Revolting

"Of all the fucking wolves in North America, why did it have to be HIM?" Heath paced back and forth across the small confines of William's bedroom within the pack house. William wanted to reach out and comfort his mate, but Heath wasn't in a mood to be comforted. "I mean, she rejected him, right? You were there, you heard it, she did it..."

William sighed and lowered his body onto the couch. "I heard it. But he never accepted her rejection."

"What does that mean?" Heath raked his hands through his hair before he dropped down beside William with so much force that the sofa groaned in protest.

"I'm no expert," William said slowly and carefully, "But maybe the bond wasn't really severed." He ran his hand up and down Heath's thigh. "Or maybe she just can't remember..."

"How can you be okay with this? He was a fucking hunter! A werewolf hunting his own kind! Just because we didn't have a pack! We never did anything wrong! We never hurt anyone! He almost killed me. He killed your friend, Will, how can you just..."

"I know, Heath."

Heath made a disgruntled sound in his chest. "I can't believe you were ever with him."

"Maybe its because I was with him," William said slowly, "I always wanted to believe that underneath it all there was a decent person. Maybe Hannah will be the one to redeem him."

"He doesn't deserve her," Heath insisted stubbornly.

"Does any of us ever really deserve our mate," William said quietly, pulling Heath closer against his body. "My mother always had these hokey little things she would say. Like, "The goddess never makes mistakes." I used to think it was all a bunch of sentiment and old tradition... until I met you." He used his hand to turn Heath's face toward him, and planted a kiss on his frowning lips.

Heath had just started to sag against William when the door slammed open without even a cursory knock. "Damn, Daisy!" William grabbed his chest to still his racing heart.

"You found Hannah? And you weren't going to tell me?" A very pregnant and very angry Daisy waddled into the room. She put her one hand on her hip while the other one went to press against her lower back. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes were snapping. "Hannah was my friend, too!" She said, stalking over to the couch and planting herself down in the cushions, even though she knew she would need one of the men to haul her back off the sagging sofa. Heath and William exchanged worried glances. "Yeah, we know, Daisy. We just didn't want to upset you, not with your due date being so close."

"Upset me? Why would I be upset? This is wonderful news. Isn't it?" She looked in confusion from one handsome face to the other. "Isn't it?"

"Ehm... there are... complications," William tried to state delicately.

"She came with Michael." Heath practically spat the name out of his mouth. "And she's gone feral."

"Oh," Daisy leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes tight. "Oh no."

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In the morning the Rebel Moon pack gathered in the dining room as usual, but Alpha Shane, Luna Nina, William, and Heath packed up a basket to take down to Heath's cottage. "Heath," the luna stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I'd like to bring Raine, if that's okay."

Raine, hearing her name, came running into the kitchen and plowed into William's legs. "Yes! Take me! Where are you taking me?"

William picked up the toddler and cradled her against his chest. She was beautiful like a little doll, with black curls and startling blue-grey eyes and porcelain skin. Aside from being as cute as a button, she had some very special abilities. "Want to go see Heath's sister? Her name is Hannah. You met her before, but I don't know if you'll remember her."

The little girl nodded solemnly and tugged at William's neck. "Yes. Let's go."

The group looked to Heath for his permission. He nodded and chewed his lips nervously. They all traversed the well-worn path through the woods down to the simple little house. Heath didn't bother knocking. It was his house, after all. He pushed open the back door.

Michael came out of the bathroom with a towel around his shoulders and a toothbrush in his mouth. His face was freshly shaved, his hair was combed neatly away from his face, and his massive chest was still bare. He wore a pair of shorts slung low around his waist. Heath was stiff and couldn't suppress a low growl. William elbowed him a little. "At least he's not naked," William whispered.

"Hannah... your brother and your... friends are here," he called over his shoulder.

Hannah slipped out of the bedroom, moving in a crouching, defensive posture. The amazing thing was that she was also clean and dressed in a too-large t-shirt and a pair of bike shorts. Her long hair had finally been combed out, so that the silky strands swung around her hips tangle-free. The effect on her appearance was startling. Somehow it made her seem younger, and more human. She clung to Michael's arm as she stared at the mostly-unfamiliar faces. Only when she looked at Heath did her expression flicker with something like recognition.

"Why don't we just start with breakfast," Nina suggested with her friendly, motherly smile. She took the basket to the kitchen table and started unloading the breakfast items. There were fresh muffins, a pan of eggs scrambled with onions peppers and ham, a big bowl of fruit salad.

They squeezed around the table, but the close proximity of so many strangers made Hannah retreat back into Michael's arms. He easily arranged her on his lap and served them both from his plate. Nina tried to make polite conversation. "How was the night?"

"It was very nice, thank you," Michael said politely. "I was very thankful to have a hot shower and sleep in an actual bed." He broke a muffin in his hands and offered half to Hannah. She took it and crammed it in her mouth. She watched the other people curiously from the safety of Michael's arms.

"What about my people?" Michael asked after he chewed and swallowed. He hadn't forgotten about his ragtag crew of rogue wolves.

"We will go out today and bring them some supplies, as a courtesy," Shane said, "And as a thank you for their assistance in rescuing Hannah."

While the adults were eating and making awkward conversation, no one seemed to notice that Raine slipped down from Nina's lap and started easing her way around the table. She stopped for a moment at Williams chair, but when he didn't give her any attention, she kept on moving toward the place where Michael and Hannah were sitting. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and stared at them for a long time with her blue-grey eyes.

Michael glanced down at her and offered her a smile. He'd seen the kid before, when he used to date William. "Hey kiddo," he said softly, "You hungry?"

Hannah noticed the little girl, and seemed quite fascinated by her. She picked up a grape from Michael's plate and offered it to Raine.

Raine smiled and took the grape, popping it in her mouth and holding it in her chubby cheek like a chipmunk. Then she climbed the rungs of the chair, and situated herself so that she was seated on Michael's free leg, her little legs dangling between his knees while Hannah was perched on the other leg. She tipped her head up at him and grinned impishly before she plucked a grape and popped it in his mouth.

The rest of the adults around the table could only stare, dumbfounded. William cleared his throat first. "Well... that is unexpected."