I wasn’t sure how long I sat there watching Will. Oddly enough, they never spotted me, and I wasn’t hiding. I noticed that Will kept glancing towards the forest to the east and seemed to be getting worked up. I took a deep breath, but didn’t pick up any odd scents. My senses did not pick up anything in that part of the forest either, although my range wasn’t that great.

Will took a break and walked to the side of the field while looking towards the forest. I could pick up growing tension and worry even from here.

His voice entered my mind, his calm words were at odds with what I could sense from my seat. “How is it going?”

I grinned as I realized that he had no idea I had been within ear shot the entire time. “Pretty good,” I said. “Big haul of mushrooms. That bag Tiffany lent me is full.”

His voice was curious, “Are you heading back?”

“No, I got distracted.”

I could sense worry and jealousy rolling off of him through my senses, although his mind voice only let a bit of worry leak through. “Distracted with what?”

I sent amusement down the mindlink before sending a mental picture of him staring at the forest to the east. I felt shock through both my senses and our mindlink. He spun around to scan the treeline before his eyes landed on me. A relieved grin broke out on his face, and he started to sprint towards me.

Others looked over to see where he was going and grinned when they spotted me. I stood up as he approached. Moments later, I was enveloped in a hug, and my feet left the ground as he spun in a circle a few times in relieved joy. He was happy to see me. “How long have you been here?”

“I’m not entirely sure. I was here when the six fighters left for their patrol shift.”

He blinked in shock. “That was nearly two hours ago.”

I shrugged with a shy grin. “As I said, I got distracted and lost track of time.”

Tilting his head in curiosity, he said, “What was so distracting about it?” He obviously couldn’t figure out how I had sat as spectator for so long.

I grinned and sent the image of him from half an hour ago, when he had stretched his hands high above his head. His muscles were quite visible despite the distance, and the sun had glittered off his slightly sweaty skin. I had carefully committed that one to memory.

I was startled to hear a faint rumble come from his chest. I glanced up at him to see his eyes darken. His emotions were a mixed jumble of pride, love, and possessiveness. I blushed slightly as I sensed his desire rising despite his attempts to suppress it.

I ducked my head and wrapped my arms around him in a hug as I leaned my head against his chest so he couldn’t see my rising blush. He wrapped his arms around me tightly as he took a deep breath. I could sense his struggle for control, and his frustration that he was having to fight for control.

After a few minutes, he sighed deeply. “I didn’t think it would be this hard.” He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he knew I could sense what he was feeling.

I rubbed my hand along his back. “It is hitting you harder than it is hitting me. Some of the things I am occasionally sensing are pointing to your Enforcer role.”

He was silent in thought. I let go and stepped back. I said, “I can sit on the sidelines if you want to go to practice more.”

He glanced back at the training area where the others continued their practice. I felt a faint shimmer of jealousy and protectiveness roll across his mind. He didn’t want me near either the men or women down there.

He ran his hand through his hair in slight frustration before saying, “Would you mind accompanying me as I visit someone? I am hoping he might have some advice on how to control some of my reactions before I do something I regret.”

I nodded. “Let’s just drop these mushrooms off with the cooks.” He picked up the bag for me and started walking.

I gave a small uncomfortable cough to catch his attention, and he glanced back at me in confusion. I clarified, “As much as I am enjoying the view of you wandering around without a shirt, the jealous side of me doesn’t want the younger cooks to stare.”

He started to smirk, and a light blush touched my cheeks. I never had a need to be jealous before I met Will, and I was trying to come to terms with these new emotions. He seemed to be getting a kick out of my jealousy.

He gestured with his head across the meadow. “Head towards that path, and I will meet you there.”

He went back to the training area to grab a shirt. He beat me to the wide path that led through the trees. We walked hand in hand towards the pack house. The cooks were happy with the mushrooms that we left here for them.

I walked beside Will as we headed towards some cottages. Will knocked on a door and waited. It was opened by an older man. His hair had gone mostly grey, and my senses immediately identified him as a retired Enforcer. His lean frame would still be the equal of the younger, active Enforcers. While he was technically retired, he would join in if any serious fight broke out, he just wouldn’t do much with the smaller day to day stuff.

He smiled. “Will, good to see you again. What brings you here?” His eyes drifted over to me in curiosity. “And who is this?”

Will replied, “Good to see you as well, Tony. This is my mate, Jade. I am here because I am hoping that you have some advice or tricks since I have had some control issues lately.”

With a nod, Tony said, “Let’s go over to the reinforced training room and see what we can do.”

Tony left the house and started walking with us as he asked, “When did you two meet?”

Will replied, “Three days ago.”

Tony looked at me closely. “You’re not marked, and the bond hasn’t been completed, correct?”

I turned a bit red at the topic, but nodded. Tony turned his attention to Will. “What kind of control problems have you encountered so far?”

Will made a face as he honestly answered his mentor. “The very first day, I almost attacked Fred when he snarled at her. Since then, I have almost lost control four times, and of those four, a couple occurred when no one else was even around."

I glanced at him, four times? I knew about our game of keep away and the image of my father. His control minutes ago had been pushed, but he hadn’t come close to losing control. What other times had there been?

Tony gave him an odd look. “Have you been trying various techniques in case one is more effective?”

“I have tried them all. I have never had problems with my control before, and it has me severely off balance. I’m scared that I am going to injure someone.”

“Have you had any indication that you may harm Jade?”

Will shook his head violently. “No, the need to mark her is strong, but the control problems are occurring if I worry about her safety or if she is away from me."

We approached the building, and Tony opened the door and went inside. I followed behind Will.

We entered an enclosed training room, and Tony led us to the back of the room and down some stairs. I looked around the large basement room as the heavy metal door closed behind me. The entire room was lined with some sort of metal plates, covered in numerous dents and scratches.

Will spoke quietly, “This is a room usually used for training Enforcers. The steel plates can usually handle any damage that may result from a slip in control when we are learning or trying something out.”

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I nodded in understanding. Tony looked at me and said, “If you don’t mind, I want to try a few things just to gauge Will’s reaction.”

“What do you want me to do?” I replied.

“We’ll just try some basic stuff at first, can you please go to the far side of the room?”

I walked to the far side of the room. Tony appraised Will’s expression as he walked into the middle of the room between us. He said, “Will?”

Will was still relaxed, “I would prefer her closer to me, but nothing that worries me.”

Tony walked over to stand beside me. “Now?”

“I don’t like it,” Will said, with a frown. “Even just the thought of a guy standing beside her doesn’t sit well with me. Irritating, but it is controllable. Possibly because I know you well. I’m not sure how I would handle if it were a stranger.” Will’s emotions were starting to faintly simmer as the mate bond was making its presence known. Barely noticeable, but I could sense it affecting his surface emotions.

Tony nodded and turned to me, holding out his hand for a hand shake. I reached out, and even before I made contact, Will let out a low growl. Tony pulled back his hand and regarded Will with a raised eyebrow.

Will rubbed his forehead and apologized to the man who had trained him, “Sorry. It wasn’t too bad when she was just standing there, but the instant she reached out to you, I couldn’t help it.”

Tony walked back to the middle of the room. “That reaction is actually quite typical for most higher-ranking males while their mate is unmarked. Which four times did you almost lose control?”

“I was chasing her and couldn’t get through a bramble bush,” Will said as he leaned against the far wall, more relaxed now that Tony wasn’t near me. “The thought that I couldn’t get to her nearly made me lose it. This morning, she was trying to wake me up and showed me a picture of her parents; I flipped until I realized that there were two people in the image and that the man was her father.”

Will sighed as he continued, “I almost bolted today when I realized that she was up in a tree and I was scared she would fall – the only reason I didn’t run to her was because I didn’t know where she was. Then, when she didn’t contact me after several hours, I was nearly ready to run through the forest searching for her scent. Thankfully, she responded when I mindlinked her, and it turned out she was just up on the hill watching me.”

Will rubbed his temple as he admitted, “It’s taking less to push me to the breaking point. I can feel the difference in how paranoid I’m being, even from this morning to this afternoon. Just yesterday, we were both surprised at how little trouble I had with others being near her, even unmated males that I knew well. Yet, today, I didn’t even want her near any of the people on the training field.”

Tony regarded him silently for a few minutes while thinking. He mindlinked me, “There is one technique that may help. Do you happen to have a rather harmless memory that is likely to make him struggle for control?”

I considered his suggestion for a moment. “Is this wise? I don’t want you to get hurt. I did have one guy offer to buy me a dress yesterday, and from what I have seen, that will make him fight for control.” I shared the memory with Tony so he could evaluate it for himself.

“If he has control issues, he won’t be able to fight as well,” he replied. “His strength may go up, but his strategy will be gone since he won’t be able to concentrate on it. That memory will work perfectly. You were not interested, and Tiffany was there to protect you. The rogues lost all interest and left after they learned that Will was your mate. The event is over and those two are not on the pack’s territory. Give me a few seconds.”

Tony turned to Will and spoke aloud, “I’m going to get Jade to share a memory of a past event. She was in no danger, and those present left after learning that you were her mate, so they pose no threat to the mate bond. Keep that in mind. I will stand here, Jade will remain where she is, and you are going to try to stay where you are.”

Will looked uneasy, but nodded. Tony glanced at me and nodded. I focused my eyes on Will and shared the memory of the rogue offering to buy me the dress before Tiffany sent both of them packing.

Will’s snarl echoed through the room at the exact moment I felt his control snap like an overtightened guitar string. By the time I blinked, Will was in the middle of the room, and Tony had him mostly pinned. Will wasn’t going down without a fight though, and the experienced Enforcer was having obvious difficulties trying to hold him.

I froze, not entirely sure what to do. How had that memory set him off? I had expected him to have difficulties controlling himself, but not for him to completely lose control. From his expression, Tony hadn’t expected it either, although he must have been prepared just in case.

It wasn’t safe for me to try and approach two fighters in an all-out brawl. I watched as Tony struggled in his attempt to subdue or pin Will. As an older and more experienced Enforcer, Tony shouldn’t have had this much trouble containing Will.

Will looked towards me and saw my wide-eyed gaze. I felt his emotions spike, with rage and protectiveness at the forefront. He let out a vicious snarl as he broke Tony’s hold with ease.

A swift kick sent Tony flying to the side, and Will practically blurred with speed as he appeared in a fighting crouch in front of me. His back was to me as he faced Tony and vicious growls rumbled unceasingly from his chest. Tony cautiously got to his feet before backing up a few steps to give Will more room to calm down.

Tony said, “Be careful, it would be best if you just stayed there until he regains control. I didn’t expect his reaction to be so severe. If he feels the mate bond is in danger, there is a chance he may mark you by force if you try anything at the moment. He isn't thinking straight. We’ll just wait it out.”

I nodded and remained where I was. Tony backed up until he was against the far wall and leaned against it while waiting. Will's growling slowly grew quieter as the seconds passed. I could feel his emotions subsiding. I felt when he started to struggle for control again. Once he was getting the upper hand on it, I walked forward to hold his hand and lean my head against his arm. The direct contact gave him the strength to fully regain control.

Will used my handhold to pull me to his chest for a big bear hug. He buried his face in my neck, using my scent to calm himself. I felt his emotions returning to normal.

He finally lifted his head and turned to look at Tony with worry, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Just bruises at the moment," Tony replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Will released me from his hug, but didn’t relinquish my hand. I turned so I could also see Tony while holding hands with Will.

Will apologized to Tony, "Sorry about that. That was exactly what I was scared of happening. I don't recall Roland being this bad when he first met Emily. Every unmated male simply had to keep their distance until things settled down with those two. I’m losing it over memories and plants."

Tony's voice was quiet as he confirmed, "Roland wasn't this bad. Your first reactions were the mate bond, plain and simple. Those were normal and controllable. That last one somehow tapped into your Enforcer abilities and shattered your control. It was at that point where we encountered problems. So, we simply have to figure out what is triggering your Enforcer role."

Will looked confused. "What could have triggered it? And why would it be getting worse?"

Tony looked deep in thought, trying to determine the problem. "When you first lost it, you weren't really trying to attack me, you were trying to get to Jade. I was having difficulty holding you back, but I was managing it. I was hoping to pin you until you came to your senses, and it would have created a buffer in the mate bond that would have helped. At that point, it was mostly the mate bond, but something happened just before you broke my hold. It was like your Enforcer mindframe and the mate bond somehow short circuited with each other and joined forces. Do you recall what happened at that point?"

Will spoke as if the answer should have been obvious, "Jade looked concerned and scared, and I wasn't beside her."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows in thought for several minutes while Will and I watched him. Tony asked me, "Do you have children, or is there any possible chance that you might be pregnant?"

I turned a bit red at the question, but shook my head. "No. Why?"

Tony sighed faintly. "Such behavior is common among higher ranking wolves if their mates have young children, and especially if their mates are with child. Even if he wasn't aware of it, the mate bond would cause such instability and overprotectiveness." He shook his head before examining me again. "Do you have any sort of injury? That may create a vulnerability that would also create such overreactions."

I blinked as a thought occurred to me. "I’m not injured,” I said, “but would being a runt count as a vulnerability? Now that I think about it, most of Will’s control problems occurred when we were apart."

Tony's eyes widened, "You’re a runt?"

His shock and disbelief was evident in both his expression and with my senses. I nodded and shifted so he could see it for himself. He stared at my wolf form for a few moments before Will gave a small warning growl.

Tony shook his head to recollect his thoughts. "Well, that explains it," he said, massaging his temples.

I shifted back, although I wasn’t sure what Tony was referring to. Will was also looking at him in confusion.

Will asked, "What do you mean?"

Tony replied, "The mate bond knows she is more or less defenseless, and it’s amplifying the protective tendencies that come with being an Enforcer. So, we have an overactive mate bond on one hand. On the other hand, as an Enforcer, you would normally defend any member of the pack, but particularly the weaker or defenseless ones.”

Tony turned his gaze to me, further explaining, “If the already-amplified mate bond somehow convinces Will that your safety is at stake, it also kicks in his role and drive as an Enforcer and they join forces. That is when the control problems start. Essentially, until everything settles down, Will's control is like a loose cannon where you are concerned."

I tilted my head. "Once I’m marked, will things start to settle down?"

Tony nodded. "Yes, but from what I have heard, things won't truly stabilize until the bond is completed. He will always be a bit touchy when it comes to your safety just because he is an Enforcer."

Will looked curious, inquiring, "What have you heard? Has this happened before?"

Tony crossed his arms as he regarded Will. "My own teacher used a case study where an Alpha ended up with a runt for a mate. His control was even worse than yours since he was an Alpha. Within the day, the two of them went to a secluded part of their territory for a week until things settled down."

That didn’t reassure Will, and ran his hand through his hair. "How much worse is this going to get? Any tips or advice?"

My eyes were drawn to his messed-up hair, and I forced myself to focus on the conversation at hand instead.

"Hopefully not too much worse,” Tony said with a shrug. “Ensure that she is with other women that you trust during the day. It’s just when her safety is in question that you have trouble. Otherwise, you are simply dealing with the mate bond, which you are handling quite well."

We headed back upstairs to discuss other possible options for calming Will back down if he started having control problems. Tony gave me some general guidelines as to what I should and shouldn't do.