Three

"You have to come with me," he insists, and Conrad stares at him blankly.

"Is there some order from the Moon Goddess that I don't know about? A rule I wasn't informed about?" She asks, standing up from her desk angrily.

She's a Beta by blood and by rank - she doesn't take being ordered around too kindly, even if it is by an Alpha.

He isn't her Alpha, so technically, he has no control or right to tell her what to do.

"I can make you come to my pack, I don't care what way you get there," he shrugs, and she inhales through her nose sharply, sitting back into her seat.

"If you force me to return with you to your pack, I will reject you," she warns him, folding her hands together and staring at him evenly.

We can't reject him; he's our mate, Jane whimpers, and Conrad grits her teeth.

This is called being smart and playing our cards right. We can't just cancel our meetings because he's decided he wants me to start cooking his dinners tomorrow, Conrad hisses to her mournful wolf.

But I don't have a problem with cooking his dinner, Jane complains in earnest.

Conrad exhales from her mouth, waiting for his response.

"You won't reject me," he scoffs, "your wolf needs me."

She lets out a surprised laugh, shaking her head as she stands up from her seat.

"You'd be surprised at how little my wolf needs you," she chuckles, walking by him to get out of the room.

He grabs her wrist and holds it tightly, causing her to growl automatically.

She unleashes her claws and twists her hand to cut him.

He tightens his grip.

He doesn't flinch when her nails make contact with the thin skin on her wrist, so she does the next thing she can think of.

She chomps down on the bone, and he releases a yelp, instantly letting her wrist go.

She stumbles back a few inches, glaring at him the entire time.

"What the fuck? Why the hell did you bite me?" He snarls, holding his wrist to his chest as his eyes begin to flash angrily.

"You didn't let go. You don't grab a lady," she hisses, opening her office door.

"Since when are you a lady?" He growls, and she ignores him, hurrying out of the room to downstairs.

They have more weapons downstairs, and it's easier to get out of the house if he decides to go all wolf-man on her.

"I actually think you just marked me," he snarls from behind her, but she keeps scuttling down the stairs.

She isn't stopping for love nor money, and she skids into the kitchen as quickly as she can.

Her mother spins around in surprise once she hears footsteps, narrowly dodging her speeding child.

"What's the rush?" She asks, and Conrad doesn't even respond, grabbing her mother's hand and yanking her towards the back door.

She glances over her shoulder, and she can hear him walking down the stairs.

She curses under her breath, unlocking the door quickly and putting her mother in front of her to get out first.

Jane is terrified, and she isn't responding to Conrad's checks.

Atlas released a lot of his dominance before she fled the room, and she's still suffering from the effects of the sudden explosion of power in such a small space.

"Baby, where are we going?" Barbara whispers, her eyes flashing as she attempts to mindlink her mate again.

She can't concentrate enough, so she secretly crosses her fingers in her pocket before allowing her daughter to hurry her down the back steps.

"Barracks," Conrad whispers, taking off at full speed.

Barbara is well able to keep up with her speed, running almost faster than her daughter.

Conrad is strong, but her skills are that of a tracker.

Her senses are keen, and she moves like lightning, dangerous and sudden.

A Tracker Beta is a little unusual, as most of them tend to be warriors or focus primarily on strength and war training, but her pack allows every teenager to decide what job and role suit them best.

It just so happened Conrad was good at finding things.

As she runs, she can feel her nose clearing up a little bit, meaning she can scent a little clearer.

She can smell his scent for the first time, and he's catching up to them.

"Mom, faster," she orders without looking at her mother, wondering if it would be faster to shift into her wolf.

Jane is still petrified, so she opts against it, deciding just to cross her fingers and pray for a miracle.

They know their territory better than most because she and Barbara used to go on Silas' rounds when she was younger.

"He's catching up," Barbara calls to her daughter, and Conrad nods.

"I know. Shift and run," Conrad shouts back, and Barbara does so immediately, swiftly changing into her wolf form, the transition fluid and graceful.

Barbara instantly has a better footing and can now slide through the overgrowth of the forest, whereas Conrad has to jump over it or go around it.

Jane isn't very good at confrontation, especially when power is involved. The same can't be said for Conrad, who has no issues in standing up for herself and others, but she needs to respect her wolf in case she needs to shift suddenly.

A roar sounds throughout the forest, and Conrad curses, making sure her mother's wolf is ahead of her.

Dad, we're going to the barracks. I think he's going to try to kill me, she urgently links her father, and she gets a string of swears in response.

Get to the barracks; I'll put them on lockdown, Silas responds, irritation leaking into his voice.

She nods, even though he can't see her, and puts all of the energy she has left into sprinting faster.

Her ears twitch, Jane coming to the rescue by sensitising them a little bit.

This lets her figure out how far away he is, and by her measures, he's getting closer.

She can tell he shifted; she can hear the footfalls of his paws as he tries to navigate the unfamiliar terrain.

She smirks a little to herself, taking the sharp left that leads to the barracks and concealing her scent as she does.

She sniffs to air, making sure her mother did the same, and then pauses for a moment.

He's a little behind her, and she can hear her mother has reached the barracks, the guards instantly letting their Beta Female indoors to safety.

She can hear their chatter and questioning about where she is, and she bites her lip nervously.

She's standing stock-still in the middle of the forest, and she realises how exposed she is.

Quickly latching onto one of the sturdy trees nearby, she scales it as fast as she can, scratching her arms on the bark as she goes.

She curses under her breath, keeping her yelps inside as she reaches the second level of branches.

She's pretty well concealed among the leaves and branches, and with her scent masked, he won't be able to see her unless he's purposefully looking up.

Which she doubts he will because she'd be directly above him.

She scampers along the branches, remembering how she used to do this for fun with her friends in her childhood. It used to be all fun and games then, with them playing hide and seek in the branches then. Now, she's running from a murderous mate.

Maybe we should have waited and talked to him, Jane whispers, and Conrad feels a pang of sympathy for her wolf.

She's been brought up with excellent examples of mated couples - they all love each other and have equal relationships.

This is why the Moon Goddess decided to match rank with rank - it cancelled out any sort of power imbalance.

Her mother's story got to her, though. She didn't want to be the next murdered Luna.

Woah, Jane mumbles, we're going to be a Luna.

Conrad can feel her wolf's shock at this revelation, and she shares her confusion and surprise.

She never wanted to be a Luna, even when she was little; all little girls seemed to fantasise about being mated to an Alpha and having Alpha pups until they were told about the mating system.

The Fates hadn't followed their own rules for Conrad and Atlas, and Conrad had no doubts that they would pay for this.

It's going to be announced tomorrow, Jane whispers in horror, thinking of the weekly mating ballot that gets sent to each pack.

There's no hiding your mate in the society they live in; everyone knows, and it's usually an exciting time and festivity when an Alpha finds his mate.

When the Luna hasn't met the pack, she's supposed to be leading; it can be a little tetchy.

The fact Conrad isn't even of Alpha blood will probably, no, definitely, make it a lot worse.

She hasn't been trained in Luna customs. She never had those aspirations, and she was only prepared to take on her Beta role in the last two years.

She went to university, for the Goddesses sake! She didn't want to be imprisoned and oppressed, with her only function being to produce pups for a grumpy man.

Her tree-climbing delayed her a little bit, and she knows it, gazing down at the forest floor intently. Within a few seconds, she can hear him pacing in confusion a few feet away.

He can probably scent her mum, but he has no idea where she went.

She quickly and quietly hops from branch to branch.

The barracks are in sight, and this encourages her to speed up a little.

She knows she can make it without him catching her, because his shift back would take a few moments, and in those few moments, she could make it in the gates.

Her foot misses one branch, and in a second, Conrad is spiralling towards the ground, quickly pulling her legs to her chest as she goes.

She squeezes her eyes closed, waiting for the impact of the ground against her body.

It doesn't come.

Instead, she lands in a set of arms, and as she opens her eyes, they land on a disgruntled face.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He growls, depositing her onto the ground none too gracefully.

I guess you could say we.. fell for him, Jane giggles.

Conrad ignores her wolf.

"My problem? You're the one who insists on using physical force to keep me where you want me," she hisses back, standing up and dusting herself off.

She rubs her forearms uneasily, wincing a little as she touches off the fresh grazes.

"You won't even sit down and have a conversation with me, what am I supposed to do?" He snarls, and she raises her eyebrows, putting some distance in between the two of them as she inches towards the barracks.

She's close enough to be able to note where each of the patrol officers stands, and she knows that they'll attack on the slightest command.

"Maybe you should look at why I don't want to have a conversation with you. Maybe it's because you tried to intimidate me, and then you mocked me by implying my wolf is weak. I don't know what you expected, to be honest," she retorts, folding her hands behind her back.

His face turns an interesting shade of red, and she notes this for later.

He's a blusher, and it's obvious even through his darker skin tone and the shadows.

"Listen to me," he rumbles, his voice echoing through the trees.

Some birds nearby squawk and fly away, and she only blinks.

She's scared, Jane is terrified, but she isn't going to make it obvious.

"Haven't I been listening to you the whole time? It's my turn to speak," she growls, and he laughs sarcastically, walking towards her.

She backs away immediately, her self preservation kicking it and driving her backwards as fast as possible.

She almost stumbles, but she manages to right her footing as soon as she gets near the barracks.

She's only a couple meters away now, and if she ran, she could make it.

He continues advancing on her, and her heart is pounding in her chest as she watches him

"You're a Beta," he begins, his voice barely above a snarl.

His entire body is shaking with anger, and he looks like he might shift at any moment.

Get ready to run, Conrad urges Jane, and her wolf is alert and ready to shift at any moment.

They don't usually work in harmony, with one of them generally pushing against the other, but they're united in the decision to run for their lives if need be.

"You are worthless," he growls, slamming his fist into one of the tree trunks near Conrad's head.

I hope he gets splinters, Jane scowls.

She slowly but steadily increases her speed, her hands behind her back swatting and making sure nothing is obstructing her path.

"You're weaker than me. Much, much weaker. You're even running away from me now, so you're a coward, too," he hisses, "I don't want you, and that's a simple fact."

She swallows the lump in her throat, keeping her gaze steady and cold as she continues to move backwards.

"Our children would be weak, just like you. They would look like fools, and my pack would be the laughing stock of the werewolf world. I am not having that," he snarls, and he swipes at her.

The second his claws descend, she shifts into her wolf and makes a break for it.

The moment of confusion he has is all she needs, and she manages to make it into the barracks before he can even shift.

As soon as she's in, the officers quickly follow behind her and shut the gates, standing back with their rifles engaged.

"Honey, are you okay?" Barbara urges, holding up a blanket for her daughter to shift into.

Conrad shifts quickly, draping the blanket over herself like a toga before she walks towards the gates, a scowl on her face.

"Not everything is up to you. If you don't want me, reject me. You have a week to make a decision, or I'm going to the witches," she snarls towards him, and his eyes flash again.

"You wouldn't," he hisses, and she releases a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, Alpha Adamo, you have no idea what I would and wouldn't do - and you never will," she chuckles, turning on her heel and walking away.

Barbara is waiting for her off the courtyard, in one of the stone hallways with a worried expression on her usually smooth face.

"Your father is on the way. He isn't happy about this," Barbara warns, and Conrad shrugs.

"He started it, I swear to the Goddess," she responds, and as soon as she says it, thunder booms outside.

"See?" Conrad shrugs, walking towards her father's barracks office.

She has a change of clothes in there, and she's more than happy to swap the slightly itchy blanket for the softness of her cotton 'teacher dresses' as Charlotte calls them.

Speaking of Charlotte, she had better inform her best friend of the developments before she found out herself and decided to commit murder.

Char, Conrad tentatively sends into their mindlink.

Oh, so you finally remembered you have a best friend, Charlotte retorts sarcastically, and Conrad can tell that she's rolling her eyes.

I have something to tell you, Conrad begins nervously, and Charlotte groans over their mindlink.

If you're pregnant, I don't want to know, and I can't handle that news this week. Everyone is pregnant except me, don't tell me, Charlotte quickly interrupts, and it's Conrad's turn to giggle as she walks into her dad's office.

I would have told you if I broke my celibacy. No, I actually found my mate, Conrad says casually, and she can picture exactly what Charlotte's face looks like; complete shock.

Who's Beta is he?, Charlotte asks excitedly, if he's nearby, we can still do our fortnightly breakfasts!

He isn't a Beta, Conrad carefully responds.

Oh, he's the second born? So he's going to move here with you so you can take your position?, Charlotte quips, and Conrad sighs, digging through the drawers to fish out a pair of clothing.

No, he's an Alpha, Conrad responds after a minute of silence.

She gets no response from her friend, and as soon as she pulls her dress over her head, the phone in the office rings.

She picks it up, sitting down in the chair while she straightens her clothing.

"Beta Silas Rosser's phone, who am I speaking to?" She chirps, and all she hears is a heavy exhalation.

"Bitch, excuse me?" Charlotte screams down the phone.

Conrad pulls it away from her ear, not having expected this sudden loud noise.

"I said what I said," Conrad shrugs, turning on the desktop computer and clicking into the security camera application.

Atlas is storming around the barracks borders, trying to find a way in.

Unfortunately for him, it's extremely strong, and there are no gaps.

"How the hell is that possible?" Charlotte asks in confusion.

"I have no idea. I think the Goddess made a mistake - I don't want this," Conrad responds, watching Atlas punch one of the protection walls.

He's going to hurt himself if he keeps doing that, Jane comments disapprovingly.

I won't complain about the big bitch boy being in pain, Conrad mutters back to her wolf.

"The pack won't accept you," Charlotte groans, shaking her head, "but who is it?"

"Alpha Adamo," Conrad clears her throat, standing up from the desk and walking around to the door.

"Oh, he is so hot," Charlotte gasps after a moment of silence as she most likely looked him up on the internet, "Oh my Goddess, he has been involved in some illegal shit."

"Yeah. He also just tried to kill me? I think?" Conrad clears her throat again, rubbing her neck awkwardly as she taps her foot a little.

"That bastard," Charlotte spits, and Conrad smiles a little.

Con, your dad is here, Barbara quickly interjects, and Conrad inwardly groans.

"Listen, Char; I have to go. I'll text you when I get home, I'm in the barracks right now," Conrad explains, and Charlotte groans.

"Fine, I'll hang up. I miss you, send me a picture of your dumb face later," Charlotte chirps, ending the call.

Conrad stands up, rubbing her temples anxiously as she walks out of the room and to the war strategy room.

"He wants to declare war," Alpha James states shortly, sitting down once Conrad walks into the room.

"What the hell happened?" Silas asks in despair, flinging his hands into the air.

"He grabbed my wrist, he wouldn't let go, I bit him, he released a load of his dominance, and I ran. Like, literally, I grabbed mom and pulled her out of the house," she summarises, and Silas groans, sitting down heavily beside his Alpha.

"He wants you to be handed over at midnight, or he's declaring war," Alpha James sighs, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair.

"Okay. So I'm going to pack my bags," Conrad says blankly, her heart sinking in her chest.

"No, Con, we're going to fight him," Silas sighs, shaking his head, "he doesn't get to walk all over smaller packs just because we don't have as much money as him. He can't just take you because he decides he wants to kill you in the comfort of his own home."

Conrad's eyes widen, and she shifts uncomfortably, looking around the room.

Barbara is nodding fiercely, and the Gamma looks tired.

He always looks tired, he has a teenager and a toddler, but he seems extra tired today.

"No, I don't want anyone getting hurt. He'll bury us in court documents, and then he'll attack when we're distracted. We know his tactics, and I'm not letting this pack become a victim of them," Conrad disputes, raising her eyebrows.

"He can't just demand you go with him. You're not a commodity," the Gamma points out, "If he wants to take you, he has to give us something. It's a trade if the mating bond isn't in the picture."

"Conrad, we're willing and able to fight this. I've already contacted some of our allies, and they agree," Alpha James argues, shaking his head.

"Honey, we want you to stay here. He tried to kill you on your own territory, we don't know what he'll do on his," Silas points out, and Barbara stands up from her seat quickly, walking across to room to behind her daughter.

I can get rid of them all if you want to think about it, Barbara suggests, and Conrad's heart melts a little at how cute her mum is.

Maybe we should think about it. Thinking never hurt anyone, and nobody ever got in trouble for thinking, Jane tries to point out.

Did you sleep for the entirety of history class? That was why everyone got in trouble, Conrad grumbles to her wolf.

No, mum, it's alright. I'll sort this out myself, Conrad smiles weakly at her mum, looking back to the men around the table.

"It isn't worth fighting. He and his pack will win; they always have won and always will do. They've beaten much bigger packs than us, so we won't stand a chance. Suggest that the warriors have a year of training time with them in exchange for me, at least get something useful out of it," Conrad instructs, standing up.

She would have been a kickass Beta, the Gamma mindlinks Silas, and Silas nods grimly, staring at his daughter sadly.