Chapter 28

Once the word left his mouth, Tasha hugged him.

It didn't take him more than three seconds to hug her back.

" I can't believe it. I knew my wolf sensed my mate," says Tasha.

" So that's the reason my wolf was going crazy last night," says the male.

She took a step back and looked at him, smiling. " What's your name, princess? " He asked.

She grinned. " Tasha." Says Tasha.

He smiled. " I love that name. My name is Clayton," says Clayton.

" I like that name as well," says Tasha.

" As much as I hate to interrupt you talking to you, mate, we have other things to deal with. For instance. It looks like Connor doesn't have to keep us a secret from his mate any longer," says the woman.

Their eyes settle on me as I look at Connor.

He's just staring at us all wide-eyed. However, when he hears that I'm here, he looks straight at me.

I feel like I should be mad that he didn't tell me, but I also feel like I shouldn't give the fact that I already knew about them.

" Amber, how long have you been here?" he says.

" We heard the entire conversation," I say.

" You did?" he says.

I nod. " Yes." I say.

" Are you mad?" he asks. He sounded almost scared to know my answer.

" I am a bit angry, but not as much because I already knew about them. I'm just mad by the fact you didn't tell me and I had to find out on my own with my best friend," I say.

" I know, I'm sorry I kept them a secret from you for this long. I planned to tell you about them soon, and what do you mean you already knew about them?" he says.

" I overheard you guys talking one night while I slept in your arms," I say.

He nods. " I told you we shouldn't have talked while she was there," says the woman.

She looks at me. " I'm Cassandra, by the way. "

I nod. " What were you and Tasha doing in the woods tonight anyway?" asks Connor.

" She said her wolf had been going crazy last night, and she wanted to see if her mate was in the woods and turns out she was right," I say.

" I asked her if you would be willing to help me search," says Tasha.

Connor nods, fully understanding why we were here now. The look in his eyes tells me he would have been more than happy to help my friend and I searched for her mate. Mostly because that would mean he would get to spend time with me.

" Well, I'm glad you came. I finally have my mate, and she's even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined," says Clayton. Tasha blushes at that, but smiles.

" I suggest let's sit down and talk. Because there are many things we need to talk about," I say.

They nod and we sit down in a circle. Mates next to each other.

"OK, so what do you want to ask?" says Cassandra.

" What I want to know is where did you guys come from and how do you know Connor?" I said.

They both looked at Connor. " You can tell them. We might as well tell them everything since they already know about you two," says Connor.

" Ok. Well, Connor, Clayton and I have been friends since we were four. We looked after each other at all times. Growing up, we stuck next to each other in a little group and if anyone picked on one of us, they got a mouthful of angry words from the rest of us. It hasn't often happened since Connor was Alpha's son," says Cassandra.

" Connor always hung out with us. Before and after school. I was the son of the third in command and Cassandra is the only child of the bête," says Clayton.

" Do that, when we were old enough for training, our time together was limited, but Connor, Clayton and I snuck out in the middle of the night with blankets, snacks, flashlights and drinks so we could hang out for a while. Then the awful day happened when the rogues attacked our pack and killed the Luna. They said Connor did it and arrested him on sight. I showed up with my father and the Alpha when they ran to help the Luna, but were sadly too late. I saw Connor was covered in his parents' blood and his own like a wolf. He was forced to shift back and was handed clothes. He was trembling and scared. They accused Connor of killing her and being part of the rogue attack and never even let him explain. He tried so hard to explain but his father wouldn't let him. I tried to talk to my father. He said he would talk to Alpha Conan about giving Connor a fair trial and let him explain, but he refused," says Cassandra.

" You were the one who tried to get me a fair trial?" says Connor.

She nodded and flashed him a small smile.

" Yes. I told Clayton everything and he believed me. Alpha Conan refused to let us visit him, but then the day came when Alpha Conan told us two things. One, the pack was going to a party at another pack they had been invited to in a week, and two, when they got back, they were going to kill the ones that had been arrested for involvement in the rogue attack that killed the Luna, which meant that they were going to kill Connor, and we had to get him out of there. So we spent the next week gathering people who believed Connor was innocent and didn't deserve to die for something he didn't do. When they were gone, we attacked the prison, took down the guards, but didn't kill them and freed Connor and a few others by mistake. We couldn't worry about the others though, because we had to get Connor out of there," says Cassandra.

" Once we were out of the pack prison with Connor, we helped him to the woods before we shifted and ran over the border into our pack and found a place to stop. He told us the entire true story, and we told him what Alpha Conan told us, and he got really upset and said to stay close, but that he needed to be alone for a bit. He left shifted and when he came back later that night he said he had found his mate, and we talked about what we were going to do, how to stop this rogue problem and, most importantly, how we were going to clear his name and save his life, so things could go back to normal. That his life could be happy again, and he could be happy with his mate and be the alpha he was truly meant to be," says Clayton.

Then they stopped talking to let me process what they said.

I looked at Tasha. His mouth is wide open in shock and Clayton has him lying against him. She's as shocked as I am.

I then looked at Connor. I can't believe it. Alpha Conan was going to kill his own son without letting him explain or giving him a fair trial.

How can that cruel man be an Alpha?

How could he do that or even think of doing that to his own son? It's just wrong and cruel!

My wolf right now is very upset by what she just heard.

" So that's why you don't like anyone mentioning your father?" I say. All he can do is nod.

Connors lost his entire family to one stupid rogue attack.

I scoot closer to him. His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me closer to his side.

" I lost my family the day I was put into that prison. My mother was dead, and I witnessed her death, and my father didn't care about what happened to me. He made sure I knew that, and telling the pack he was going to kill people he thought were involved in that rogue attack, which meant killing me, his only child sealed the deal of losing my family. I have no family now," he says.

I gently grabbed his chin and gently turned his head to look at me.

My heart breaks at the emotions in his eyes, it's pure sadness, hurt, loss and betrayal, and it makes me so mad. I really want to hurt Alpha Conan for doing this to my mate and making him feel these emotions, but violence wouldn't solve this problem, though it would make me feel a lot better.

" Connor, that is not true. You have me, you have Cassandra and Clayton, and now you have Tasha. We're your family now, Connor? Just know that we'll always be here for you and will always take your side and back you up. Because that's what a real family does," I say.

" She's right. I just met you, and I fully trust you after hearing the story from you and them. I believe without a doubt that you are innocent, and I will stick with you as long as Amber does. Because she's right. We'll be your family now," says Tasha.

The other two agreed right away. Connor smiled, and I almost started to cry when I saw his face.

He had tears running down his cheek while he was smiling at us all. The tears prove that he's been through so much more than any teenager should ever have to and that what we said means a lot to him.

He reached over and hugged me with one arm before reaching towards the others with his other arm.

They all scooted closer, and we all ended up in a group hug.

" Thank you guys so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for and the best mate ever. I couldn't ask for better. You guys are right, you are my family now and nothing is going to take you guys away from me, "he says with more tears running down his face. We hug him tighter.

I'm crying as well, because I've never seen him cry, and seeing him cry while hugging us and calling us his family means a lot, because that is what we are now.

One big family that will always be there for one another. Even if we all just met. They've been with him and been a family to him since he was little and proved they'd do anything for him, and Tasha believes everything and I know she would be there for him, and, of course, me was his mate. I would do anything for him without question, because that's what I'm supposed to do and that's what I'm going to do because I care about him a lot.

It may look like we're weak because of crying. Connors is the Alpha's son, and they aren't supposed to cry or be all lovey and stuff to others, since they're supposed to be strong and lead everyone, but after everything I just heard about what he's been through, I wouldn't have expected any difference.

Connor is not and will never be weak to me. He's the bravest person I know and the strongest, the smartest, best looking, and the sweetest.

Just like he said, I couldn't have asked for better friends or a better mate. Because I already have the best anyone could ever ask for.