A heavy arm pinned me down and for a moment I panicked. I launched myself from the bed and only when I turned to look at the hulking figure of Griff did I react.

“Eve what’s wrong?” He asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes groggily.

“Nothing.” I muttered, walking into the kitchen for food. The breeze kissed my naked body and I knew that Griff had a good view of the scars from my time with Al- Qaeda. There was no food in the fridge so I pulled out the room service menu. “What do you want?” I asked him.

“Whatever you get.” I felt his arms slid around my waist and run up and down my stomach. I called room service and them together we hopped into the shower, enjoying another tryst.

We lay in bed the whole day, getting up only to go to the bathroom or get food. I lay on my stomach, half my body covering Griff’s as he ran a calloused hand down my back. “What are you planning on doing with your leave?” He asked. I knew that my team would return to active duty in a few days but for the first time in seven years, I wouldn’t be joining them.

I shrugged and trailed my finger over his broad chest. Truthfully I’d thought about it hard and long. The pack would have received a letter with the military’s condolences on my passing and I knew that my father’s would have been devastated. I knew that I couldn’t just let them believe I was dead; even though I left I knew that they loved me and it would’ve broken their hearts to hear that their only child had died.

“I’m going home.”

His hands stopped their wandering as he absorbed the full impact of my words. “You’re going back to the pack?”

It was against were laws to tell humans about the existence of supernaturals due to hunters and the dangers that humans posed. I was raised as a wolf but I was human; the laws didn’t apply to me. I had told Griff a few years into our friendship and he was fine with it; though I think that because he hasn’t had to watch a wolf shift, I don’t think he realises the full implications.

I nodded and locked my gaze with his. “You’ll be gone and I’ll have nothing to do, nowhere to go and no one to see if I stayed here. What am I going to do for a year while you’re away? I’m my own person and I haven’t seen my dad’s in seven years; hell they think I’m dead! I walked out like a coward but I’m a different person now and I can handle it.”

I saw a big smile break out onto his face and he rolled me underneath him, peppering kisses on my face. “I’ve never been prouder of you Eve… we’ll there are moments that come close, but I know how much they hurt you. The point is that I know you can do this; I don’t expect for you to wait for me, you’re the last person I would want to hold back because I know how amazing you are and repressing you would make you hate me. I value our friendship too much to lose you; I want you to visit your family, face your demons. I’d be there but you and I both know that’s not possible.”

I nodded and went to push him off me and stand but Griff just grinned down at me and pressed more of his weight onto my body. “That doesn’t mean that I’m done with you though; not by a long shot.”

And he proved it.

-

My heart pounded in my ears as I wove through the almost non- existent road which led to the pack house. The house was in the heart of the Austrian Alp’s and was almost inaccessible to vehicles save for the one path I was driving down. I’d caught a two hour flight to the nearest airport and then bought a second hand car I knew would be able to handle the conditions. Thankfully it was summer so there was no ice or snow to cause a dangerous accident.

My palms became sweaty as I saw dark shapes darting through the trees. Anyone else wouldn’t have seen them but with my training and knowledge of pack workings, I knew that they were patrols. They would have contacted the alpha, Jenna and enforcers telling them that an unknown vehicle was encroaching on their pack land. Ten more minutes and I would be there.

I’d kept the windows up and the vents to the car closed as I didn’t want to give them any clue as to who I was; though they probably wouldn’t recognise my scent. I knew that if the patrols saw me they wouldn’t recognise me either as I’d changed drastically over the past several years. All my baby fat was replaced with lean, hard muscle; my body was tall, tanned and toned. My facial features had become a lot more angular because of the weight loss and I’d cut my hair to just below my shoulders so it fell in natural waves. I’d gained a lot of scars through my job in the military but each one told a story and I took pride in knowing that they were gained in service to my nation, protecting innocent people who couldn’t fight for themselves. Many of the scars I bared ran deeper than the purely physical but I had become good at shutting down those parts of my mind; blocking the memories and emotions associated with them, with that part of me. I guess that it could be said I was cold to those outside of my team.

I still had big, green eyes like grass that were lined with long lashes but that was all that was the same. The car emerged from the trees as the imposing sight of the giant pack house grew closer through my front windshield. The pack house had grown since I’d last seen it and now must have covered the same area as a large shopping centre; it was taller as well. The house was surrounded by forests and mountains and out back I knew would be a large entertainment area with a sports field and Olympic sized pool.

As I pulled in front of the house the giant doors opened and many men walked out, led by the one woman who’d guided me through my teenage years when my fathers couldn’t; Jenna Knight, the Alcaeus Aatu alpha. I spotted familiar faces behind her as they all stared at the tinted windows of my car as well but I ignored them. I turned the keys and the engine cut out as I stared at the people I’d once called family. My hand absentmindedly drifted to where my dog tags rested between the valley of my chest, under the olive green shirt I wore.

Taking a deep breath I steeled myself for the confrontations I knew would be happening and pulled the keys out of the ignition, unlocking the door. As a precaution based purely on the fact that these were werewolves and could easily kill me if they saw fit, I grabbed the handgun from the glove compartment and looped it’s holster into my belt. I doubted that they would try anything but it is better to be safe than sorry. My aviators covered my face as I stepped out of the car and shut the door; the only noise heard through the tense silence.

With confidence I did not feel I walked around the front of the car and came face to face with Jenna. “State your purpose here or be escorted off my land for trespassing.” She ordered.

Although anyone could’ve felt the sheer power that she excluded, it didn’t affect me… much. I stood a few feet away staring at her until I could tell that she was about to snap and throw me out. I raised my hand to my face with a smirk and tucked my glasses onto the top of my head. “Surely you don’t remember me alpha?”

I heard growls at the disrespect I showed Jenna and it was only a few seconds before her face transformed from a sneer to one of absolute shock. “Eve?”

I gave a slight nod and crossed my arms over my chest. “The one and only.”

Suddenly she rushed forward and I was crushed into her arms. Jenna cried no tears as she embraced me but I knew that I’d hurt her when I left and I guess that she was shocked that I was alive and here.

When she drew back her face turned to one of rage. “You left with hardly any explanation and then seven years later we get a letter saying that you died in Afghanistan; what the hell is going on?” She growled loudly, drawing more people from the house.

I sighed and pulled my dog tags out of my shirt. “I joined the British military after I left, six months ago after a mission the base I am my team were at was attacked my al-Qaeda rebels; I killed the men who came to kill us but was captured and I was assumed dead.” I said quickly. I didn’t tell them I was part of the SAS because my squadron was a national secret; the best of the best. All names and identities of each team member were confidential information only accessible by select authorities. I knew that all records of our operations had been blacked out in the records and many were never recorded.

It took her a few moments to process everything and I honestly didn’t blame her; imagine your human niece showing up out of the blue several years after she ran out, thinking that she was dead. ”You joined the military?” She asked as if she didn’t believe it. At my nod she threw her hands over her face and shook her head. “This isn’t one of those books you used to read Eve; women get raped in the military! They get killed because they’re perceived as weaker, easier targets! We thought you were dead! Why would you do that to your fathers?” She yelled at me.

Before she could utter another word I hand had whipped back and the sound of skin hitting skin echoed. There were growls as Jenna stared at me in shock and before I was attacked by any of the shocked and angry males behind her I pulled my gun out and aimed at the nearest one. “Try me; I dare you.”

“Stand down; I deserved that.” Jenna ordered.

I nodded in agreement and tucked my gun back into its holder when they all stopped shooting me daggers with their eyes. “You did.” It was true but she knew I was smarter than that; I wouldn’t let people take advantage of me like that. In the past there had been many cases of rape but it was 2056 now and things had changed since her time. When I’d joined I’d made friends quickly and although there had been men who’d harassed me, most were scared away by the men I considered my brothers.

She opened her mouth to speak but two huge males wolves came running towards the house, racing right towards me. I panicked for a moment and my hand reached for my weapon before I realised who those wolves were; my parents. Just as they reached me the sound of cracking bones and popping joints filled my ear until two pairs of beefy arms wrapped around my waist.

“Eve?”

“I’m here daddy.” I said, holding back tears. “It’s me.”

I pulled back as my dads were handed a pair of basketball pants each, tears running down their faces with smiles of joy. “You’re alive? You’re really here?”

“I’m really here.”

Jenna stepped forward and grasped my forearms, looking from me to my fathers. “We will celebrate the return of my niece; a celebration is in order!” I shook my head but Jenna refused to listen to my protests. “You can borrow one of my dresses; they look like they’ll fit you.” Now that’d I’d lost weight, not that she said it, but I knew that she and everyone else thought it; those few who remembered me at least.

I gave up trying to say no after realising that protest was useless. Jenna ordered for some of the enforcers to bring my bags to my old room but I shook off her grip and grabbed my bag. It wasn’t heavy; I only had jeans and a few shirts, panties, bras, my passport, a pair of Griff’s boxers and his shirt that I used as pyjamas and a few weapons.

I followed Jenna through the house, noting the subtle changes and extensions to the original building. As I walked through the house I wasn’t recognised by anyone but I noted that I caused a stir; a human in a pack of wolves.

When my dad, Ace, opened the door to my room I realised that nothing had changed. All my books were in the same place, the bed covers were as unmade as the day I left and the book I’d been reading was bookmarked and laying in the middle of the bed. My cupboard was still open but one of my drawers had been pulled out and clothing scattered onto the floor.

I dumped my bag next to the bed before undoing my belt and resting my gun on the bedside table. I lay face down on the bed until I felt two bodies lay down beside me. My dad’s wrapped their arms around me and cocooned me in their warmth.

I was home.