Nihal had been continuously punching the pillow, when he heard a knock. Thinking it must be Yara or Hritika, who came to pacify him, he stood up with a sigh. No matter how angry he was at the situation, it wasn't their fault.

His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the empty passage after opening the room's door. 'It must be my imagination,' he thought. He was about to close the door when he heard another knock. His mind was about to go into shock from the horrifying experience before he remembered that their room had a back door. He slapped his head at his forgetfulness, before he turned to move towards the back door, while thinking why would anyone come through the back door.

'It won't be a rogue for sure. Or else Yara would have sniffed the scent until now. It must be probably a kid from the pack,' Nihal said, explaining to his nervous mind that it was nothing.

He opened the door to see the only male chef of the pack, standing outside his back door, bowing his head to him. Having already seen him many times, Nihal relaxed that it wasn't a stranger.

"Hello," Nihal said awkwardly, not knowing how to address someone who knocked at his door at this late hour, that too from the back door.

"Sorry for disturbing you, but I desperately need your help."

Nihal immediately ushered the scared man inside his room. Getting him a glass of water, Nihal asked, "What can I help you with?"

"My mate is waiting outside the pack borders. Both the Alpha couples are at the Midnight pack right now. Can you please give out an Alpha Command? I want you to accept my mate as the part of our pack." The man pleaded, even going as far as to kneel before Nihal.

"Whoa! First of all, please stand up buddy." Nihal jumped back as soon as he witnessed someone of his age kneel down to him so helplessly.

"Please...," the chef pleaded again in  broken voice.

"Why would you bring your mate at this hour? Standing there alone outside the borders can be unsafe. How can you be so irresponsible to leave your mate alone?" Yara yelled as soon as she entered the room with Hritika.

Having sniffed another person's scent in her house, Yara hurried towards her room. Hritika too had followed her, alarmed by Yara's sudden actions.

The chef gulped upon seeing the ladies. He had hoped for a quick talk with Nihal.

"Yara stop yelling, he is already scared," Nihal said, before turning towards the man, "And you, go and stay with your mate. Even if Alpha isn't here, Beta and Gamma are. They will look through the procedure."

"No no, please. You give out the Alpha Command, before they come to know about my mate."

Hritika and Nihal glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, understanding that something was fishy. Yara's mouth was also hung open by his blatant refusal to call her Dad and Gamma. She shouted, "How could....," she stopped in between, taking huge breaths to calm down, "We will talk later. Go to your mate. No matter how strong she is, staying at the borders at this hour is not safe."

"He," the chef corrected politely.

"Sorry what?" Yara questioned, confused.

"My mate...my mate is a male," the chef answered, before turning towards Nihal, "Please accept him into the pack. The orthodox Gamma would kill us. Please give out an Alpha Command so that he cannot do anything."

"How can...how can your mate be...." Yara was shocked out of her mind. She had never seen mates that were of the same gender.

"I don't know if we are first or others are hiding their true mates. Even we were planning to hide it, but then I saw Nihal's photos online, celebrating the anniversary of two ladies. Please Nihal, you are my only hope."

"So this wasn't a coincidence that you brought your mate here on the day where neither the Alpha couple nor Vivaan is present. You must have done a whole research on me," Nihal said.

"Is this common?" Yara asked Nihal, biting her lips nervously.

Yara had nothing against the couple. If Moon Goddess made them mates, then it must have meant something. But she was still in shock as this was her first time hearing something like this.

"More common than you would think. Love is love, gender doesn't matter. Although not everyone accepts it," Hritika answered.

Hritika always hated the discrimination the LGBTQ community faced, but not knowing about their existence; Gosh! These werewolves were seriously living in the stone age.

"Are you giving out the command?" Yara asked in a soft voice, her heart going out for the pleading man in front of them.

"I can't do that," Nihal said, breaking everyone's hopes.

"Nihal, come on," Hritika said, baffled by his refusal. She had been hundred percent sure that he would help the couple.

"I cannot give out an Alpha Command," Nihal said sternly, not leaving room for any arguments.

"You are our last hope. Please. My mate has even left his pack. We would be killed if you don't help us." Tears ran down his face as he begged.

"I will help you. It's a promise. I will stand with you. Alpha will accept you and your mate. I will convince him. However, I cannot make a command." Nihal felt sorry for the couple but remained rooted to his stance.

"Yara, ask the guards to let his mate in. Don't inform anyone about this situation. Just tell them that he is a guest. We cannot afford to have an angry pack barreling upon us before we get through the leaders."

Yara nodded and mind-linked the guards.

"He...he was a warrior from the Moonstone pack," Yara informed everyone, after getting the information from the guards. "It would be hard to let him inside the pack, given his position. We never got along with that pack's Alpha. The guards suspect that he can be a spy."

"He isn't...I swear. How can I make you believe us?" The chef ran his hand through his hair as the situation got more and more complicated.

"Tell them that he is our guest. And it is my responsibility if something happens. In fact, do one thing, go and bring him personally," Nihal suggested, before turning towards the chef, "Stay here for tonight. We will speak with the Alpha as soon as he comes back."

The chef joined his hands with gratitude, before leaving the room to wait in the living room for his mate. Yara too left to bring the warrior inside.

Hritika looked at Nihal with a thousand questions in her eyes.

"Just ask it or you won't be able to sleep," Nihal said, chuckling at her obviousness.

"Lending our home for the night, taking responsibility if something goes wrong, and promising to convince the Alpha. If you are already doing so much then why not just go ahead and make the Alpha Command," Hritika asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I promised Hritika."

"Huh?"

Nihal smiled gently, "I promised Luna and Vivaan, that I would only and only use the Alpha's Command if you are in danger. How can I break the promise as soon as Vivaan is out of the pack?

"If I have said that I don't want a part in pack matters, then I can't do this. I can't take away what belongs to Vivaan.

"I won't let anything happen to the couple. I will do whatever it takes, but not at the cost of breaking my promise."

Hritika ruffled his hair, before side-hugging him. "I am so proud of you." She was about to let go of the hug when a thought struck her.

"Nihal..."

"Hmm?"

"Call Vivaan and explain to him the situation. Ask his permission to use the Alpha's Command if things don't go as planned. We need a back up plan."

"That's...that's actually a great idea. But will he agree? Like Yara, I am sure he too is unaware about the Lgbtq community."

"He will. If not then remind him of his own preachings."

"Preachings?" Nihal asked with raised eyebrows.

"Protecting the weak and Acceptance of everyone as they are. These were his main motto behind starting the awareness programmes. He will understand. I believe in my brothers. They won't let any harm come to innocent beings," Hritika said confidently.

"I am your only brother," Nihal huffed possessively.

"And you call Yara a Jelly bean." Hritika laughed at his jealousy.

Nihal pouted but soon started laughing with her. "I can't really argue much when I too have started considering Vivaan as my brother."

"He has his charm," Hritika commented.

"Now let's stop singing his praises and let me call him. Who knows how much time will go in explaining everything to him."

Hritika nodded and left the room as Nihal dialed Vivaan's number, letting the brothers talk in peace.