Chapter 25: Twenty-five.

Henry stormed off past Shane within annoyed snarl, before another word was said. But, when Daniel and Sammy got in line with him, Shane grabbed Sammy's arm.

"Go ahead, Daniel. I need a word with Sammy." He stated.

It wasn't a request.

Daniel paused, "I can wait," he said.

"I know you can, but I want a word with your mate, alone." Shane responded, before releasing his grasp on a sigh, "Daniel, please, the council are here, don't make me use an Alpha command. I promise I will return Sammy to you in a moment."

Daniel nodded at Shane in acknowledgement.

"I'll be just ahead, okay?" Daniel said to Sammy.

Sammy narrowed her eyes and forced a smile, "Sure thing."

Daniel winced at her tone. He was going to pay for this later, he just knew it.

Sammy watched annoyed as he walked away, and once Daniel had moved around the corner and out of sight, Shane turned to Sammy, " What the hell was that?"

"Excuse me?!" She hissed out.

"Sammy, Dark Lake are a very powerful pack in our community, why the hell are you antagonizing their future Alpha?" Shane all but spat.

"Why would I antagonize him?" She scoffed, "Of course, it must be my doing huh?"

"Sammy, you seem to have an issue with authority, and I'm not sure how I can help you, if you piss off the other council members half as much as you do me!" Shane responded exasperated.

"Right," Sammy laughed, "This is why you don't have my respect Shane, you're a damn hypocrite."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He growled.

"Well since you asked so nicely, that asshole questioned whatever it is Daniel and I have. He tried to order Daniel away from me. Now, excuse me if I'm wrong, but as you are Daniel's alpha, shouldn't that mean you stood up for us? Instead of escorting us out the room like delinquent children!" Sammy hissed.

"He what?!" Shane asked, instantly angered, and looking in the direction Henry stomped.

"Yeah, so I think, me slapping him was pretty well deserved." Sammy spat.

"Wait, you slapped him?" Shane asked trying to conceal a laugh.

Sammy shrugged, "I learned my lesson punching Daniel, you people have jaws of steel, a slap seemed a better choice," she explained, pausing, "Wait, do not change the subject, let me make myself clear, I dont care whose ego I bruise, Shane, if someone isn't worthy of my respect they damn well will not receive it"

With that, Sammy turned and walked away following the path she presumed Daniel had taken, till Shane caught up with her.

"You're right, I'm sorry," He whispered, grabbing her arm to steer her in the right direction, before she ended up in a broom closet.

"Ready?" He asked, opening the dining room door when she nodded.

The room was huge, and just as equally dressed for Christmas as the rest if the house. The wooden panelling was still present, and Sammy guessed it must run through the entire ground floor at least.

There were twelve expectant faces watching her keenly as she approached the table with a tense smile and too her seat next to Daniel, sensing as Shane moved further in towards his own seat.

He apologised for Abigail's absence, but after organising and welcoming everyone she was exhausted in this later stage of pregnancy, and needed some sleep.

Sammy noted how everyone's eyes softened at this, well almost everyone.

She could sense the animosity coming from Henry as he sat across the table beside an empty chair. Sammy stared at him, challenging him to speak, while holding his gaze as Daniel squeezed her thigh beneath, letting her know he was there.

Sammy, smirked at Henry, before turning her attention to her mate. She was beginning to like the sound of that. Then, she not so subtly scooted her chair closer to Daniel and kissed his cheek.

It earned a murmur of comments from around them and one loud snarl from the idiot across the table.

"Move away from him," Henry snarled, making Sammy's eyes light up at his outburst.

"No." She responded flatly, as the murmuring grew louder.

"Beta, get your hands away from her," came Henry's strained voice, as he tried a different tact.

"Control yourself in my home, Henry Gray!" Came Shane's authoritative voice from the head of the table, beside another empty chair, "And do not presume to give my pack members orders. You are a guest here, remember that."

"Gray?" Asked Sammy, stiffening. "Is that where this act has come from? Because we have the same last name you think you have some sort of claim over my behaviour?"

Henry frowned, like he was questioning himself, his inner wolf screaming at him to separate the two.

Irritated beyond rational thought by this strangers attitude, Sammy decided to push him further, "Or should Daniel and I go find a room for forty minutes, and I'll come back with a mark on my neck to settle your ass down?"

Henry stood in a flash, "You'll do no such thing, he will not touch you?" he roared, causing Shane and another nameless man to be by his side in an instant to restrain him.

Daniel had started growling himself, as his grip on Sammy tightened.

"She is clearly the beta's mate, Henry," came the clam voice of the woman beside him, "Enough of this now, I know you want to find your to take over from your father, but this girl is clearly not her."

"Thank God for that!" Sammy scoffed, snuggling in to Daniel and grabbing her wine glass to take a sip.

"Stop antagonizing him, Sammy," Shane warned.

"No, someone ought to have taught him some fucking self control. Who the hell does he think he is?" Sammy threw back, incapable of backing down.

"SAMANTHA MICHELLE GRAY, watch your mouth!"

Sammy froze.

Her blood turning to ice in her veins as Daniel turned to her, and everyone else turned to the man behind her who had just entered the room.

Daniel watched all the colour drain from his mate's face, before a shutter came down behind her eyes.

"Sammy?" He asked gently, as her hands gripped tighter on her red wine.

Sammy stood slowly, her breathing laboured as she turned around.

There he was, sixteen years later, there he was.

Before she could stop herself she walked slowly up to him and threw her glass of wine in his face.

The room was deadly silent as she spoke, "My name is Sammy, and you have no right to even look at me you dirty bastard!" She hissed.

The woman beside Henry flew to her mate's side, growling angrily at Sammy as Daniel appeared beside her, Shane frowning, still forced to restrain Henry.

"What the hell was that!" Daniel asked Sammy embarrassed and annoyed.

But Sammy was shaking in her rage, words were failing her. Her reality was shifting on its axis for a second time this week.

"Michelle, please calm down it's only wine," the man calmly stated.

Sammy's eyes blew up even bigger as she realised the truth, speaking before she could filter herself.

"You gave me your mate's name? Is that a joke?" She seethed.

"What?" Michelle asked confused, dread pooling in her gut. "Marty, what does she mean?"

Sammy laughed, the sound was maniacal, and at this point even Henry had stopped struggling, finally clicking as to the reason for his adverse reaction to the new couple.

"You're her, the child he left. My, my sister." He spoke in disbelief.

Sammy was laughing so hard her mascara was running down her face.

"No." Michelle growled at her son, "Do not be ridiculous Henry, she is younger than you. No." She argued horrified. "It can't be."

It was then Sammy straightened up, and looked at her namesake. Seen the panic and the humiliation written across her face and realised, her pain may be over, but this woman's was just beginning. Then she stopped, because this woman was clearly a werewolf, with her growling.

"You knew," Sammy said to Michelle, "You had to right? With your sense of smell. Your mate coming home, smelling of a different woman, another child?" She probed.

Daniel looked at Sammy, and he seen it, that steely look in her blue eyes, that particular shade of blonde hair, her face shape, in particularly her cheek bones.

Marty Gray, had all those same features.

Shane spoke next, as several of his warriors entered the room.

"Arrest Alpha Gray."

Three other alphas stood in protest.

"No, Shane bellowed, releasing g a now calm Henry, "Sammy was abandoned by her father at eleven years old. Before he could have known if she were to shift. He has broken our laws. Arrest him."

Michelle staggered back, as Henry came to comfort his mother.

"Wait, wait, I did no such thing," Marty interjected, a bit too calmly, "Sammy's mother took her from me, I didn't know where she was."

Sammy stood shaking her head, and then she addressed the man for the second time, now leaning on Daniel for support, "Your lying, Daddy."

Marty's gazed flew to Sammy, he hadn't heard her call him that in so long, he couldn't help the softening of his eyes as he took her in. She reminded him of his mother, especially her temper.

"I promise, Baby Girl, I came back for you." He whispered to her.