The next time I woke I was back in a soft bed. My head was pounding and my body ached but I pushed the pain aside and forced myself to sit up. There was an IV in one arm and my other was strapped against me with a dark blue sling. I recognized the pale blue room as my own despite the added medical equipment. I couldn't recall how I'd gotten here but more importantly I didn't know if Silas was here.

Carefully and methodically I began removing the sensors and even the iv. I unplugged the machines so that none of their alarms would go off and then I headed out in search of answers.

It took me a couple minutes to ease my way down the stairs. If I moved to quickly or stepped down to hard my shoulder would zap me with a jolt of pain.

I could hear voices as I reached the bottom steps and I paused to listen.

"With the extent of the injuries and the number of men you've already lost from these attacks there is no way for Willow Pack to protect it's self on it's own. We have to move people in to ensure the safety of your pack members and to hold the territory." I recognized Logan's betas voice without having to see Zak's face.

"Moving in on Willow territory is a global announcement that we are vulnerable. It's an advertisement for free territory. There's no way you have enough men to defend both territories." Adam shot back with just as much heat and frustration as Zak was presenting to him.

"This is not up to you." Logan's hard voice interrupted.

"He's right it's Silas' decision." Adam agreed.

"He cannot do this right now. His mate's unconscious and his daughter is missing. He has other priorities. You can't just lean on him for every damn thing." Zak seethed.

"This decision isn't mine." The deep soothing tone of Silas voice brought on a wave of relief so intense that my knees felt weak. "I renounced my title before leaving my post. Willow pack is not mine."

"Aaron's in a coma. How the hell are we supposed to ask him what he wants to do?!" Adam demanded.

"He is not referring to Aaron. An alpha is not the only leader of a pack. You should know that after the perfectly executed raid your luna just executed." Logan said. I could picture him rolling his eyes and it made me want to roll mine as well. He could be such an ass.

"Don't you dare put this on me." Emily whispered.

"Em..." Silas tried.

"No!" She yelled. "Don't you dare! You don't get to just up and leave every time things get to hard. And what about Rylan?! You're just going to disappear again? Leave her unconscious without even caring if she wakes up, AGAIN?"

"Emily." Silas said shocked.

"He can't just sit here while Devlin has their daughter. He was never meant to be an Alpha and everyone knows that." Zak said.

"I'm not talking about being an Alpha. I'm talking about being a decent mate. She's already been through hell because of a shitty mate. She doesn't need a second." Emily growled.

My eyes widened in shock. I couldn't believe she was saying something like that to Silas.

"NO. She has only ever had ONE mate. That piece of shit would never in million years count." Silas growled back.

"Why?" Emily demanded. "Because he hurt her? News flash Silas you put her through days of actual torture before Aaron realized the connection was killing her. It's no wonder she couldn't stay conscious for more than a few damn seconds."

"I didn't know the connection would form so quickly. Our bonds not even sealed." Silas said sounding defeated.

"Yeah well it serves you right! Maybe now you won't be so quick to sacrifice yourself knowing it means sacrificing her to." Emily seethed.

"I was just trying to get information on where they took our daughter and I know that no matter the circumstances that's exactly what Rylan would want me to do." Silas said carefully.

I nodded even thought neither of them could see me. Amelia came first. She was my entire world. She was my baby the second she came into my life. Our lives. As much as it hurt I was grateful that Silas hadn't wasted time waiting on me to wake up before trying to get her back.

"Maybe this time you should take a minute to make sure she will have parents to come home to." Emily's voice shook like she was in tears.

"Em wait..." Silas voice sounded closer and after a second Emily came stomping out of the kitchen not even glancing my way as she stormed off toward the medical ward.

Silas was a few steps behind her but the second he spotted me he froze. He blinked like he wasn't sure his eyes were sending him the right image and then he was in front of me in a flash.

"You shouldn't be up yet." He said gently. His hand hovered near the blue sling that encased my arm to emphasize his point.

'We.' I signed as an attempt to point out that he shouldn't be up either. His injuries had been far worse than mine. Just because I couldn't see the gauze didn't mean it wasn't there. There was no way he had healed already.

Silas caught my hand. He brought it to his mouth and placed a linger kiss against the back of my knuckles. It was a sweet gesture that made my pulse jump. We stared at each other. I wanted more than a simple kiss on my fingers but I couldn't ask for it without pulling away and as much as I wished I could I wasn't brave enough to lean forward and try to initiate one myself.

Silas eyes looked so sad and defeated as he watched me back. He was unsure what to say or do. I could see the different apologies flicking through his mind. They were written on his face as plain as the soul crushing guilt was. I knew what he was sorry for. For marking me against my will, for leaving, for putting me in pain, for not finding Amelia. I understood all of it and I didn't blame him for any of it.

My hand tightened on his. I couldn't tell him everything I wanted to with only one hand and no mind link but if he would let me... I leaned toward him. Silas eyes flashed down to my lips and then back up in surprise but he didn't pull away. If anything he leaned in as well.

"Rylan!" Mathew called out from the top of the stairs. Silas and I both turned just enough so that we could see him. Mathew paused as if just now realizing that he was interrupting something. His eyes flickered between the two of us, pausing on my hand that was still in Silas's grasp.

"I swear I'm going to sedate you both." Mathew grouched but his shoulders slumped in relief.

Silas shot Matthew half a smirk before his fingers tugged on mine to pull my attention back to him.

"I have to finish this meeting but I want to talk with you after..." He said.

I nodded. I understood the importance of the meeting even though I'd only over heard a small portion of it. So as much as I wanted to talk to Silas I could wait.

Silas gave my fingers another gentle squeeze before releasing me and turning back toward the kitchen.

He took a few steps.

I took a few as well.

He stopped.

I stopped.

He looked back at me and raised an eye brow.

I raised my eyebrows back at him.

If he was going to a meeting instead of resting then I sure as hell was going to too.

Silas sighed and shook his head. He stepped to the side and held a hand out to let me go through the doorway first. When I stepped passed him he placed his hand against my lower back and guided me to a seat across from Adam.

Adam stood up from his own chair offering it to Silas. Silas shook his head and smoothed a hand down over my hair. I didn't miss his silent explanation that he wanted to stay near me. I bit my lip hoping that my warming cheeks weren't completely obvious to the rest of the men in the room.

I focused on the counter instead of the others. There was a map laid out and it had several territories circled in red.

"These are the territories that Devlin is currently in control of." Silas explained without me having to ask or even look back at him.

I reached forward. My fingers tracing over one of the largest marks on the map. The red outline around the council territory made my stomach feel uncomfortably heavy.

"Including the council." Silas agreed.

"We were discussing the potential of abolishing the territories." Zak added. His voice had softened and he didn't sound nearly as angry as before.

"Uniting the territories." Silas corrected. "There is no need to remove or alter the power structures with in each pack so long as they are functioning and remain uncorrupted."

"But there is no way you are going to convince them all to agree to resorting to the old ways. Not when the Alpha king hasn't even been born yet." Adam said.

"We're not going to convince them." Logan said. "We are going to make them."

Silas sighed. It was another tired sigh that I could easily echo. War was the last thing we wanted to initiate with anyone, but Logan was right. We couldn't allow the other packs the chance to side with Devlin. If they even so much as tried, then we would have to make them see reason.