"Coming right up," She told them with a small nod before turning to go around the counter and into the walk-in freezer, taking out four Coors Light and going back to their table, doing all this without trying to run.

"Here you are," She tried placing the beers down steadily, but the vibrations that came from the bottles making contact with the table was proof that she wasn't just nervous around them, she was blatantly terrified. They're eyes stared at her intently as she sat up, the shivers starting to break through. She swallowed slightly before backing up a bit.

"Excuse me," She spoke, once again her voice was dipping off.

She then turned to go the back room and grabbed her coat, beanie, and scarf. Sadly, there was no backdoor for the employees to use. She'd have to go through the front.

Right past them.

She bumped into Kathy on her way toward the door. "S-sorry, Kathy. I'll see you tomorrow." She told her.

"Y-yeah. Are you alright, hon?" Kathy asked, now seeing her anxiety.

"I'm fine," Jessica said a little too quickly again, "I'll...I'll see you later, Kathy."

Before Kathy could say good-bye, she turned and walked out the door and into the winter night air as calmly as she could. But she wasn't—in fact—she nowhere near out of harm's way yet.

She walked just as evenly as she rounded the corner, still easily seen through the glass window of the café. The moment she passed it, and was out of sight, she booked it.

The cold air didn't faze her; she just knew need to run as fast as she could away from them. She was thankful for her werewolf speed and the fact that it was dark out.

However, the lack of human bodies was something she wasn't grateful for. As she turned another corner, she heard the sound of footsteps, the sound of running footsteps behind her. She whimpered in fear, tears starting to come pouring down her face, and heart beating in her head.

"I don't want to die..!" She thought to herself as she ran. She regretted not buying and bringing any vinegar with her. Wolf noses were so sensitive and that scent was so strong, it could have easily knocked them off her path for awhile. She also mentally kicked herself for deciding to stop in such a rural place. If only she was smarter.

The sound of the foot steps closing in snapped her from her mental count of regrets, reminding she had to focus now. Don't stop. Don't stop running. She ran across the street into Jackson Town Square through the archway. She nearly tripped over something in the snow but caught herself as she continued to run.

That near trip was her downfall.

Her heart stopped beating and her thoughts went blank when she felt arms grab her and trip her down onto the snow.

"Non! Non, s'il vous plaît!" Jessica screamed, pleading in French as she struggled against the one that had her in vain. All too quickly, she felt herself get grabbed by a different one and swung into a tree, making her let out a sharp yelp in pain as she came face to face with the blonde, his large hand tightening around her throat, threatening to cut off her air supply completely.

He growled angrily at her, "Who are you, wolf?! Why are you here?!"

Sobbing, Jessica tried desperately to remember her English, "I...I-I'll be leaving soon! I promise! Just please let me go!"

"Answer the questions!" The blonde barked at her.

"Jessica!" She called out, tears flowing thickly down her eyes, "My name is Jessica... I...I didn't know any wolves were here...! I'll be leaving soon...!"

"You trespass on our pack's territory, stay here for a length of time without permission, and expect to just leave?" The brunette asked, a growl of anger in his voice with each word.

Jessica whimpered in response.

She was trapped, boxed in by three of them, and one standing behind. What could she do? They were stronger and they were right. She was going to die, and it was all perfectly fine; it was the werewolf law. She closed her eyes as the blonde tightened his hold on her throat.

"Wait," The sound of the voice of the one who she knew had to have led spoke up. They looked at him, moving out the way as he approached her, though the blonde still had a hold on her throat to keep her in place. His eyes bore into her eyes in silence. She quickly averted them and he tilted his head, "...You're lone, aren't you young one?"

Jessica swallowed again, but nodded, keeping her eyes down. She had no choice but to answer him.

"For how long?" He asked her.

"Four....fourteen years..." She squeaked out.

The other light brown haired one snorted, making the one talking to her growl at him. He quickly looked down as the one talking to her resumed, "You're rank?"

Renewed tears fell from her eyes. This would set everything in stone now.

"O...Omega."

The brunette couldn't help but laugh out now, "An omega? A lone wolf for fourteen years? What a crock of shit—"

"Emanuel!" The one talking to her barked at him and growled, shutting up the brunette, Emanuel, and he lowered his head in submission.

The leader looked back at her, and Jessica could feel his eyes studying her, but she dare not look up.

"...Let go of her neck, Conroy," He spoke to the blonde. Conroy growled in his throat and let her go, allowing her to breath properly again as she fell to the floor. She grabbed at her neck and flinched at the contact.

It was going to bruise in a few minutes, along with the one on her back. Though she would heal faster than humans, bruises like this would take a few days to do so.

She felt the other dirty blonde grabbed her arm roughly as the leader turned and headed out of the park, them all following him and dragging her along to stay near their sides without seeming to suspicious in the night.

She held back a stifled whimper as they forced her into a black 2007 F150 Harley Davidson SuperCrew pickup truck with tinted windows. As they got in the car the one holding her pushed her in the center while the leader got in on the other side of the car next to her, locking her between them as Emanuel slid into the passenger seat and Conroy slid into the driver's seat, started the car.

Jessica said nothing in the silence of the driving, but as she was trembling, she knew she needed to ask. "....What...what pack are you from?" She almost whispered. Wouldn't stop them from hearing her anyway, as the leader looked down at her in the silence.

"Delaney."

The very moment the word exited his lips, the fear she felt before seemed like nothing compared to the terror she felt coursing through her body and blood now.

"Just....kill me now..." She thought to herself, pure panic running through her thoughts.

She knew of the Delaney pack. What pack in North America—hell—the world, hadn't? She remembered hearing about them back in Ontario. The Delaney pack was by far the most notorious pack in all of the Northern Hemisphere. It was by no means the biggest territory or numbers wise, but they were the strongest pack lead by an equally ruthless Alpha.

In the past, she had heard that they were an older pack as well, starting somewhere in Russia, Germany, or Ireland; no one really knew, they were so old, but those were the guesses. Jessica heard of the pack wars they've been in. They almost always won, and even when they didn't, it's probably because the Delaney Alpha spared them, or at least figured he didn't want to "play" with them any more.

Fortunately, they rarely got into any turf wars, for if they had, they could easily have taken over half the nation, or at the very, very least, a few states.

She did a slow glance at the leader from the corner of her eye.

This had to be him.

The Alpha.

His scent radiated of it, his power easily stronger than that of her old Alphas in Quebec. The thought saddened her in her already fear-stained heart.

Why is it that bad Alphas were always stronger than her own good ones? Even she didn't know the outcome of the Revolt in Ontario; she was long gone by then. She looked back down again; her furiously heart beating was an ever beating reminder of what predicament she was in.

She glanced up again, this time, out the window. A clearing and a Ranger Station was in sight. Where they going to stop there?

No.

Conroy merely rolled down his window, letting the man at the station see him. Giving him a nod, Conroy rolled up the window and drove passed. Jessica gulped again as they turned off onto a hidden trail. The trail was easily hidden by trees as they went through the mountains before coming up against large fences that seemed to appear from nowhere.

When she looked through either window, she saw the fencing that seemed to camouflage with the sounding trees and wilderness, having no trouble hiding in the snow either. She felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest and leave her as the fences soundlessly opened for the pick up to drove through, and shut tightly behind them.

They were here now.

Her wolf knew it. She knew it. She renewed her trembling with vigor; she didn't think she could cry any more. It was time to face one of the most basic rules that every lone or rogue wolf must face:

Join the pack or die.

The Delaney Compound.

As they went further in, Jessica saw it, fear never once left her heart, especially as the pick up came to a stop. She was trembling again, her eyes even shook in terror as the two next to her and Emanuel got out the car, the light brown/dirty blonde grabbing her arm and dragging her out, this time with less care. She squeaked slightly in pain of her arm, biting her lip to hold in the rest. Though it wasn't going to be ripped from the socket—she hoped—she knew that she was definitely going to have a third bruise to add to her other ones.

"Go park the truck, Conroy," The leader of them told him, who nodded and went to go park it, "Marco, Emanuel, let's go."

They both nodded and followed him into the compound. Jessica struggled to keep up with them, not having much other choices and her arm stung in pain if she didn't.

As they passed the homes—which seemed to make a small town on its own—she smelt and saw other wolves in their human, wolf, and Anthro forms: males, females, and pups alike. They all had eyes on her, each smelling her way, curious of her.

Yet, their serious looks and some of their scowls, even from the pups, the place told her that the Delaney pack lived up to its name somehow.

All too soon, she saw what looked like the manor house of the compound; it was easily bigger than most of the other buildings. It had to be where the Alpha lived. She didn't even get to gasp as she was drug up the rust colored marble front steps harshly, nearly tripping, barely managing to catch herself before being pulled again. She could see the icy white and maroon interior through the glass panels with the decorative wrought-iron inlay.

As they opened the large mahogany doors, she was pulled through, catching what she could of the house. In truth there was little color to it all past the different shades of brown and white. They sharply turned a corner before opening a pair of large wooden doors to an empty study. The leader growled slightly, causing Jessica to shake, just barely retaining anything that she felt. How was she going to get out of this?

"Looking for someone, brother?"

An almost monotone female voice appeared behind them, causing Jessica to finally let out a yelp that she had been holding in the entire time. As they turned, Jessica saw her.

The woman had medium colored skin and light brown/dirty blonde hair like the leader, her brother, in which she wore up in a messy bun. She wore a loose black pencil skirt, a white zip-front seamed blouse, and black Steve Madden Stokker pumps.

She had an irritated look in her olive green eyes as she walked up to them. She looked at Jessica with the same harsh eyes, making Jessica quickly lower her eyes again. She didn't like this...

"Who the hell's this, Keric?" The woman spoke to the leader, her scent telling Jessica she was not pleased.

"Her name is Jessica. We found her wondering around in Jackson," Keric told her as she passed them, making her way into the study with elegance and authority, and sat down in the chair.

They walked into the study, but the woman focused her stern eyes on Marco and Emanuel. They both quickly stopped moving forward and bowed their heads, turning to leave and closing the door behind them.

Jessica swallowed in the silence, a lump starting to form there before the female spoke up, "Sit down and relax, puppy. I'm not going to bite unless I feel like it."

Jessica quickly nodded and sat down, fear and anxiety not leaving her immediately like the woman insisted.

The female didn't even give a slight snicker like most would have. No clock ticking, no creaking, no sniffing. Not even a sound from the other side of the room's walls.

Nothing. Just the still air.

The silence only continued for a moment longer before the female spoke again, "My name Adeline Delaney. I am the Madame Alpha of the Delaney pack if you haven't figured it out. My brother told me you're a lone omega, and for 14 years too. That's quite impressive. But that doesn't answer why. Why were you in Jackson?"

Jessica's trembles worsted, feeling the harsh tone in Adeline's voice. She knew better than to lie to wolves. Unlike humans, they could easily smell both deceit and emotions. She probably reeked of fear in the car just as much as she did now.

She sat up in her seat and cleared her throat as best she could, "I...I did not know that there was a wolf pack in Jackson. All I was going to do...w-was make my way west, to Hawaii or the Pacific Islands. When I came here, I scented no wolves, so I continued to do what I needed to survive."

"Why all the way out west? Why not join a pack?" Adeline continued to question the harshness unrelenting.

"...Be...because I chose not to," Jessica bit her lip as her words came out almost in a whisper.

Adeline and Keric both shifted in their seats. Adeline folder her fingers together, her elbows on the desk and her eyes narrowed, making her even more intimidating to Jessica, "You chose...not to? Which pack did you belong to before you were lone, puppy?"

"I...belonged to three packs before I chose to be lone, Alpha. I was a part of the Oakens pack in Pennsylvania—"

Both of the Alphas growled lowly at the mention of the name, causing Jessica to break out in sweat, her eyes shifting fearfully, but fortunately, both stopped, probably sensing and seeing her renewed tenseness. Adeline waved her hand once calming down, "...Carry on, puppy."

"I-I was," Jessica cleared her throat again and shifted in her chair uncomfortably, "I was also a part of the Stenpryde pack in—"

"Stenpryde?" Adeline growled out the name in fury, "That Canadian pack?"

"Y-yes," Jessica whispered, shaking in fear of the female Alpha's anger.

It was silent for awhile as Adeline was calming down once again. Jessica continued to tremble, her nerves were too high strung to relax. She was scared to say anymore. This was the Delaney pack here, and they now knew she was a part of those two packs before. Would they kill her by association? If Adeline or Keric so wished to, they could kill or have Jessica be killed right now without another word being said. What would happen if she said her original pack's name? Would she freak out or would she murder? Either way would sound like the Delaney way of doing things.

"What was the third pack you were a part of, young one?" Keric asked her from the renewed silence, his words calmer than his sister's, especially at the moment.

She bit her lip as she continued to shake.

She didn't want to say it.

She shouldn't want, but she couldn't say it. She had protected and cherished her original pack's name so long that she felt horrible if she gave it up now. She thought to the fire, their slaughter, how she should have been there, and how they would never come back. She thought of everything about them, their love, their kindness, their laughter, her alphas, her parents. Everything and everyone she cherished in her pack. She didn't even carry it as her current last name it was so important to her. It was the last thing she had of them, and she knew that if she told them, then she would never have it again.

Adeline growled at Jessica warningly, a bite in each of her words, "What was the third pack you were a part of, puppy?"

Jessica's lips trembled. Her already dried up tears still had a little energy left, as a weak, yet single tear trailed down her face.

"M-Méraudin. M-My first pack...was the Méraudin pack in Qu...Quebec."

Once again, everything fell to dreaded silence.

"...Méraudin? ...You're the last survivor of the Méraudin Pack, puppy?" Adeline asked, in a way that both surprised and frightened Jessica.

She looked up slightly, and took a small intake of breath. Adeline's eyes had softened a bit onto her. Keric didn't seem as ridged either. Jessica nodded, "...Yes."

The silence began again. This time, though the energy in the room seemed temporarily softer, Jessica shook with the pain of having to reveal her old pack's name. She didn't want to give it up, not now, not ever! But once again...the Moon Goddess always shows her things can never go her way, and that she should never want. Ever.

The silence broke again as reality came back to her once she heard Adeline speak in her original monotone voice, "You're staying here."

Jessica flinched at those words. She was afraid of that. She knew it would happen. She just didn't want to hear it. It also yet again dawned on her.

She was being forced to be in the Delaney Pack.

Her blood ran cold at what she realized has happened. One of the doors to the study opened slowly, revealing a young brunette who, like everyone else in this pack, brought a serious air with her, "Yes, Madam Alpha?"

"Puppy, this is Katalin, an Omega like you. Katalin, this is Jessica. I would like you to take her to the servant quarters and I would like you and your sister to advise her about the Delaney pack ways. You're both excused," Adeline got up from her seat and started to walk toward Keric as Katalin bowed her head to her and went for Jessica.

"W-wait...Madame Alpha?" Jessica got up, but spoke almost hesitantly.

Adeline looked at her, stopping, "What?"

"I have a job back in Jackson. At a café. When I left, I was...feeling extremely..." Jessica trailed off.

"Afraid?" Adeline finished and Jessica nodded.

"And I'm sure my boss noticed. I believe that she might be worried about me," Jessica spoke, her eyes on the floor.

"And we did chase after her barely a few moments after she fled," Keric added in a matter-of-fact voice.

Adeline sighed in an annoyed manner. She looked back at Jessica, "Fine. Tomorrow, you will accompany Katalin and her sister to café. You are to quit your job there. You are no longer a lone wolf and your place is here. Understood?"

Sadness filled Jessica's heart as she nodded and turned to leave with Katalin, who closed the doors behind them to leave her new Alphas alone.

"Keep up. The others are not use to you yet. Females of the other ranks would want you to submit to them and the unmated males will have eyes on you," Katalin spoke to her in a light yet cold voice, her petite body out-walking Jessica in speed.

She couldn't believe this. Everything, her job, her goals, her promise to never join another pack, her way of life, was gone with just a few words. She had gotten herself caught, and now, her life was no longer hers.

Though, inside of herself, her wolf did settle. Though still wary of their new home, it was just that: their home. They didn't have to run anymore, no more rundowns, no more lonely nights, and no more fending for herself.

"But...don't forget," Jessica reminded her other self, "No pack is to be trusted. This pack is known for its hostility, its distantness, its aggression; it may be far worse than the other packs we have faced and other packs we've been in...No. We can't settle. I don't know how, but we have to find a way to leave this pack. We can't give up. We've come way to far..."

Her wolf whined at her thoughts. We can relax now. We are safe.

Jessica debated on listening to her wolf's instincts this time. Before she really could though, Katalin spoke, "We're here." She went forward and opened the door to the flat.

It was silent as they entered the house. Katalin closed the door and let out a sigh, which startled Jessica.

"...What?" Katalin asked, less icy than when she was walking.

"N...Nothing," Jessica shook her head slightly.

Getting up from her lean against the door, Katalin narrowed her eyes at her, "Look. Don't lie to me. What is bothering you?"

"Just...um...why were you so cold out there, but not here?" Jessica asked, failing to find a way around it.

Katalin studied her, "We're not heartless. Jessica, was it? If the pack was so, the Alpha would have killed you the moment you got here, despite how busy he is."

Jessica gulped, thinking about Keric and Adeline, knowing that was true. She saw right through her. Of course she had. Who couldn't? When Jessica scented her, she could tell she was easily stronger than her. In fact, Katalin was easily as strong as a Delta in her old pack. Jessica wanted to ask, but decided against it, fearing the outcome.

Katalin walked past her and called through the house, "Kamilla? Oscar? Lain? Jeremy? Tuomas? Is anyone here?"

The sound of a room opened, steady steps were heard down the hall and from it came someone who looked almost exactly like Katalin. Her hair was short, straight and in a v cut compared to Katalin's shoulder length and curly hair, and her cheeks seemed more rounded than Katalin's. As well, her eyes were dark brown while Katalin's were a lighter shade.

"I'm sorry, sister. The others are working. It' just me," The woman spoke to her, but at the same time sniffed and looked over at Jessica, her eyes held a bitter stare at her, "Who's this, Katalin?"

"Jessica. She's a new omega to the pack," Katalin told her sister.

Her sister studied her, her cool gaze unchanging, "...Are you sure she's even that? The pack she came from wasn't that strong was it?"

Jessica bit back a growl that both she and her wolf wanted. She may have been weaker than them, but how dare she?! She knew nothing about her original pack!

"Not all packs are strong. She is an omega, Kamilla. Madame Alpha demands that we are to look after her and have her help with our duties," Katalin sat down while Kamilla rolled her eyes, her lip twitched in aggravation, "It seems you will finally be getting a bunkmate."

Kamilla gave her a low growl, almost a groan of protest. Her attention turned to back to Jessica, "Jessica was it?"

Jessica nodded, not trusting her voice to not growl at her.

"I'll show you to the bedroom," Kamilla leaned again the wall, "Anything else we have to do, Katalin?"

"Just one. Tomorrow, she has to go back to Jackson to quit her human job," Katalin told her, relaxing her eyes.

Kamilla grunted before heading back to the room, cold aggravation lined her words, "Are you coming or not?"

~*~*~*~

"You'll be staying here," Kamilla lead her into a bedroom that was smaller than the Motel 6 room, but still large enough for two people to live there comfortably, "That bed and drawer is yours."

Jessica went over to the single sized bed. The sheets were umber colored and when she sat down, it felt a little rigid, but far more comfortable than the grounds she's slept on, "...Thank you—"

"Don't thank me," Kamilla cut her off, ice didn't leave her voice as she stressed those words and folded her arms, leaning in the door way, "There was bound to be another Omega in here eventually. I just didn't think I'd be sharing it with someone weaker than me."

Once again, Jessica's wolf growled and this time, she could only make it a near silent one as it escaped her throat, "I didn't ask for any of this. I understand I am weaker for an Omega in this pack, but the Moon Goddess has deemed—"

Before Jessica knew it, Kamilla had her pinned on the floor, causing Jessica to hiss in pain; the bruise on her back had made contact with it. Kamilla growled threateningly, her eyes were filled with more animosity than she had just first meeting her, "Here's a little warning for you, so you don't have someone with real power here tearing your throat out for saying something as stupid as that."

"As...as what?" Jessica swallowed, starting to feel unease under her skin.

"The so-called 'Moon Goddess' that every pack claims to be convinced exists," Kamilla's eyes never left hers.

W-what? What did she say?

"What do you mean? Of course she exists," Jessica asked, "Saying she doesn't is like how humans say we don't."

"But humans have seen us. They just don't believe their eyes, nor do they give a fuck to hunt us out anymore. Not like their stupid offspring are still raised in the older ways," Kamilla spoke of them bitterly.

"They're not stu—"

"You listen to the bullshit lies of past generations, of other packs," She interrupted Jessica, "It's asinine. To worship a single moon, who supposedly only gives us real power during the Full Moon? What about the other moons in the universe? It is a rock that sits there in space. There is no 'Moon Goddess'."

"Then who made us?" Jessica challenged, but regretted her tone as she said it and changed to a more humble one, "...How can you be so sure?"

Kamilla's gazed did not change, "The nine Alpha Deities made us."