Abigail's POV

　　"Don't!" The adorable voice of Jasmine whispered; I could see the anxiety on her face, the uncertainty in her young eyes as she looked over at Jason and Maxwell in the doorway. 

　　"It's OK, sweetheart. I am stronger than I look." I smiled soothingly, rubbing her cheek tenderly as I nodded to her friends. "Go play, sweet girl." I cooed; with a reluctant smile, she let go of my hand and scampered off to her friends, who were playing on the mat, oblivious to the drama unfolding around them. 

　　Turning my back on them once satisfied they were safe, I marched to where the two men stood, squaring up to one another. I might not have been able to hear a lot, but I could sense the anger coming off Jason in waves; the disappointment from Maxwell was not exactly missable either. 

　　"For goodness sake!" I huffed, pushing between them; I pressed my hands on both males' chests and pushed them apart. 

　　"Your pissing match is scaring the children! And for an Alpha and perspective Alpha, I am disappointed in the pair of you!" I declared, pushing them both so they stepped away from each other. "So if we are done measuring dicks can we take this somewhere else!" I barked, heading towards Marcus, who I could have sworn was looking at me with slight amusement and approval. 

　　"Alpha males and their bloody egos!" I fumed as I stood in front of Marcus. "Can you show me to Alpha Maxwell's office, please!" I snapped, seeing him look over at Maxwell. I rolled my eyes and stormed toward the only closed door I had seen earlier. 

　　"I will do it myself then!" I hissed, hearing the commotion behind me, raised voices and then the faint sound of footsteps following.

　　"I told you, she is spunky!" Marcus laughed; the other two males ignored him and stepped into the room behind me. Looking across the room at them both with disapproving eyes, I pulled the door open and stepped into what I guessed would be Maxwell's office, given its location and the fact it was the only room I had seen with a closed door. 

　　Pushing the door open, my eyes instantly fell on the computer screens that graced the walls. Whistling, I looked at them, impressed but not surprised; given the expensive taste and attention to detail that had gone into the decor and design of the grand packhouse, I guessed the security would be top-notch too.

　　"Hello." A feminine voice filled the room, making me jump; my eyes fell on the blue eyes and dark features of a female. Who was observing me curiously? "You must be Abigail." She asked, coming round the desk to offer me her hand. 

　　The second I embraced her fingers, I felt overwhelming sadness, self-hatred, and familiar concern wash over me. Whoever this was, she was fighting some serious inner demons! 

　　"I am; it's a pleasure to meet you..." I answered, leaving my sentence open for her to finish. 

　　"Mia, I am Jason's mother." She expressed; the two males that bombarded through the door cut her off; the fear edged onto Maxwell's face cut me deep; did he honestly think I would hurt Jason's wife? I was not a monster! Flicking my eyes between the males filling the doorway and the pretty female, I smiled weakly, trying to hide the hurt from my face. 

　　"He has his father's manners", She laughed, walking to close the door on the moody males. 

　　"If you would give me a moment alone with our guest, please!" She requested, but something about her tone told me this was no simple request but an order. Maxwell shook his head slowly, pushing forward to gain entry into the room. 

　　"I am not leaving you alone with her." He growled, towering over his mate, pulling her into his side, staring at me unapologetically. "We don't know her!" He added, watching Jason come to stand by my side, chipping at my confidence again with his brutal expression and harsh words.

　　"And we never will at this rate, so why don't you and Jason go and make sure lunch is on schedule, and I will have a heart-to-heart with our guest." She grinned, leaning up to press her lips to Maxwell's; unable to hide my smile at their love, I nodded to Jason that I was OK with her proposal. Sighing, he walked to where his father stood and clapped him on the shoulder, shoving him towards the door.

　　"I would NEVER put Ma's safety at risk! YOU know that! I trust Abigail! YOU need to trust ME!" He admitted with another lamented sigh; looking at Jason's back, I could see the strain of the last few days was taking its toll.

　　"Alpha, if you want to leave your beta here for peace of mind, I won't be offended." I added before taking a seat at the large oak desk; crossing my legs, I dug my phone out of my bag and sent a quick text to Damien to let him know I had got here OK. After a moment of contemplation, I decided not to send him my location, not trusting him not to turn up. I wanted to respect the pack's wishes for privacy. 

　　Ignoring the hushed voices, I checked to see if my mother had replied; when she hadn't, I frowned and sent her a second message. 

　　{Text: Mum? I'm getting worried! You haven't replied to any of my messages in the last few days. Please get in touch with me! X}

　　"IS everything OK?" A voice inquired calmly. Pulling my eyes from my phone, I looked up at the ocean blue hues of Jason's mother.

　　"My mother isn't answering." I shared willingly, chewing the inside of my lips as I quickly shot her another message. 

　　"Maybe she is busy?" She offered with a smile, taking a seat in what I knew was Alpha Maxwell's chair; it was far too large for her petite body. 

　　"Perhaps." I nodded, brushing off my concern and reassuring Luna that she had my full attention. "Is that behaviour normal for your son and husband?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

　　"No." She laughed, nodding to my phone that I had started absentmindedly tapping. "When did you last hear from your mother?" She asked with genuine interest.

　　"Three days ago, the day after I arrived in town, she was nervous about me moving away; she didn't want to cut the apron strings," I admitted, looking down at my phone with an unsettling giggle. "She is a 100 calls-a-day type of mum."  I laughed nervously.

　　"And more than double that in text messages." She smirked, opening the laptop. Smiling at her, I nodded, deciding I liked her instantly; she reminded me of my mum! Kind, compassionate and graceful! I imagined she balanced Maxwell out perfectly.

　　"Today is my birthday; she never misses it! She was always the first to call and text, and that was when I lived in her house. I just have this feeling..." I admitted, "Sorry, I am rambling." I shrugged, grabbing my bag to put my phone away. 

　　"Never apologise for worrying about family! Family is everything! There is nothing we would not do for those we love!" She corrected me with a smile on her face, calming my nerves significantly. 

　　Without warning, a figure appeared beside me, making me jump and squeal. My fingers gripped the fabric of the chair in fear. The door to the room flung open Jason stood glaring at the male beside me in a panic and fury.

　　"Princess?"