" He's your bloody mate?!" Travis booms, barging into the guestroom that I'm currently occupying.

I silently turn my head away from the window, facing him as he paces back and forth.

" Calm down."

" Don't tell me to calm down, he, he....." He takes a breath, trying to calm himself down. " How could he do this, to his own mate?" He says, stopping to face me.

" A part of him wants me but something has built a shield, some kind of force, to make him resist the mate bond. You know what happened to me years ago, I'm afraid I won't have much influence, to push more on the mate bond so he'll accept it."

" He's too caught up on his battles, his childhood, to break down those walls." He sighs.

" It's the way he was raised, am I correct?" He nods.

" It's always a challenge to have someone see in a different light, when something else was grilled into their mind all their lives."

" Well, maybe he needs more fists on his face to knock some sense into him." He massages his bruised hand.

" What did you do?"

" I punched him the minute I found out. I was too pissed off to see reason."

" He is your alpha." I remind him.

" He's also my friend, my idiotic, foolish friend." I just shoot him a look, not saying anything.

" I should go apologise, right?" I nod, feeling glad that he knows me so well.

He huffs, folding his arms and pouting like a little kid. I can't resist the small giggle that bubbles out of me. His mood instantly changes, lightening up as he watches me.

A minute of silence passes between us before he joins me by the window, leaning his side against the wall, and staring out at the beautiful forest.

" I think back to when we first met, you were so small and silent, yet headstrong. You were more powerful and smarter than I was, so calm and mature. When you defended me against that rogue, even though through your situation, I pretty much was in awe of you." He turns to face me, as a soft smile takes place on his face, a far away look present in his eyes.

" You were also brave, so funny, and had a temper on you. Well, you still do." His brow rises at that. " And you gave me a sense of belonging, so I want to thank you."

" I should have gone back for you." He shakes his head.

" No, I'm glad you didn't, because you found your mate. You're a Beta and you are happy." I say, meaning it.

" Yeah, but what about you?" The question alone puts me at a pause. I turn away from him and stare out the window.

" Maybe happiness comes last for me." I shrug, looking at him again.

He opens his mouth to speak, when there's a knock on the door.

" Let me get that." I say, walking over to open the door.

" Hi, look, about what happened in the cell, you know? Me, hitting you and........" She stops mid sentence, when her eyes move behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Travis standing right behind me and into Kylie's view. His eyes are focused on Kylie and he looks less than thrilled.

" What, did you just say?"

" Trav ---------"

" You hit her." He states.

" Travis -------" I try to speak, but he holds up his hand to silence me.

" Don't even defend her right now." He warns me before he shakes his head slightly, disappointment filling his eyes.

Tears brim in her eyes when he walks out, shoving her aside with his shoulder. She gasps, reaching out her hand to massage a spot on her chest." He hates me. " She mumbles to herself.

" No he doesn't, he could never. He's just upset, I'll go talk to him."

" This is all your fault!" She snaps, her eyes growing angry, fists clenched at her sides. " None of this would have happened if your brother would have stayed out of our way, and you? You should have never come here, you're nothing but trouble!!" She yells before storming off, leaving me with a sore spot in my chest.

I sigh, taking a step back so I can close the door, but something prevents me from doing so. Trailing my eyes up from the hand on the door, right past his arm and upwards, I end onto his blank face..

Its him, that Evan guy.

" The alpha wants to see you." He tells me.

I nod, following after him. We don't speak as we walk to the alpha's office. I seem to attract a few curious eyes from the pack members, who wonder about who I am. I'm no rogue but I belong to a pack.

The curvy hallway finally ends at the alpha's office. We had to walk past the stairs leading downstairs, where a few pack members stand, looking curious.

The closer we get to his office, the more his scent becomes strong and my knees almost buckle, when we stand before his door. I could literally bath in his scent, crazy I know, but this is how I feel right now.

It takes one knock from Evan before we are summoned in. At first, Evan's big, built body stands in my way, hiding the view of the alpha, who I'm pretty sure is seated on his chair.

" You may leave now." His deep voice says, causing chills in my body.

I take the time to admire his office, it's not too big but just the perfect fit for an alpha. His office consists of a brown leather couch, dark brown wooden shelves around with a lot of books, a big window close to the couch, and a door in one corner of the office, while the other has a drinks section.

It's so manly yet private, I like it.

My eyes move over to the alpha, whose seated on his tall leather chair. There's a brown wooden table with his laptop, and piles of paper in front of him.

" Take a seat." He tells me, without even taking his eyes off the papers.

With a slow and quiet breath, I walk on to take a seat in front of him. I place my hands on my lap and keep my eyes on him.

In a few minutes of silence between us, he's busy writing, while I explore the smallest of things in his office with my eyes. I think back to when I was still young, I would usually keep my father company in his office while he worked. I just loved the privacy and how it felt, to actually own one.

I was a weird kid, I guess.

I'm knocked out of my thoughts and staring, when I sense him looking at me. Our eyes meet and I have to say, I could just look at him for a long time, he's so easy on the eye.

" It has been settled now, you leave in three days time."

I close my eyes for a second out of relief, but when I open them again to meet his, my heart clenches at the thought of being away from my mate.

' The same mate who doesn't want one.' I remind myself, as a way to cover my guilt.

" Thank you alpha." I nod, lightly scratching at my bruised but itchy wrists.

" Hold up your hands." Am I being handcuffed again?

I hesitantly do, expecting the handcuffs to be put on again, only to be surprised by him, when he reaches  over the table and grabs a hold of them in his own hands. The sparks shoot up at me with a jolt, making me to gasp silently.

In each hand, he turns my hands around so my wrists are facing upwards. His thumb traces the purple marks on my wrists.

I bite my lip to stop from hissing in pain.

He soon let's me go and I sigh out in relief, pulling my hands back to my lap. " Will that be all, Alpha?" I ask.

" Yes."

I rise to my feet and turn away from him, heading for the door.

"You never gave me your name." I stop in my tracks.

I soon glance over my shoulder at him.

" You never asked."

I watch him push his chair back, and rise to his feet, before walking around the table and come over to where I stand. He stops just a foot away, towering over me.

" Well I'm asking you now." In his eyes, there's no hate, but curiosity.

" Catherine." Emotion flickers in his eyes before he nods and holds out his hand to me. " Mica."

My heart smiles at that. His name is just right, it makes my heart to flip once again, like the first time I saw him.

Our joined hands produce a shot of electricity with tingles. The skin to skin contact leaves me to sigh internally in contentment. If I had my wolf, she'd be jumping up and down right now, she'd call out to her mate for his attention, never wanting to let go of him.

It's unfortunate, that she isn't here to witness this.

All too soon he let's go of my hand and takes a step back, walking over to sit at the edge of his desk. He sets his eyes on me once again.

I turn to walk away, but again, he stops me.

" You are no longer a prisoner."

" I know."

" Well there's no need to keep yourself in the room all day, you are permitted to view our land."

" Thank you Alpha." I say, before walking out of his office.

I release a breath, feeling rather calm after being in there. There was no fighting nor physical pain, or emotional, but just civilised talk. He might simply deny me or the mate bond, but being civil is better than nothing.

Retracing my steps from when I walked with Evan, with the stairs in view, I start for it. I'm suddenly stopped in my tracks by the sight of Travis and Kylie, who stop mid argument, when I appear.

Travis pushes off the wall and storms down the stairs, leaving a hurt and frustrated Kylie glaring after him. She clenches her fists in anger.

I feel bad for them arguing over me, I never meant to be the subject that caused problems between them. I understand where her mind is at right now, she's a bit jealous, in the fact that her mate seems to care so much about a stranger in her eyes, hurt that he doesn't seem to understand where she's coming from, and frustrated, with the picture of him, possibly taking my side.

I might try to make her understand that she has nothing to worry about, Travis belongs to her and her alone. This is just one of those arguments and they will sort out, the way they always do.

' Maybe I need to talk to Travis and let him see her point of view.'

I continue on my way.

" This is your fault." Her eyes snap to me. " A stranger has come in between us. " She mumbles to herself. " I don't know you and already ---------"

" Kylie, I don't want to get into this with you." I say, walking past her and heading down the stairs.

" It's your fault! " That's the last I hear, before I feel a shove on my back.

I have no control over my body as it tumbles down the stairs, until it lands with a thud on the floor.

" What the heck?! " Travis.

I groan as I pull myself. I clutch onto my side due to having landed on it.

"Kat!" I hear footsteps before I'm helped up.

Finally on my feet, my eyes snap to Kylie. She's still standing at the top, her eyes gone wide as her hand clutches at her shirt, right on the chest area.

" What the heck? Kylie, did you --------"

" I-I was ----------" She tries to speak but Travis shouts at her.

" What the hell is wrong with you?!!!"

She tries to speak again but can't, her mouth opens and closes as her bulging eyes turn to me. I can't control my feelings at the moment, I'm upset and that's not a good thing.

I clench my fists at my sides, narrowing my eyes at her while her skin grows pale.

I'm taking her breath away. No, I withdraw it, little by little.

" Kylie? - Kylie!" He tries to run to her but can't.

He's stuck, I can feel it, but I can't look away from Kylie.

" What in the -------"

" What the hell is going on here?!!" The alpha's voice, filled with authority, suddenly echoes throughout the house.

I'm knocked back into my senses then, air returns back to me as if it were lost. I blink twice, clearing my vision and wanting, to really see what is happening around me.

I see Travis close to Kylie, meaning that he finally reached her. Kylie stands there like a statue, her wide eyes unmoving from me.

The alpha uses his werewolf speed to stand before me, totally blocking my view. His eyes have grown darker, his wolf trying to take over as he reaches out his hand to touch my painful side, but I take a step back.

"I would request to be left alone until I leave your land, my days of imprisonment are over." I say, looking into his eyes.

He opens and closes his mouth, frowning in confusion.

" Excuse me." I say, walking out of the front door.