Chapter Fourteen

I looked up and saw Stefan making his way toward me with careful steps. I knew he was waiting on me to freak out. It was kind of expected from me in his eyes. He hadn't quite gotten a chance to know the cool, calculated, controlled Jez just yet.

"Are you okay?" was the first thing he asked me, not ‘what were you thinking'.

I smiled at him as warmly as I could, but I had the feeling a bit of the sadness leaked through. I couldn't help that. "Yes, I am okay." I said with surety. I turned back to the water and patted the space next to me. "It's time I talked." I stated languidly. I felt relaxed from my toes to that horridly unattractive wrinkle in between my eyebrows that creases when I'm tense. That sense of ease didn't happen that often for me, not unless it was about that minute window after an intense orgasm.

I felt Stefan seat himself next to me and his arm automatically went around my back.

"Yes, I agree." He said simply. I ignored the gruff tone and took a deep cleansing breath of cold air.

"I feel inadequate because I can't give you children." I admitted, looking straight ahead and anywhere but his face because I knew I would cry more if I looked at him. "I feel like I have to show you how strong of a mate I am physically and as a leader because I can't be the kind of mate you want. A mate that can provide and care for children. I don't cook large meals, and I don't know the first thing about cleaning because I'm used to room service and maids. I won't ever be a mother, and as an alpha, a mate that can't be a great mother is seen as a weakness."

Stefan tried to pull me closer and lay my cheek to his chest. I surrendered to his touch and let myself be comforted a moment.

"I won't lie to you, I dream of having children with you nearly every week." Stefan said softly.

"I dream of our children, what they would look like, how they would laugh, cry, and fight." I smiled to myself at the dreams.

"If we had a boy, he would be temperamental like me." Stefan commented.

"But his eyes would hold laughter."

"Our daughter, she would be beautiful." He said dreamily.

"But strong in subtle ways." I finished.

"Yes, not so obvious as her mother." Stefan chuckled devilishly.

"I wouldn't hate you if you chose to reject me." I whispered lowly, half not wanting him to hear me, and the other half needing to get it off my chest.

"I won't ever do that." Stefan said with a surety that left me daunted. Butterflies took flight in my stomach and my heart melted. "As long as you want me, I'll stay true to you and only you." He vowed earnestly.

"I'll always want you," I admitted. "It's just that, I know I can be difficult, hard-headed, feminist, and ultimately human…" I paused for a moment and thought about how I was really more human than any wolf I'd ever met. "but I will always want you no matter how angry I may get at you. You could cheat on me and I would still want you, and that's what scares me."

"As long as I breathe I will do my best by you." He said pulling me into his lap.

"I'm afraid I am going to mess this up."

"You aren't getting rid of me," he laughed. "Now that I have you, I am never letting you go."

I smiled and kissed Stefan's cheek, then cuddled into his chest where I fit quite snugly all bundled up. His broad chest was the perfect pillow and his heated skin kept me warm. I felt safe and relaxed for the first time since I could remember back. I felt completely safe.

I shut my eyes for just a moment and took a deep whiff of cool refreshing air.

"This is the first time I've been back here since you got shot," Stefan commented.

"Me too,"

"I still can't figure out how that hunter was able to get this far onto the territory unnoticed," he thought aloud.

"Hunters mask their scent and move through trees," I answered.

"They do?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, exactly how much do you know about your enemy?" I asked.

"Not as much as you apparently," He commented.

"Well, I make my living knowing more than the average wolf about hunters, don't worry I will teach you," I teased and ruffled his hair.

"Well why don't we go back to the house so you can teach me?" Stefan purred suggestively.

I hummed my approval and stood up with the aiding hand of Stefan. We leisurely walked back hand in hand as the sky got lighter. It would be daylight by the time we got back. The forest was still sleeping, but you could feel the eyes of the nocturnal critters getting ready to sleep for the day. We didn't have to fill our walk with chatter, we could feel each other's contentment and I don't think either one of us wanted to open our mouths and ruin it.

The sun was rising and a riot of color filled the sky through the treetops. I sniffed the air and marveled at the familiar smells of morning. The morning dew was like the forest had new life. Everything smelled greener. I listened for the first birds of the morning, but instead I heard footsteps. I cut my eyes to see a shadow leap from behind one tree to another.

Stefan, someone is following us.

Before he could react my knife was sailing to the stalker and with a satisfying thunk I heard it hit home.

It's a little bit disconcerting how quick you are to take the kill.

Stefan chuckled as he followed me to the tree to find our follower to be none other than…Dean.

"Dean?! What are you doing following me like that?" I growled.

"Just making sure you were okay." He chuckled, but the shoulder with my knife through it told me that he was hurting.

"No, you masked your scent, you were testing me, jerk." I squinted angrily. "Do you think it was such a good idea now?" I asked taking my sweet time pulling the knife out.

He started to chuckle then bit his lip to hide the hiss of pain from the movement and strain it took to conceal his laughter.

"No, probably not a good idea." He said grinning like an idiot.

"You are lucky I didn't aim for something a little more precious." I said menacingly.

"Like what?" he joked, attempting to push my buttons.

"Like your balls, as I remember, they hang a little to the right." I stated bluntly, "Due to the left one being a tad smaller than the right, isn't that what you told me?"

Stefan guffawed. "You should get that looked at." He commented covering up his laughter quickly with a serious, concerned tone.

"Oh, bite me Jez." Dean returned like a smacked puppy.

"You sure you want me to do that?" I laughed, "because I could just stab you again, it leaves about the same kind of wound," I laughed peeking through the hole in his shoulder as if I could see daylight through the other side.

"Ha, very funny, smart ass." Dean huffed and started walking toward the pack house.

"That's where we are going," I said teasingly.

Dean stopped turned around, walked passed us with a curt "I knew that, I was just testing you."

I rolled my eyes and we continued our walk back to the house.

"Is Dean normally like that?" Stefan asked me laughing a bit and I didn't find a serious undertone or accusation in his voice.

"Yes, he loves to test me." I grumbled. "You'd think after a year of training with him when I was eighteen that he would trust me enough not to let my guard down in the woods for that heavy footed Neanderthal to sneak up on me."

Stefan laughed happily, and I felt my stomach flutter at the musical sound of it.

"What was that spike in your mood?" He asked me seriously, and just as soon as the happy, care-free laugh and smile was there, it was gone.

"It's nothing," I chuckled, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.

"Now I've embarrassed you, what made your energy spike?" He persisted. "Tell me, and I will stop asking."

"Your laugh okay?" I admitted and turned away.

"What about my laugh?" he asked dumbfounded.

"That carefree happiness, makes me feel like butterflies are swirling in my stomach." I whispered low, but knew he heard me.

"What was that?" He teased.

"You heard me."

"Could you speak up please?" he looked at me expectantly.

"When you laugh you make my stomach do backflips!" I half yelled.

"What happens when I do this?" he asked swiftly picking me up in a bridal carry.

My heart started racing and my mouth went dry.

"Racing heart," I whispered.

"And this?" he asked as he kissed me deeply. His lips moved against mine in the perfect balance of demand and caress.

"Breathless." I muttered against his lips. ‘And wet,' I thought to myself, but we weren't alone.

I know you are. Stefan's voice floated through my head. At that thought I froze against Stefan's lips.

Stefan chuckled at my expense and started walking toward the pack house just as the sun started peeking over the trees.

"I am perfectly capable of walking." I grumbled to myself but didn't dare protest to the attention.

Stefan chuckled but didn't comment.

"When do you want to wake up a team to go get our pups?" I asked him.

"After I put you in bed," he said simply like it was no big deal, "you haven't slept since you got here."

"Well I'm not going to sleep knowing you are out there risking your neck," I countered with only a hint of anger. I didn't want to start an argument about it, because I know he was trying to look out for me.

"If you aren't well rested, I won't have you on the retrieval team, I'm not going either." He stated, leaving me speechless. I couldn't really argue with that logic.

I was at a loss for words. When did he shut me up?

"What no protests?" he laughed.

"For once, no." I sneered.

By that time I noticed the outline of the house.

I awoke to the sound of children laughing. I had missed the sound of kids playing outside since I had arrived. For once the house didn't feel empty and lifeless as it did. It felt like the light and happy home I had first met Stefan in. I felt for him on the side of the bed and found it empty. Instead I found a folded up piece of paper.

Come downstairs.

That was all it said. So I threw on some clean clothes and started to make my way down the stairs. Voices traveled through the walls up to my ears. Mothers holding their children and children telling their mommies not to cry dominated the sounds. I made it to the bottom steps and was swarmed by the pack. The mothers that were at one time criticizing me were now thanking me and hugging me. I didn't have room to breathe, but I didn't have the heart to tell them I needed space because they were accepting me. I felt one hand touch my shoulder in particular. Like a switch was turned off I could breathe again as the pack unhanded me to my mate.

He led me over to the kitchen where an array of food was laid out before me.

"Good morning," Stefan said smiling at me. "What would you like for breakfast?" He asked me

"Coffee first," I chuckled as I poured myself a cup. I added a couple teaspoons of sugar and didn't bother with milk. I didn't like watered down coffee. I took a testing sip to see how hot it was and then took a large swallow. I smiled at the warmness that spread through my chest. I sat down at the table and planned on enjoying a cup before getting up to fix a plate. By the time I was halfway through the cup a plate was plopped down in front of me heaping with food.

"How's that?" Stefan asked me smirking.

I eyed the food with a speculating gaze. There was a lot of meat on this plate, a steak, a porkchop, and a chicken. When I say a chicken, I mean a whole chicken sat on my platter of food. There was a mountain of mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. On top of the heaping pile were five golden yeast rolls.

I looked up at Stefan and grinned, "You read my mind," I laughed and dug into the food. I hadn't eaten in too long. I was starved. In between bites I asked him, "So, do they know about…last night?" I muttered lowly.

"No, and they aren't going to know about how you got that sensitive peace of information." He said, easing my worries. "They don't need to know about the particulars as long as they are safe in the end."

"Is that really fair?" I asked, "I know I would want to know the whole story." I commented tersely.

"You would want to know the whole story because you are an alpha, for which you are privileged with the whole story, because you can handle it." He explained. "Do you really think they want to know? Look at them." He argued back.

I looked at the mothers hugging their children and talking with their mates. They were completely happy and content with the outcome; it didn't matter to them that I had tortured someone to do it. I imagine some of the mothers wouldn't care if they knew. I felt a stirring inside me as my wolf purred happily at the site of the pack safe and sound.

"If I stay," I felt myself blurt it out, I noticed a hint of hurt in Stefan's eyes as he realized I hadn't completely decided. "Please hear me out, if I stay and take on the role as Alpha female, what will be my duties?" I asked.

"Well, you will be there at all the pack meetings, because I have decided that we are going to be equal leaders." He smiled at me.

I smiled back at him. "Thank you," I said giving him a peck on the lips before tearing back into the food. "What else?" I asked, my mouth full of mashed potatoes and steak.

"I am going to want your help with training; you have a lot more experience in that area." He continued.

"I want half of the garage," I studied his reaction and his lip twitched on one side as he tried not to laugh.

"Okay, I think we can manage that, but I'm not selling any of m__"

"I will leave you if you sell one single car and I will strangle you in your sleep if you sell a motorcycle." I growled jokingly.

He laughed then, "Oh, you are so perfect!"

"I also want you to give permission for Jason, Dean, Tommy, Sam, and Carlos to stay in the territory as long as they want," I demanded. "I plan on keeping up the business; we do a lot of good work."

"I don't know about that…" Jason said gripping the back of his neck. I gave him a pointed look and he smiled at me, "Okay, fine they can stay as long as they want."

"Good, now, do you have any demands of me?" I asked concisely. I kept my eyes on my plate as I continued to eat.

"Well, I would not be opposed to a traditional mating ceremony." He casually admitted as if it was no big deal.

I smiled inwardly but kept my cool, "I don't want a big ceremony, something simple." I said waving my hands about and taking a sip of coffee.

"Did you just?" Stefan started then scooped me up in a bear hug and swung me around the room with my feet dangling a good foot and a half off the ground. He kissed my cheek then kissed his way down my neck playfully, only he managed to plant a kiss right on my mark which made me stiffen then relax completely as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Tease." I whispered.

"Sorry," he said chuckling devilishly.

"No you're not," I laughed. "You love how I react to you."

He smiled a bedroom smile that said he was thinking of me naked.

"Later darling," I said patting his cheek and making a move to stand but his hands firm on my thighs stopped me from putting space between us.

"How about sooner, rather than later."

"Later will come sooner than you think." I countered.

That got a laugh from the doorway, which drew our attention to living room where a girl stood giggling into her hand.

"Deana can we help you with something?" Stefan asked.

"Oh no, please continue, you guys are so cute together." Deana giggled again.

"DNA?" I asked Deana, getting the sense of recognition from the first day I had ever spent in the pack house.

The girl brightened, "You remember me?" she asked.

"Of course I do, you were the first person to show me kindness here." I laughed. "I will always remember that. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but could you give us a moment please?" I asked sweetly.

She nodded her head happily like a little bobble head as she spun on her heels and stepped into the living room.

"Where were we?" I asked as I crashed my lips onto Stefan's who responded immediately. He groaned as my tongue slipped into his mouth.

My skin began to heat up and I didn't want it to ever stop. I wanted Stefan, not later but now. I wanted to take him back upstairs. His hands moved down my back and I arched it for him, tossing my head back in the process. I felt his lips on my mark and that made me wild once again. I wrapped my legs around him tighter and felt my hair being gripped at the scalp.

"We can't do this now," I felt Stefan mutter against my skin.

"I know," I whispered nearly breathless.

"We should stop," he said as he kissed his way up to my lips again.

"Yes," I answered, "we should."

With a frustrated growl Stefan let me down.

Just as I had straightened my clothes Erik came into the kitchen.

"Alpha Jez, Jason has some things he said you would find valuable that were recovered at the cabin, he is in his room, I didn't understand why it was important." He informed me.

"Alright, I'll be there in a second, thank you Erik." I smiled at him and nodded, effectively dismissing him. "What is the plan today?" I asked Stefan.

"Well, there is a pack meeting in a couple of hours, after that we can go do something together if you like." He said making our way to the side stairs that bypass the living room and the crowd.

"Okay, I will see you in a little while then." I smiled at him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Come by a bit early and I will give you a crash course on the politics." He winked at me and backed into his office.

I smiled devilishly and he returned the look as he shut the door. I knew exactly what kind of crash course he was talking about and it had nothing to do with politics.

When I walked into Jason's room he was pouring over old photos, files, and what looked like a torn piece of pastel pink fabric.

"What's up?" I asked him when I realized he hadn't noticed me.

"Jez!" he exclaimed when he turned around. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

Being the forward and blunt person that I am I walked forward and picked up one of the files that were tossed about the unmade bed. The first thing I saw was a legal paper for an adoption agency that had a bunch of legal jargon and initials and signatures that I could barely make out. Then I found a copy of a birth certificate that was in Romanian. The name was Lenuta Daciana Rezzori and her birthday was the same one listed on my birth certificate. The mother's name was listed, but not the father's. I looked back at the adoption papers and the connections began forming. Lenuta was the name on my blanket, and my birth mother had given me up for adoption. The swatch of fabric was the corner from my blanket. I looked into the rest of the files only to find that someone had kept surveillance on me up until I had ran off on my own. I assumed it had been my adopted parents, but why would these papers be with hunters. Then something inside of me clicked, they were hunters. My adopted parents were sworn to kill my kind, and instead of doing that they just left and made it look like they were taken and declared dead after so many years so I would never look for them when I got old enough to.

"I wonder how they found out I was a wolf before I shifted," I wondered aloud.

Without a word Jason handed me a carbon paper copy that had my information on it, and it looked like the lab work up from a blood sample. In bold red letters stamped on the bottom it read ‘positive'.

"That's disturbing, there's a test for the werewolf gene?" I asked Jason.

"Apparently," Jason said adopting my cavalier tone I was using. I was trying very hard to make light of the situation even though I was freaking out on the inside.

"So, that's it." I stated looking around the room.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"I mean, my entire life I have been wanting answers about my parents, and planning revenge on Madigan. Now what am I supposed to do?" I asked aloud. I didn't really expect an answer.

"Isn't it obvious?" Stefan's voice floated from the door.

"It's obvious what I want, not what I am supposed to do." I explained.

"But what if what you want is what you are supposed to do?" he countered.

"Did you just lawyer me?" I smirked.

"Yes, I think I did." He grinned a grin that made me weak in the knees. "Trust me, there will be plenty of problems and drama for you to obsess over later, right now just enjoy yourself." He said making his way over to me and putting his arms around my waist.

"I still have questions." I told him trying desperately to keep my head on straight as his touch made my body yearn for something more.

"Well, let's go to my office and talk about it," he whispered just low enough that Jason didn't hear. I knew what was coming and I needed it at this point. My whole body was tense and needed Stefan in a way I could never explain unless you experience it for yourself.

"Jason?" I asked him.

"Yea," He answered taking a drink of scotch he had on the bedside table with his back to us, attempting at giving us privacy.

"Is there anything in there about my birth mother?" I asked.

"Just a letter, its addressed to your adoptive parents." He said turning and handing it to me. There was a look in his eyes that said he couldn't believe what he had just read. Not to mention he looked a bit scared.

I snatched the letter from him and started to read:

Mr. and Mrs. Stamos,

I cannot begin to explain how thankful I am to you for agreeing to raise my daughter. She is quite special in so many ways. Lenuta is a daughter of the moon. She won't ever sleep well when there is a bright full moon outside. Lenuta will always prefer to be outside rather than play indoors. I am allergic to dogs, so she may be as well. She is a spirited child, and one day you will see why. When she is of age, she will go through a change that you cannot begin to understand. Do not be frightened by things that are unknown to you, once you can see past the initial shock, I hope you see how beautiful Lenuta is.

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, make sure she is not alone. I would hate for her to be alone.

Amelia Rezzori

P.S. If you tell our daughter about me, tell her I loved her very much, and that's why I gave her to you.

"I have to find her," I said aloud to no one in particular.

"What's the name?" Stefan asked, sounding a bit anxious to have me to himself, but he could wait a few more minutes if I could. If I couldn't get this off of my mind it wouldn't be good for either of us.

"Amelia Marcela Rezorri," Jason answered looking at my birth certificate that was in Romanian, I sure as hell couldn't read it.

"Rezzorri? That may be easier to find than you think." Stefan said straightening up with interest.

"What do you mean?" I asked spinning to face him.

"Let me make some calls and I will let you know," He assured me. "But it's going to take a while."

"How complicated can it be?" I asked.

"You're doing it again," Stefan sighed.

"Doing what again?" I asked backing away and crossing my arms defensively.

"You aren't trusting me," he explained. ? "Don't you remember what happened the last time you fought me on something like this and you left, and I was right."

"Jason, what of Macie, did you find her?" I asked.

"She is in the holding cell her father was in," he answered.

"I'll be by later to talk to her," I replied.

I glared at him and backed out of the room then turned to go to his study. I grabbed the files on my way out and my computer as I passed our room. I slung the bag across my shoulder and stormed toward the study. If we were going to fight, I was going to make use of the time, and I was going to make sure the pack didn't hear us.

I strutted into the room like a walking tornado, when I heard the door shut behind Stefan I whirled on him.

"You were right that Macie should not have been helped by us, but you were not right to keep what she was away from me, I am a lot stronger than you give me credit for. If you expect this to work, you have to trust me too. Don't you ever bring up me leaving again like there is some kind of perpetual scoreboard hanging over my head or I swear I will__" I was interrupted from my rant by a dainty giggle.

"Louise," Stefan greeted stiffly, "If you could give us some privacy, the dusting can wait."

"Oh, don't worry Alpha Stefan, when she leaves again I will still be here." She cooed as she sauntered out of the room.

My wolf wanted to attack, but I knew that if I wanted the trust of the pack I would have to restrain myself from killing her, but there wasn't much I could do about the projection of my anger onto her, she asked for it, really.

"Why is there always a slut in every pack?" I growled.

"Excuse me?" she said cockily as she turned around and glared back at me.

"As your Alpha, I demand respect, you arrogant little bitch!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, the door was open and I knew the pack could hear me as I chastised the she-wolf. "What kind of wolf would want you if you give yourself to just anyone? If you ever even glance in my mate's direction I will make you regret it!"

"And what exactly are you going to do?" she asked disrespectfully.

"Is that a challenge?" I growled.

"Yea, it is, because I think you are all talk, last time you were here, you were a sniveling basket case, I'm not afraid of you." She growled back.

"Don't be ridiculous, Louise." Stefan tried to reason with her, "You do realize if she accepts the challenge she will kill you."

"No she won't, she doesn't have it in her to take the kill." She challenged again.

"I accept," My wolf and I answered.