Chapter 1 Facing

         With a huge shove filled with all her hatred the only man she truly had given her all for. His grey eyes were as shocked as she when she had heard. Licking her lips she smeared her make up to cover the threat of her tears. Breathing heavily she kicked his leg hard enough to bruise her foot much less his leg. He tried to explain but all she heard was Koleene's screams as Sak healed her.
         "I don't want to hear it,Raquel! You may be Alpha here but to me you are nothing. Do you get me? Nothing!" she turned running out the door and slamming her door shut before he could wrap her in his arms. He stood there at the door eyes looking at her, begging to come back. If she were a lycan she might not be able to resist. Turning on the ignition she blasted the radio and turned her head away as she backed up and left him standing there.
         "Sak?" she blinked her memory faded as she took a swig of the screwdriver she held in her hand. Ever had finally fallen asleep between her and Koleene's constant rocking and singing. Sak smiled at the worry in Koleene's robin's egg blue eyes. They were too big for her facial structure and gave her such a innocent stare. The long ebony hair made her face smaller which didn't help. Sak's smile hardened seeing the scars criss-crossing along Koleene's left arm like a silvery spider web. Koleene grabbed the bottle from her before she could protest and dumped it in the sink.Opening her mouth nothing came out as Koleene gave her a look.
         "Listen to me, Sak, that was your third one. You can't keep blaming yourself. If not for me than that beautiful five year old sleeping on the couch. It's been six years. It's over. I'm alive." Koleene whirled around in a swish of cloth, her sundress shimmering in the sunlight streaming from the kitchen window. Sak looked at her daughter curled fitfully in her blanket. She had her father's grey eyes and Sak's thick brown hair. Sak bit her lip playing with the spider bites absently. Ever was like Koleene, a half-ling destined for execution if found out. Koleene sat down next to Sak gripping her hand.
          "Kole you are asking for a devil's favor in this. I can't talk to him."
         "Sak you can't keep lying to Ever either. I see you digging yourself a deeper grave everytime. That hurts worse than what he did." she whispered but it might as well have been screamed to Sak.To hurt her best friend? She rubbed her face and looked at Koleene defeatedly. Koleene had the calmest of smiles as she kissed her forehead.
         "Thank you. You know I wouldn't ask this of you unless I knew you could handle it."
         She drove slowly as a funeral progression as the house she had once called home came into view. If she really wanted to she could lie and tell Koleene Raquel wanted nothing to do with Ever but their friendship demanded she walk up, knock on the door and come face to face with him.
         The blonde that answered the door was not Raquel. She was curvy and not ashamed in the short shorts and midriff tank top. Her blue eyes held flecks of grey as she sneered. Sak shoved back her pink hair and put on her best I-don't-automatically-hate-you smile.
         "Excuse me, miss. I was looking for Raquel. Is he here?" she said pleasantly.
         "He is but he's over you, Renee." she emphasized her disgust her Sak's middle name as she looked Sak's appearance over. Sak could see she disapproved of the mid thigh jean skirt and pink leggings combined with the black scruffy combat boots. Sak had worn a simple white tank top and a blue plain shirt over it to compliment the blue eye liner and silver hoops of her spider bite, not to hise the tattoo on her wrist the said 'forever dear' in cursive with a small wolf's paw next to it. Brown eyes were encased in pink mascara and lost their friendly appeal.
         "It's Sak now, puppy dog." she moved forward getting nose to nose with this female. Power oozed off her skin.
         "He doesn't need you now that he has a Alpha Female. That also means you can't harm me." she smiled wickedly seeing the slight flinch. So Raquel had moved on? Sak laughed almost madly. Can't harm this little thing? With a sudden movement her fist had swung back and landed straight into the woman's gut kneeling her over onto Sak's shoulder. She gripped her blonde hair with the other hand.
         "I wouldn't be so cocky. It's unbecoming of this dainty image you portray. Now..." she let go as the blonde held her stomach eyes squinting in dislike, "I asked to see Raquel." Sak placed her friendly smile back on. The blonde went off into the house as a face she hadn't seen in a while appeared as caught her in a hug twirling her around with a laugh.
          "Hel's tits! Ren!" the deep accent in John's voice didn't fit the boyish quality to his face. Red hair sprung like a mad scientist's and he was definitely older in the six years. She couldn't help but chuckle.
         "John! You're still here? I figured you'd be chasing girls at bars, it's late out."
         "Eh I lost the want of it when you and Raquel had your spat." he set her down and closed the door. Now that she got a good look at him she could see bags under his eyes and grey in his hair. He was no more then forty. She frowned.
         "Don't think you can lie to me. Who was the blonde with the attitude?"
         "Regelia. She and Raquel are Alphas now."
         "I see. And what about you?"
         "John?" a female voice came from a shadow in the hallway. The woman was tiny, maybe thirty five, with sparkling green eyes with a silvery circle around the iris. A made lycan? Sak cocked an eyebrow. Lycans were only allowed to change one person in their lifetime. John's demeanor changed from carefree to protective as he gestured.
         "I'm mated now to this beautiful lass, Adalyn. And I have three whelps, two girls and a boy." Adalyn stepped from the shadows revealing dak brown curls laced with red and a thin frame. She bowed her head and curled under John's arm as if she belonged there. Sak smiled.
         "I'm Sak. It's a pleasure to meet one who's finally tamed John. Gods above knows the many times I've succeeded were trickery." she stated as John smiled.
         "I know who you are. John talks a lot of the time when you were Raquel's pick for Alpha Female. You should've stayed." she said gently as John lost some of his brightness at the words. Sak nodded not going into more detail about the fight. She was only here as a favor yet John had already made her feel like it never happened.
          "Who the hell punched my mate?!" There was a deep growl followed by stomping as Sak turned to see the Alpha walking down the stairs, Regelia following close behind triumphant. He stopped eyes looking at her unbelieving. Once vibrant he looked tired now. Sak crossed her arms.
         "Who the hell wouldn't want to? She's inconsiderate, obnoxious, and has no manners whatsoever." Sak whispered brown eyes throwing daggers at the blonde's crocodile tears. Raquel moved down the stairs and Sak held out a hand to stop him.
         "Don't come near me, Raquel. I only came here as a favor for Koleene. I can see you are doing quite we-" she didn't finish her sentence as a hug cut her short. These were the arms she remembered. Strong, warm, and safe. Her body instinctively molded into the firm muscular wall that it knew would provide and protect her.