"Wh-Who are you?" I abruptly stood up and created some distance between us, but as I did, my wolf kind of didn't want to.

Who is this man?

"Well, an unwanted guest?" He said in a sly manner and smiled. Somehow, even if he said that, he didn't feel dangerous.

Thump.

There's that beat again. What's happening? What's going on here?

"Well? How about it soon-to-be-Luna? Will you allow me to take you away?" He said with a smirk as he inched closer and offered his hand as he did a graceful bow.

Thump.

Yes.

What? No! You don't know that man anymore than you know Alpha Loki!! You are to be wed to Alpha Loki for the sake of your pack! Stop it right this instant!!

I exclaimed and scolded myself, quickly drawing back my already outstretched hand.

"I.. I can't." I whispered.

"I thought you wanted to be saved? Why won't you--" He twitched and snapped his head towards the direction I came from.

"Shit! I was this close?" He murmured and turned back to me.

"It would've been nice if you had let me sweep you off your feet and whisk you out of here. I'll see you next time, Luna." He said with his casual adorable smirk, bowed again before he dashed away, leaving me to myself as I watched his back get further and further away.

A group of wolves sprinted towards me and I stiffened.

Oh shit. I'm screwed!

"Luna!" One exclaimed as she shifted to her human form. "What are you doing here?!"

"Umm. I-I wanted to relax a bit. Why? What's going on here?" I asked and watched their alarmed expressions.

"The smell of that traitorous rogue!" She snapped and held my wrists as she dragged me back to Alpha Loki's house.

"Wa-Wait! What rogue are you talking about?" I asked.

"It's nothing you should worry yourself about. Please stay inside the house and lock everything. It's dangerous outside, Luna." She responded and pushed me inside the house.

"Wait!"

"Take the Luna up to her room and keep her there!" She commanded two other wolves and they shifted right at her command.

They linked both of their arms with mine and gently led me back to my room- uh no, prison. They pushed me inside and locked the door from the outside.

What is going on? Who was that man? Why are they calling him a rogue? He did not seem dangerous enough to be a rogue.

I thought and once again his profile crossed my mind. I could feel warmth spread across my body instantly warming me.

Thump.

I smiled a bit before I walked towards my small table that was beside the windows. It was no use trying to pry that door open. They would still catch me even if I did manage to tear it down.

No wait. Why do I even need to escape here? Why do I even want to tear that wood down? What is happening to me?

"Isis?!" I heard someone exclaim as soon as the door flew open. There, standing on the doorway, was a very worried Uncle Stan.

"U-Uncle Stan?"

"I.. I heard you encountered the rogue that trespassed our borders. Are you fine? Did it hurt you? Show me your wounds!" He panicked. I giggled at him and held his shoulders, making him halt.

"I'm fine, Uncle Stan. Thank you." I said with a bright smile and he heaved a sigh of relief. "The rogue did not hurt nor even touch me. In fact, I think everyone got it all wrong. He was so kind and warm and.. wonderful."

"Well, if I know any better I'd say you were awestruck by that rogue." Uncle Stan said with a sly grin, watching him grin like that, it reminded me of the man at the lake.

"Somehow.. hmm.. you resemble each other." I muttered and surprised Uncle Stan. "The way you smirked Uncle Stan, you look just like him."

"All boys look the same when they smirk, little one." Uncle Stan remarked with a chuckle. "Are you sure you're not just seeing him in me because you can't get him out of your head?" he further teased.

I turned beet red at his words. It wasn't because I was mad at him for teasing me non-stop about the man, but because his words hit bulls eye. I quickly turned away to hide my blushing face.

"O-Of course no-not." I tried to deny. 

Well, that was convincing.

Uncle Stan laughed at me before he petted my head and I was calm again. He was really like Dad and I miss him the more I spend time with Uncle Stan. I miss my pack. I miss my family.

"It's fine now, little one. The rogue had left the land. There's no threat anymore. You can relax now." Uncle Stan said and tried to assure him, probably mistaking my sad expression.

"Yes."

And now, I just got more sad. I sat there, watching the lake, thinking that if I had taken that hand when he offered it, would I have changed the course of my fate? Would I have been able to escape this predicament that I am in? Worrying about it made me all the more depressed and sad.

"Child, you can still back out now. Please don't force yourself. Once you get tied to Alpha Loki, everything will be over. There's no turning back, Isis."

"I can't Uncle Stan. I need to protect my pack. All I have to do is marry Alpha Loki and everyone will be safe." I slipped and immediately cupped my mouth as soon as I realized I had confessed that I truly did not want to get married to Alpha Loki.

"Don't look so worried. From the moment Loki brought you here and I met you, I knew you were forced to do this. It wasn't a secret to everyone."

"Th-Then.." Alpha Loki knows too?!

"If you're worrying about Loki, he most probably doesn't know it. Right now, he's not himself." Uncle Stan looked forlorn and sad.

"Why?"

"Because the only woman he loved, his true mate, died during the siege that one fateful stormy night. She died trying to protect her nephew, the boy she treated like her own given she couldn't bear a child, my son."

*********

Thank you willowby80 for taking your time to read this. Anyhow, here's another chapter folks! Hope you enjoyed it.

xoxo,

Halloween Godspell

p.s. I'm gonna go back and work on my thesis again T_T Ciao~