Tychon Alpha Lakota explained a few things about their Pack to me and Denali, and I know that the diner is a meeting place for those that want to keep in touch with certain family members. "What is the main reason for your discomfort?" I ask, and I see a surprised look on her face. "Sometimes I hear them asking our Pack-members when they are returning home, and the more often they ask that question, the less resolve they have in their answer. None of them wants to return to the Pack that kicked them out for whatever reason, but they also don't want to hurt the last connection to their family. I don't know every story that goes with our Pack-members, and I don't care what happened in their past, but I know each of them is here for a reason. I would hate it if they caved under the pressure of their families and returned to a situation that could destroy them." Tears are streaming down her face. This is really upsetting her, and I place an arm around her shoulder as I link Denali, "Sis, can you ask Keir to link Jazzy? I need to talk to her about Josy. Make sure he mentions that to Jazzy." I know she won't come talk to me otherwise, and I really need her to know what is bothering Josy. Conan and Kanoa show up to take Josy to the diner, and I pull Conan to the side to warn him about what she told me. "Thanks, Tychon. We will keep an eye on things, and if it happens during our shift, I will inform Alpha Lakota," he tells me before he follows Kanoa and Josy. Keir shows up seconds after Josy left, and he tells me that Jazzy wants me to stay away from her and Josy. "So, just because she is angry with me, she is willing to ignore Josy's well-being. Fine, you tell her that Josy is concerned about certain family members that visit the diner and that she fears some might give in to their family's request to return home," I say before I storm off. I am glad that they haven't cleared all the overgrowth from the hidden territory. I disappear into the tree line behind the cottages at the clearing, and after I strip down, Makucha takes control. We run towards the mountains, and he climbs all the way to the top, not slowing down as we run over the mountains. The pressing in my head tells me that Denali is trying to link me, but I decide to ignore her. I need some time to myself. I need to figure out what I want to do about my Mate, and I know I need to take Makucha's opinion into consideration as well. Jazzy is as much my Mate as she is his Mate, and I can't ignore his opinion. After a while, the pressing in my mind stops, and Makucha slows down to come to a complete stop in the same spot where we started from. He lies down on top of the mountain, placing his head on his paws, and I ask him what he wants to do. He doesn't answer me, and I let him think about it for a while. Jazzy I just woke up from a good night's sleep when I feel someone pressing against the mind-link. "It is safe, I won't bite your head off," I say to whoever it is, and I hear Keir chuckle in my head. "Good to know it is safe. You may not want to hear this, but it concerns Josy. Tychon would like to talk to you about something," he says. What the fuck? I thought I made it clear I want nothing to do with him, and now he tries to use Josy. "Keir, you tell him to stay away from me and Josy. I don't want to talk to him," I growl before I close the link, and I get into the shower to start my day.I have gotten into a routine that keeps me busy until I crash on my bed in the morning, and this is the first time since I moved that Tychon is on my mind. Dusk is ignoring me as she thinks I should have at least listened to him. I prepare myself some lunch before I head to the small library we have here, and I find the next volume of Lycan history I want to read. I have my dinner at the diner as every evening since I moved, and Josy looks like her usual cheerful self. Tychon probably tried to use Josy's name to get me to talk to him. Too bad for him I wasn't willing to fall for it, and I smile to myself as I imagine him being pissed off. On my way back to the territory, Lakota links me to come to her office, and I know that after last time, she won't have Tychon waiting there for me. I walk into her office, and she asks me to close the door. Keir is there with a pissed-off look on his face. I have seen that look a few times and I was always glad it wasn't directed at me, but it looks like this time I am on the receiving end of his anger. "Jazzy, Tychon asked if you could come talk to him, something about Josy that he wanted you to know," Lakota says, and I know she isn't asking me a question. "Yes, and I told Keir he could give him a message from me," I reply. "Fuck, Jazzy," Keir shouts, and I look at him with confusion written all over my face. "Josy told him she had concerns about certain family members that come to the diner, and he wanted you to know what she told him. He stormed off after he gave me a very short recount of their conversation. Like Tychon, I don't understand why your anger towards him outweighs her well-being. He apparently knows how much she means to you, and he tried to reach out to you. Just so you know, no one has seen Tychon since he stormed off, and that was hours ago," Keir growls. Josy would confide in me if something was bothering her. She has done so from the start, and I told her that everything would be fine. That none of our Pack-members would want to go back to their former Packs. I told her not to worry too much about it, and I never heard her about it again. "Because you basically told her to stop whining. If you really cared about her, you would have taken her more seriously," Dusk growls in my head, and I start to wonder if I tried to downplay her concerns. Was there something there for her to worry about? I don't even wait for Lakota to dismiss me; I just run out of her office in search of Josy. I run into her as she walks through the gate. "What did you and Tychon talk about?" I ask her the moment I see her, and when I listen to her, I realize that Tychon had been right; this was something I needed to know. He asked the questions I didn't ask, and he knew it was something that bothered her. I wrap my arms around her as tears stream down her cheeks. "I am so sorry; I should have taken your concerns more seriously. I told you I would always have your back, and I failed you. I even refused to listen to the one person that you did voice your concerns to. I am so sorry," I say. "Fuck," I hear Keir growl behind me, and I know he has every right to be mad at me. Josy asks me what is going on, and I force myself to tell her what happened and how I reacted. "Damn it, Jazzy. He has been here for over two weeks now. Council-member Armas was here two weeks ago, and he didn't leave. He has become a part of our Pack, even if he and Denali aren't initiated into the Pack yet, and he has given you all the space you could need. If he decides this is the last straw, you have no one else to blame but yourself. I think he genuinely feared you would reject him for being a Leopard shifter," Josy mutters. "Tychon is a Leopard?" I ask, and I see a dumbfounded look on her face. "Sorry, whenever his name came up, I would walk out. I even started avoiding everyone, so if someone mentioned it, I didn't hear it," I explain, and this is the first time I see a pissed-off look on Josy's face. "Maybe it is time you start listening to yourself, Jazzy. You always tell everyone to face your fears and troubles head on, that walking away from them keeps them on your tail and facing them will allow you to deal with them once and for all," she growls before she shoves me out of her way and walks towards the hidden territory. I don't turn around, I don't call after her, I just stand there in shock. Staring at the spot where she just stood, yelling at me, and it is the alarm on my watch that pulls me from my thoughts. I make it in time for my shift, but I am surprised that Argos is there with Keir, and I get this feeling I am in trouble. "Jazzy, report to Alpha Lakota's office. Argos will cover your shift tonight," Keir says before he turns his back on me and starts to explain to Argos which part of the patrol I run. I walk back to the small Pack-house, only to find out that Lakota is not there. I walk to the entrance that will bring me to the hidden territory, and I know that I am in deep trouble if she wants to see me in her office there.