-Cecelia's PoV:-

Safe to say, things were quite awkward after the meeting. Ashton didn't ask me about Julian and I again and I never bothered to clear it up either. Every relationship is a two-way street. It can't be built on just one person's effort. 

It takes two to tango.

I didn't know if we were 'meant to be'. If we were going by the mates' book, I would have said yes. But we weren't, so I didn't know. The bond was growing every day, dragging us deeper into it. The sparks were stronger and so was our physical attraction. 

Our wolves were getting hornier too. We couldn't stop that, it wasn't in our control. However, what we could control was how much we let ourselves know and understand each other and those were the things we chose not to do. After all, you can take the horse to the river, but you can't drink the water on his behalf. Basically, the Goddess had led us to our ideal match, we had to accept them for the whole thing to work.

A week passed by and we received more notes, but this time there was no scent on them except for the smell of Jasmines. It was obviously a cover-up smell. We could never sniff the original scent on them. All of them had a warning. 

Warnings which stopped meaning anything until one day, a girl from our pack went missing.

There was chaos everywhere when I went home from school that day. The girl was named Tasha. Her parents were devastated, as would be expected. She had left for school in the morning but never reached the said destination. Obviously, she had been abducted somewhere on the way from the Packhouse to school.

The question was how, when and who?

We sort of got the 'who' when we were delivered another message as an untraceable email ID. It said:-

Come and get her.

Where? We still didn't know. I was talking to Julian regularly and when he found out about Tasha, he practically lost it. He talked to his dad and was going to be landing there soon. He had to leave Liana behind because he didn't want to endanger her. 

I talked to Liana too, and boy was she mad. Not because her mate would not be with her for Goddess knows how long because of me but because I hadn't talked to her in a week and a half. I apologized and had to grovel for forgiveness. I was guilty and she sensed it cause she forgave me quickly after that.

Currently, I was standing at the airport - with a pack warrior for good measure - to receive Julian. To say I was excited would've been an understatement. A week and a half is a long time to go without your best friend. A friend who ]got on the first flight to fly in and help me out.

I tapped my foot on the ground as I waited. There came out a steady stream of passengers from the gate. I almost squealed when I spotted a familiar-looking frame making its way. I broke into a run, despite the warrior's - Cory's- protests, shoving through the hoards of people and jumping into an expectant Julian's arms.

"Julian!" I breathed. He chuckled.

"Hey, Lia," he greeted.

"Goddess, I'm so happy you're here!" I almost cried. Somehow when you meet your loved one, someone who understands you on another level, all the walls you make to keep trouble out sort of just break down in a jiffy.

"Hey hey," he soothed. "No crying, okay?"

I grumbled under my breath. I hadn't even realized that I had started crying. I hummed and pulled away, wiping at my face. I grabbed his arms and dragged him to where the car was parked. 

Cory looked at me red-faced.

"Miss, you shouldn't have run away like that!" He exclaimed. "What if-"

"She's fine, she was with me. Julian Curtis," he extended his free hand. Cory looked at him in awe and I grinned smugly. My best friend may or may not be one of the best warriors in the country. There is a reason I am so good. We trained together.

"S-sir!" Cory stuttered. "Nice to meet you!" He shook Julian's hand enthusiastically. I laughed internally. The name of our surprise guest was kept on the DL. We didn't want to tip anyone off. 

Soon we were on the way to the Packhouse. Mom and Dad were waiting for Julian. They met him when they visited me at Evergreen and took quite a liking to him. Hence the quick permit to enter the pack lands.

"Welcome to Crescent Moon!" I said we got out of the car. He grinned at me. That was his first official visit to this pack. He had never come there before.

"Alpha and Luna Rivers," he greeted my parents, bowing a little politely to show his respect.

"No need for the formalities, son," mom smiled widely. "Just call us Mr. and Mrs. Rivers."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," dad said.

"Of course! Any way I can help Lia and your pack!" He smiled at them.

"Cecelia will show you to your living quarters," they nodded and turned to go inside.

"Let's go!" I dragged him with me. I showed him his room, which happened to be on the second floor, too. We got him settled and unpacked the little luggage he had brought. Then I dragged him outside to show him around the pack lands. We finished most of the tour then.

We made it in time for dinner but had it in his room. We had to take permission from dad, of course. Julian was too exhausted to be introduced. After we ate, I towed him to the best attraction of the pack - the stream at the northern border. It was the most beautiful to me, anyway.

"I come here whenever I can," I told him over my shoulder. 

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"The a stream along our northern border," I told him, excited to share another piece of my life with my best friend.

"Oh, yeah, you've mentioned it!" He said thoughtfully. "The one which separates your land with the Silver Moon's, right?"

"Yup!" I chirped.

It was a few days to full moon so it had a sirenic quality to it that night. I felt giddy just thinking of how amazing the full moon would look from there.

"So?" I asked.

"I love it," he smiled. I grinned and gestured for him to sit down.

"What's the plan?" He asked when we did.

"To get Tasha back?" I clarified.

"Yes."

"I was thinking you'd have some idea. You are a great strategist," I said.

"Warrior, Lia," he corrected. "Not strategist."

"The same thing," I rolled my eyes.

"No it's not," he denied patiently. "Warriors know how to fight physically. Combat. Strategists devise an overall plan of action."

I scrunched up my nose.

"What am I, then?" I asked him.

"Mostly a warrior," he smiled lopsidedly. I sighed.

"So?" He prompted.

"I don't know," I confessed. "Our trackers are trying their best. Dad has increased patrol. We're supposed to take precautions like going everywhere in groups of at least two. And we have a curfew for kids sixteen and under at eight." 

"That would help," he agreed thoughtfully. "But do you know why she was taken?"

"No clue," I breathed deeply.

"What are you not telling me?" He narrowed his eyes at me. Couldn't hide anything from him, could I?

"Aaron and dad know something that they're not telling me," I told him with a huff.

"And you hate being kept in the dark," he chuckled.

"Exactly," I scowled. He laughed. 

"It's not funny, you dork," I hit him. 

"It is," he disagreed. "And don't hit me."

"What did you just say?" I asked and hit him again, "I didn't -hit!- hear -hit!- you."

He guffawed before he started to stand up. I jumped up to my feet too.

"Ohh, you're so on!" He declared.

"You have never been able to catch me. What makes you think you'll get lucky today?" I taunted as I broke into a sprint along the river with him hot on my heels.

"Lucky, my ass!" He shook off the insult.

"Don't you mean cocky," I laughed.

"We'll see!" He challenged. We laughed and hurled insults and taunts at each other. He couldn't catch me, but eventually, we got bored and our dinners threatened to make their appearance so we collapsed at the shore of the river, our legs in the stream. I rested my head on his shoulder as we sat in silence with goofy expressions on our faces.

"Wanna swim?" I asked him after a while.

"What?" He asked.

"You heard me, Jules."

"You're serious?"

I responded with an eye roll and quickly discarded my shirt. I let my shorts on. Then I jumped into the water. It was the perfect temperature.

"Still skeptical?" I questioned.

"No," he shook his head in amusement.

"Then get in!" I urged.

"No," he said again.

"I'm giving you one last chance to come in with your dignity intact before I forcefully pull you in," I told him. "Clothes and all," I added.

"Lia." He whined.

"Try me."

"Fine," he huffed, peeling off his shirt, and took a few steps away.

"Cannonball!" He screamed as he ran and jumped in. Water splashed all around, hitting me too. I took that as an invitation to start a water fight. As soon as he resurfaced, I sent a wave of water at him. He sputtered water out of his mouth.

He glared at me before disappearing underwater. He didn't resurface for a while. I began searching for him. I was sure he was okay, I trusted him not to drown. He knew was playing me.

 True to my predictions, I felt someone grab my ankles and pull me down. I went in with a squeal, anticipating it, and stuck my tongue out at him to inform him of his failed attempt. We came back up and I swam and positioned myself behind him, slinging a hand around his neck and trying to send him in.

Lemme just say that I failed miserably.

He laughed at my efforts. We would've probably continued goofing around but our merry roars of happiness were cut short by a feral growl. We froze, instantly on high alert. I slowly let him go and put our backs together, making sure we had a three-sixty-degree view between the two of us.

Trees rustled on the Silver Moon lands before a giant black wolf stepped out, still growling ferociously. Julian tensed and I relaxed, instantly recognizing him. I placed my hand on Julian's bare shoulder to hold him back but that just extracted another vicious growl from the wolf. I pulled my hand back with an irritated frown. Julian growled back, positioning himself slightly in front of me. The growls from Xavier increased.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

"Umm, Julian? You're making it worse," I said lowly. He turned partially to keep face me and keep Xavier in view at the same time.

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"That's X-, I mean," I hastily corrected myself. "That's Ashton." He frowned for a moment before rage clouded his features and he scowled.

"He's the douchebag?" He asked before I could stop him. I facepalmed.

Xavier growled louder and stepped closer threateningly, snapping his teeth. I hastily got between them in case he decided to lunge for Julian.

"Behave!" I hissed. "Both of you!"

"Me?" Julian asked incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

"I am not," I stated. "Stop provoking him."

"What?"

"He's an Alpha wolf, Julian," I muttered, reminding him quickly. "Don't insult him. His wolf hates disrespect." Julian cursed under his breath.

"Ashton, what are you doing here?" I demanded. The only response I got was another growl as Xavier started pacing impatiently.

"Shift and talk, maybe?" I suggested. Before he could shift to a butt-naked human, I interrupted, "Preferably behind a tree. Come out after you've covered yourself."

Of course, he didn't listen, that asshole. I groaned as I turned around and buried my face in Julian's chest in embarrassment. I knew without looking that Julian was scowling.

"Oh, sweetheart you can look," Ashton cooed sarcastically. "After all it's nothing you've never seen before."

"What?" Julian exclaimed in surprise.

"I hate you, Ashton," I grumbled.

"Feeling's mutual, babe," he deadpanned. "Now, who the fuck is this guy?!" he spat.

"None of your fucking business," I spat back. "And I am not your 'babe' or 'sweetheart', so cool it!"

"Who. Is. He?" He pushed, his eyes flickering black.

"None of your business," I repeated.

"Tell me, goddammit!" He yelled, "Answer me! I'm your mate!"

"Mate?" I scoffed in disbelief. "You don't fucking ignore your mate for a week. You don't treat them like trash like you treat me. You don't make out with other girls in front of your effing mate, Ashton! So don't you fucking go around claiming that I'm your mate when you only do it as you see fit! I. Am. Not. Your. Toy!"

"You say that as if you're innocent," he glared.

"And pray tell, what did I do?" I demanded.

"Who's this guy?" He asked again.

"God, you're stubborn, aren't you," I shook my head in disbelief, running a hand through my hair.

He remained silent.

"Fine." I snapped. "Summers, meet Julian Curtis. Jules, meet Ashton Summers, my asshole of a mate. You happy now?"

"Ecstatic." He deadpanned.

They glared at each other. I grabbed Julian's arm and tugged at him. He got the hint and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, turning us around.

"Don't touch her!" Ashton hissed from behind us.

"Fuck off, you hypocrite." I flipped him off, turning back to face him around on impulse. "He has more right to touch me than you ever will. So why don't you do us both a favor and go fuck your 'Bree'!"

"Don't talk to me that way," he seethed.

"Don't talk to her that way," Julian interrupted for the first time, his temper definitely off the roof as well.

"I'll do what I fucking want," I retorted at the same time as Ashton screamed at Julian, "You stay out of this."

"We're leaving," I declared, glaring at Ashton. "And you better get your act together by tomorrow."

"Or what?"

"Are you trying to convince me to reject you right now?" I snapped.

"Do it!" He dared.

"You know I can't, you asshole. I can't hurt my wolf like that. Unlike you, I happen to be a little more selfless." I hissed.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly.

"Urgh, I fucking hate you!" I screamed. He turned around and disappeared back into the thicket of trees again.

A heavy silence settled over Julian and I, our mood completely ruined. We wordlessly got out of the river and put our tops back on. We trekked back to the Packhouse in pin-drop silence.

What a terrific night.

************************

A/N:-

I bring you chapter ten, my loves!! I loved writing this one. I'm sorry for skipping a few days, I'll fill you in on the remarkable events that took place then later, don't worry. 

I was so excited to bring Julian back into play. Don't you guys just love him? I know I do. I want a guy best friend like Julian. 

So, what do you think of this chapter? Who is behind the kidnapping? Why did they kidnap Tasha? What do they want? Will Ashton and Lia ever get past their differences?

Keep reading to find out!

Comment your thoughts and theories here!!

QOTD: Online learning or offline learning?

Also, how're you liking the read? Tap that star on your way out.

Until next time, all my love,
xoxo.