The first thing my mind began to register was how warm and comfortable I was. Next came the fresh forest scent that reminded me where I was. Silas's bed. I couldn't remember falling asleep or even laying down but I did remember everything else that had happened. The more awake I became the more my body ached with reminders of everything that had happened.

I was in Silas room because I was on lock down. I was on lock down because of Drake, the bruises, and the pills. I was beginning to wish that I hadn't woken up already. When I was asleep I didn't have to think about any of this. I didn't have to worry about keeping things from Silas or protecting him and Amelia from Drake. I didn't have to wonder when or how Drake would try to kill me next.

I sighed and forced my eyes open. There was no point in prolonging this. I wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon. It was time to face the music... or rather the brooding Alpha next to me.

Silas was already looking at me when I opened my eyes. He shifted, rolling over, and releasing me. My mouth popped open in surprise. He had been holding me.

"You're having nightmares again..." He said quietly. "You were tossing around and crying in your sleep."

I gulped. I couldn't remember what I had dreamed about but I had a pretty good idea what it might could have been. Matthew warned me that because of the way he flushed my system the medications would be out faster than usual. That meant my ability to use magic would return faster than expected, including my ability to mind link and project memories.

'Did I say anything?' I asked. I tried to keep my face blank but Silas eyes hardened as he shook his head. He knew that I was keeping things from him and he hated it as much as I did.

"Like what leannan?" He asked.

His return question was my answer. I hadn't said anything in my sleep. My abilities hadn't returned yet.

'What time is it?' I asked changing the subject.

"11." I was so surprised that Silas accepted my change in subjects that it took a second for me to realize what he had just said. I sat up quickly once I did. The sudden movement made my entire body protest in pain and I cringed.

"Easy Ry!" Silas said. He had shot up with me only now he had his hands hovering near my shoulders. Not touching but ready in case I needed help.

'Why are we still in bed?' I signed. 'You have so much you have to do!'

"Because you needed the extra sleep. Aaron is perfectly capable of running this pack without me and I already told you, I'm not leaving you alone again."

'So we sleep all day instead?' I signed. I couldn't believe he had been serious about staying by my side when he was in the middle of being assessed by the council.

"I wouldn't have let you sleep all day. You have an appointment with Matthew." Silas said.

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"You're late." Drake said from his seat on the couch as Silas reached the last step of the stairs. Silas paused just in side the living room and waited for me to catch up before continuing toward Matthew's office.

"Brogan!" Drake growled when Silas made no attempt to answer him.

"You are here to observe my ability to be an Alpha, not to observe my social life. As you were told yesterday, Aaron is the acting Alpha until further notice." Silas said. He held the door to the medical room open for me.

"It's often an Alpha's social life that hinders his competence." Drake said moving to follow as we entered the office.

"Perhaps." Silas stepped into Drakes way, blocking the door way before he could enter. "But Rylan is none of your business and the next few days are about helping her recover."

"If you think the council hasn't been made aware of her abilities and involvement here then you are gravely mistaken. Not only do we know but we intend to properly investigate her as well." Drake said. I couldn't see past Silas but I could hear in Drakes tone that he was smirking. The council knowing about my abilities was something Silas and Aaron had carefully been avoiding since before I even knew I had any.

"Let me make one thing very clear..." Silas tone chilled several degrees as he spoke and his hand on the door handle tightened. My eyes widened. Was Silas getting angry?

"I have every intention of playing nice with the council but if you, or they, intend to threaten Rylan then I will have no problem destroying the illusion that they are in charge of anything more than a library." Silas said.

My brow furrowed and my lips parted. I was both surprised and confused by Silas threat. Silas shifted and closed the door before Drake could stop floundering long enough to answer. He turned to face Matthew and I.

'The council is in charge of all of the Alphas, all of the territories?' I signed confused.

"The council is in charge because we allow it. Their power comes from our power. We are the ones that control the packs." Silas said. "Sit down, leannan, so Matthew can do your exam."

I shook my head but shifted back and sat down on the table before signing again.

'But the packs answer to the Alpha's?' I signed. Matthew held a thermometer up. I opened my mouth and allowed him to place it under my tongue.

"If I told you, right now, that the council was corrupt and that they were responsible for the facility you and many other people, children even, were placed in and they pretended they weren't; who would you believe?" Silas asked.

'You have proof?' I asked shocked.

"This is a hypothetical question and you are already leaning toward my side because you know me. I'm not some stranger or scary political figure you've never met before and that's how it is for everyone in my pack as well as several others." Silas paused when the thermometer beeped.

"99.8" Matthew read and began writing on his clipboard.

"Isn't that high?" Silas asked. He looked surprised by Matthew's casual dismissal.

"It's normal for Rylan." Matthew shrugged.

"But she's human, isn't it supposed to be 98?" Silas asked.

"If she was a normal human yes however given that she hasn't always been human and that she's had transfusions with your blood she's been experiencing some fluctuating traits." Matthew said as he wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my arm. "Boosted immune system, higher metabolism, and a little but above average temperatures."

"Isn't that bad?" Silas asked.

"Not at all. Werewolves run around 102 and even that is far from the 103 she experienced during the heat." Matthew explained and removed the blood pressure cuff.

"Now her blood pressure on the other hand is a little high which I'm sure is absolutely your fault." Matthew said with a wink at me.

"Matthew." Silas tone said that he didn't find Matthews teasing even the least bit funny.

'Are you saying you have control over multiple packs and that-' I paused to let Matthew swab the inside of my mouth. The benefit of being able to talk with your hands was only useful so long as the other person could actually see you and Matthew was temporarily blocking me.

'and that all of these packs would believe you over the council with no evidence?' I asked.

"No. But I do have a certain... agreement with several Alpha's who seek my council and trust my judgement because I would never accuse them without proper evidence." Silas said. Several Alpha's trusted Silas judgement even against the council... The alliance that Drake had been questioning me about was not only real but it sounded like Silas might really be on the verge of over throwing the council.

I rubbed at my forehead as I considered this new information. Part of me wanted to ask but I decided against it. The less I knew the less likely Drake would be able to force out of me. I just hoped that not knowing wouldn't put Amelia in any more danger.

"Hormone levels are still stable." Matthew said turning back to us. He gestured for me to lay down on the table. I took a deep breath and did as he asked. For some reason this part, laying down on the medical table, was still hard for me.

"Are you ok?" Silas asked moving closer. I nodded. I had done this exact exam several times without him. I didn't need him hear now and I hated that him being closer did actually ease my nerves a little more. Matthew pressed down on my lower abdomen and stomach in several spots. I was supposed to tell him if it hurt anywhere but surprisingly nothing did.

"That's good." Matthew said with a smile. "I'm just going to check on some of your bruising, alright?"

I nodded and Matthew adjusted my shirt up to check the bruises on my hip and side.

"You're healing quickly. Is the pain getting to be to much?" Matthew asked. The biggest down side of healing quickly as a human was that I could feel it. It was a burning pain on top of the soreness and pain from the injury.

'It's fine.' I signed.

"Are you still spotting?" Matthew asked lowering my shirt and adding some more notes to his clipboard.

"What?" Silas asked quickly. "You're bleeding again?"

'No.' I signed. 'There was some light spotting due to the hormone changes from the injections.'

"What injections?" He asked.

'The heat didn't just stop because you left that's not how it works. Matthew had to give me a series of injections to balance out my hormone levels and basically retrain my body to have a normal, human, cycle so that the heat would stop.' I signed.

"It stopped?" Silas asked turning on Matthew.

"It seems to have stopped yes." Matthew nodded. "We were able to discontinue the injections after a month and Rylan's body has been appropriately cycling since."

"You said that you couldn't stop it. That you could only minimize it with injections and avoiding exposure." Silas said.

"The injections were more successful than we were expecting but there is still a chance that her body will try again." Matthew said.

"Female wolves only go into heat ONCE a year Matthew." Silas said shocked.

"Heat is rare and Rylan is human she shouldn't do it at all. We don't know exactly what will happen." Matthew said calmly.

"You sounded pretty certain when you told me to stay away from her or I'd have to formally reject her." Silas said.

"Even if this heat follows the normal cycle of a female wolf and only happens once a year it could be fatal. So, unless you have the intention of performing a proper mating or a formal rejection then I have to stand by what I said." Matthew said.

"You had no right to make that decision." Silas said.

"You know the risks of performing a proper mating with a human. Are you telling me that you would have taken that risk?" Matthew asked.

"I'm telling you that should have been our choice!" Silas said.

'You mean your choice.' I corrected. Silas turned slightly to face me before I continued. 'You would have made that choice without me just like you did the first one so it doesn't really matter.'

"Silas made the decision he did because I told him it would kill you." Matthew said.

'You also told him that we needed to take a break and that we could start testing boundaries once I'd healed which is what I said I wanted to do.' I signed. 'But that didn't matter to you.' I signed at Silas.

I slid off the exam table. If Matthew needed more tests I'd have to come back for them later. I needed to get out of this room. The conversation and antiseptic scent were starting to overwhelm me.

"Ry..." Silas said. I ignored him and moved to the door.

"Rylan." Silas stopped me before I could I make it out of the room.

'It's done Silas. There's no point in doing this.' I signed. I didn't want to talk about what had happened any more. He made his decision and even though I hated it I wasn't going to let him take it back.

"I need you to understand that it wasn't a decision for me. If it puts your life at risk then it is not a real option because that's something I will NEVER choose to risk. If that means you hate me so be it but that's what happens when you love someone." Silas said.

'Fine.' I signed. I could have told him that I understood what he was talking about. Everything that Drake had done since arriving here I had allowed in an attempt to protect Silas. Now I was being a hypocrite. How could I be angry with him for sacrificing everything to keep me safe when I had almost died doing the same thing not even twenty-four hours ago? Even knowing how much of a hypocrite I was being I wanted to turn around and scream at Silas that there was no point in loving each other if we couldn't be together. It was too painful. I wanted to tell him how I had tried to drown my feelings in antidepressants and training exercises. I wanted him to know that my biggest nightmares weren't about Jackson anymore. I wanted to tell him that I didn't hate him, I loved him, and I was still in love with him even after months of being apart.

I pulled my arm away from him and walked out of Matthews office. There was no point in telling him any of it. It was only a matter of time before Drake found another way to get ride of me and I couldn't tell Silas that either because now it was my turn to make some decisions to keep him safe.