I slowly walked down the flights of stairs unsure if my mates' parents were already here. I could feel anxiety crawling up my throat. I think their dad already likes me or is okay with me at least but, what about their mom. Would she approve of me? Would she still approve of me after she found out about my past? 

I shook my head. No point in worrying about this. I was just going to have to meet my anxiety head on.

I could hear voices on the other side of the door leading into the kitchen. So everyone was already here then. I gently opened the door. I didn't want to interupt the conversation my mates were having with their parents.

"Ah Sunshine you're finally done." Devin said smiling brightly from the stove where he was cooking something that smelled delicious.

"I can't remember the last time I took a bath with soap. I might have got a bit carried away." I could feel the blush creeping up. 

"You can take all the time you need, Little Wolf." Darevin said smiling at me. But I could tell something was bothering him. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Anyway let's go ahead and get introductions out of the way. This is my father who you met earlier, Damien. He was the Alpha before I took over. And this is my mother, Daniella. She was the past Luna of the pack. And this is our mate, Sunny." 

"It's nice to meet you." I said quietly. Talking to people was hard for me. Especially when those people were important to my mates.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Sunny. You look much more refreshed since our last meeting." I could tell Damien already accepted me. His eyes visibly softened when looking at me almost as though he could see the hardships I faced in my own eyes.

"Do you think you're good enough for my sons? We know nothing about you or your background. For all we know you could be lying about your past. You could have been birthed at the lowest rank in your pack and that was why you were treated as such." Daniella sneered at me. Somehow while I was standing taller than her she was still looking down at me. I felt like a child again when the pretty ladies would say awful things to me or degrade me. What had I done to offend her? I though I had been polite up until now.

"I'm sorry Ma'am. I don't know what I've done to offend you or to have given you this opinion on myself but I apologize." I felt the old robotic apology before my mind even wrapped around the automated response. I was forced to apologize a lot in my former pack whether I deserved to or not. It was just second nature at this point.

"No Sunny, there is no need for you to apologize. You did absolutely nothing wrong." Darevin said stepping to my side and looking at his mother with a scowl. "If you can not treat our mate with respect you can leave. I will not tolerate this even if you are my mother." His tone was deadly serious. His words cut like a knife through his mother. Her face turned red in rage. This was not going to be a good visit. 

"How dare y-" She was cut off abruptly by Damien standing.

"I don't know what's happened the last few years but, you no longer act like my chosen mate. You act like some spoiled queen that lost her crown. You disapoint me Daniella. For you to treat our son's mate like this is unacceptable! You may leave and go home. I will deal with your disrespect when I get back. Unless you want to act like a decent person that is." There was a threat lying in his words. I could tell this pack took respect and disrespect seriously. Especially when it came to the heirarchy.

"Fine." She sat down like a toddler ready throw a tantrum at any second. 

"Alright well dinner is almost done." Devin said. As he stirred a pot and pulled something out of the oven. 

"Here Sunny lets go ahead and sit down. Devin can take care of the meal." Darevin said as he walked to the table and pulled out a chair for me. 

At this point I didn't want to talk about anything concerning me with their mother here. I felt as though she would use anything I say as a weapon against me. I really didn't want her to know what pack I came from. I didn't want her knowing anything about me at all.

"So Sunny, what were your parents like?" Daniella asked. I could tell this was a loaded question she already knew the answer to. I decided I was going to lie. My mates know the truth and that's all that matter.

"They were very sweet to me until they died when I was ten. A horrible rogue attack took out most of my former pack." I saw Damien lift his eye brows because he knew I was lying. I looked at him with a slight shake of my head trying to tell him to go with it. Damien squeezed my hand under the table almost like he was telling me it was fine. I didn't have to share the truth with people if I didn't want to, even if they should have been someone I could trust.

"Oh that's too bad. I would have loved to meet the people that shaped such a... great girl." She paused almost like she was trying to find the word to describe me when in reality she had nothing nice to say. 

How had such a vicious woman raised such sweet boys. Even their father seemed like a decent man. This woman acted just like the evil women back at my pack. Wait... she couldn't be, right? There's no way! She's their mom so she couldn't possibly be from my old pack. No she must just be a vile woman. I'm sure all packs have them.

"Daniella! Watch your tongue!" Damien's tone was getting clipped. He's almost reached his limit with his mate. I thought fated mates calmed eachother. Although he didn't call her his fated mate. He called her his chosen mate. I wonder what the difference is.

"I was being nice! Damien I swear the more you're around this wretch the more against me you become! So what some parentless little brat appears out of the blue! What makes her so special? Markus was ready to skin her alive half the time!" 

My face instantly paled at the mention of his name. So she was from my pack. She knows everything. My chair screeched as I pushed it back too fast. It toppled over with a bang and I ran. I ran up the stairs so fast that I mostly just tripped up them. I ran straight to Darein's room and locked the door. I turned all the lights off, grabbed the comforter off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Locking that door behind me as well. I curled up in the bathtub and started rocking myself. 

She had to have told Him. He knows where I am! He's going to get me! I can't go back! I won't! 

"I can't go back. I can't go back. I can't... I can't..." I was mumbling like a mad woman and maybe that is just what I am at this point. I keep hearing voices in my head, keep breaking down like a child. 

"Sunshine open this door!" I could hear Devin pounding on the bedroom door from the hallway. I could hear the panic in his voice but I couldn't move, couldn't speak. 

I was trapped in my body. My eyes open but unseeing. I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks. The salty burn it left behind a small reminder that I was still breathing. I couldn't stop the panic in my veins. I was going to pass out. My vision was blackening at the edges. My mind a muddled mess. This was too much for me. I couldn't handle this. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I passed out.