ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Mika ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

I had no idea that trying to get acquainted with others could be so hard, only very few people were actually openly kind, others didn't even bother to hide the fact that their words were forced while the rest just shied away from Raven and I.

I wasn't really too confident in becoming acquainted with the pack, despite being the mate of their leader. If anything, I was feeling too hesitant to even try to open up to Yulin in the slightest let alone an entire pack of strangers.

Even just the sort of 'idea' that my past will come to light in front of this person that is only my mate in name doesn't really sit well with me.

That doesn't seem to deter the curiosity that burned in those analytical eyes of Yulin's. Sure, he never asked them outright but I was well aware that they existed.

There was also another thing when it came to Yulin and that was the mate bond that continued to make itself known despite my many attempts to ignore it's budding existence.

It tugged and pulled at the most random of times, unfortunately making me losing sleep over it as I laid in bed at night trying to push the bond to the far crevice of my mind.

Rejecting the bond wouldn't do me any good as it would hurt myself but at the same time, I would not let it influence my decisions here, I can't.

Strangely enough, it seems Raven made a friend who is quite eager on following him around. It was a hilarious sight to see him enjoying spending time with a kid but nevertheless, I was happy to see that he wasn't too bothered by us staying here.

'Mika, meet us in the right wing, second floor' the sudden communication from Raven had me pausing slightly.

'What's going on?' I asked.

'Yulin wants us to meet some people' he said and I didn't say anything more as I headed up to where Raven and Yulin were.

"Ah, there you are" I had long smelt him before I saw him but when I turned the corner, I was graced with the face of my mate who showed me a smile upon seeing me.

Raven was also nearby, leaning against the wall, eyes on me as well as he also had been waiting on me.

There were a few people behind him, all staring at me curiously as I stepped closer. Two of them very much so resembling Yulin which led me to the immediate conclusion that they're his family members.

There was only one other person aside from that but he didn't exactly look like he wanted to be here.

"I thought I should introduce you two to these guys as they'll be your closest allies here. Should you ever happen to need anything and I'm not available, you can call for them" Yulin said before starting off with the man on his right.

"This is Lyon, my beta. He's usually around the training grounds but, most times he's lazing about" Yulin said and Lyon crossed his arms as he let out a low hum.

"Mm...a nice nap will always sound better than being surrounded by a bunch of panting dogs" He said before looking over to me.

"It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard absolutely nothing about you" Lyon said, his green eyes giving a sharp stare to Yulin who could do nothing about the look.

Despite not wanting to admit it, my heart did sink a bit at the fact that Yulin hasn't said anything about me to even his most trusty aids.

I mean, what did I expect, we know nothing about each other anyways. Mentally sighing, I just decided to dismiss the matter altogether and pay attention to the people in front of me.

"Though I do already know a little about you, Raven" Lyon said and Raven raised a brow.

"And how is that?" He asked.

Lyon gave a smile that held no emotion behind it, the only thing I could gather was that he was still debating on if he should be treating us as friends or foes.

"My little sister seems to be quite fond of you" he said but he didn't seem to be finished speaking as he stepped closer.

"I'm not though" Lyon finished.

Just then, the woman who looked like a younger version of the other woman in the room, spoke up.

"Oh shut up, you're just jealous because she prefers hanging out with Raven over you" she said and Lyon's steel look crumbled in seconds as a pout formed on his face.

"I'm her brother, not this guy" he sulked.

Seeing Lyon's show which was that of a pitiful brother, Raven just shrugged, not taking Lyon's words seriously in the slightest.

"Moving on. This is Irina, she's my younger sister as well as the head of the pack guard" Yulin said, gesturing to the girl who spoke out to Lyon just moments ago.

Though no one was expecting the words that came out of her mouth.

"You guys smell...nice" Irina said, a small smile forming as she stared at us which did not make me feel anything other than confusion.

'If I wasn't aware of their circumstances, I'd have thought she was some kind of weird pervert' Raven said.

"Thank...you?" I said, unsure of how to receive this unexpected compliment.

"The head of our guard sure is setting a peculiar first impression" Lyon said and Irina was quick to combat his words.

"I didn't mean it in any kind of weird way, it's just that most rogues have a foul stench that follows them around. You guys don't" Irina said.

'Are pack dogs all this weird?' Raven asked and I tried to refrain the smile from forming on my lips at his question.

"There is one more person I'd like to introduce you to but he's not here at the moment. Once he makes it back from his trip, I'll be sure to make sure you guys meet him. He's our pack doctor and my childhood friend" Yulin explained.

"Well, I guess I'm chopped liver, huh?" the woman who uncannily resembled Yulin spoke up, her words sounding one way but the smile on her face saying another.

"Of course not. Last but not least, this is my mother and our former alpha female, Lisa" Yulin said and Lisa stepped forward as it was her turn to be introduced.

"You're as stiff as those training dummies, young one. Take a breath, no one here is going to harm you" she said as she looked to me, my shoulders flinching as I hadn't realized I'd been standing on guard.

Raven was just lazing against the wall, completely unbothered by the people in the room, whereas I was still trying to save at least some kind of face. It made me wonder if he's already come to the decision that these people are not enemies.

"If I may, I'd like a word with you" Lisa said and my shoulders tensed right back up.

"Uh..."

When I looked to Yulin, he didn't even seem to know that his mother was going to drag me aside, his brows furrowing as he stared at his mother.

"Please don't say anything weird" was all he said and Lisa chuckled while looking at her son's face.

"I've been giving speeches since I was sixteen, I'm well aware of how to hold a proper conversation. Come along young one" Lisa said as she motioned for me to follow her.

I gave one last look to Raven who just ushered me off; I guess I was on my own for this battle.

I hoped everything will be alright for Raven since I've left him with strangers but for right now, I had to worry about the conversation that's about to take place between the mother of my mate for whom I've known for less than a month.

When we finally reached a room, I realized that this must have been her own room. Lisa's scent smelled like ashes, the heavy scent sticking to every object in this room as if it'd been left behind from an extinguished fire.

I didn't find it unpleasant but I found it unique. I've never really paid attention to how others smelled, but this woman's scent stood out to me for some reason.

"Please have a seat, I think our talk will last for a bit" Lisa said and I nodded as I sat on the couch across from her.

"I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable by calling you out like that. If anything, I was letting my excitement get the best of me" she said.

That composed and calm face was her excited face? Man, I really can see where Yulin gets it from.

"First off, you have no idea how happy I am that you two have finally met. I told myself to be rational but my wolf got the better of me today" she said, her hands coming together as if to show that she's trying to conceal her excitement.

"It's alright, I don't mind" I said and Lisa smiled.

"I know I shouldn't but I just wanted to jump ahead and try to help clear any kind of misunderstandings that may occur" Lisa said and while it sounded like she was trying to be bashful, her face held no traces of such a thing.

Ah, I get it now...when Yulin asked her not to say anything weird, this is what he means.

"Yulin hasn't had many experiences in love so I know this will be a rocky start for you two" Lisa said.

"I have no expectations to be met so I don't really think that will be a problem" I said and Lisa tilted her head in response.

"I don't think that's true" she said.

Folding my arms, I looked to Lisa with a neutral expression.

"Why do you say that?" I said, a dull tone that I hadn't meant to give slipping into my words.

I had been trying to play the role of the neutral middle ground, not yet ready to make my feelings known to anyone as I continued to mull over them to no avail, and I knew I shouldn't change that here either.

"I'm not sure how long you and your brother have lived the way you did, but one thing I am sure of, is that you came to have a certain expectation of how your life was going to play out didn't you?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah..." I trailed, not exactly sure of what she was getting at.

"It's a natural thing. You may not have any specific things you expect of Yulin, but your subconscious already knows what it wants from him. That something could be simple shows of affection or even a longing to grow a deeper bond. Perhaps if you two were human, maybe it would have been simple friendship. Everyone has those unspoken wishes" Lisa said.

Lisa spoke like she knew everything there was to know, and perhaps she did as she was the previous alpha female. That position doesn't come without hardships after all.

In reality, there's really only two reasons a female alpha is allowed to exist. Otherwise, it's normally unheard of.

1. They are the first born in their family, therefore immediately inheriting the right to their alpha title

Or,

2. The alpha female's mate either dies, gives up his title, or goes missing and she assumes the role of alpha until her children were ready to succeed her

Regardless of the reason, her life leading up to now couldn't have been easy on her so I kept the budding bit of respect for her in my back pocket as I listened to her.

"Even your brother, I'm sure you expect him to live his life the way he wants to. After all, it's what you've been protecting him for all this time, no?" Lisa asked and I simply nodded my head.

It was only natural that I wanted Raven to have the freedom to do as he pleases, at times, I would think that I'm actually the one who's holding him down.

I've been so afraid of anything happening to him that I've basically forced him to stay by my side our whole lives as we travelled around all these years. He's never had the chance to make proper friends or explore the world to his heart's content, he hasn't even met his mate yet which is something that can occur after you turn sixteen.

And now here we are, staying in this place because of me.

"So yes, back to my original point. I just want to be a doting mother one last time and pass off some advice to my son's mate. Will you allow me that much?" Lisa asked.

"Of course" I said.

Lisa gave a thankful smile before continuing.

"Yulin is very selfless, maybe to a point that he doesn't realize it. He will put all his efforts to assure that you get exactly what you want so don't be afraid to use that to your advantage here. For example, getting rid of those pesky flies that have been buzzing about you and your brother's business" Lisa said.

I had went still at her last words.

How did she even know about that? I haven't said a word about it and neither has Raven, well, to my knowledge he hasn't.

"You know about that, huh?" I said and Lisa nodded.

"Yes, I hear a lot of the things that go on around here believe it or not. You won't have to waste your time dealing with them once Yulin gets involved" Lisa said.

My facial expression must have changed because I could feel the frown on my face at her words.

My one objective here is to not give these people a reason to think of us as burdens, disrupting Yulin's busy schedule to deal with some school bullies sounded absurd to me given the fact that we were all grown adults that can handle our own problems.

"We can handle it" was all I said.

"Is that so? I'm sure saying those men are harassing you and your brother is as easy as breathing rather than having to deal with the unpleasant encounters" Lisa seemed intent on getting me to tell Yulin about his guards but if anything, it made me more averse to the idea.

She didn't understand why though, and it's not her fault.

"I just don't want to overstep my—"

Lisa had immediately cut me off, her expression that remained calm this entire time suddenly turning into one of dissatisfaction.

"Overstepping? Young one, listen to me, that thinking has to stop now. You're the next Luna of this pack, whether they like it or not. Using the powers that are rightfully yours is far from overstepping anything" Lisa protested and now I found myself becoming frustrated.

I knew that these people were simply being kind out of respect for the fact that I'm Yulin's mate, and even if there was the slightest chance that all of this was genuine, my own deep rooted distrust in others prevented me from believing that their actions were sincere.

The world I've experienced so far has been deceitful, unforgiving, and cruel. How can I possibly allow myself to be so gullible to the point where I can believe the few reassuring words that could come out of anyone's mouth?

"Why are you acting so supportive? Are you not bothered even a little by the fact that your pack's next Luna was a rogue?" I asked, my words coming across harshly but Lisa seemed unfazed by them.

"Do you know that 'rogue' is just a word?" Lisa asked and my anger simmered to a small boil as I looked at her in confusion.

"...yes?" My answer came out as a question, unsure as to why we're suddenly having a word test.

"The connotations behind the word have been derived based on others experiences with said rogues. You were a rogue, that truth has never made you an inherently evil, filthy, or disgusting person as many others would describe" Lisa's grey eyes stared right through me, my own amber ones being unable to look away as I felt as if it would be wrong to do so.

No...she's not looking through me, she's looking at me. Her words telling me that she was seeing me for who I was, instead of allowing herself to believe in what I'm 'supposed' to be.

"To me, it means you lost your way or maybe even your home and have struggled to find a new one in this harsh world. Myself, my family, and all of our pack are more than ready to welcome you to our home so that you no longer have to keep searching" Lisa finished and by then, I'd long forgotten why I was feeling frustrated.

Lisa's words had somehow soothed the burden I kept to myself in one full swoop as if they had been nothing to worry about at all.

"So to answer your question, no. I do not care that you were a rogue" Lisa said and seeing as I no longer needed to keep an act up, I just gave an exasperated sigh.

"So what do you guys do about the rogues that actually do wish to harm you? I find it hard to believe you give them this same peace making speech" I said and Lisa chuckled.

"Oh goddess no. I'm not such a benevolent woman as to give those kind of people a get out of jail card" She said and I just nodded.

So far, this conversation has been mentally straining. Lisa spoke in a way that made one really listen to what she was saying instead of taking her words at the face value she offered them in.

I was honestly struggling to keep up at times.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time however, there's something that's been poking me in the back of my mind about you and your brother" Lisa suddenly said and as I've already accepted that she was going to say whatever she pleased, I motioned for her to continue.

"And what might that be?" I asked.

"You two are alpha children, am I correct?"

Hearing those words made my blood run cold, the way Lisa stared at me only telling me that she had known she was right long before she had even asked me.

It's been years since either of us has used our auras, there's no way she'd be able to tell simply by looking at us either.

Did she...know who we are?

"Why do you think that?" I asked, not denying her words only for the sake of seeing if my theory was right.

"Well, for starters, I raised two of them myself. But for now let's just boil it down to the fact that neither of you felt the need to bare your necks in front of me" Lisa said.

Some tension left me as I heard her reasoning, she was simply deducing it after interacting with us, so it was unlikely that she knew who we were.

It's a natural instinct for lower rank wolves to bare their necks but when met with a wolf of an equivalent or higher rank, that submissive show becomes one out of strong respect.

Nothing gets past this woman and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"You don't have to say yes or no, but just know that these lips are sealed tighter than a ziplock" she said with a wink while making an 'ok' sign with her fingers.

"Thank you for listening to me babble on, it's a bit selfish of me but it's been a while since I've met someone I can really feel comfortable speaking freely with" She said and I just shook my head.

"I'm glad that you feel that way. I'm more than happy to talk with you whenever you wish" I said and I wasn't saying it out of politeness.

Lisa seemed to genuinely care about the matter at hand, and she didn't try to talk down on us either. She genuinely seemed like she just wanted to get to know us better.

"I knew I liked you from the moment I saw you~! Alrighty, you're free to go young one. And remember what I told you" Lisa's sudden playful behavior left as soon as it came as her expression became serious.

"It's okay to chase those dogs out if they begin to bite the hand that fed them" she said.

Anyone would be confused by her statement, after all, I'm not the one who's been taking care of them all this time. However, after spending the last thirty minutes picking and reading between Lisa's words, I think I can basically get at what she's saying.

That was her way of telling me to watch my back and that those guys are probably intending to do something underhanded without Yulin's knowledge.

I decided it'd be better to take her words seriously than dismiss them, a new ominous feeling blossoming in my chest at the warning.