BELLA

Headache.

That's what I felt as soon as I opened my eyes. I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes to the light. Looking around myself, I sat on the wooden surface I was laying on.

The entire room was made of wood and had bright neon green strings binding the edges of the shack.

How could I see the strings with my bare eyes? I pondered before shrugging my shoulders.

I got up from the bench like structure I was sitting on and walked towards what seemed like a door. When I opened it, tall trees were the only thing that I could see as far as I can.

I glanced up and noticed the sky colour to be dirty brown with maroon mixed with the clouds. With my bare eyes, I was able to see tiny creatures which were looking like birds with tails.

How was I able to see them?

Hello there, sweetheart.

A voice can't in my head. Startled, I shrieked lightly.

Who was talking in my head?

I'll take you with me and savour you with so much passion that you would never forget who I'm, beloved.

Beloved? Was he a vampire? Oh my! Was he going to drink my blood?!

Wait I have heard that voice somewhere...

Then it clicked me, it was my stupid mate!

I placed my hands on my hips and whispered yelled, "Xanthos!"

A feather-like touch was felt at the crook of my neck which caused sparks erupt throughout my body and hot breath fanned on my cheek.

"Mine," He whispered in my ear.

I cleared my throat to reduce the tension between us.

"You used the mind link?" I turned around to come face to face with him.

"Mate link. Not mind link." He held one strand of my hair and twirled in his hair.

"Why are you suddenly acting like this?" I asked leaning into his touch. "Why am I acting like this? What's happening? How can I clearly see--"

"Mark." He tapped at the crook of my neck. "It has heightened your senses. You can mate-link too. Try."

"How...?"

"Close your eyes, Imagine me and try talking."

I did what he asked me to do.

Xanthos.

I felt a buzz in my head before his voice was heard.

Great, Bella.

"What's next? Where are others?"

"Most of them haven't gone to any clan except for Kathy, Natasha and Edrala." He continued. "Let's go from here now to the main territory of union. The time is ticking"

I nodded my head and stepped away from him. "We need to cover our scents--"

"I have already done that."

"How?"

"I know sorcery, remember?" He asked with a smug expression.

He put his hands in mine and pulled me towards the opposite direction of the wooden shanty.

"We walking?" I asked as we continued walking.

"We walking," He replied with a smirk. "Why you want to fly with me?"

"Maybe?" I smiled.

"Oh, mate. Right now it isn't possible without a fight with my demon."

"Fight?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"He wants to take control and talk to you."

"Allow him."

"I can't."

"Why?"

He looked ahead and shook his head. "He's just unbelievable. One second he would be calm but would become a storm and think insensitively. This time is to think rather act."

My mouth formed a thin line. "Okay..."

Loud growls and snarls were suddenly heard from near us. Xanthos smelled around and muttered, "rouges." He started removing his pant making me blush a little and turn to the other side.

I knew he was going to shift.

"Hold these." I stretched my hand and felt him place his clothes in my hold.

Guess what, Bella? It's time to act.

I shrieked in surprise when Xanthos crouched down and snapped into his huge black wolf.

Sit.

Ok. I replied back through mate-link.

I sat on top of his wolf and wrapped my arms around his thick neck.

Let's go! I shouted in excitement.

Ride me, mate. One day, I would get a chance too.

I rolled my eyes; clearly understanding the pun hidden in it.

He sprinted so fast causing me to lean my body completely against his black fur. The only sound was heard was the whoosh of air hitting my ears.

He growled loudly.

Mate, we have reached the border of 'La Unité'.

He started jogging before coming to halt.

Do you have any idea in getting down from me, Tesoro?

I regained my position and looked around. We were still in the forest. However, it wasn't too dense.

"Yeah, I'm getting down, Lucy."

His wolf eyes glared at me with playfulness hidden in them.

I recalled naming him that when I met him in Wolfville for the first time.

I heard his bones snap to form his human form.

I closed my eyes when he stood bare in front of me. He chuckled causing me to peek through the gaps between my finger only to see him not wearing his t-shirt.

"Your t-shirt...?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was in a hurry. So, just got some time to remove my pant."

I completely removed my hands away from my face. My eyes involuntarily roamed his body and I found myself thinking him to be 'hot'.

"I'm a hot mate, right? With six-packs due to training hard, a perfectly seasoned body? A face which would make you grow in a puddle--"

My face heated up. "Stop flattering yourself, Xanthos and start thinking of something by which we could cross the patrol."

Well, I'm lucky to have a mate like you. I thought silently.

"I already have planned something, Bella," He said before winking.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What...?" Something wasn't right.

He chuckled.

"You would act like a girl who has been shunned away from a clan and has come to meet the union along with your mate whose inner wolf has died and is very insecure. Also, I can't talk as I'm dumb."

He explained to me with a grimace.

"What if the smell me and you? Don't we smell different?" I asked him.

He smirked and replied back, "we both smell similar. You're marked."

I frowned.

"What if they ask us the reason behind our 'we-got-shunned' thing?"

He simply shrugged.

"You could tell we're disliked by our Alpha because of me being insecure."

I nodded my head and started walking along with him.

"What are we going to do after this, Xanthos?"

He turned his head to look at me.

"Find a place to be safe and collect support and people for whatever is going to happen." He sighed. "But I don't think everything would happen without any difficulty hidden in it."

I turned my head to the front and asked, "why are we whispering?"

"To not enclose the matters to even a small creature." He continued. "All the best."

"Same to you," I whispered back.

I bit my lip as I saw guards walking in a line at the border of the main Inferis.

Leaves scrunched below my feet causing them to twirl there head to look at us.

They snarled before running towards us.

"Who're you?!" The guard in the middle asked while checking Xanthos up and down.

Yeah, guard, he's very hard to resist. I wanted to say it out loud but kept mum.

Bella, I'm dumb right now not you. Xanthos' voice rang in my head.

Thanks for reminding, dumbo. I replied back, feeling a bit flustered.

"We are creatures like you," I replied nervously completely forgetting what I was told to do.

Shunned from the pack -- me dumb -- Alpha dislikes us. Xanthos broke the words and spoke through the mind.

"Answer properly!" He stepped forward in order to Intimate me but I held my ground.

"We both are mates and we're shunned from our previous clan as my mate loses his wolf and Alpha doesn't prefer a human-like a creature to be in his pack. He's dumb too which angers Alpha. So, we have come to meet the union but before that a good friend of mine."

You did a good job, sweetheart. I heard Xanthos' voice in my head.

"Who is the Alpha?" The guard enquired further.

Alpha Xavier. I heard Xanthos again in my head.

"Alpha Xavier."

"You may proceed." He gazed at Xanthos for one last time with jealousy in his eyes before walking away with the other guards.

"Awesome, mate." He whispered before kissing my cheek.