We entered a room I didn't quite remember being as lavish as it was now. It appeared my mother hadn't only moved patients out of the North wing. She had also redesigned the dormitory in there to resemble the East wing living room.

Each piece of expensive furniture from Mom and Dad's office appeared to have been moved, including the old landscape paintings and an armour statue. I barely recognised the space. 

I barely recognised my father, either. I didn't know the meek way he acted as he ran ahead to open each door for the Flores Alpha couple and Luan, even assisting them with taking off their coats. I knew it was necessary and I could hardly fault him for being this way, but it made me wildly uncomfortable. To see the strong man I knew my father to be this way.

We all sat at a solid, round oaken table. After we were all settled, Dad cleared his throat.

"I will not beat around the bush regarding your condition." He nodded at Luan, then turned to the Alpha couple. "Your son's condition. We have established it is a powerful curse, cast by a witch. It brought Luan's wolf into a deep slumber. We don't have more information yet, but my wife, my son, and I are meeting with local witches tomorrow to investigate further."

"And as long as the wolf sleeps, he can't shift?" Alpha Cecilia asked, looking at her son more than at my dad.

"Yes, I am currently unable to shift," Luan replied.

Alpha Derek scoffed at my father. "That won't do at all. You must immediately use every tool available to ensure Luan's wolf is awakened. We can't afford to have him absent from our pack."

"Of course we do everything within our power," Dad promptly promised.

"Then why are the witches not here yet already," Derek challenged. "Today? "

Dad immediately lowered his head. "I apologise Alpha Derek, but our relationship with witches is... delicate. They prefer not meddling into werewolf business."

"What about the mark, then?" Alpha Cecilia asked. "I see nothing on River's neck, and I don't smell Luan's scent on him. You have not completed the mate bond yet. What is the holdup, Luan, love? It could awaken your wolf."

"I won't mark my mate until I am ready for it," Luan said.

I distinctly noticed Luan saying he wasn't ready for it, and my heart fluttered. We both knew I was the delaying factor. He could have thrown me to the literal wolves by blaming me, but he didn't.

Across the table Alpha Derek turned to his mate. "We must consider whether we agree with this union, Cecilia. It's hardly ideal. The boy doesn't look you in the eye and reeks of fear. He'll be a burden on Luan when he returns to the pack. Not to mention, he cannot provide Luan with an heir."

"There are plenty of ways to be a mate," Alpha Cecilia argued. "River could reside in Luan's bedroom and... support him there after a long day. Any stronger, unmated warrior from our pack would be happy to birth the heir Luan needs."

I felt the tension between Alpha Derek and Alpha Cecilia. There was more to her comment than they were saying. But that was the least of my concerns.

I understood the implication perfectly.

I remembered it from my old pack. I remembered how a pretty but weak wolf had caught my Alpha's eye. He was kept in the Alpha's bedroom like a pet. A pet and a sex toy. He was there for his pleasure. Not good enough to be seen in public with, but good enough to be forced onto his stomach and used as long and often as the Alpha wanted day after day.

When I'd talked to him, he said through his tears that it was an honour. The strong ruled over the weak, and the weak should be happy they were of use. But I couldn't live like that. I wouldn't live like that.

Luan slammed his hand on the table. His chair scraped across the floor as he stood abruptly. In my shock, I looked directly at Luan.

Usually when I looked at Luan, I found his piercing blue eyes staring at me as well. But now, a storm brewed in them. A storm directed at his parents.

"No," he growled. "How dare you imply I would ever consider keeping River locked in my room, hidden in the darkness like he is a secret. River deserves the Flores pack's respect as my mate. He is an accomplished doctor."

Alpha Derek merely raised a brow at his son's rage. "He is?"

"He will be," Luan amended his words, but he didn't waver. "And my mate and I don't need to listen to this nonsense. Winterpeak's staff will focus on lifting the curse first, and then we will see how River and I will make this work."

Luan turned to me. A shiver went down my spine when our eyes met. Instantly, his gaze became gentle again. From a storm to blue skies. He walked to my side of the table and offered me his hand.

"Let's go."

My hand moved as if on its own. My fingers brushing against Luan's gave me goosebumps. He made me rise from my seat. I would follow him outside this oppressive, uncomfortable room. I would follow him anywhere.

"Luan!" Alpha Cecilia snapped. "Get back here and sit down this instance!"

Luan didn't listen and started guiding me towards the exit.

"We have already said everything that needs to be said about the curse. And we won't listen to this," Luan asserted again. "I accepted what the Moon Goddess has given me. Us. And I will not allow even you to degrade my mate any further."

With those last words, Luan took me outside of the meeting room. He slammed the door shut behind him so hard I thought bricks from the surrounding wall would come crashing down.

Luan didn't let go of my hand, and by the Moon Goddess, I didn't want him to. We walked through the North wing hand in hand.

"I'm sorry for my parents," Luan apologised, looking pained. "I will ensure you don't have to deal with them too often if you don't want to."

"I—" I stammered, at a loss for words. I ceased my attempts at speaking pretty fast and only nodded.

Despite being my mate, I could still hardly believe he had defended me against Alpha Cecilia and Alpha Derek, his own flesh and blood.

I could also not shake the feeling I was being tricked somehow. I'd seen more elaborate schemes from Alphas and their warriors. Luan had surely called his parents before their visit. They knew of our mate bond.

Perhaps they all tried to lull me into a false sense of security. As soon as I let my guard down and agreed to go to their pack, they would do exactly as they threatened. They would lock me up in a room alone, only to be visited once or twice a day by Luan to relieve his urges or stress with me.

I sounded ridiculous.

A scheme like that would be utterly ridiculous and inefficient. Luan didn't need my permission for anything. If he wanted to lock me up, he would've already done it. Yet, I could not seem to shake the thought something was wrong. An Alpha would not accept me. Not as easily as Luan had.

Luan gently squeezed my hand. I felt him staring at me, making my cheeks heat up, but I kept my gaze trained ahead.

"Your father mentioned you were going to see the witches tomorrow," Luan said gently. "If it's not too much of a burden, could I join that meeting?"

"Of course," I blurted. No was not an acceptable answer. "But I must caution. The witches are secretive people. They don't trust people they don't know easily, especially not werewolves. I..."

I swallowed thickly. I couldn't deny his requests, but my mind already raced when trying to come up with a way to convince the witches, within a day, that Luan's presence was alright.

"I would be a burden if I came to the meeting," Luan concluded. "It's alright to be honest with me."

Luan came to a halt. He stood in front of me and also took my other hand in his. My heart pounded. If I was already close to fainting when he only held my hands, how would I ever get through him marking me.

Not that I was thinking about it.

... I was thinking about it. I couldn't help but imagine us together when we were this close.

Luan breathed in and out deeply. "I will hear how the meeting went after, then. And I will talk to my parents about their treatment of you."

Would he twist his words the moment I wasn't there, I wondered. Luan had seemed kind to everyone thus far. But you didn't get to be an Alpha by always being nice. It didn't work. There were constantly people challenging you and hoping to steal your position.

I did not believe Luan could be content with me, just like that. There had to be something wrong. I could not lower my guard, even when Luan's eyes on me, soft and gentle, made me want to melt into him.