Matthias smelled her before he saw her.

At first, he thought it was just a figment of his imagination. It had been days since the incident, but he still woke up some days with the taste of her on his tongue, and her scent in his nose.

But this, this was different. Her scent hit him like a physical blow, exactly how he remembered it. Crushed violets, honey lavender, and something that was just her. And his wolf howled, calling for its second. Matthias froze. She was here.

Raine was here.

His head snapped up. And then he saw her, standing at the far end of the aisle, her scent wrapping around him like a noose. Matthias breathed it in like a lost man at sea. He had been starved of this, both he and his wolf. Their eyes met, and held. Matthias saw the exact moment she decided to run.

He would be a fool to let her slip away again. And so he crossed the distance between them in two slides, pulling her back against him and pressing her into the shelves, his much bigger frame practically caging her in.

Raine stumbled, flinching violently like he had hit her. And so he stepped back a fraction, giving her some space. He took in the sight of her. She was too thin, too pale. The oversized hoodie she had on practically swallowed her, and her lush dark hair was tangled like it hadn't seen a brush in days.

And she stared at him wide gutted eyes, wary and scared, her shoulders hunching like she was bracing herself for a punch. Matthias felt his stomach sink at the sight. She looked like a cornered animal, waiting for the final blow.

He reached out to touch her, but Raine jerked away.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely, stumbling back.

Matthias lifted his hands in a slow, deliberate motion, showing her he meant no harm. "Easy." He said, voice soft.

Raine swallowed, eyes shifting around the store. The stale scent of panic rolled off of her in waves. Matthias' wolf paced agitated, wanting nothing more than to comfort her. He pushed the urge down. She looked like she was one wrong move away from bolting. Touching her was not what she needed.

"Raine." His voice was low as he called her for the first time since he'd seen her.

Raine trembled as a violent tremor went through. "Don’t," she whispered again, shaking her head. "Please, Alpha. Just, let me go."

Matthias felt his heart crack open at the absolute misery in her voice. His wolf howled mournfully. He could feel the ache in her wolf through their bond. "No, I can't. I need to know what the hell happened to you."

She shook her head, darting her gaze away from him. "It doesn't matter. Please just let me leave. I won't tell anyone what happened, I swear."

He felt a stab go through his chest at her words, as well as an unwelcome stab of arousal as he remembered what happened that night. He cleared his throat, feeling like the worst kind of pervert as he pushed those thoughts away.

"Raine, its not about that." He growled, stepping closer. "You left the pack, I didn’t even realize when. Now you're here, looking like you haven't eaten in days. You smell like you're dying, Raine. Tell me what’s going on." She clenched her jaw, turning her head to the side and remained stubbornly quiet. He pressed on. "Raine, who did this to you?"

He kept his voice deliberately gentle, and yet she still flinched like he had struck her. For a moment, she remained quiet, and it seemed like she wasn't going to talk. But then she did, in a voice so soft he almost didn't hear it, she whispered,

"Your son."

Matthias's body went rigid. The silence between them stretched, thick enough to taste. He knew she couldn’t have been talking about Silas. She had nothing to do with his first son. So of course, she was talking about Ronan. Matthias knew his son could be cruel. Ronan was the last gift from his mate to him before her passing, so Matthias had spoiled him, indulged him, given him too much leeway. Using the fact that he was the second born and would never inherit the pack as an excuse.

But this? He had gone too far. Last he checked, she'd been his intended. They were to be mated. But not only did he break things off, he also exiled her without his father's permission, leaving her to starve and fend for herself?

Wolves were pack animals.

They didn't survive as solitary individuals.

Matthias was angry, fuming with rage. But he fisted his hand by his side so he wouldn't punch something. "Come with me." He said, it was a command.

Raine whined softly, shaking her head. "Back to the pack house? I'm sorry, Alpha. I can't. Ronan already threatened to hurt me if I came back."

Matthias growled, his wolf rising to the challenge. "Ronan doesn't make the rules." He snapped. "Only I do."

Raine flinched slightly, taken aback by the sharp tone of his voice. But then she nodded slowly, pushing away from the shelf after a long pause. He led her to his truck, and they drove to the pack house in silence.

It had been years since Matthias had felt so out so control, since his wolf had been so agitated, so restless. He felt like a young man again, catching sight of his mate for the first time under the full moon. With the way his heart kept pounding.

Once they got to the pack house, he ordered her to take a shower, and layed out some of his old clothes for her to wear when she got out. A decision he immediately regretted when she stepped out, looking small and fragile in his oversized shirt, the hem slipping from her shoulders.

She perched on the couch, staring at the plate of food he placed in front of her. Her hair was wet, and tendrils of it curled behind her neck as it dried.

She barely touched the food, and Matthias cleared his throat as silence stretched between them, the tension between them almost suffocating. He cleared his throat, about to speak first, but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry about the other night. I know it seems like I seduced you, but I swear it was an honest mistake."

Matthias blinked as her words sunk in, his gaze was unreadable as he glanced down at his clasped hands. She bit her lips. The truth was, she'd thought about that night in the past days more times than she was supposed to.

If she closed her eyes she could still feel the way he moved deep inside her, the way his knot had stretched her wide. And she felt ashamed. This man was her ex mate's father, and she sat across from him, getting wet for him.

Matthias cleared his throat. "I know it was a mistake." He said, "But if anyone is to apologize, it should be me. You were drunk, and vulnerable, and I took advantage of you. If I'd known it was you, I would have put a stop to it."

Her teeth sunk into her lower lip, and she fiddled with the hem of his shirt. It smelled like him, and his scent was so overpowering, she was almost dizzy with the force of her want.

"I don't regret it." She blurted.

Matthias went deadly still. She shut her eyes tight, unable to bear the look of disgust, or pity that would be in his gaze. "What?" His voice was choked.

Raine shot to her feet, shaking her head. "I think I'll just leave. I'm so sorry."

"No, Raine hold up." He reached out, stopping her before she could go far. "Please. Don't go."

She stopped, her chest heaving as she breathed fast. Matthias’s grip was a band around her arm, and her wolf whined with the need to get closer, climb into his lap, nuzzle his neck and beg him to scent mark her.

“Raine,” her name was soft on his lips. He put a finger under her chin and she let him drag her gaze up to him. “Look at me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. But, you can’t mean that.”

“I do.” She shook her head, already feeling herself tremble in the knees. “It’s all a mess. I thought you were Ronan and I… I feel like the worst kind of slag.” She sniffed. “I don’t know if it’s because of my wolf, or if I’m just horrible. But I don’t regret it.”

Their gaze met and held, and Raine was unable to stop herself from swaying closer. The pull between them seemed to intensify with each moment they stood staring into each other’s eyes. And then, like some switch had been flipped, Matthias placed both hands on her face, and dragged her close to him, slamming his lips down on her.

Raine staggered back, her eyes going wide with shock. “Alpha…” she gasped, putting a hand on her lips.

Matthias stepped back as well, his chest heaving with the effort it took not to lunge at her again. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice strained. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what came over me.”

It must have been his wolf, as desperate for her touch as hers was for his. Raine dropped her gaze from his stormy ones, her voice soft when she spoke again. “I should leave. I’m sorry.”

She turned, headed for the door, but Matthias stopped her again. “You can leave this pack house, but I don’t want you sleeping outside the borders. You’re a member of the pack too.”

Raine shook her head, “I’m not. I was banished. I’m a disgrace.”

“Banished by who?” He growled, reaching up to cup her face, He towered over her, and Raine had to strain her neck to look up at him. “Certainly not me, and I hold all the authority here.”

“The pack members.” She mumbled, glancing away. “Alpha Silas was there as well. If Ronan finds me back here, I don’t think I’ll be able to face him.”

“Raine, I don’t know what exactly happened between you both, but you have to believe me when I tell you that Ronan has to get to me first before he can hurt you.” Matthias shut his eyes tight like a man in pain. “What they did to you, behind my back, I can’t even begin to apologize. I pride myself on protecting every member of my pack, but I have failed you.”

“No, Alpha, you didn’t.” Unable to help herself, Raine reached up and cupped his face too, feeling the coarse points of his greying beard against her palm. She reached up on her toes, leaning into him. “There was nothing you could have done.”

In the space between them, the tension crackled. Their wolves called for each other, yearning and aching. Raine could feel Matthias’s want through the bond, she was sure he could feel hers as well. Her breathing stuttered as his gaze dropped to her lips, and Raine parted them instinctively, waiting for him to make the first move.

He drew close, and closer still, until his breath was ghosting against her mouth. Raine shut her eyes tight, titling her head back. An offering to him, she waited for him to take it.

Somewhere in the house, a door slammed shut. And before Raine could even register the sound for what it was, Matthias was gone, standing half way across the room, his chest heaving as they both snapped their head up. A figure stood in the door way, golden eyes sharp and unreadable as they scanned from one end of the room to the other.

Ronan stepped forward, eyes burning as a sneer pulled his lips from his teeth.

“Dad, what the fuck is going on?” He snarled, turning to growl at Raine. “And why is she back here?”

Matthias’s heart was a drum in his chest. Raine stood at the opposite side of the room, eyes wide and chest heaving as she stared up at Ronan. He could still see the flush in her cheeks from their almost kiss, and the want that slammed through him was strong enough to rock him off his feet. He stayed put through sheer force of will, and turned to his son with a sneer.

“What are you doing here?” He growled, stalking closer.

Ronan’s brow furrowed, “What am I doing here? I live here! What is she doing here?! She was banished.” He snarled back.

“On whose authority?!” Matthias’s voice boomed, “Yours? Because last I checked, I’m the only one whose authority matters in this pack. You went behind my back and banished a pack member without consulting me first. You should be punished, Ronan, for undermining my authority.”

“Punished?!” Ronan spluttered, his anger simmering in the space between them as his eyes turned golden. “She was my mate. I rejected her! She has no place in this pack anymore!”

“Last I checked, that is my decision to make, not yours.”

Matthias watched Ronan grit his teeth as his anger washed over him, his wolf practically snarling to crawl out from beneath his skin. The only reason he wasn’t acting now was because Matthias was alpha, and father. Matthias took a step forward, looming over his son and letting his wolf’s aura peek through. As expected, Ronan faltered slightly as his wolf fought against the need to submit, Raine made a small noise of distress from behind them.

“Are you actually defending here?” Ronan hissed, “Twenty two years, you’ve barely paid her any attention, and now you both are having personal meetings in the pack house, and you’re defending her.”

Matthias reared back slightly, the intonations in Ronan’s words hit far too close to the truth. He chanced a glance at Raine and found that she was staring down at her feet, her cheeks red. Matthias cleared his throat.

“Raine Whitmore is a member of my pack. As an alpha, it is my sworn duty to protect and serve.” He spoke each word through gritted teeth, even as his gut twisted with unease. He knew he wasn’t doing this for entirely selfless reasons, seeing her alone and hurting was a big motivator, but deep down he knew reinstating Raine back in the pack would absolve some of his guilt over sleeping with her.

Ronan scoffed, “Oh is that so? How many other pack members have you personally been handling their issues. Last I checked, Silas is the only one who does that.”

“Are you accusing me of neglecting my pack?”

“Bugger off, old man. I’m accusing you of butting your nose into my personal matters. Raine was my mate. I rejected her, and she cast out. The matter has been settled, hasn’t it?” He turned to Raine with a sneer, his fingers flexing at his side as his claws threatened to appear.

Raine flinched, her scent spiking with fear as her gaze darted between both men. The sour note sent Matthias wolf into a frenzy, howling with the need to protect, rid the younger woman of whatever was threatening her. The alpha bit down the urge, refusing to give anymore thought to what his wolf wanted.

Ronan was still speaking, spewing venom with each word.

“You stupid whore.” He spat at her, “I caught you creeping around this house last time, didn’t I? Stinking of sex and shame. And what did I tell you then?”

Raine shut her eyes tight. “Ronan please.”

“Ronan…” Matthias growled low in warning, but his son was not listening.

“I told you,” Ronan growled, each step bringing him closer to Raine. “That if I saw you in this house again, I would kill you.” His hands flexed by his side, and Matthias saw his claws sharpen. In the blink of an eye, he was across the room and standing between both of them, his lips pulled back in a sneer as his wolf finally rose up to the surface, the presence of his alpha stifling in the room.

Ronan growled, eyes flashing golden, but even he was powerless in the face of his father’s wolf. His clawed hands flexed by his side, and his chest heaved with the force of his anger.

“Step aside, father.” He snarled, “She deserves to be punished.”

Raine’s breath was coming hard and fast from behind him, Matthias’s heart twisted. “If you lay a hand on her, I will have you disowned, and stripped of your title. I will banish you from the pack. I will name you a traitor and enemy to my territory.” Matthias’s eyes flashed the deep red of the pack alpha as he infused authority into his voice. “Raine stays here, in the pack where she belongs. And you will take her back as your mate.”

Ronan froze, and for a moment, his eyes went wide with shock, but then he laughed. A sharp, humorless laugh. “The hell I will.”

Matthias stayed unmoving. He simply watched his son, studying him like a wolf would study a prey. Then, in the same voice, he repeated, “You will take her back.”

Ronan’s sneer faltered for just a moment before he snarled, “I rejected her. She means nothing to me. You can dress it up however you want, but I’m not taking back a discarded—”

Matthias moved so fast that Ronan barely had time to react. In an instant, he had his son by the collar, slamming him hard against the opposite wall. A chip of the paint fell off, as the structure shuddered. Ronan choked, hands gripping at Matthias’s wrist, but Matthias didn’t let go. He leaned in, close enough that his son could feel the weight of his wolf, demanding submission.

“You’ve made many mistakes, boy.” Matthias murmured, “This is the only chance I’m giving you to fix one of them.”

Ronan bared his throat. “And if I don’t?”

Matthias’s expression remained dark and resolute. “Like I said, if you refuse me this, I will strip you of your title, and you will be exiled from this pack.