32

"Come on, Come on pick up!".

I growled in annoyance yet again as I listened to Alec's voice mail. I've probably left fifty messages collectively to both Anna and Alec by this point.

I blew out a frustrated breath. What is it with wolves and never picking up their godamn phones!?!.

Standing in no-mans-land I let out a frustrated scream. They could be anywhere. Anna, isn't at school for probably the first time ever. The one time I need to find my sister and I have no clue as to where to start. 

Alec?, I don't even know what he does when I'm not a school. Apparently he has enough time on his hands to find secret rooms and sound proof them. I swallowed. Would he have gone with father to visit the Emissary this morning?.

Laura hadn't. But then again, our second in command is older and doesn't need to go to school. Oh fuck.

I stared out in the direction of my territory. If I go in there and fathers there than I'm not coming back out. At least not without being tortured first.

I bit my lip.  If I go in there before Alec and Anna aren't there then I can't help them. I'll be punished and they'll be sitting ducks as soon as they come hom-

"Avery".

I felt my breath leave me at the sound of her voice. Calm and collected but full of power. 

Thalia.

I gulped and turned to face her. 

She stood proud and patient. In a flowly navy dress and bare feet. Wild and beautiful. Her arms were crossed over her torso and her eyes, so much like his seemed to stare into my soul. "Shouldn't you be in school?".

I slowly shook my head at her. Trying to ignore the feeling of wanting to submit. I can feel it. Its like someone's got a knife to my throat and the closer she gets the more pressure I feel. Its the bond. Its my wolf's instinct to submit to her so Derek and I can be in the same pack.

If I bare my neck at her, I'm done for. I shivered. "S-somethings come up".

She hummed. "So I noticed."

Even breathing now was becoming hard. I slowly shook my head at her. "I-I'm going to h-help them".

She inhaled and looked out in the direction of what is my territory. "I can't let you do that. You see, if you step foot in that direction..". She indicated where we were both staring. "Then you'll break the feud".

I frowned. "No I won't".

She merley rose an eyebrow. "But you will. You'll step onto land that no longer belongs to you".

I opened and closed my mouth before turning to face her.

She was ever patient. If there's one word to describe Tahlia Hale then it'd be patient. But there's no room for agrument here, the longer I stare the harder it is not to bare my neck at her. If she's caught on to my internal struggle then she's given me the curtesy of not bringing it up.

She tipped her head to the side and sighed. "You promised me, that when you found your mate you would only ever accept his pack as your own. If you walk onto that land, you will break that promise. And you know what happens then".

I slowly shook my head at her. "B-but, how do I help them?".

She exhaled, as if this were merely obvious. I already felt a maternal instinct towards her, and I knew she felt something of the same caliber to me. As if I was a beta wolf she'd bitten herself. "You submit".

And so with scoff and a small sniff of defeat, I gave in. I'd turned my head while sighing in reflief from giving up the fight. And submitted myself to the Hale pack.

Thalia guided me through her territory. I kept beside her the whole time and I think she understood that I'm not in the mood to talk.

She explained a few things, like apparently I'm not allowed to go into some abandoned cellar in the middle of their territory.

So yeah, definitely going there in my spare time. 

And then she lead me into their house. I guess house isn't the correct term. Mansion sounds about right.

As soon as we entered I noticed the Creeper was leaning against one of the walls with a small smirk on his face. I frowned at the sight of his neck, completely healed. 

I shook my head before walking away from him. Tahlia reteating some other area of the mansion. I spend the afternoon exploring their house. It feels strange being here. I never gave much consideration to what it would be like leaving my pack for my mate's. The feeling of joining something so close knit. Feeling invisble ties to every member of the pack. I even feel strongly for Cora and she's not even a wolf yet. 

Its why I wasn't worried as Peter coughed. I turned to him slightly and he rose his eyerbows at me. "So, You're a Hale now, huh?".

I tusked. "Still a Wood last time I checked. Unless I managed to skip my own wedding. Although underage weddings are more my cousin's thing".

He smirked. "Right. Southern wolves".

He cringed and I felt myself laugh slightly despite everything. I must've stared at his neck for too long too because he waved me off. "Oh relax. I've had all week to heal".

I nodded. How long will my family give my siblings to heal?.  I sighed. "I feel trapped and helpless here".

He snorted. "Better then being tourted by your own pack though, yeah?".

I shrugged. "I still know my siblings are going to experience it. I can't help them here".

Peter tipped his head from side to side as if he was thinking it over. "But you also can't really help them there either. Not without being torutued with them or killed".

I bit my lip. "They won't kill them".

He tusked. "Your heart doesn't sound so sure".

I frowned. "I don't know why I'm bothering to tell you all this. You hate us".

He pointed up as if to say 'hold on'. "I don't hate you. You're the mate of my favourite nephew. And no Derek, no you so...". He gave me a mega watt smile.

I snorted. That smile screams 'don't trust me'. "Sure, because you and Derek are so close".

He shrugged. "I'll have you know I'm his closest confidant". 

I stared at him for a second or two before I started laughin-

"What's so funny?"

I turned around to find Derek leaning on the door frame of the libary. Watching Peter and I with a small smirk on his face. I smiled. "Just you and Peter being best friends forever".

He crinckled his nose in distain. That's exactly what I thought.

I felt his arms wrap around me while his head rested on my chin. I could feel him loking at Peter while I stared at the floor. 

I heard Peter click his tongue. "Sure. I'll take the hint".

As soon as he left the room I felt Derek's breath fan my neck. And I didn't even have a second to respond before I felt his lips trail up my ear. I sighed rather loudly before baring my neck up to him. 

Its unconscious. A very embarrassing unconscious move. I heard him chuckle and felt his lips trail along my neck, his teeth grazing the area before he gave my neck one giant kiss and stepped infront of me with a smile.

I scoffed. "You're a tease".

He smirked and leaned forward like he was about to kiss me but dipped his head to my ear last minute. "Maybe I just don't want to mark you with members of my pack lurking around to hear you scream".

I rolled my eyes. "You wouldn't make me scream".

He tipped his head to the side and rose his eyebrows. "You'd be the first ever female wolf not to scream".

Oh shit, I didn't even know that's a thing. Will it hurt?.  I huffed. "Well, I-uh u-"

He smirked. "Don't worry, its the good kind of scream".

Huh. Okay then. "And what about you?. What will you do when I mark you?".

I felt him lean in closer. So close I couldn't focus on anything but his lips. "Guess you're just going to have to wait and see".

A/N

Lol so much for not updating :)