.

I was raised in believes that werewolves are monsters. My father might not be cruel, but he believed in it too. Because of what he endured, he wasn't eager to forgive or forget. He didn't want Terry and me in the future to become hunters, but it was because he wanted us to have an everyday life that wouldn't be full of danger and blood. It wasn't because he changed his judgment about werewolves in general.

My mother was in it somewhat anonymous; after all, my grandfather raised her, and he was always not a fan of women's intelligence and capability to make any decision. However, she loved my father very much and would always agree with him on everything.

Living in the clan was accessible in a way. You could have your everyday work, but you must pay something off your income for a family. Hunts were regular and brought good money, which was always divided between all the community; we were killing and robbing, but if you needed help with medical bills, the morgue or something else clan would help you in exchange for giving back the favor later. So you didn't have to think too much. The clan leaders would think for you.

The funny thing is, in a way, packs and clans are very much alike, with one person in charge, laws, and traditions that just have to be honored, and for outsiders, we can be seen as a closed community and nothing more.

And yet what I found here was different from what I was supposed to see. As an Alpha, Mikkeli can be seen as cold, but he cares about his pack in a way my grandfather had never cared about his clan or his family. I never felt loved by him, not like by Terry; there was a time when he loved and cared for me, and maybe that's why whenever I think about Terry, it still hurts so much.

"You can't sleep?" Hank asks, suddenly nuzzling his nose into my hair.

He's lying next to me, so he has no problem getting a little closer, and I'm happy with that; I put my hand on his, which is placed around my waist.

"When I finally left the hospital after the punishment, I barely was stepping a foot out from the apartment uncle David had found for me. I didn't die of starvation because he had paid my neighbor to bring my shopping and check on me from time to time. He had told her I had PTSD, which was probably true. However, I was focused at that time mostly on waiting for a delivery; I had no idea what I would or should do when... the child would appear."

I feel him hugging me stronger.

"When she was born, I cried for two days all the time, but after that, I focused on taking care of her. Some neighbors helped me a lot with that at the beginning. I guess they pitied me, a teenager getting knocked out without anybody close to her. But despite Kathy, despite loving her, it was hard, it was tough to live that way," I whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Celia... I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"I don't try to guilt-trip you, but you once said you should know everything." I say in a sad voice, "Kathy was all I had, I don't regret her birth, and yet the feeling I recall the most from those years only with her was being constantly tired. I was alone with everything, with raising a child, bills, and constant worry about what would happen if my clan ever found me, what would happen if one day she would shift into the wolf in the middle of a street. Somehow I was sure you and your kind would never be a problem. And I definitely haven't expected you to appear in front of me ever again."

"Well, on that, we are even; I also haven't expected it. After what I did, I accepted that I would always be alone. First, I was focused on training and, later, on Beta's duties, and that's it. I was dating occasionally, but none of them was important simply because none of them was you," he says, kissing my shoulder.

"Because the bond will always pull us to each other?"

"In some way, yes, but the mating bond made me desire you but not love you. Greyson's love was instant because of the bond, but I love you because of you because you are brave, kind, and sweet. Because you gave me a family. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who takes in this mating."

I turn around to look at him, my fingers slowly moving on his scars, the scars I gave him, and later to his lips. I move and roughly press him into the bed, straddling him; he gasps as I give him a wide smile.

"It's high time to change it, so now I will take what I want, and you will give it to me," I whisper, reaching his lips.

Rob POV

Kyle breathes hard as he trashes in the bed, whimpering and crying in his sleep. I put my arms slightly around him, waiting for him to wake up. It's better to let him get up on his own than by me. The last time I did it, he had a panic attack and couldn't calm down for at least an hour.

Carson starts stirring in his sleep too, so I stand up and take him into my arms. He is also so stressed lately, probably because both of us are so worried about the sudden change in Kyle.

My mate finally opens his eyes and sharply inhales the air, looking around, trying to figure out his surroundings. I sit next to him, still with our son in my arms.

"Kyle, it's alright. You've had another nightmare," I say to him as he breathes hard, tears still going down his face.

"Sorry for waking you up," he whispers.

I want to hold him, but I can't go easy on him any longer because it's terrible for both of us.

"You did nothing to be sorry, but you are not honest with me," I say, holding Carson closer.

Kyle looks at me as if he wants to contradict me, but I don't allow him to start again with his excuses.

"Kyle, you almost don't look at me, you avoid talking with me, you haven't let me touch you for two weeks, and you have nightmares again when you cry and scream. Don't take me as a fool; this is not because you are tired. Something happened, and you don't tell me what it was. We can't go on like that."

Once again, during those two weeks, Kyle averts his eyes not to look straight into mine.

"Please just let it go; give me some time; I will get better," he starts sobbing.

Although he isn't happy with this, I put Carson away and take Kyle in my arms. He sobs and promises to deal with it; it will end soon. It breaks my heart that he is so scared and doesn't trust me enough to tell me the truth.

During the day, again, we are tiptoeing around the issue. Kyle pretends he doesn't see my concern about him, and I'm afraid of pushing him too much. I take care of my daily routine, and he takes care of his daily routine, but I can't stop the feeling of uncertainty when he and Carson are not in my vision reach.

The snow falls heavily today; winter has come in its full glory, I think as I walk around the packhouse at night with Carson in my arms. Kyle doesn't have a nightmare yet, so when Carson woke up, I took him instantly out of the room to stop him from crying.

"You can't sleep, Rob?"

Luna is standing in the corridor, and just like the first time we have spoken something, the way she looks at me makes me sure that, once again, we will have a difficult conversation.

"Kyle is sleeping, and Carson isn't, so I walk with him."

"Since I catch you here, can we talk? First, two problems have to be addressed."

I nod as I walk after her into Alpha's study; she sits in one of the armchairs and points toward the second one.

"So, what's wrong with Kyle recently? Because I've noticed that something is wrong," she asks, and somehow I'm happy that someone else also knows and I'm no longer alone with it.

"I don't know because he's refused to tell me. And no matter what, I can't force him to do it," I say with a sad tone; I could push Kyle harder to tell the truth, but after everything we've been through, I know I can't do it. So the basics of our relationship are that I will never force anything on him.

"For two weeks already he has nightmares, avoids talking with me, and doesn't want to be touched. And he keeps saying he will be better if I just let it go and give him some time."

"Sounds like him," Luna says. "Kyle is used to hiding his troubles from everybody; I'd say it's a family thing. But, Rob, please keep asking questions; Kyle's life has already been threatened, and we don't know who was behind it."

I nod and wait for her to speak again; we have two problems, as she mentioned.

"The second thing I would like to discuss is your father. As you know, he admitted to his crimes, and we promised him, or more likely you and your sister, that we will give him lenient treatment, but as you must know, there is still the third party in this."

I nod, knowing what she is referring to. The wolf that was with hunters in the forest and the one who attacked Kyle, who most likely poisoned the stew, which we still can't identify.

"My point is both Ryan and Dickson claim that the last shipment of the wolfsbane that was produced was transferred to the storage, and since the hunters were already defeated, they didn't know what to do with it; they claim they have no idea who is the "third party." But your father, when asked the same question, instantly took the blame for himself."

"Excuse me?" I ask in disbelief, my father is not eager to take the blame, so the only reason he chose to do it is. Oh, my Goddess.

"And you know it has already been checked that it was impossible because he couldn't physically be in those two places then. So he lied and doesn't want the truth to come out. I know we promised that he wouldn't be tortured, but since he is lying, Mikkeli and Hank may have no choice but to force him to speak," Hannah finishes.

She looks at me and I wonder whether she already suspects I know why he lied.

"Luna, my father doesn't like to take the blame; I don't know why he has lied," I say, hoping she will believe me. "But I understand, I do, but still, he is my father. Is there a chance not.. not..."

"The Council's Representatives will be here tomorrow to officially start the investigation, and this is a matter of the pack's safety, so I can't turn a blind eye, Rob; I just can't. But Rob, do you have any suspicions? Do you want to tell me something?"

I look straight into her eyes, but I just know I can't tell her what I suspect, no matter what. My father isn't a great man, he can be cruel and conniving, but he has one redeem quality, he loves his family very much, although he hasn't shown it often. So if he wants to take the blame, that means he protects the family. He protects me, Roseanne, or mum.

"No, Luna, there is nothing," I answer.