It was several hours later when I finally calmed down. As soon as my mom noticed, she began trying to tug me gently off of the bed, but I really didn't want to leave him.

"Your father will be here in a moment. He'll watch over your mate. You need to get yourself cleaned up, Tanner."

I whined and stared at Cole over my shoulder until she pulled me around the corner so that the wall blocked my view.

Coooleeee.

"Shhh, don't shout into his mind. He needs to sleep," Mom whispered.

Crap, she's right. B-But... A gentle hand tenderly ran over my fur until my hackles lowered and I stopped panting from stress.

"He'll be okay, sweetheart."

At that second, my father walked around the corner with a tired smile on his face.

Hey there, son.

My tail wagged even though I didn't really know the man walking over to us. However, when his fingers sifted through my fur, I felt the need to howl well up inside my chest. Parents... I never thought I'd ever meet mine again. My mind was wandering a little but quickly snapped back to the present when my father easily scooped up my wolf. Whoa! He was laughing quietly as I mentally panicked. It was so weird having my wolf picked up since it was so much bigger than most.

"You did grow up to be quite big. But you're an alpha, our little alpha boy."

My ears flattened as I pouted at him.

I'm not little... or a boy.

His brow rose and a smirk slid across his lips.

"So you're a girl alpha? I thought that man in there was your conquest, but was it the other way around?"

Okay, that got him a slight hint at my teeth, but he just laughed it off before setting me back down and nudging me toward my mom.

"Go let Clara clean you up. You also might need some stitches."

Ewww, I hate stitches. Getting the bite was one thing, but stitching was constant pain. I began creeping away around the corner before I felt Mom grab my scruff. I grumbled at her, but she just shook her head and smiled.

"Come on, I'm not that bad at sewing. I'll make sure it's quick. You don't want to get sick from the infection and not be able to be with your mate when he wakes up, right?"

No no no! I shouted into her mind before I quickly turned around and nudged her thigh with my head, then tromped down the hall into the bathroom that already had its door open. If it would get me back to Cole faster, I would sit through the stitches.

"Look after his mate, dear," I heard my mom say as I turned to look back at them, seeing my dad nod before he vanished into the master bedroom. She then hurried down the hall and quickly got the water going in the tub. There was a pot sitting on the counter, which I assumed was used for bathing wolves, as well as two big fluffy towels.

"Alright, in the tub."

I did as told, even though my wolf wasn't a big fan of water. Mom was thankfully very adept at bathing wolves and had me scrubbed down in mere minutes. Once rinsed, she pulled out a small sewing kit from a drawer beneath the counter by the sink. My body braced for the pain but, huh?

"I told you I was good at this, now just stand still so I can finish up. Then I'll get you dried off and you can go back to Cole."

Cole mine.

"Indeed he is," she said with a quiet chuckle. My tail swished, splashing her with the water soaked into it. She narrowed her eyes at me, but I just panted as I swished my tail again.

"You are definitely your father's son. A little—well, big—brat."

She was about to say something else when I put my huge paws up on the edge of the tub and leaned forward to lick her face. I thought she might grumble at me, but instead Mom leaned over and wrapped her arms around my fuzzy neck and nuzzled into my thick fur.

"I missed you so much, Tanner. I'm so glad you survived."

My wolf let out a sad whine as he gently returned the nuzzle.

I owe my life to Cole. He found me and fixed my broken leg. He taught me things, and even though I hurt him when I was young, he never stopped believing in me.

My mom leaned back slightly so that our noses almost touched. Her eyes had suddenly become serious and a little bit sad.

"He doesn't see you as his mate, does he?"

My ears drooped like a puppy who had just been scolded for something it hadn't done, giving her all the information she needed to answer her own question. When her arms came back around my neck in a strong hug a moment later, I let my wolf whimper and accept the comfort.

"It's okay, baby. Sometimes it takes a while for them to realize it."

H-He's an alpha, too. He d-doesn't think we should happen because he isn't getting the signals, too. His wolf doesn't even feel it.

It really hurt to tell her that, but I had to get it off my chest. My mind was whirling with 'what ifs', but thankfully Mom turned off the water, tossed a towel over my head, and started scrubbing the water out of my heavy coat to bring my focus back to the bath.

"Don't doubt yourself, hun. You saved his life, surely that will help him come around. If not, show him how amazing you are."

I carefully got myself out of the tub when she stopped scrubbing, then shifted and finished drying wherever she might have missed.

"You don't think it's weird that my wolf wants him, even though we're both alphas?"

Her smile told me she knew something I hadn't thought about yet.

"Tanner, I don't think he's an alpha any longer."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered, honestly surprised. Sure, I had called him my beta before, but I knew he was still an alpha at the time.

"Hun, he got beaten in front of his pack members and taken away. Not to mention, I noticed that he is blind in one eye or very close to being so."

Wow, Mom is observant, I thought to myself before her finger suddenly flicked my nose lightly. I was going to glare at her, but she just grinned and stepped around me to head out of the bathroom.

Go get your love, Tanner. Your father says he's awake.

He is?

I dropped my towel and darted into the room at the end of the hall. What I saw was kinda funny, though. Cole was growling at my father who was just sitting in a chair by the door, I assumed in case Cole decided to try to run. My heart warmed the second his eyes saw me and he relaxed a little.

"Hey..." I whispered quietly, not really sure what else to say at that moment.

"H-Hey," he returned as his eyes nervously flicked between my father and me. I could see his wolf just beneath the surface and chuckled, then walked over to sit on the bed right before he shifted and pushed his way into my lap. There was not an ounce of hesitation in my body as I wrapped my arms around his wolf. In return, he snuggled right in, whining quietly with relief, whih I could feel through our minds' connection.

"It's okay, Cole. I killed him. He won't hurt you again."

~Cole~

I never thought I would be whining in another alpha's arms, but I couldn't keep my wolf from doing just that. Tanner's strength seeped into me, wiping away the fear of being hurt and captured. I knew I had gotten away with very little damage considering I could have died, but for an alpha to be helpless, hurt much more than physical wounds ever could.

It was my job to protect, and I couldn't even do that. I thought angrily to myself before feeling Tanner's tongue begin to lap at the fur around my ears. It helped me relax further, and as he noticed, it spurred his arms to tighten around me for comfort.

I'm sorry, Tanner, I thought tiredly.

You have nothing to be sorry for.

I got caught so easily... I couldn't even defend you.

My wolf let out a depressed sigh at my next thought.

You had to save me...

And I would do it again and again to keep you safe.

I really wanted to yell at him that he shouldn't have come. If anything he should have taken over my pack as alpha. It was like he had grown up but had never really looked into how to be a werewolf. When I glanced up at Tanner, he was smirking like a damned devil.

"I know you're mad, but I can't really change the way I think. I wouldn't care if you were an alpha, beta, or omega, I would still come save you every time you got into trouble."

My ears pinned to either side as I gave him a blank are-you-serious look.

You are trouble.

His wolfish smirk told me I was right. Of course.

Dork, I added with a roll of my eyes.

"Yup," he chimed back right before he paused for a moment and tilted his head up to sniff the air, then smiled wide.

"I think dinner is ready. Up we go."

Wait wh-whoa! Suddenly I was in his arms, but darn it. He had no idea how to carry another wolf. My back legs were swaying back and forth nearly on the floor as he tried to hold my huge form in his arms.

"Man, Dad made this seem much easier than this..."

Dad?

That's what I had thought I was to him for all these years...

"Yeah, my parents are here. This is my old pack after all."

My chest hurt a little at that information, but I quickly shoved it to the back of my mind as I was carried into what looked like the living room and set on the sofa. Immediately I climbed off, earning a disapproving look from Tanner. Well, too bad. I was an alpha still. Kind of. I knew my place in the Moon pack was likely lost, but I didn't want to think about that either right then. My moping was interrupted by a plate being placed beneath my nose. Mmmm, spicy sausage and stir fry. I began to dig in even as Tanner tried to lower the plate to the floor so I didn't make a mess. Too late. When my wolf was hungry, it went at it without thinking of the mess it was going to make.

"Hah, I'll go get you seconds. Good thing Mom thought to put food on the stove before getting me for a bath."

Three full plates of food later, I was on my back, tongue hanging out of the side of my mouth and feet in the air. I knew it was an odd position for an alpha to be in while surrounded by other werewolves it was uncertain of, but I was too stuffed to really bother with formalities. The news was on, but nothing really dramatic was happening. There was a small report about someone having been attacked, likely by wolves, but no body had been discovered. That made me a little wary, but even if Kine happened to be alive after what Tanner had done, he likely wouldn't last long out in the wild with his injuries.

After a little while, I felt hands carefully sifting through the fur on my stomach. Tanner gave me a thorough belly rub, then scratched my right side until my leg began to kick. I heard a few chuckles in the back of mind, then the sound of feet walking out of the room but didn't pay much attention to it until Tanner stopped scratching me five minutes later. That had felt amazing...

"Hey, Cole?"

It took me a minute to get my eyes to open since all of the food in my belly felt like a warm blanket wanting to tuck me in for a nice long night of sleep. However, I didn't want to ignore Tanner. Thus, with a gruff grunt, I blinked open my tired eyes and rolled over before pushing myself up with my front paws. His hand pressed softly against my cheek, making my wolf nuzzle against it.

"Can you shift for me, Cole?"

Tired.

"I know, hun, just for a moment?"

With a good amount of effort, I managed to do as asked. I still had to lean on my hands to hold myself up, but I was up. When my eyes blinked open partway to see what Tanner wanted, I realized too late what his intentions were...

"H-Hnnm."

The kiss itself wasn't exactly that much of a surprise, considering this was Tanner, but the way my wolf responded honestly scared me to death. My wolf wrestled me for control and snarled as he forced my arms around Tanner's neck and pulled him flush against my body. I still wasn't healed enough to be moving so quickly, but my wolf didn't seem to care. Needless to say, Tanner didn't mind either. In fact, he mauled my mouth with a ferociousness I had never encountered outside of a fight. I landed on my back in moments, but the small part of me that still insisted I was an alpha demanded to be on top, spurring me to bite his lower lip before shoving him off, only to tackle him to the floor the next second. His own animal rumbled through his human mouth and easily lent him its strength to throw me up and onto the sofa where he pinned me against the throw pillows, knocking half of them off in the process to continue our rough kiss.

Tanner stop. Tanner!

I knew my wolf was still partially reciprocating the affection which was having an effect on how I responded, but Tanner was beginning to hump and a certain item was getting dangerously close to a place I really wasn't comfortable with it going inside.

"T-Tanner!"

~Tanner~

Mine mine mine mine.

The second he returned my kiss, I knew I had to claim him. He'd been taken away, threatened, hurt, and could have been killed. I needed to put him under my protection as my mate. When I got him pinned on the sofa, my wolf was literally howling in my head for me to finish the task. I had no disagreement at all. I'd wanted to claim him since I had first seen him years ago. I easily got our hips lined up and rutted against him, needing just a little bit more.

Strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist, lifting me off of my mate and backward several feet. I let out a deafening snarl while I watched Cole shift and promptly run out of a large dog door that led to the huge, dark backyard.

"No," I roared as my wolf extended its claws and fangs through my human form, trying to claw and bite my way free. He was getting away. I needed to mate with him. I needed to protect him.

"Tanner! Calm down."

Dad... Why had he stopped me?

"You want him. You're not getting my mate. Cole!"

"Tanner, he doesn't want your mate, but you were about to make a big mistake."

Mom's voice.

"He's mine. Bring him back. I need to mate him."

My mom was suddenly in front of me and... slapped me across the face?

"Tanner. You were so out of it that you didn't hear him screaming. We heard it from all the way upstairs."

"S-Scream...ing?"

My face fell as I glanced toward the sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard. It was too dark to see anything, but I knew he was in the far right corner...the farthest away from the house...from me.

"H-He kissed me back. He wanted me. He finally wants me."

I could feel tears beginning to fall, but I just couldn't manage to get them to stop.

"Tanner, his wolf was the one who was kissing you. Not him. You need to calm down, or you'll lose him."

That had me pausing and going back over what had happened. He was really aggressive... and there was a lot of growling and, oh god.

"Cole..."

My head sagged as my father slowly set me back down on the floor. Mom's hands were on my shoulders, squeezing lightly to get me to look up at her.

"Tanner, you need to give him some space when it comes to mating. After what just happened and what he's likely lost, you can't expect him to want to suddenly give himself to you."

"B-But he could be my beta. H-He would be safe, and I would take care of him."

"Tanner, would you like it if someone walked in and claimed you before you were ready?"

I growled at that.

"No one will ever claim me, I am an alpha."

"Exactly. Son, he was an alpha. He was the one who claimed others. Take a step back and think about perhaps courting him instead of rushing into something and scaring him away."

Oh shit. I remember now. Before all of this happened, I told him I would court him appropriately and not try to jump at him like I did before... and I just did it anyways.

"I totally screwed up... again."

Both of my parents chuckled, making me glare at them as I shrugged away.

"What's so funny?" I growled, not liking their laughter even though they were my parents.

"Tanner, go comfort your mate," my mom said as she and Dad both nudged me toward the back doors. I hesitantly nodded before quickly shifting so I could run outside through the dog door. The night air was chilly, but my coat kept me warm as I slowly padded off the cemented pool area and into the grass. Cole's head snapped up when he heard my paws step into the partially dead grass. He whined in the darkness, but I wasn't going away. Instead I sauntered over, being sure to keep my eyes down until I was a few feet from him. His body was flattened down against the ground, ears pinned to the side in fear.

I'm sorry, Cole. I lost control of myself, please don't be afraid of me. I-I don't know what I'd do if you left.

He didn't seem that convinced so I did the only thing I could think of that might make my apology mean something, even though my wolf hated me for even thinking about it. With a quiet whine of my own, I lay down, then slowly rolled onto my back.

I submit...and apologize.

He left me without an answer for about ten minutes before finally crawling over and licking my nose once, then whining. Oh my gosh, he's so cute. Err, snap out of it, I told myself as I slowly allowed my body to fall over into the grass. When he didn't back away, I gave a quiet huff before tugging on one of his ears. Cole whimpered, but once I let go, he flopped onto my belly and then licked it.

Ah! Tickles!

I heard his quiet chuckle in my mind and felt the stress in my chest lessen. We both eventually ended up snuggling against each other after a few more licks and playful ear tugs. It was getting chilly, but with our bodies pressed together, it was actually quite comfortable. Pretty soon, we were both out cold... and I might have sneaked in one extra lick on his nose just before I fell asleep.