"This is all screwed up," I said stroking him. "You're supposed to be angry with me, not hurt. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want the pack to suffer."

"Elizabeth, do you know what it would do to me to lose you? Do you understand the pain I would feel? In the future, since it is evident you hold very strong opinions about our pack, let's talk through our decisions. I won't shut you out and you won't run off on your own. Can we agree to do that?" Joel pleaded.

"No more running off," I promised him.

"And no more shutting you out," he promised in...