Chapter Twelve

Sharp knocks rapped on the door. Stefan growled and pulled me up with him. We tossed our clothes on quickly; another series of knocks urged us faster. I fumbled with my shirt, hoping that I could get it on before the door opened, even though I knew that Stefan wouldn't open the door when I was indecent. When I was dressed I raced over to a mirror that hung on the wall, I fixed my hair so it didn't look quite so "sexed up." I thought about hiding the prominent mark on my shoulder, but then thought better of it. It may cause a fight and it was done now, I couldn't turn back time. In a split second I wondered why I didn't have a sinking feeling in my stomach about being mated to Stefan, I wasn't even freaking out like I thought I would. I actually felt stable. For years I had felt like I was just coasting and going through the motions of what I thought my life should be like, but now I felt like my feet were actually touching the ground.

"I'm good," I smiled at Stefan.

He opened the door and it was Erik, Jason, and Dean all gathered at the door.

"What did you two do?" Jason asked bluntly, and then his eyes zeroed in on my neck. He charged at Stefan and grabbed him by the throat. "What did you do to her?!" he growled menacingly.

"I claimed my mate." Stefan said easily, and calmly which struck me as odd, normally the wolf would have been itching to fight.

"Jason!" I commanded his attention. I could tell he didn't want to look at me, but I made him look.

"What?!" he yelled.

"Don't you use that tone with me!" I growled like the mother hen I had been for the guys for years. "This is all consensual. There is no need to fight for my honor." I explained making my way over to Stefan and taking his hand in mine.

"Consensual? I thought you didn't want to be with him, what about__"

"I can't fight what my wolf wants Jason." I said bluntly.

"What about what you want?"

"My wolf is me Jason, you taught me that." I began, "I have fought her ever since we left, I was so lost and young then, my anger and pain I was holding onto hurt more than just me, my wolf almost died when I left, I have really felt her spirit for the first time in five years the last few hours than I have since we left. I can't just ignore or run away from the responsibility I have here with my mate and my pack." I finished my little speech and I felt Stefan squeeze my hand and his happiness washed through me like warmth pouring into my soul.

"You're a rogue at heart Jezebel, and you know it." Dean growled. "You hate the idea of being ordered around, the politics, the constraint, you like being free more than a good fuck!" he roared at me.

I blushed at first and then I got angry.

"How dare you speak to me like that Dean!" I growled through clenched teeth. "You are not my keeper, and I am not so shallow as to make a decision based on something so trivial. Yes I had mind blowing best sex of my life with MY MATE! That does not concern you! What would give you the right to EVER tell ME what to do!" I was yelling now with my finger pointed in his chest backing him up to the wall. "I saved your fucking life because I care about you deeply, you are family to me and I hoped that you could understand and be supportive of my wolf and I. Our decision was to quit running from the circumstances we've been given, I don't really give a flying fuck if you don't like my decision but the point being is that we still have a group to train in five minutes, do you want to settle this in demonstrations?"

"Let's go." He grumbled walking out the door and downstairs.

Stefan was just grinning from ear to ear, Erik's jaw had dropped to the floor, and Jason was just stunned.

"Are you guys coming?" I asked when I was at the door and they still hadn't moved.

"Of course I am," Stefan laughed and making his way toward me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and started walking toward the door.

"Jason?" I asked, pulling him out of his shock induced stare. He shook his head and started following us, still not saying a word. "I need to change clothes." I stated.

"I'll take you to your room," Stefan offered.

"Have my bags moved to yours after I change," I said after we walked into the decent sized room, but it was like walking into a hotel room to me, it wasn't lived in.

"Really?" he asked me hopefully.

"Of course, we are together now, I know neither one of us will be able to sleep without each other now and we have a pack that will expect as much." I said practically. I didn't want to admit that I really wanted to sleep next to him, I had yearned for it every night since I left no matter who was in bed with me.

"Ok I'll tell Stella," Stefan said a little disappointed sounding.

"Stefan, I'm not a mushy gushy romantic," I tried to explain as I started taking off my clothes. I turned around and he saw my back which had all kinds of scars on it even some of the old ones from when he first met me. "I'm not seventeen, and I'm a lot more jaded than I was when you first met me," I said somberly, my voice a little muffled by the shirt I was pulling off my body.

"I have noticed that, and it hurts me to think of all the reasons why you are so old." Stefan stated.

"I'm not old!" I protested whipping around to glare at him, but a teasing was in my eyes.

"You aren't young, your body definitely is, but your soul, your wolf, and your heart is aged far beyond what a young she-wolf of twenty one should be." He stated simply as I was removing my pants. I stood before him in my bra and panties and searching through my bag for my daggers and gun.

"Fair enough," I conceded as I started strapping the weapons to my arms.

"What are you doing?" he asked eyeing the blades cautiously and disapproving.

"Let me do my job babe, you will see their use soon enough." I laughed and when I had finished with the weapons I started putting on clothes, effectively concealing them from wandering eyes, even though that I knew the wolves wouldn't be checking if I was wearing weapons underneath.

I walked out of the bedroom knowing that Stefan would follow me. The house was bustling with activity now, and even though Stefan and I had only been mated for a few minutes, the entire pack must have known. It took me back to the first time I had walked into the pack house with how lively it was until I walked into the room and all of a sudden it was dead silence. As I descended the stairs with Stefan by my side, the room quieted as if I had pressed mute and then it erupted in furious yells and anger as each member of the pack tried to speak their mind. Who did I think I was? Where have I been? I was a dirty rotten whore of a mate to take off and abandon my alpha. Didn't my mother teach me better than that? And so on and so forth.

I felt Stefan's anger rise, but at the same time I knew that he had the same anger toward me buried underneath the mated blissful exterior he had adopted in the last few minutes. I felt him take in a breath getting ready to say something, but I just put my hand on his shoulder and walked toward the door. He followed me closely as the crowd started to encroach on my space quickly getting ready to turn mob-like. Then as they started to realize that I wasn't paying them any attention they started to quiet and one asked.

"Are you not going to say anything?" One angry looking woman in a sundress asked defiantly. The rest of the crowd seemed to want to ask the same thing.

"Oh, it's my turn to talk now?" I asked sarcastically.

The crowd's anger increased but I knew if I didn't say something right now I was going to lose their attention and they would follow me out on the lawn and things would get bad quick. It hasn't been the first time since I have dealt with an angry mob of wolves, but this time it was personal. The rule still applied though, choose your words like you are defusing a bomb, carefully and decisively and you still had a chance for a huge backfire.

"I'm sorry I haven't been the alpha female you have needed these past few years," I started and their anger started to increase and I knew right then, the anger wasn't going to go away no matter what I said, so being blunt and cold was the only reason they would respond to. "but I really don't care if you are angry with me, don't understand, or that you would like to see me roasting on a spit right now, you guys need me and my team. If you disrespect me I will respond with exacting discipline upon whosoever decides to treat me with such hostility as is my right." I said lowly, I could feel my power oozing from me and warning them that I was not some helpless girl they could intimidate. I was a force to be reckoned with and they damn well knew it now.

I stepped out of the house, and Stefan stayed behind. I knew he was trying to smooth things over and that was fine with me. He could make excuses for me all he wanted. I understood that the pack was angry with me, I would be angry with me if the positions had been changed. As a leader, I could force respect but that was no way to run a pack, I had seen packs that were run that way and no one was happy, everyone was just…controlled. I knew for a fact that Stefan wasn't that type of Alpha. I had full intention on earning their respect with time, but right now I couldn't take the time.

Dean stood in front of the group of…nineteen wolves we were to be training. Erik was in the group and he stood in the front row and where there should be a twentieth wolf in the dead center of the front row was an empty spot. I had a feeling I knew who was supposed to fill that spot. Dean had them lined up, and he was pacing back and forth in front of them and I could feel his anger seeping off of him. I knew that rage was directed at Stefan and I, well mostly me.

"Ready to get started?" I asked Dean calmly, not making eye contact, just surveying the group.

"Somebody is late." He grumbled glaring at the empty spot.

"Erik, who is missing?" I asked him easily.

"Alpha Stefan," he returned simply.

About that time he walked out of the house and jogged to his own spot in the front. I gave him a pointed look but he looked distressed. I decided not to comment on it in front of the group because he had just been dealing with my sloppy ‘bomb defusing'.

I looked over at Dean and he nodded at me.

"If I could have your attention, please" I called out and all small conversations that were going on between the guys cut off when my voice reached their ears. "Can anyone tell me, when you go into battle what form are you in?" I asked.

They all looked at me like I was dumb for asking them such a dumb question.

"I'm being serious," I stated looking at them expectantly.

"Our wolf forms obviously." Erik stated.

"Dean, are you ready for a little demonstration?" I asked him sweetly.

He chuckled and cracked a smile. "I can't wait to see their faces." He stripped in front of them and changed into his massive rusty colored wolf. Dean was a menacing sight in his wolf form.

"Now, we are going to demonstrate the strengths of fighting in your wolf form and the disadvantages." I said to the group without looking at them, focusing completely on Dean. "Now, you are intimidating in your wolf form." As I said it Dean began to growl. I pulled out my gun and pointed it at Dean. He stopped in his tracks. "But hunters have guns." I heard the shock from the group as I put the gun away and turned toward them, effectively turning my back on Dean. Their faces were priceless and I heard Dean chuckle.

"You also have stealth in your wolf form," I began again, "but hunters are trained all their lives to feel the power of a wolf, no matter how slight it is," I said just as I felt Dean lunging at my back, I spun low to the ground, pulled a knife from my forearm in a split second. As Dean's wolf's neck came by I grabbed him by the throat and swung my body over his back and put the knife to his throat. I looked up and could see that my point was made, but I wasn't quite done yet. They had to see all the reasons why they had been getting their asses kicked. I let go and Dean got ready for the last bit of our demonstration.

"You have speed, strength, and agility in your wolf form," I said. "But your human form does too." I watched Dean come at me head on and this is where it was for real. This part of the demonstration always changed because this part wasn't rehearsed.

Dean leapt up, hoping to catch me around the shoulders but I suspected that and ran at him head on, doing a baseball slide underneath his back legs. I was tempted to grab him by the thin and curlies so to speak but I figured that would make him look really bad in front of the group and that wouldn't solve anything, just that I fight dirty.

"Miss me, miss me, now you've gotta kiss me," I teased, putting my hands up next to my face and teasing him like a child. I knew he hated that.

He growled his annoyance at me as he lunged and grabbed me by the shoulder with his jaws and wrapped his powerful claws around me. I felt his teeth put pressure on me, but nothing major. Thing is, my knife was at his throat and that was a kill shot.

"Is that all you've got Tiger?" I laughed as I put more pressure at his throat and he unlocked his jaws on contact. He backed away and I could see the disappointment in his eyes, he really thought he had me that time. I felt his eyes go wide when he saw just how big the knife was that I had pulled on him. "That's right, big bad Dean, just got the biggest knife he's ever seen pulled on him and he didn't even know it was there." I smirked as I stood up and took my eyes off of Dean, I still had the knife out, but I was giving him the opportunity on purpose.

"Now, you are all going to learn how to fight in your human forms, as well as a few tricks to have up your sleeve in your wolf forms. We use our wolf forms for recon groups, patrols, and such. In a fight, your wolf form should be your last resort because compared to the firepower the hunters are carrying now, you are left more vulnerable in your wolf form." About the time I had finished my little speech, a powerhouse of energy swamped me from Stefan in worry and I felt Dean lunging at me again. I ran at him head on, gripped his fur in one fist and slammed him down on the ground at me feet, placing the machete blade at his throat.

I watched his wolf wince, and I knew that had hurt. I didn't really care, he had pissed me off.

"That was a shady move Dean and you know it. Just because you are pissed off and horny doesn't mean you get to be a total jackass." I roared.

He changed forms and just glared at me. I let him up reluctantly as he went to put on some pants. He didn't bother with a shirt now and the tribal tattoos up his arms and shoulders prominently accentuated his muscular toned body. I could tell some of the group was intimidated.

"I'm not pissed because I'm horny." He growled lowly toward me.

"Well, would you rather me have said it was because you were insecure?" I growled not caring to spare his embarrassment or feelings any longer. "Now, we can fight about this crap later, right now, we are on the clock, if you can't handle working with me right now, go tell Jason to come out here." I gestured toward the porch where he was sitting.

Dean walked off and went toward the woods. Effectively not doing what I asked him to do.

"JASON!!" I yelled. I heard him running down to the yard where I was.

"What is it?" he asked. "I saw what happened with Dean__"

"Dean needs to clear his head, can you fill in for him?" I asked him effectively cutting him off.

"Yea, sure, I taught you didn't I?" he laughed, trying to redirect the groups attention away from Dean's retreating figure.

I looked over at Stefan, and his face was blank, and he was shielding so hard I could hardly tell what was up, but I knew he wouldn't be shielding from me that hard unless he was really pissed about something. I went back through the events in my head and couldn't think of a reason why he could be pissed at me. Maybe he was pissed at Dean over the attack from the back thing. I'd ask him about it later tonight.

"Okay, I'd like you to break into pairs and spar, one in wolf form, the other in human form, get a feel for it and switch off. I'm not really concerned with who wins at this point, it's like a pre-assessment. We just want to see where we are, so we can get an idea of what we need to do." I stated.

The group started to split off and Stefan walked up to me.

"Can I be your sparring partner?" he asked cracking a smile. I knew he was seething about something on the inside but he was making an effort to not blow up in front of the pack.

"Oh baby, you already are." I winked. "but maybe you should try playing with the other boys and girls and we can spar later," I teased lightly.

"I'll hold you to that," he said leaning in a whispering in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He bent his head slightly and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before returning to Erik where he made a big show of taking off his clothes to shift. He met my lustful gaze and smirked at me as he started to change.

I shook my head and focused my attentions back onto the groups in front of me.

"Which side do you want?" I asked Jason.

"The right." He said eyeing a group that seemed to be having a bit of a rough go at it, but the young male showed potential the way he dodged the brute force of his partner's wolf.

"Alright, we meet in the middle. You take Stefan's group; I don't think he will like me giving him pointers." I whispered the last part so he wouldn't hear me.

Jason nodded and moved to the right and I made my way to the far left. This group hadn't gotten started all that much, so I hung back, not really acting like I was observing so they wouldn't be intimidated or be unlike themselves.

"This fighting in our human form is ridiculous," one said lowly, not expecting me to be able to hear him. "The hunters can't shift; shouldn't we be learning how to fight someone in their human forms? Like man to man, not wolf to man because it's like we are fighting as hunters."

"You are," I said walking up making my presence known. As the wolf came up and grabbed the other by the throat. "There is a point to this exercise." I said secretively. "Pay attention to your enemy, allowing yourself to be distracted could cost you your life."

Every group had something similar to say about it. If they were supposed to fight them man to man, why were we even bothering with wolf forms, and the answer was simple, they just didn't get it yet. They weren't ready yet, but they would get it. If they could beat a wolf in human form, they could beat a hunter. If they could fight like a hunter, they could beat them in wolf form. They also needed to learn to take orders from me with no questions asked, but that wasn't as pertinent as the fighting, it just annoyed me slightly. They didn't quite trust me yet.

As I was making my way through the groups I heard Dean howl. It wasn't a lonely, I'm sorry howl, it was a signal.

"Get Carlos and Tommy," I barked at Jason who looked just as alarmed as I did. I had hoped that we would have more time for practice, but it looked like the hunters were making an attack today. I raced as fast as lightning into the house and grabbed my bag that had all the fun toys in it.

I had no idea how many of them there were, but I was going to be prepared.

Jason, Carlos, Tommy, and I ran back out of the house and Stefan was there to stop me.

"I'm coming too."

"Fine, but stay out of the line of fire." Tommy commented before I could stick my foot in my mouth and suggest he stay with the pack.

"I can do that," he said as he started running with us and wormed his way next to me.

"Jezzy, why don't you let me handle this and you stay with the pack?" Stefan suggested.

I just raised my eyebrow at him. "I don't think so,"

He didn't say another word which was smart because we were going into the woods and it was time for the group to split up and keep low. We moved swiftly through to trees and brush until we picked up on Dean's trail. We were spread out in a line, each with plenty of room to maneuver if need be, but each backing the others up. We followed Dean's trail for a while, and then we heard fighting. Stefan tried to charge but Carlos shook his head at him. We closed in on the scene unseen. We stealthily moved upon the recon group of hunters that were surrounding Dean. As we moved closer I pulled a knife to get ready. Carlos waved his hand to get our attention and he held up his tranq gun and looked at me as if to ask permission. I nodded my head. Information could be helpful.

I waited for Carlos to shoot, and once he did, the hunters scattered as the body fell to the ground. We came out of our spots and Tommy began to fire away with his guns. I went toward my target, a burly looking man with a min Uzi strapped across shoulder. He started to raise it, but I was too quick, I had a knife thrown into his throat before he could get it all the way up.

The whole group was neutralized in a matter of seconds and everyone was gathered around the body of the hunter we had knocked out. I walked up to see what we had and I was intercepted by Stefan and Jason.

"You really handled that guy well, I don't think you even broke a sweat." Jason started.

"Yea, you are such a little bad ass Jez, it really turns me on. Why don't we go back to the pack house so I can show you just how much." Stefan said as he finished.

"What is the big deal?" I asked as I walked around them.

I was frozen with shock as I looked down at it. That's what it was, just an IT. I couldn't process what I was actually seeing, my brain just went south for the winter. I didn't want to accept it at all. I was having a bad dream. That is what it was.

It wasn't a bad dream, no matter how badly I wanted it to be, because laying in front of me in a crumpled heap…

Madigan.