Chapter 2 1

Lily Nawassa in the cramped tree house. She would've sworn it was a lot bigger fifteen years ago. Guess that's the way of life, she thought as she readjusted her position. The half Native American werewolf/vampire hybrid looked around the house. Memories of happier times passed before her and some not so happier times. When she was a girl and couldn't stay with the Roberts because of a boy named James Lacrosse, Lily came here.

This little tree house had been her safe haven away from the disgusting guests her biological mother's drug infested, parties. Lily grinned, realizing that it seemed some things never change. Even after all these years it was still her safe haven when she couldn't stay at the Roberts. This time it wasn't drunk pedophiles she was hiding from and it wasn't James Lacrosse keeping her from the Roberts but alphas...all sixty-seven of them.

Her brother, Tony, and the alpha of the local pack of werewolves had called the country's alphas, along with some from Mexico and Canada to his territory to discuss the latest threat. The organization called the Aquivalere, which was meant to be a referee type organization for all the supernatural races, had become overrun with vampires who wished to make more hybrids like her.

They funded and encouraged the psycho werewolf, Xavier Thompson, that had taken Lily and transformed her from your basic run of the mill human to the hybrid she is now. The only problem was that Lily was the only one that had survived his hybrid experiments. Every other Xavier had tried to make either died immediately or were insane, mutated monstrous creatures that ended up dying shortly afterward.

The sound of someone coming up the tree to join Lily brought her out of her memories. With a quick sniff, Lily knew it was Tony. She moved over to allow him easier way in and grinned as she saw the telltale blond hair that all the Roberts family had. "Hey Tony," she said as he pulled himself up.

"Hey Lilliput," he replied, giving her a swoon-worthy grin. Tony, like all werewolves, was muscular. He was tall, about five' ten and with his blond hair and striking blue eyes was one gorgeous looking man but Lily always saw him as her bigger brother, nothing more.

"I take it the meeting is over and how did you know I'd be here?" She asked and he shot her another grin.

"The first day is over, yeah. We still have a bunch to go over, and well since you weren't hiding at James' place I'd figure you'd be here," he replied, groaning as he pulled his legs up and into the tree house. "Damn this place is small. How the hell did we ever fit in here," he complained. "How did I ever manage to have sex up here?" Lily's eyes widened as gasped.

"You didn't?" she demanded and Tony smirked at her and lifted his chin toward the cut out a square that served as a window. On the left edge was about ten or more notches.

"I was very popular," he gloated and Lily made a noise of disgust.

"Oh my God! You defiled our tree house," She said then growled. "Oh my God! Ew! Let me out! This is so disgusting! I will never forgive you for this," she told him as she scrambled out of the tree house. Tony laughed as he too left the tree house. "I wouldn't laugh if I was you. I am so going to tell Liz!" Lily threatened and Tony's laughter died as he got a look of terror.

"You wouldn't," he said and Lily grinned crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on. I'm your brother," he added.

"I think you deserve it after what you did to my tree house," she told him, trying her best to appear very serious.

"Aw, come on Lily. I was just a kid – sixteen or seventeen," he argued. She narrowed her eyes at him, staying silent for a few seconds.

"Fine, I won't tell your mate what a man-whore you are...for now," she said, giving him an evil smile and he sighed, slumping as he relaxed. It made her laugh at the sight of it. Big bad alpha wolf was scared of his mate. Not that she could blame him. Liz was a force to be reckoned with when she wanted to be. "So is there a reason you came looking for me or did you just want to ruin my childhood?"

"I did not ruin your childhood," he complained then added, "But yes, I came looking for you for a reason." Dread filled her as she saw the sheepish look on his face. "You see Lily," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some of the alphas...they want to meet you and....um talk about..." he said pausing, with a hesitant and almost sick look on his face.

"Talk about what Tony," She asked suspiciously.

"About...you and them...becoming...mates," he said slowly then cringed and look like he was waiting for an attack. Her mouth dropped open and she just stared at him for a moment.

"What?" She demanded when she finally came out of her stupor. "But I have James mark," she said, completely blown away by what she was hearing.

"I know and I even told them so but everyone knows you haven't accepted James as your mate," he replied. She opened her mouth to argue but he stopped her. "These guys clearly don't care about the mark."

"I don't care what they care about. Tell them I said go to hell," she told him and Tony gave her an apologetic grin.

"I can't...while I told them I'm not your alpha and your free to do what you want I, uh, kind of agreed to introduce you to them," he said and Lily glared at him.

"You did what?" She yelled then pointed a finger threateningly at him. "You are so lucky you're my brother or I'd make you my dinner!" She said, not really serious but he didn't need to know that. "And I am so telling Liz you banged half the pack in the tree house!" She yelled, stomping back towards the house, ignoring her brother begging her for forgiveness. Oh no! She was so not going to let him set her up and get away unscathed.

Her step faltered as she saw that the Roberts home was filled with people. Damn, it had to be the alphas! Why were they here? She complained silently. "Dad invited them to dinner," Tony said catching up to her. "Enjoy little sister," he teases and jogged into the yard and greeted some guy she'd never seen before. She was so going to tell on him to Liz. Avoiding most of the bulk of the crowd, Lily went to the playground with hopes she'd find her son there.

She relaxed when she saw him playing with his cousin Matt. She didn't know all these people were going to be here or she wouldn't have left him alone...well he wasn't alone. Sandy had been taking care of him. Lily saw Sandy sitting on a chair next to the playground ever vigilant. She was just about to join her when she heard someone call her name. Lily turned and again relief swam through her veins. "Wendy, oh man, you're here! You're alright? And your dad," She said, letting the teen girl hug her.

"Yeah we're alright. We lost our territory and almost half our entire pack but we're still kicking," she replied. Lily gasped and looked at the fifteen-year-old horrified.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"The leeches. While Dad and I were visiting my uncle they attacked our pack and forced them out," she explained.

"Damn, I'm sorry Wendy," Lily told her and giving her a hug.

"Yeah, I know," she said darkly. "But it's going to be okay because you're going to kick their asses like you did the doc," she said with total conviction. Xavier was going to experiment on Wendy but Lily stopped him before he could. Since then the girl seemed to adore her, much to her father's displeasure. Her dad was an alpha, and Lily had the habit of getting on his nerves. He'd threatened to ban her from northern Montana on more than one occasion.

"I'm going to do what I can," Lily told her, not sure she deserved the faith the teen had in her. "I'm going to check on A.J." She said, giving Wendy one more squeeze. Lily walked over to the toddler and ruffled his dark hair.

"Hi momi," he said sweetly, looking up at her and giving her a grin. It was just like his father's, breathtaking and beautiful. Add in those pretty hazel eyes, the little boy was almost a spitting image of James.

"Hi aun Lily," Matt greeted her too. Matt looked a lot like Tony but he had the dark brown eyes of his mother. She didn't know what was going to happen to the world with a Roberts that wasn't blue-eyed. Lily knew that when these boys hit the teen years there was going to be trouble.

"Hey Boys, having fun," she asked them. Both of them gave her an exaggerated nod along with a "uh huh" as a reply. She kissed A.J. on the top of his head and walked over to Sandy, her mother by adoption. "Did he have to bring them all here," she said as greeting. The older werewolf chuckled and grinned at her. Sandy, like all the Roberts had blonde hair and blue eyes. Although her hair was turning platinum blonde with age. Lily thought it made her beautiful.

"You know your father. Andrew loves to entertain and many of these men he's not seen for years, " she replied.

"Yeah, well hope he knows I'm getting out of here," Lily said with a scoff.

"Oh I don't think so, young woman," Sandy said and Lily looked at her with a frown. "If Tony hasn't told you already, there are a few men who want to meet you," she said and Lily groaned.

"Do I have to," She whined like a petulant child. "Do you know why they want to meet me?" She said with growing disgust.

"I do and it's your own damn fault," Sandy scolded her. "If you wouldn't be so insistent that you and James aren't mates then you wouldn't have this problem," she told Lily with a no-nonsense tone.

"Sandy this is the twenty-first century! I don't need to be claimed by a man," she said frustrated and the older werewolf laughed again.

"Sunshine, the male mind, especially a male werewolf's mind, hasn't yet caught up. They see a free female, a powerful free female, and they want to make her theirs. She'll make their pack stronger and hopefully give him strong children," she explained and Lily laughed.

"That's absurd! My werewolf is like James'," she said, disbelief in her voice. James was Xavier's first experiment. He made James's wolf form into a horrible man/wolf hybrid worthy of Hollywood. He did the same to Lily's wolf which is probably the only reason she was able to have A.J. and she told that to Sandy. "That I could conceive a child with a normal werewolf would most likely be impossible!"

"True but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want to try and if there is nothing more a man loves more than the act of trying to conceive a child," Sandy said with a wink and Lily rolled her eyes but was grinning.

Lily watched the children play until it was time for them both to head to bed. The boys were laying down in Lily's old room since it probably was going to be a late night. Liz got up carefully from the bed as both of them were sound asleep. Lily gave her a thumbs up before sneaking out of the room. "So Lily, tell me what dirt do you have on my mate," Liz asked with a sly grin. "He's been way to nice tonight. Telling me how important I am to him and so on."

Lily grinned with a soft laugh. "He ruined my tree house is what," Lily replied as they walked down the stairs. Liz looked at her confused. "He banged his teenage conquests in the tree house. Now I'll have to burn it down," Lily explained with a dramatic sigh. Liz jaw clenched and Lily could see a muscle tick on the left side. Liz was beautiful, like movie star beautiful, but the woman was possessive and jealous like nobody's business.

She had curves in all the right sizes and places with dark chestnut brown hair that fell around her face perfectly and sensual lips that half way made Lily want to kiss her. Liz was borderline aggressive with Lily until James had marked due to her instincts couldn't understand that even though no actual genetic code bound them as brother and sister, Tony and Lily saw each other as nothing more. "How many conquests are we talking about," Liz asked.

"A couple dozen," Lily replied then had to stop Liz before she went on a warpath. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Lily said laughing but the alpha female didn't look amused. "Phew, rough crowd. It was only one or two," She lied. Lily did kind of like her brother and she'd hate to see Liz kill him tonight.

"You two are going to kill me," she said, looking appeased and Lily shot her a grin. Liz simply rolled her eyes at her and went unto the rather packed living room. Lily decided to go the opposite direction. Maybe that way she could avoid running into too many alphas. Lily had only taken a step before some guy stepped in front if her. He was only a little taller than her but could give John Cena a run for his money on muscle mass.

"You're her, aren't you? The hybrid?" he said. Strike one, Lily thought, frowning.

"The name is Lily," she replied tartly and noticed he wasn't even trying to dissimulate his appraisal of her body. Strike two, she added silently.

"Right...I'm Brody and I think you're meant to be mine," he said with smug confidence. She glared at him, trying to decide if he was serious. He kept talking but she had stopped listening. He suddenly laid his hand on her hip, still looking smug. Okay, that's it. Strike three, she thought, balling her hand into a fist when she saw Wendy's father. She grinned. This was even better.

"Nickie," she yelled at the top of her lungs, brushing off John Cena wannabe's hand. Nick's eyes widened when he realized she was talking about him. "I'm so glad to see you," she squealed, rushing up to him.

"Lily? What the hell ar-" he started but she cut him off.

"Come here big boy! It's been so long since you kissed me," she said, grabbing his shirt and pulling towards her, into the hall and in the guest bedroom, glad to see the John Cena looking thoroughly insulted. She slammed the door shut for good measure.

"What the hell Lily?" Nick cursed. "Are you trying to get James to kill me? What the hell was that all about," he demanded and Lily burst out laughing as she leaned against the door.

"That was....pure gold," she said through her laughter and he growled at her. "Oh relax Nickie baby," she teased him and he glared at her, crossing his massive arms over his chest. Nick Daniels looked like the poster boy for a naughty lumberjack calendar. He was tall, broad, with lots of muscle and a dark beard and hair that just made Lily want to run her fingers through it.

"I was trying to get rid of Alpha Dick back there. I didn't think my brother would like it if I knocked in his teeth and knowing my luck it'd probably turn him on," she explained. Nick just shook his head at her.

"So you attack me, dragging me in here making it obviously look like we're going to have sex and when James comes in here looking for blood...you're going to do what exactly?" He demanded.

"Oh James isn't..." she started to say when the door suddenly burst open, sending her flying towards Nick who managed to catch her before she face planted the floor. She craned her head to see who came in then grinned. "Oh, Hi, James," she said then shrieked when Nick dropped her like a stone. "Ow! That hurt!"

"It's not what it looks like," Nick said holding up his hands as James slammed the door shut, looking pissed "It's her fault I swear," he insisted.

"Nick, I know how much you two adore each other," he said, suddenly grinning and Nick now glared at him James walked over to Lily and held out his hand to help her up. She took a sharp intake of breath as she grabbed his hand and he pulled her up, feeling the small tingles shoot up her arm. Ever since she came back from Montana she'd felt that every time she touched James. "But what was that about a kiss?" he asked. Nick's glare vanished as he paled.

"Wait a minute...you two," he said, looking upset now.

"Relax James it was a quick peck on the lips and Nick only wanted to prove a point," she said, dusting herself off. "Besides you should thank him. Cause if that kiss you got laid," she added with a wink.

"That night in the hotel bathroom?" James asked with a grin and she nodded.

"Oh God," Nick said with a disgusted look. "I am getting out of here!"

"No wait, if you wait a little longer they'll think we're having a threesome," Lily teased and Nick scowled at her, making her laugh. As he left she ran to the door and shouted, "It was so good to see you again Nickie, baby!"

"You're so mean to him," James said, laughing and shaking his head.

"Oh you know that was funny," she said, leaning on the door again. "So what brings you to these parts?"

"I'm hiding just like you," he replied, sticking his hands in his jackets.

"You? Hiding? Why? Everyone loves James Lacrosse," she said rolling her eyes. He grinned at her that country boy smile that made her warm all over. James was about six foot, with that sweet farm boy look to him that made women just fall at his feet in a pile of drool. While Lily resisted the falling part, she was a closet drooler.

"I've been asked to mate some alphas daughter three times already, I've been accused of fathering five children which we know is impossible, and a few more alphas want me to pay some damages they claim I caused years ago," he listed off.

"Glad I am not the only one then," she said with a laugh. "Some guy called me the hybrid, claimed I should be his, then dared touch me. Nick there saved him from crapping his teeth for a month," she explained. She saw a wave of possessive jealousy wash over his face before he grinned with a laugh. While James gave her space and understood that she needed time, his beast saw her as his and no one should touch her but him.

She didn't like it but James was trying so that's all that mattered to her. His beast could go suck eggs. "How long do you think they'll be here before they leave," she asked and he gave her a suggestive look that made her lower belly tighten. Before she would've smacked him and told him to don't even think about touching her buy since that night he marked her, there seemed to be this pull between them.

She knew it wasn't the mark but James himself. He showed her that night what her life could be if she let go of her fears and it was wonderful. Not just the sex bit the time they spent talking and being just two people. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't ready to let go and give into what he offered and James understood. That of course didn't mean that she couldn't taste the forbidden fruit every now and again.

"They might be here for a while," he said, walking up to her. She lifted her chin up towards him as she gave him a sly smile.

"That's horrible. What do you think we should do?" she replied.

"I've got an idea or two," he said, leaning down and kissing her. She made a small moan of approval as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Yep, she loved herself some forbidden fruit.