All they wanted was a heir from me.

Even if Karam had much more purpose than that-- of owning someone who would be his partner for life. I still couldn't just give up my own life like that.

Back there in Mom's pack, atleast they were educated. Atleast, there were logics and apt reasons.

But here, everything seemed nonsensical and secretive.

The whole territory belonged to native Lycans. But then, the wolf brides were here. The, wolf males were here too.

I couldn't imagine how many other families like of Uncle Joran were living here. Or was there just him and his family left?

Chelsea wasn't allowed to go to the colony of these wolf males. If she had used the word colony, I could hope that there were more. If she wasn't allowed to go there, it meant that the Lycans didn't want the wolf brides to know that they were alive. Otherwise, someone brave like her would have already passed the clue across the borders.

Moreover, what was this deal with the Mystics?

Looking back at the glimpses of Mating Ceremony, those four nights had been full of mingling with the packs. I remembered how brutal Luna Anne was. But I still was more scared of Luna Elsie.

I gasped mentally, realizing how she had warned me to leave. The very night when Pete had hurt Leo. She had told me that they were coming. And the Lycans did.

Alpha Rucus had been trying to warn me to in my dreams. As a human from the modern world, I couldn't believe this much in mysticism. But I had always believed in miracles too. Maybe, his appearance in my dreams were the hints. He was trying to protect me.

Then again, what could I decide about the Mystics? Luna Elsie tried to help me. But Declan had told Stephen and I, that the talisman Chelsea had thrown was blessed by the current Luna of Mystics.

Was the talisman belonged to one of the dancers? Or maybe, Chelsea wanted to tell everyone that Mystics were betraying us by doing trades with Lycans secretly. I could confidently guess that no other pack was aware of this fact yet.

Moreover, so much fabric in return for what? So, there widowed females could have fun. It was like a secret sex racket. But then again, Alvena said that the women wouldn't touch the males unless they were interested. Or maybe, she was lying.

She was Luna Elsie's daughter, after all.

But hell! Why was I realizing these facts now?

Because the silence was too much for me to just stare at the sceneries.

The thoughts were coming on their own as I kept going ahead.

While stepping on each unpolished stone, with sweaty feet and breathlessness. I had removed the cloak from the heat I was feeling. But now, it was slowly getting impossible to carry on with even the little weight in my hands.

We had been walking for past three hours with short breaks of five to ten minutes in between whenever I was losing my voice. Thankfully, there were very little trails of water sliding down the walls of mountain on our right side. I could drink water with no worry of shortage, Karam had told me.

But the sceneries on the left side were mind boggling.

What I had seen of Southern pack was a valley between mountains.

But the Lycans were actually living on the mountains.

The slope was getting straighter by each step and the stones were naturally placed like stairs.

I was scared to even look back because I knew I would have to suffer the fear of height. Even though, I had no phobia. The fact that weather had betrayed me, was funny too.

When we had started the journey, it was windy and faint sunny afternoon. But looked like, with height, we were able to see the real truth of the sky. The sun was bright from this past hour and finally, it was about to set. The whole sky had turned red.

I had no torch with me. It felt scary.

Distant voices of animals were coming from the cliff down there to make me wonder. One would not just die if he or she'd fell down there. His of her body would be properly eaten by the animals one by one turn and later, be decomposed by the insects too.

I gulped hard while shaking my head slightly.

I didn't have to think about death of all the subjects here.

I needed to calculate all the game scores this pack was playing, even after being caged by an enchanted border.

Where was I? Right. Back to the Mystics.

Amelia had tried to convince King to end the deal and he didn't agree because of the traditions. It meant that Mystic women had been mingling and serving the Lycan males for years. Centuries? But wasn't it so scandalous?

When in their world, mates mattered so much.

Stephen had mentioned once, that the Mystic Warriors were losing population too. Now when I think of this huge royal family of Lycans and common ones, and the wolves. I felt that maybe, Mystics had the least population out of all the seven packs.

Could that be the reason for the women being sent here? Or was it just for fun and quenching lusty thirsts? Because if those women were out producing Lycan children, the packs would have known. It would have contradicted the presence of the border.

Oh my God! Maybe, this was why, the woman decided to give the pup to Lucine so she could pass further to Karam. Because, a Lycan wouldn't be surviving out of the border. Maybe, it was like some sin.

Or maybe, the pup was a burden for her.

I now wished that instead of throwing tantrums and making out with my so-called mate, I could have just used this time better.

I could have talked more with Karam and instead of creating all of this mess like a lovesick girl, which I was not, ladies and gentlemen. I didn't have confidence enough to think of a plan like that. But if all Karam wanted was a relationship, then I could have just used him and done my research.

He had been alone and roaming the territory. He was close to his sisters and have observed more things than other. He knew things.

Mostly, he was patient.

People with patience observe more than others and keep collecting knowledge in their minds.

But no. I had to be truthful, completely emotional. I had to cry out and piss, react like I was being wronged. I was. But still, I didn't have to take it all so seriously.

The main purpose was to collect Luna Severa's bones and reach the border.

But instead, I was having fights with Karam. I was insulting him and pushing his buttons. When all this time, he had only been polite than a Lycan was being capable of.

I couldn't even imagine how the circumstances would have been if it was someone like Anton.

Gosh! I wanted to kill him in his sleep.

Sighing heavily, I further thought about more regrets.

I could have talked to Natasha too and would have found about Uncle Joran sooner. After this trip, I would ask her about the other families.

Noted.

I could have also talked to Alvena about everything related to Mystics. She was the Alpha's daughter. I could also get to know about Willis' death and the story of Witch and the Lycan in detail that Eva had taught that day. After this trip, I would sit with her in my room and ask everything.

Noted.

I also needed to meet the eldest member of this pack. I wanted to know the foundation of this family which turned out to be so ignorant to ideal principles and so stupid. I needed a key that could make me put my wishes above the family members' rules. They wouldn't disobey the words of someone who was elder.

I was already feeling negative about the aunts. But I still had one hope for the main person.

Karam's father.

I needed to feel less for whatever that was happening. I didn't have to feel hurt at knowing Karam's past. I didn't have to care.

What was wrong with me? Instead, I could just be chill and comfortable with him. So, I could extract information from him as much as he knew.

It seemed like they had hid him somewhere. He wasn't in Amelia's home nor with any other brother. Then, where was he?

Lycans were careless and straight to the points. They knew that they were royals and powerful. They were aware of the fact that the wolf brides were their only hope to grow the pack. Thus, they would maintain this terror among packs by not showing off all the alive wolves to the borders.

It was happening on its own and they were taking good advantage of it. Though, they still could make those things and kill the wolves if their mind changes. It would only happen if they'd turn pure evil. But atleast with me, they were not like the torturous sadists kidnapper I had thought they could be.

I wasn't in chains and a dark cell hidden in some dungeon, atleast.

That was too clichè. But was possible too.

I was fortunate that things weren't as bad the imagination had formed during the mythology classes.

This didn't meant that the whole scenario was any comfortable at the moment.

I had to reach the border. That was my goal.

But what about Uncle Joran, Aslan and Kaamil? Aslan deserved to reach his true motherland and rule his pack.

But Karam said that they could get hurt. Now, how to be clear if he was lying?

I wanted to know in detail about whom this border could hurt exactly.

Before the mark or after, before the sex or after, or only after the rituals, the exit would be restticted. I hoped, the latter one was false. Because I needed to cross the border. I needed to save this life for myself and Gran only.

"You have been quiet for so long," he said, actively while halting his steps and turning his head to look at me.

"I am thinking."

"About what?" He said through the breaths.

"About a way to time travel two months ago."

"We are taking a break for some breaths." He announced while taking out his head and arm again from the blanket loop.

I stopped and breathed harshly. Gulping hard, I watched him putting the bundle down on a grassy surface of the stone and nodding at me.

"You may sit if you want," he said while while wiping the sweat off his scarlet shaded face with the sleeve of his lavender shirt. The color was bringing out the look of his small loop earrings hanging, almost touching the earlobes. His bun was tight as hell.

"Two months back?" He asked in amusement.

I blinked while remembering the moment. "Natalie was telling me to hide. But I just had to take those screams seriously and get out," I said absentmindedly.

"A place to hide?" He asked curiously while opening the knot of the blanket.

I lowered my eyes in thought. "Under the bathtub," I said while looking at him. He was nodding in amazement. "A whole way down to some secret room. But it was small and just for one person. Dark and suffocating. It was freezing when I had bent down to look inside and curse the lizards. The voices of insects were echoing. Maybe, they cursed me back."

He huffed. "Lizards? What kind of lizard stay in a freezing case? They are cold-blooded. Must be dragon flies. But again, they only breed in the winter."

I tilted my head in blankness. "Then, I was just being delusional. I was feeling claustrophobic."

He gave the look that he would only give at a new word. The curiosity mixed with confusion.

"Claustrophobic. It's a defined fear that brings anxiety when you get scared of some unknown place that seems scary or just suffocating. It's panicking." I said while he practiced the word himself.

"Claustro. . . phobic?" He said, looking at me. "But my prayers were so true. You didn't hide and came to the borders on your own."

I sent him a hard stern stare.

He nodded to himself. "No. It was the fate, maybe. Not my prayers."

It felt like he was being sarcastic. But then, he looked at me with the new warm expressions. "You have been denying to eat properly in past hours. But now, you need to. I can see your face turning yellow. The strength from your body is vanishing. You need sweetness. But for now, we only have spicy curry."

I gulped and sat down on the lower step, raising my knees and putting arms on them. Taking support of the mountain wall behind me, I tried to catch more breaths.

"Here," he said while opening the clean white cloth and showing me the breads. Taking out a metal tiffin, he removed the lid and put the bowl full of curry on the stone between the ones we were sitting on.

"What about you?" I asked while looking at him. "You won't eat anything?"

He gave me the shake of a head. "I had some when you were gone behind the large rock."

I rolled my eyes and resting my head back against the wall. I wanted to groan hard at him for reminding me that scene.

It wasn't really pleasing to awkwardly ask the only person you were having continuous arguments with, to make some distance. So, you could empty your bladder. It wasn't really comforting to know that he was away but still could hear you peeing behind a rock.

Though, good that he reminded me.

My hands weren't dirty though. But I still wanted to wash my hands again.

"Give me the bottle," I said, staring at the food.

I didn't know I would miss my precious sanitizer.

"Why?" He asked while picking it out and opening the lid. Passing it to me, he hummed lightly. "Your hands seem clean already."

I ignored his words and washed my hands, putting the bottle away. Wiping them with my cloak, I looked up at him.

He was smiling in amusement. "If they are dirty, then I can feed you with my own hands."

My eyes narrowed in sternness. "You went behind the bushes too some moments ago. Your hands must definitely be dirtier than mine," I said, making him shrug and rest his spine against the wall.

Tearing the bread, I started eating and nearly cried at the energy I felt soaking in by one mere bite.

"Do you not have mountains in your pack?" He asked randomly.

I blinked and looked at him, chewing slowly. "The Southern Pack is a valley. Its flat," I sassed, giving him the stern eye and continued eating.

He sighed and mumbled. "I was talking about the human world."

I hummed before taking another morsel. "It's a mix. There are mountains, volcanoes, plateaus, islands, deserts and grasslands. . . The list goes on. But my city was on plains. Flat area surrounded by cities on one side and green belts on the other. Only if Gran had a home near the border joining other cities instead of being close to the jungles."

He stared at me calmly. "This is why, you are having a trouble walking upwards. You keep eating herbs and vegetables. I wonder if it gives you enough strength. One touch on your skin leads to a bruise."

"I am not that sensitive," I said defensively. "It's because of the fat. Okay? Cholesterol and stuff. It comes when you don't exercise to burn calories and keep eating oily and unhealthy things. The skin turns loose instead of being taut and toned. Plus, the heights are too much here. I have done trekking on a school tour to a hill station. The hills were short and full of lakes. But these are humongous."

"Unhealthy things?" He repeated and raised his eyebrows as if he learning the word. "Is that why my marks on your neck are still there?"

My eyebrows furrowed for a moment of confusion. I touched my neck and stopped chewing. "No, the hickey is because you were quiet intense-"

I stopped immediately when the mind bulb finally lit.

Looking at him sternly, I gave him a blank look. He had closed his eyes and again resting his head against the wall. There was that knowing smile on his face wanting to spread wide.

Breathing hard, I tried to calm myself and continued chewing. I had to keep myself controlled.

Don't burst out.

Don't burst out!

"We aren't talking again," I said through gritted teeth, tearing another morsel.

He crossed his arms across his chest, still relaxing. "You want to know how far we have come?" He sounded sleepy for some reason.

"How far?" I asked immediately while looking up in frustration.

He hummed cheerfully. "It's sixteen kilometers. We have only covered three. If it had been a Lycan, I would have taken a shortcut. But, you can only walk and not climb. Thus, we are going with the long way."

"Climb as in like a monkey?" I asked with a raise of eyebrows.

He nodded. "There are some edges of the cliffs that can directly take you to a floor above."

I looked away in worry of such a long distance that we had to cover. Suddenly, I realized something.

I looked back at him and narrowed my eyes. "Wait. How do you know about kilometers?" I asked in shock.

His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his eyes to look at me. "Savina had once taught me. She doesn't like it when we used to measure routes with the number of hours spent on walking them."

I stared at him in curiosity. "And why would you be with Savina to discuss such distance?"

His eyebrows raised. "Well, Virion and I cut woods together. Savina used to give us food and tea. She used to talk," he said, narrowing his eyes in the sudden irritation. "What are you thinking now? The doubtful worm in your mind is now thinking that it's my pup in her womb and not Virion's?" He asked with the stern eye.

I flinched.

He shook his head at me. Closing his eyes, he rested his head back while I chewed my food slowly.

I blinked in boredom as I was taking time in eating. The tiredness was too much that I wanted to name my procrastination, the time I took while eating. I needed more rest.

"What else did she teach you?" I asked in a low tone, not looking at him.

He didn't move and even put a corner of the blanket on his face to cover it. "She wasn't teaching, my mate. It's the little conversations sometimes, that are full of knowledge. When it is new, unheard of, you get so enthusiastic in learning it. And it stays with you forever. Virion is possessive of her but Savina is polite. She talks less but always make sense."

My eyes narrowed. "And what about me? Do I not make sense to you?" I asked, raising my tone, making him sigh heavily.

"I never said that."

I chewed hurriedly and closed the tiffin. Wrapping the other piece of bread with the cloth, I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. "Why would I even make sense to you? Because truth doesn't make sense to Lycan brains. You can trade sex in return for fabric. But you can't trade modern machines, crops and undies. Huh? Which are more necessary! Her kilometers make sense. While my ideas are a bore. Her pack is in the mountains. I am the from the city here. Not her!"

He opened his eyes and turned his head to give me a tired blank look. "You always make sense. But now, you are just being jealo-" He stopped when my eyes squinted in warning.

"I dare you to complete that sentence." I said while looking at him blankly.

He breathed heavily and sat straighter. Putting the tiffin and cloth inside the blanket, he chuckled to himself.

"Virion learns a lot of new things from her. I thought that I would learn too. But guess. . . " He shook his head lightly, putting the blanket aside and spreading his legs straight.

My nostrils flared. "You never asked me," I said. "Otherwise, there are so many things to know. But right now, we have been fighting."

He stared at me. "Can we forget about fighting until we reach the temple?"

I looked away. Blinking slowly, I shook my head. "Karam, Savina didn't seem afraid of Virion. He looked bossy but she had her own charm. She wasn't shy even in front of the intimidating Beta."

"Barald is a good mate," he added to my surprise. "Valeria has been a great mother. Virion isn't cocky. He knows when to stop being the monster. Savina is happy with being in our pack."

I shook my head in desperation. "In her family. Because they respect each other."

"I don't respect you?" He asked hurtfully. "All this time?"

"You pushed me against a wall-"

He sighed loudly. "I apologised," he said defensively.

"What did you do yesterday? You threatened me again? Danced with those women? Rings a bell?" I asked while squinting my eyes at him. "Had you respected my wishes and choices, then only you can exclaim that you respect me."

We looked away from each other.

The sky had turned a dark shade of scarlet.

Right in front of us, was the red sun, hiding behind the far mountains. It went so slow and fast equally. It was hypnotizing and soothing.

Enough to make us silent for next ten minutes almost.

"It only happened when you pushed me to that level, my mate." His voice came warm and low. "The rest of the moments had been mesmerizing."

I blinked while staring at the fading redness. The bluish darkness was spreading minute by minute.

"But if I ask you now to look back all of our moments, just because I am a caveman according to you, have you respected me for being nine years older than you? You sing the age gap all the time. But you never really thought about it, deeply."

My heart dropped in the sudden thought.

Goosebumps risen while my lips parted slowly.

"If you had, you would have tried to understand my reasons behind hiding the pup from you. I have lived twenty seven years, seen lives and deaths, families and loneliness. Like an open book, I put the story of that night in front of you."

I couldn't say anything when I recalled all the brutal words I had used against him.

"Life truly is brutal to you for the subjects it is making you face at only seeing eighteen summers." He said softly. "I tried to keep you from getting into one of them. But the truth comes out anyway."

My jaws clenched while heart shook slowly in my chest.

"Now, I am doing what as a mate I am supposed to do. I am following you, guarding you and trying to understand you."

I gulped slowly.

"Your education and principles from your world, do not scare me. Neither do they make me insecure, nor weak."

I blinked in blankness.

"Caveman. Drunkard. Womanizer. Call me more names. You hate my hair? I will cut them away. I will clean off this beard. But will you give me the love in return, my mate?" He asked calmly.

My legs shook while the blood rushed to my cheeks. My face had started to burn from the denial I felt in my heart.

"At the end of this day, I now realize." He mumbled while looking around. "That you were only kissing me because you needed to distract yourself from the pain of leaving your world. Because had there been any love, you would have tried to calm our quarrels rather than lightening them up."

He got up and picked up the blanket bundle. Wearing it, he looked at me.

"Come," he said while giving me a hand. "We have to cover the half distance before the night begins."

.

.

.

_____

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.

.

Staring at the dark sky, I felt like I was floating in the universe.

There was no active wind but the weather had been turning colder by each second.

We had completed the trek around a hill and reached the top. We were yet to go down a little to enter the group of mountains, to reach the temple.

But I couldn't see anything in the dark even through the moonlight. Because I knew that there were cliffs. I could stumble and felt blank as to where put my feet.

But I was exhausted too.

Half n hour after our conversation, we had reached the top.

Since then, I was resting. I ate the dinner an hour ago and was now, just looking at yhe bright Moon and the stars.

Karam was keeping the fire awake. He had dig a hole near a stone to keep our tiffins and bottles safe. The cloths were under my head like a pillow, while the blanket was beneath me. The extra blanket that Amelia had packed was keeping me warm now.

The view of stars and camping like this, was one of the items in my bucket list I had made in eighth grade.

There was no tent or sleeping bag. No team of trekkers or friends. No bonfire party or some ghost stories.

But it still was unbelievable.

I felt so close to the Moon. To the sky.

But the coldness was too much. I was shivering under the blankets. I needed more.

"Falling in love with our Goddess?" He asked while I shook my head.

"I am wondering what you are going to do whole night," I asked, turning my head to see him correcting the wood sticks and keeping them lit. It was bringing warmth enough to not freeze my cheeks because of the harsh breeze.

"Where are you going to sleep?" I asked, remembering that there was no other bed or blanket.

He stared at the fire. "I will watch over you."

"I am not going to run away in the dark." I said, chuckling at myself.

He breathed slowly. "I will have to guard."

"Why? Can there be wild animals around? They won't come here. They'll smell you?" I guessed.

He hummed roughly. "Sleep, my mate. We have to start early."

"But you are out in that one shirt and breeches." I mumbled, glancing back at the stairs.

"Someone has to keep the fire awake."

"You have not taken any sleep from last two days." I said, observing the faint wind blowing his open hair. Biting my lip, I mumbled. "I won't mind if you join me."

He looked at me in blankness. "In the morning, you will."

"It's humanity, now. The respect you were asking for," I said, giving him a bored look. "Come. We can share the blanket."

My heart dropped when he shook his head. "I am warm blooded. I will be fine. The cold can't get to me."

I bit my lip, sighing heavily. But still, he needed to sleep as much as I did. And we had only made one bed of collected grass. The rest of the ground here was now wet from the fog.

"What if the blanket gets wet too after some hours? I need a backup. You need to join me." I said, looking at him. "Don't act like you are not dying to lay with me."

He gave me a straight look. "You didn't drink the soup I warmed again. I am dying to lay with you. But I am not greedy, my mate."

My heart jolted. I glanced up at the sky. "But I am. I need your warmth. Please. I am full with all the meal I had. I can't take more."

He stayed quiet while I closed my eyes.

The sound of putting more wood sticks reached my ears.

"If we do anything, you will have to take a bathe under one of the falls before entering the temple. The water here is freezing cold," he warned me, making me widen my eyes.

I gasped. "You talk as if I am the one who gets cozy. You do."

"Everyone knows who does." He said, making me gasp again.

Of course. His whole family listened.

I blinked in embarrassment. "Fine. We are fighting, anyway. It's better that way. I don't care if you freeze into a statue."

He gave me a look of longing when I looked at him for the last time.

I sighed heavily. "Do I have to ask again?" I said, my voice cracking in helplessness. "The big stone is blocking the wind. The fire is good. But I know that I will catch a fever if this chillness continues."

He straightened slowly and shook his head. Getting up, he finally put his boots beside my sandals.

Sliding into the blanket, he chuckled to himself.

I shifted back to make space for him. The sudden warmth came just as I snuggled myself into his chest and entangled my legs with his. Closing my eyes, I breathed in satisfaction while he rubbed my back from over the cloak.

"Now, was it the fear of fever or just wanting me close?" He asked while I looked up at him.

Under the moonlight, his eyes looked like crystals.

"We are still fighting," I mumbled, looking in his eyes. "I had caught Rucussan breeze. It was like the worst fever ever. I nearly died."

He raised his eyebrows. "What did you take then?"

"Some medicine. I don't remember. It was a thick paste," I mumbled. "The whole family was failing to make me drink it. Until my Mom's mate fed it to me forcefully."

He blinked, looking in my eyes. "I should whisper a prayer for him then, tonight."

"For him?" I smiled in amusement. His warm breath fanned my forehead. I glanced at the sky. "Doesn't the sight of Moon makes you excited? It will be full, tomorrow."

"Only sight of my mate makes me excited."

I blinked, feeling my stomach churning. My smile faded slowly when he too turned serious.

I glanced down at his lips.

Raising my chin, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against his.

It was slow and soft. The one that would bring butterflies in the stomach.

Pulling away, I breathed erratically.

He was shocked and silent. "You are supposed to be honest with your own self, my mate. You are not. You should be, for your own good."

I closed my eyes knowingly and snuggled into him.

"Your threats stop me from doing it," I mumbled while giving myself to the sleep.

He sighed softly. "Sleep, my mate. For we have a long day ahead. Good night."

I smiled.

"The night feels good indeed, my mate."

______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

___

This one was more of a filler.