After the fight, everyone went to the packhouse for a feast in celebration of the new beta.

However, a few members in support of Alaric refused to go, deciding to go home after shaking their former beta's hand.

Alaric had laughed, care free despite his bruised ego. He was courteous to the family of the fallen, bowing and giving his respect to the fallen warriors. 

Kenneth had offered for our family to join him, but my papa had snubbed him, simply gathering us together and heading home.

I had expected to get a reprieve from having to speak with the intimidating alpha, but as we all went to our respective modes of transportation- he simply followed us.

"Where do you think your going?" I asked irritated, trying to ignore his presence. 

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "As I said earlier, we need to talk."

"Can't we do this another day?"

"No," he said dryly.

"Aren't you going to the packhouse? The celebration is for you," I said pointedly, wanting to get rid of him. 

He stepped closer, wrapping his hands around my throat as he sensually rubbed it, squeezing lightly.

Mary growled warningly, but not stepping between us.

His eyes flashed a warning yellow at her, before returning blue. It was clear he was on edge, as his strong sandalwood phermones wrapped around me. I could feel Iris almost pur in delight.

I grabbed the hand wrapped around my throat, tugging it away.

"We don't have any room for you in our car's," I said smugly.

He smirked, with a pointed thumb behind him. "That's fine. I have my motorcycle."

I peaked behind him to see the candy red Dukati parked behind him.

Tsk. "Fine. Just follow us."

He grinned, subconciously giving me a quick peck, before walking away.

The tingle on my lips as he walked away made me stiffen, shocked.

Mary cleared her throat with an amused expression.

I scowled at her, ignoring her laugh as I scrambled into the passenger seat of her car.

"Don't you dare," I said lowly, not wanting to bother Tristian, who was already drifting off to sleep in the backseat.

Mary snickered, trying her best to supress her laughter. "I'm sorry. He looked like a total golden retriever when you agreed to let him follow us. I could almost see his tail wagging."

I pouted petulantly, before reality sobered me up. We sat silently for a moment. "What are we going to do?"

Mary sighed, scratching her head in thought. "I think we have to take this one step at a time. If his father isn't aware he's back, we might need to explain to him that it's in our best interest that we go back home for you and Tristians safety."

"What about alpha Kenneth?"

Mary waived her hands dismissively. "I'm sure I can get my father to speak to the counsel. Alpha Kenneth is more than welcome to send a few wolves to keep eyes on you, but there is no way we can stay here now. This is honestly what I was afraid of."

I nodded my head in agreement, but in the back of my mind I was worried about my family. I wasn't comfortable leaving any of them behind; seeing how volatile the alpha was being made him nervous.

"Mary, don't you think my family can come with us?"

Mary paused, before turning on her car to follow behind the Chan's minivan that was reversing to leave the parking lot. She gave him a regretful look, before following the car in front of her. "My father won't accept your family, knowing the situation they are in."

Trace clenched his fist in his lap, as he silently looked out the window.

SCREECH!

Mary slammed on her breaks, as a shirtless body ran in front their car.

"I'm coming," Mitch said, approaching the minivan.

Jin lowered his window, glaring at the young boy. "We understand why you have to, doesn't mean we have to give you a ride."

"I don't have to, I want to," he said earnestly, not wanting to get on the wrong foot with him.

Jin sized him up questioningly, before pointing to Mary's car. "See if they have space."

Mitch grinned at the approval. He turned prepared to ask before Mary gave a dry, "No."

Mitch turned puppy dog eyes on his older cousin. 

Jeff huffed, irritated. He just wanted to be alone with his mate and his son.

"Get on."

Mitch climbed on the back of him, wrapping his arm around his waist awkwardly.

Mary and Trace laughed at the two burly figures. 

Jeff simply winked at the omega, causing Trace to scowl in response.

Everyone was gathered in our household. My papa was babying my father, who I could've sworn was acting more injured than he actually was, to be catered to. 

Tracy was glued to my father, as she excitedly recounted the battle with Marie.

Mitch now had a shirt on, as he loosely had his arm slung on Hinata's shoulders as he whispered something in his ear, that caused him to blush a bright red. 

I narrowed my eyes at that, scowling at the alpha. His interest in my little brother was apparent, and it bothered me. I was Hinata's age when I eneded up pregnant, and I didn't want him to end up like me.

Ahem.

I rolled my eyes at the prompt from the ridiculous large mass standing beside me. I turned, narrowing my eyes as he continued to suck on the chicken bone dry from the food my father had given him. "If you know how to cook like this babe, were going to live a good life," he said casually.

Trace grew flustered, his lightly tanned face glowing a crudy red. "Babe? Just who are you talking to?" he squealed incredulously.

Mary laughed obnoxiously, leaning against the frame at his reaction.

Trace turned, and glared at her.

Jeff silently watched, not sensing any animosity from the she-wolf. Tristian had called her mom, so it was clear they were a couple. So why wasn't she getting offended at my obvious flirting?

Mary looked at the alpha, smirking at the obvious question in his eye. She stepped around Trace, reaching her had out to him.

"Mary Virhoff. We met briefly for summer training in middle school for alpha training," she said with a dazzling smile.

Jeff hated to admit it, but she was extremely attractive. He lightly shook her hand, trying to hold in his disdain as he lightly released his phermones in challenge. 

Mary laughed again loudly, amused at the alpha's anitcs.

"Why don't we three step outside?"

Jeff nodded, excited to finally stake his claim. Mary smirked. He was looking for a fight.

Trace grumbled, as they all three sat at the picnic table in their dimly-lit backyard.

Jeff could sense three heartbeats besides theirs, circling the property.

He looked around, not seeing anyone to the naked eye. 

He was curious to know why the house was being watched.

"We need to leave asap," Mary said getting to the point as they all three sat.

Jeff scowled, ready to argue until she raised her hand to stop him. "I'm not saying you don't have a right to talk to Trace and get to know your son. They are already in danger being here, but you coming makes it even worst."

Tsk. "Just what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Your father," Mary said the two words, not needing to say more than that.

Jeff opened his mouth to argue, before he snapped it shut. His father was an extreme xenophobic Alpha, hating omega's for being weak; but hating male omega's even more for the unnatural ability to carry a child. He abhored them and had not only kicked them all out of his pack, it had been said he had secretly killed a few. 

He knew this to be true, as his mother was an omega who had been killed when he was young. His father had always blamed it on a rogue raid, but there was never any proof. Other's in the pack was unsure of his claim, but were too scared to question what their alpha had said. My mothers grave didn't even have a tombstone, and he didn't even attend her funeral; claiming he was too busy.

Two months later, my father was dating a woman beta Heather Jones. After 6 months of dating, he married her and she and her daughter moved in with us. Her daughter, Brooke, was a year older than me and she was nice on the surface. However, beneath it she was a total slut. She grew more and more infatuated with me the older I got, growing jealous whenever I got a girlfriend and lying to my father about their status. My sophmore year of high school was the breaking point.

My omega girlfriend, Alicia, from another pack at that time had came over to my house to secretly have sex, but Brooke had caught us in the act. She had tried to fight her, throwing a jealous tantrum. She called my father claiming that she had been attacked by my girlfriend. My father and her mother quickly came home, where Heather cruelly slapped her twice and my father beat me so badly he broke two ribs.

Alicia broke up with me that same day, and my father demanded I leave home at the time. Kenneth had agreed to take me in, as long as I didn't choose to challenge my younger twin cousins to become the next alpha. That's how I ended up going to Australia for the last several years for beta training. 

I hated my father for not listening to me, and had little to no contact with him since.

Mary nodded, seeing the concentrated expression on my face. "It's clear with you being here, he will come to see you. Not only will he potentially run across Trace or Tristian, but he will be able to tell you are bonded. I can smell Trace's lavendar scent wafting from you."

Trace's cheeks reddened once again, as he scowled. "Are you trying to embarass me on purpose?"

Mary laughed softly, ruffling his hair. 

Jeff curiously looked at their friendly camaraderie. They were obviously close, but he didn't sense any kind of romance between the two. His eyebrows creased in confusion, deciding to just address it. "Tristian calls you mama, are you two mated?"

"Ew, no," Mary sniffed, lips curling in amusement as she tried not to laugh at the offended sour expression on Trace's face.

"Then I don't have to challenge you for my omega?" Jeff asked relieved.

"Yours?" Trace asked disbelievingly at the use of the words.

Mary nodded, amused. "Yes, you don't. I love Trace a lot...like a brother. I agreed to help take care of him and Tristian when I found out he was pregnant. After my mate died, my father tried to mate me politically to quite a few alpha's. So I decided to tell him I was engaged to marry Trace. Several years later, and here we are still pretending."

Jeff nodded, his respect for her growing even more. He was happy his mate was with someone willing to protect him while he was absent, although it angered him he missed the beggining of his son's life. However, he scowled remembering her words. "You said leave, but leave to go where?"

"Home," she shrugged nonchantly. "Your father isn't welcomed in our pack. In fact, a lot of the omega's in your pack is taking refuge in ours." 

Jeff tried to think logically, before stubbornly shaking his head. "No, they stay with me. He is my mate and my son."

Mary's eyes hardened, flashing a dangerous amber. "Tristian is my son also. He may not biologically be mines, but he is. I have cared for him from the day he was born. Just because you are back does not mean I plan to step aside and just let you do whatever you want. I will respect Trace if he chooses to break off our fake engagement, but I will remain a parent to Tristian."

Trace immediately grabbed her hand in support, hearing the emotional fear in Marys hardened voice.

"That's right. Mary is Tristian's mother, and when you get to know him you will see he acts a lot like her. She will  be a part of his life whether you like it or not."

Jeff gritted his teeth in anger, before sighing. "I don't want to take him away from her, but I don't want her to take him away from me."

Mary shook her head hastily, as she slammed her hand on the table top. "Listen! This is not about trying to take anything. This is about their safety. I do not love Trace romantically, but I still love him a lot. I love Tristian as if he is my own. I will not let your bastard of a father harm them. I've heard the horror stories of the omega's from your pack. I've heard of the members who disappeared, and omega babies being snatched from mothers to never be seen again! They will be safer with me. I am ok with giving you temporary passes to visit, but there is no way in hell he can stay here."

"Then what about alpha Kenneth?" a voice said behind a heated Mary.

Trace turned at the sound of his papa's voice, with Alaric beside him.

"What about him?" Mary asked with a narrowed expression.

"There's nothing stopping him from calling his father now telling him he is here and of Trace's and Tristians existence as we speak," he said with an arm on his hip.

Mary's eyes widened in horror, angry with herself. Why the fuck hadn't she considered that earlier? "Fuck! Trace we are leaving NOW! We will simply kill anyone who tries to stop us."

"Why would someone try to stop you?" Jeff asked, confused.

Jin smirked at the alpha. "I get a sense that your a lot smarter than you look. You can sense us being watched can't you?"

Jeff simply nodded, eyebrows raised in expectation of an explanation.

"To put it simple we are under watch from alpha Kenneth. I'm heir of the Gold Fang pack, and Kenneth is technically holding us as hostages to use as pawns in case my father learns of my existence here in this pack."

Jeff began coughing violently, disbelief obvious as he tried to catch his breath. "What?"

Jin nodded. "We are not allowed to leave or do anything without eyes on us at all times. Trace was even forced to come back home, but Mary you don't have to worry. If you remember our conversation the day I found out Trace was married, that threat still stands," Jin said, not worried about such a small time alpha as Charles Callwell.

While Jin was not apart of his royal home, he still had dedicated men who would do brief tasks if he asked. Therefore when he heard of the bothersome alpha and the threat he was to his pregnant son, he had a background check did on him.

"Wait. Papa you knew who my mate was this whole time?" Trace asked confused.

Jin leaned into his husbands arms with a smirk. "You have always felt I favored Hinata over you Trace, but as a parent I am aware of everything concerning all of my kids. Mary told me his name, and I did a background on him. However, this behemoth looks nothing like the lanky kid in the pictures I was given."

Jeff's cheeks turned pink, which Mary smirked at.

'If he was to ever get wind of my son, I will kill him myself. Alaric won't even let him get close enough to Trace to pose a danger to him. He's not the only person good at making someone disappear,' Jin had said calmly, with a malevolent glint in his eyes that made Marys skin crawl to this day.

She looked at the older omega who held a smirk as he teased Jeff. Jin came across as sweet and delicate, but underneath he was very manipulative and blood thirsty. Someone to obviously not be fucked with. She had never came across another omega like him. He was secretly violent.

"It's late. Jeff, we have a guest house in the back. Feel free to stay the night."

Jeff percked up. "Thank you! I accept your invitation."

He turned, scooping his omega struggling omega in his hand, as he headed to the guest house.

"Goodnight," Mary laughed, unbothered at the string of curses.