~ Chapter Twenty-One ~

"Mr Hanson, I would like for you to take a step back. You are awfully close to Alpha Stone," Gina said, but her voice was mostly background noise to me.

Hanson groaned. "Why did *you* have to show up?" He whistled between his teeth as he spoke, hints of an old Southern accent slipping through a carefully-masked facade. His rounded face was strung up in a resentful grimace, annoyed - that we were here, or just by Gina, I wasn't sure. It was clear, though, that he knew well why we were there, because he cast a warning glance at the warriors that surrounded him, commanding them silently not to listen to us, to stay loyal to him.

"You should know by now, Sir, that we often show up where we are not wanted." Gina carelessly swept a hand at the space between Hanson and Dimitri. "Please, a little room? I wish to speak *calmly* with both of you."

"I do not wish to speak with you," Hanson mocked, snapping his fingers. I watched carefully, on edge, as a wolf suddenly leapt from his side of the clearing. I knew I wasn't to get involved but I wanted, so badly, to jump in the way, to protect Dimitri at all costs. It was my first and only focus for a split second of fright, and then it was pushed aside by my loyalty to Gina, who had only been good to me, after she'd asked that I stayed back. The wolf had not jumped out to attack anyway, but to put even less space between the rogues and the defensive pack. It may not have been an attack but it was a threat.

"Mr Hanson." Gina spoke softly, with a hint of warning, like a mother to her child. Her eyes widened slightly, challening Hanson to disobey her.

"We didn't come here for you to interrupt us, Morone. We're here for the wolves who don't *want* to be part of pack life. They exist!" Hanson turned abruptly toward Dimitri's pack. "There is one of you in there who doesn't want to be in a pack, isn't there? Just one of you. Do not say there is an entire pack happy with its leader." Hanson waited, but none of Dimitri's pack would own up, even if they really felt that way.

I gulped, edging closer to Kelsey. Her eyes darted to my face and back to the battle, zeroing in on the alpha. When she looked at me again, there was not only question in her eyes but the same dread I felt deep down. I hardly nodded, and she drew in a sharp, silent breath to anyone else. She patted my arm subtly, her lips twisting into a symapthetic, supportive smile. I knew she meant it but it didn't help me at all. How would a smile tell me what to do with my mate? The one I had left not long ago for quite a small, selfish reason, too. Did a smile tell me whether that was right? Whether staying now was right? Whether my mate was happy about the news, or if he was absolutely devastated that the difficult, overly moralled woman was back and wouldn't be able to leave so easily this time?

No, a smile didn't tell me those things, but neither did standing back.

In the background, Gina had been calmly arguing with an increasingly angry Hanson, juggling him and a weirdly quiet alpha. I took one look at Dimitri's face and knew he was conflicted - perhaps as much as I was. I could not bear to see the look on his face, the slight relief and fear all mixed together; it felt too much like I was staring into a mirror. And so I tried to hide behind Simon, since he was very tall and wide, and I reached backward to pull Kelsey up next to me for support. She had offered it in her smile, after all.

"Hanson..." The terrifyingly warning tone of Gina's voice this time was not something to be ignored. I tuned into what was happening and saw for the first time that the muscles beneath Hanson's skin were rippling, preparing to shift. It took a moment for me to realise that he was very close to Dimitri, and that Dimitri was so preoccupied staring at me that he had no idea of the danger presented to him. His pack were a few steps back, watching the interactions, some of them glancing my way and staring in shock and recognition. No one was watching out for him; even Jess's big wolf was studying the crowd of rogues.

*He's going to shift,* Henry told me hurriedly, peering over his shoulder. *I can feel your anxiety. What's going on? Is it about him?*

I gulped. *I have a mate.*

He looked at Alpha Stone and back again. *Oh...* His lips pressed together. *Erika, Hanson is going to shift soon. If he's standing so close to the alpha...*

*I know but I promised Gina. I can't- I can't attack him first. If I wait, it'll be too late.*

*Would you attack him to save your mate?*

*I don't have a choice,* I admitted, feeling my wolf pacing inside of me. She wanted out so badly that she had already caused a cramp in my forearm from rippling the muscles, just like Hanson. I was fighting for my growls of warning to stay in my chest, rather than to expose my feelings to the entire clearing. But it was getting more difficult every time I pictured Hanson's wolf tearing into Dimitri while he was still human. That could kill him. It could-

Terror ripped through me so fast that I didn't have time to *think*. Hanson shifted, so suddenly, so enthusiastically, that his feet left the ground. His large body contorted and twisted into the shape of a wolf, and I lost control of myself completely. In an attempt to stop the claw flying down with Hanson's body, I burst into my wolf, too, and leapt in one swift, incredible hop across the clearing into the side of Hanson's wolf. I did not know what was happening until I felt his claws pierce my side instead, and we tumbled a few times on top of each other. My side was sevrely injured, writhing, but I saw Hanson getting up and my instincts got the better of me. He was not lashing for me, despite the fact that I had tackled him; he lashed for a second time at Dimitri, and I responded accordingly.

A fierce roar called out of my throat as I snapped at Hanson's compeltely exposed neck. He cried out, quickly retreating from the sensation. I started to slowly follow him, pushing him into his little pack of rogues, my steps slow and deliberate - partially because I was still hurt. The blood was probably already matting my fur, but it was background noise to what really mattered: protecting my mate.

"Keller, fall back," Gina called out to me, as I continued to pursue Hanson.

I ignored her.

"Keller."

As I was about to take another step, which would put me closer to the rogues than it did the other two groups, something touched my back, and a warm, tingly sensation flowed juicily through my veins. I crumpled into the incredible feeling, retreating just a step, looking back at the cause. Dimitri had his hand in my fur and was lightly tugging me, trying to pull me back. I obeyed on instinct, turning my head into his stomach and rubbing against him before I nudged him with my nose to make sure he made it to safety, too. He took a couple of steps back and I willingly followed, then sat down defiantly at his side, staring at Hanson.

An air of uncertainty passed through the clearing.

"Mr Hanson," said Gina, glancing away from me, "I suggest you take your leave. We have more important matters to tend to and don't have time to bother with the likes of you."

Hanson growled, but this time, he didn't stick around for more. With one last angry snap in my direction, he howled, and the rogues began their exit from the clearing. I waited by Dimitri's side still, pushing my head subtly against his hip. The adrenaline in my system was only just starting to slow down after it had raced so quickly. As if he knew I needed a little bit of support, Dimitri ran his hand from between my ears to the side of my head, grazing the edge of my mouth. He rubbed his thumb softly into my fur, holding me against the side of his body. I didn't even think about it, I just stayed there, comfortable.

*Keller, I think we should talk,* Gina told me.

I couldn't even bring myself to look away from Dimitri, but I responded. *Yeah, I know.*

However, before Hanson's wolves were even completely out of the clearing, my side flared up into the most painful thing I had ever felt, and my stomach churned for the nutrients I hadn't given it after skipping out on breakfast and lunch. Remembering that I also hadn't slept much last night, as I had been trying to find a suitable home for Heidi and her friends, I knew I was fucked. Blood loss, hunger, exhaustion, my shift... there was no way I could stay conscious now that I had lost my adrenaline boost. I tried desperately to stay awake, but when Dimitri let go of me and the last electrifying tingles flowed through me, I lost myself to my body's needs.

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