The night wasn't just good. But mesmerizing.

The stars above were twinkling so bright beside the brightest Moon I had ever seen. I could make out the constellations.

I had never experienced this view before because of always sleeping inside the house with Gran. We didn't have a terrace but an attic. Neither we had ever done camping in the backyard or something.

Also, even on windy days or just the moments of adoring the night sky, I hadn't noticed stars like this before. Because of the pollution that was always clouded in between.

Like a Mist.

The wall. The barrier.

But Mom had told me that it was wrong. Mist was the bridge.

Blinking softly, I kept staring above. The soft wind was bringing the faint howls from the downtown to my ears. The voices were echoing.

But Karam's deep snores were right above my head. They weren't as loud as of aged people. But they were audible.

During all our nights back at the room, I hadn't heard these intense snores before. Maybe, they were a bit loud today because of being sleep deprived for two days.

I had caused it though. All the havoc I created at knowing that he was a father.

He had asked me to be honest to myself.

How could I be when I didn't know what I wanted to feel anymore?

I hadn't got the time actually.

Now, I had. But revising all the happenings of past months and recalling all the incidents, I had concluded one thing.

The whole universe was trying to bring me here.

From Lexi's random joke over being 'adopted' to me going to the attic casually. The wooden box in the attic caught my attention. Boom. I got the secrets out. The forbidden one.

The Pandora box of my life.

Gran had warned me to be soft on Mom even after everything. But I tried to be rude to her and ended up irking Pete. The consequences were the kidnapping and living with them forcefully.

Everything that happened in between was something I had longed for whole of my life. I enjoyed it. The pure bliss. But all those intense lectures of mythology classes, secret conversations with Stephen and my own curiosity trying push aside every curtain hiding some mystery, were my own doings.

No one was asking me to do things that could lead me across this border.

If I looked and remembered properly, I was given the chances to save myself.

Alpha Rucus' appearance in my dreams, the continuous threats of not crossing the green belts, still staying there after the full moon episode with Natalie, waiting until the mating ceremony, taking part in everything, meeting all the packs and ignoring the signs.

Leo was attacked and Gilbert sent me right off. Thomas and Natalie took me there too. But being scared herself and still not sure of herself being saved from Lycans, she came along too. At last, she asked me to hide under the tub and I didn't.

Before everything, I could have just taken the sign when my own curiosity was rising for mythology classes. I did this to myself. I got myself involved.

All my life, I asked to be with my family; to be one of them; to have a life like them.

Now here I was.

Because of whom? Philosophically, myself. Technically, Pete.

I still didn't want to forgive him for what he did. Especially I didn't know what was the actual reason behind his act.

Was it because he wanted to be the fairest of the Alphas? Was it because of the deal he had made with Lycans to keep his mate alive? Was it because he wanted me to meet my mate? Was it because he didn't want his pack to suffer Moon Goddess' wrath? Or were all the reasons forced him to do this collectively?

I didn't know. I couldn't guess.

I could only feel hurt and betrayed. Pushed and left out. Thrown and discarded.

It had not been as bad as they had warned in the mythology classes. Or maybe, I turned out to be a little fortunate for having a mate in the Alpha family. That even someone patient like Karam.

I breathed softly, listening to his snores. He had asked me to be honest to myself.

How could I be so when he was confusing me like this? One minute he would be playful, the other he would be deadly. One moment he would be understanding, the other he would force his family's rules upon me. One day he would be this lovesick lover, the other night he would dance with those ladies like that.

It wasn't about him being a father. Even though, it was such a big deal for my eighteen-year-old heart. I had always dreamed of dating someone of my age, of dates, of shopping together, of traveling together, bringing the boy home for dinner with Gran and what not. I hadn't think otherwise. I was just so much into the usual and never thought, I could be God's choice for his own entertainment.

All those average wishes were now gone and weren't even in my lists anymore. My first kiss, first date, first boyfriend, first travel with him. . . All of it was a long lost series of dreams shattered in some way. But it wasn't that hurtful.

More heartbreaking was that this fear of the truth beneath the word 'eternity'. I was afraid of being stuck here forever. The thought of forever here was traumatizing.

Everyone else scared me. Chelsea didn't deserve my rants. I did one throw tantrum at Emily and I regretted it now. She was sweet. I didn't want to do the same mistake. But now when I turned my head and looked at the beard and face hidden underneath it. Maybe, I was still doing it.

I was throwing all of my frustrations on him. Only because my anger was turning stronger than fear for Lycans.

They weren't as bad as I had thought. The moment I was thrown by Nirvan, I had expected myself to be killed within the next fifteen minutes. But here, someone was expecting me to live an eternity with him.

I looked away to stare back at the dark sky.

Before being pulled to this supernatural world, life was only average. Gran had made it fun with her love for sure. But it wasn't like I had guys peeking at me during the high school. The only boy I was friends with had been Ryan, my neighbor. That even because we had known each other from childhood. He had been my partner on the prom night.

Coming to the Southern Pack, that mere peck with Ivan was totally his thing, not mine. It would be wrong to say it that way. Since, I welcomed it too and didn't push him away. He was playful and free. Careless about his future. It was more of a gesture from him to lure me into following Natalie on the full moon night.

Emmanuel was just that eye-pleasing person for me. He started it by falling over me and since then, I only wanted a selfie. While Declan was weirdly attractive. I was now aware of why that kiss happened in the bathroom. During the fourth night, he only wanted me to go across the border. Which meant, he had no feelings for me. It was just fun from his side and from me too. I wasn't looking for a life partner for me. Not the love kind of love. It was just fun.

There wasn't some seductress hidden inside me. I couldn't even flirt without being awkward and embarrassed.

"You aren't sleeping."

I blinked, glancing at him slowly.

"I am thinking," I whispered back, staring up at the sky.

He took a long breath before releasing it sleepily. "To my almighty Moon Goddess. May you give me the strength before my mate tells, she regret giving me that tiny good night kiss," he mumbled in a deep lazy voice.

I rolled my eyes. "I regret not being able to control whatever might have hypnotized me. Maybe, it is your Moon Goddess only."

"You have no wolf inside you," he said, snoring softly. "Stop with the excuses. Admit it, my mate. You just like kissing me."

I blinked in blankness. "I never had a boyfriend before. Never made out with someone," I whispered. "Never really enjoyed a kiss I know I own. Never felt my right on someone before. It's easy for me to slip. But that doesn't mean I like kissing you."

I won't give him the satisfaction by any chance.

He turned silent as he had gone back to sleep. "I know when you lie," he mumbled. "Thus, lie as much as you can, my little mate. I will get my answers myself."

"How accurate can you be in reading my heartbeats?" I mumbled and huffed sleepily. "If Gran had been here, she would have asked me about the guy. I would have been careful and alert. I would have been thoughtful before doing anything. I don't know anyone here, Karam. I am not perverted like you. I am just. . . I don't know."

He might have gone asleep now that he wasn't talking.

"I am behaving like a brat, to be honest. I am aware of it. I am losing my real self. I wasn't like this before. Rude, talkative, mannerless, irritating and this courageous," I whispered absentmindedly. "I don't know what is wrong with me."

He stayed quiet and probably, asleep. So, I sighed and stared at the sky sleepily.

"But you can't blame me," I whispered softly. "In a pack where no one really understands me, I can only have faith in the person I have been mated to. But then, he threatens to hurt me on every little argument, starts dancing with the women and touches them inappropriately and hides the truth of being a father."

"The females ask for it."

My eyebrows straightened. "Right. You are so kind, Karam. You should be kinder and make pups with each one of them," I said, looking at the dark sky while waiting for his reply. "What are your principles as an honorable man, Karam? Do you like to get touched by more than one woman? Isn't this a contradiction your concept of mates?"

He stayed silent while I sighed.

"I don't know about being jealous. But I really get disappointed with you," I whispered. "Did your mother and sisters teach you to dance and touch the widows inappropriately in front of your mate or even behind her back?"

The faint air caressed my eyelids when I blinked.

"Every bonded male is marked. But I have no sign to show that I am taken," he said it lowly as if he was complaining about it. "The Lycan in me feels insulted when he holds no scent of his mate in front of the others. I go berserk when I see other males sniffing your pure scent. We don't have each other claims. It churns me. The Lycan wants his mate to recognize and cherish him."

My eyebrows furrowed.

"The dances and touches were a waste. It didn't infuriate my mate the right way to come and dance with me in front of everyone. Instead, it also pulled down my honor in her eyes."

My eyebrows relaxed and I shook my head. "Are you kidding me?" I whispered, glancing at her. He still had his eyes closed. So, I looked back at the sky. "The guy must ask for the dance, instead of waiting for the girl's advances. You don't feel hesitation to threaten of raping me and even doing a demonstration. Huh? But you feel scared to be insulted in front of everyone and avoid asking me for a dance. How stupid!"

"I don't know, my mate. Something pulls me back from asking you," he mumbled while I rolled my eyes. "I never intend to touch them to enjoy, my mate. The wine does more effect. But your words hold power. Each word matters. The Lycan would lose his mind if you say something bitter to insult him in front of others who respect him."

My nostrils flared.

"Wine affects you? Even then you drinkit and dance with the women. Even after ending up having a pup?" I asked, making his breathing quieter. "This thing is keeping me awake, you know. I can't sleep when I can't find the answer to how a grown ass Lycan could be so affected by the wine that he can't remember having a fun night with a woman."

He breathed heavily.

"Whenever I remember the night, it gets uneasy to sleep, my mate. My stomach churns. Even now when you talk about it, all I want is for you remind me that we are here and not in that night. I drank the wine and I danced. All I remember is the Kohl in her eyes and long raven hair."

My lips parted at the sudden chill I felt by his words. My eyes narrowed as I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were finally opened.

I blinked, observing the moonlight making his eyes look like glass balls.

"How do I remind that you are here with me?" I whispered in concern.

He smiled slightly and closed his eyes. "Sing me a song?"

My eyebrows raised. I thought about and hummed slightly before singing, "Come Josephine. . . in my flying machine."

He breathed deeply while I further whispered, "And it's up she goes. . . Up she goes. . . Up she goes "

I stared at the stairs in the sky. "Come Josephine," I sang softly, humming to a tune.

"What it is about?" He mumbled in his tired voice.

"It's from a movie," I whispered lazily. "A love story."

He caressed my wide with his hand and pulled me closer as much as he could. We breathed together.

He whispered, "Like a play?"

I hummed. "The heroine sings it just before her hero dies." I said while looking up at him.

The soft romantic smile from his face flied miles away to the far mountains. He opened his eyes to observe my goofy smile.

I grinned knowingly.

"I should have known," he said, giving me a disappointing look. Though, I could see the corners of his lips twitching to curve upwards. "You cannot be a romantic."

"Had I not been one," I whispered while looking in his eyes. "You would have been frozen there beside the extinguished fire."

He smiled in amusement and closed his eyes. "I do not freeze, my mate. I am warm bloodied."

I kept staring at his face, noticing that he looked like a well sculptured statue under the moonlight.

He opened his eyes and observe me back.

I sighed softly. "You don't have be awake for me. You may sleep."

"You need to sleep too, my mate. The cold air affects the eye," he whispered while I looked back at the sky.

"But the view is so breathtaking."

"Not more than you and your dreams, my mate. Sleep is precious," he whispered while leaving a kiss on my forehead. "Tomorrow might be a long day."

"What if I had not been your mate? What if you had been a human like me? No mate and and stuff." I suddenly asked in a whisper. "Would you have been attracted to me then?"

He stared at me. "You are my mate. I cannot think otherwise. There is no thought that doesn't involve you as my mate. You are made for me. I am made for you. For lives and afterlives. I would have been pulled by you anyhow. I can't think otherwise."

I thought of the dancers when he suddenly added, "I did say I won't dance again. I won't."

"You can," I whispered back. "Just not with the women. If any of them comes to you, you will back away."

He smiled amusingly. "Will you dance with me?"

"I don't know how to dance," I lied hurriedly.

"Lies," He whispered while sighing heavily. "I will have to do a lot more to make you ready enough to dance with me."

"A person dances in happiness," I whispered back. "To celebrate. I am not having the happiest days of my life right now, Karam."

His smile faded while he stared at me. Moving his eyes over mine and rest of my face, he hummed softly. "I will change it, my mate. I will bring your happy days. For me, they are already here."

I squinted my eyes in sudden realization. "Wait," I whispered out. "Just because I called myself a romantic doesn't mean I am in love with you," I told him, making him chuckle humorously. "I don't want you to believe into thinking that I am accepting the thought of being here just because I am giving this bond a chance. Which is also at halt at the moment since you still are a careless man and cheater to me and hasn't been proven innocent yet."

He breathed deeply.

"Thus, I suggest you to keep your love controlled too." I whispered while looking up at the sky. "Because if just now, an enchanting slay comes flying from the Moon to here, to save me from you and your pack and take me back to the human world—I will gladly sit on it. Without any hesitation."

He moved and the next, I could feel his breath against my right ear. My heart shivered. My eyes observed the bright round Moon.

"You are here. I am here. We'll see what happens next, my mate. But I warn you. I will allow you the hope of a slay coming to save you. I will let you hope. But I will not let it take you away. I'll vanish the rider. I'll break the slay. I will burn them and warm my bloodied hands with you sitting by my side. No power can now dare to keep us apart."

"Don't tempt me with your challenge," I whispered back while glancing at him blankly. "I will go away if I get the chance. This world must be for you and your mate. But not for me and my mate. I will take my lover to my world where there is so much to explore and learn. Sadly, you can't cross the border. I can't tolerate anymore drama in my life. Thus, even the thought of taking you with me is out of my mind. It's only me in my mind, Karam. Don't challenge me."

Our eyes met and he hummed. "You can't cross the border? You can't get away from me? You will hide in the temple where I cannot enter?" He whispered while staring at me. "For how long, my mate. One day, you are going to miss me so bad. You will come out running from that temple and jump in my arms."

"You are so full of yourself," I commented sternly.

He lowered his eyes on my lips. "I want to be full of you, my mate."

I gulped slowly. He leaned down closer to bring his mouth closer to mine and closing his eyes. A sudden wave of uncertainty rushed through my heart. I pulled my face back and lowered my eyes.

I wanted to him to know that no matter how much my desire would let me slip, I would be aware of my limits and won't give him the satisfaction of being in love with him. When he was a father, still not trustable when he couldn't say No to the other ladies and a Lycan who was capable of being ruthless to me anytime.

Because, at the end of the day, his family was awaiting a heir.

He didn't move while I turned on my side properly and snuggled in his chest. He sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around me the more he could.

"I will wake you up for the early trek, my mate. Get some sleep," he whispered while covering my ears properly with the hood and covered ourselves totally with the blanket.

In his warm embrace, I awaited the sweet dreams.

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______

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"Wake up. . . Wake up. . . Wake up, my beautiful mate."

I moaned while turning on my side. "No. Let me sleep."

"My little mate—"

"Shut up," I mumbled while sleeping peacefully.

Shaking my shoulders, he made me whine. I groaned hard.

Opening my eyes, I saw him grinning slightly. He was all pale from the cold atmosphere.

It was dawn and the sky was turning light blue slowly as the darkness was going away. The sun hadn't risen yet.

"Take care of your nose—" Karam twitched his lips before covering me with the blankets immediately when they had slipped off me. He asked me to cover my nose with the hem of the blanket so the freezing air won't affect me.

Helping me get up, I nearly shrieked in pain. "Ah! My body is stiff. My legs aren't working."

He made me stand up and nodded. "It's because you rested. They will get back to normal when you'll walk again. But slowly. We cannot stress your legs, not more than we can afford."

My eyes opened barely and I moaned. "I want to sleep more."

He smiled and nodded. "But after seeing something. I want you to see it from here."

"What?" I whispered while he pointing straight towards our front.

I followed his finger's direction and squinted my eyes. In between the spreading mist and clouds, I could see the dark monument on top of a mountain.

"That's the temple." He whispered while looking at me to observe my reaction.

"Oh my," I whispered while chills ran down my spine. My eyebrows straightened and mouth parted in surprise. "That looks far and gothic."

"It's the dark stones. Thick bricks. You will be able to understand them from closer."

My eyes lowered and I saw this huge cliff between that mountain and the one we were present on. "How will we reach there? Fly?"

"You want to?" He teased while I gave him a sleepy look. "There's way. You will be able to see it once we reach a point. I will warm up some water for you to rest your sore throat."

I gulped roughly. "Thanks. Can I sleep until then?"

He nodded with a adorable sigh. "You can," he said with a lopsided smile.

.

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_____

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"Are we there yet?"

"No."

I grunted in frustration while pushing the stick inside the muddy pathway. There were no stone here except for some slipper pebbles. I was afraid of slipping anytime.

We had been walking from past two hours after we did a little breakfast. More like I did. Because I hadn't seen him eating anything. At least, in front of me. He had said that he did before waking me up to save time and not disgust me.

"Can you sing a song?" I said loudly while watching him walking ahead with that heavy blanket bundle around his one shoulder.

"I am bad."

"Liar," I said, breathing heavily.

"I will sing when I am happy."

"You aren't happy to see me struggling through this ruthless path?" I yelled while nearly leaning on my stick with every step ahead.

"When I'll be happier."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Karam. I am bored. The silence is deafening me. There are not even any birds here!"

"Look around. There are no trees. Just this mountain wall, this dried muddy way and this cliff. There will be sunlight ahead. The birds will be singing there." He said while glancing sideways.

I groaned while feeling cold as the cliff from on side was now covered by the beginning of a new mountain. As if we were entering the space between two. The street was narrow and muddy. When I looked above, the narrowness had followed the sky upwards.

"This is claustrophobic," I said, whimpering slightly. My crazy imagination made me expect the two walls of two mountains on each side to break and crush each other. So. the heavy rocks would crush me consequently.

"Come here," he said while turning around and taking my hand. "Look ahead," he said while I whimpered as the street kept narrowing.

"Oh no! We are going to stuck. The walls are coming to us."

"You are thinking too much, my mate. Just think of the temple we saw from the peak. This street will lead us there." He cooed in my ear while walking beside me on the right side. "The path is not slant, right now. That's on our favour."

I finally noticed and sighed in the sudden comfort. "Right," I mumbled while sticking closer to him. "How can one travel here ever in life? Lucine had to choose this place of all the territory?"

"A soul finds peace in solitude. The mountains are magical. Heaven. The state of mind gets calm when the atmosphere is calm. Our thoughts become big when these stone around us are big. The difficult paths bring less visitors. Those who cover the path and go ahead, the destination above is worth it. All of it. It teaches us meditation, discipline, hardwork, the truth of life. To grow. To keep moving. To survive." He explained while I blinked in fascination.

"You should be grateful it is not snowing at the moment," he said, making my eyes wide. "The paths gets slippery then."

"Thank Goddess," I whispered, making him smile at me.

"And Severa chose this place. Not Lucine." He corrected while looking at the front. "There is a story behind this path between the two mountains."

"What?" I asked eagerly.

He chuckled while I breathed heavily. "My father told me about it. He said that the Goddess had isolated herself from the world in pain of not finding her mate. So, she left her home which was at the northern side of the territory and walked to here while crying for mercy. Her brothers followed her to convince her that they will make it alright for her."

I gulped as my breaths started turning erratic from walking continuously. The path was again getting that slope.

Karam had a straight face on when he said, "But all they saw was a mountain in their way. They couldn't understand how Severa reached the other side of this mountain. There are cliffs all around and only this mountain is here. They looked for hidden caves or thought that she might have shifted into her fur and then, tried to climb this mountain. But it was so difficult for them to do so."

"And?"

He looked at the front and pulled me closer. My heart reached my mouth as the space got narrowed to just one person being able to move. It was long enough for five continuous steps.

Karam removed the blanket bundle and took it in his right hand. He faced the left side and asked me to hold his left hand. I face the right side of the path. Making a chain, I kept myself patient to not scream in suffocation.

I could do this. I kept changing to myself.

Just as we began walking slowly, Karam continued, "Alpha Ronyn was too elder to care much about his little sister. She was like a daughter to him. But then, she was a princess. He knew that she could come around later. Reed was Ronyn's shadow. He followed him on going back home. But Gregor and Rex stayed. They were close to their sister more than the elder brothers and knew that their sister was hurt too much. They were worried."

I whimpered as he got out of the narrow side and jumped ahead in the open path with no wall on each side.

I tried to control panting hard while walking sideways. He pulled me out immediately on the last step and I gasped hard.

Rubbing my back, he heard me collecting myself. "Gregor and Rex prayed to the Moon Goddess for their sister's health and asked for a way to reach her. Daily they would come to this mountain and couldn't understand, where she went from here. They searched down in the jungles to look for her dead body in case she jumped off. But they would have known anyhow. They just knew that she was on the other side."

I pulled back to look up at him.

"After fifteen days, they were fed up. They felt ignored by Moon Goddess. They thought about doing something on their own. They started howling for their sister. They shouted her name."

Karam rubbed my forearm over the cloak and stared at me with a serious face. "The next day when they arrived to look for her, she was on their side of the mountain, sitting on a rock and waiting for the. They asked her for what happened and why she was gone. Even after when they knew everything. She said that she wanted to be away from the world and die in betrayal. Die in pain. Die in longing for her mate. She asked them to leave."

"The brothers felt bad for her and asked for her to return home. She replied that she won't. They asked for her to show the place she was staying in. She only asked them that she lives on the other side of the mountain. They asked her how. They saw a the mountain getting apart and making a broad way for her when she walked ahead."

My eyebrows raised in disappointment while he gave me a stern look.

"When the brothers tried to walk, they couldn't. The mountain joined back. They yelled for her. How could she go there and they couldn't? She told them that this mountain was longing for a visitor just like her. No one had came here for years and she found this place on their territory. Because the pack had always lived in !Northern side and in the West valley of the pack too. The east and southern part were untouched."

"Then?" I asked, digesting the fact that the mountain did move for the enchanting Luna Severa.

He stared at me blankly. "The mountain opened for her. It will only open for them who knows the pain of longing."

The sudden gust of freezing wind came from the narrow street. I shuddered hard.

Goosebumps had risen on my skin.

Karam's amber eyes were full of mystery when he said, "Thus, whoever couldn't go to the temple, meant that he or she had failed to cross this mountain. And no one really did except for the ones who knows the pain of longing."

I gulped shakily in the sudden terror that I felt from the story.

While he raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded at me. "All the unmated female Lycans who have not find their mates yet, know the pain of longing. My aunts do now that they have lost my uncles in past years. I do," he said while his gaze turned intense. His pupils dilated. "You do too, my mate."

I breathed erratically. I nodded slightly.

He blinked and explained, "All of their life, they didn't see her again. Until they both saw Ronyn's and Reed's pups growing up. The border was sealed. Gregor and Rex searched all of the territory and looked for their mates. They could not. When they reached of a certain age and the hope was gone. The pain was too much in their hearts. They followed the rarest of pack members who had started coming here to meet their sister. To share the pain of not finding a mate. The brothers came here and that day, the mountain made a way for them."

I shuddered again and held his forearm fearfully. I looked at the right, at the narrow street. "Couldn't it open more than that?"

He smiled amusingly when I looked back at him. "The border was a way to break a Lycan's arrogance. This narrow street made those broad shouldered brother to avoid walking straight pridefully. It forced them to walk like the way we did. For survival. For peace. The tougher the path, more precious the destination becomes."

"Come," he said when I stared back at the street. "We need to reach there soon."

"Do you know who couldn't cross this mountain?" I asked as he held my hand.

We had started walking ahead. The slope was going upwards. Both sides we had greeneries sloping downwards. It was not flat enough for anyone to walk on it. It was so steep and scary on both sides. The trees would definitely create a friction if anyone just rolled off the path to any side. But he won't breathe after that.

I walked slowly after him, holding his hand for my courage to not waver.

"King once came here to take Tara. He couldn't reach the temple. Until one day, one of the females came back to the downtown to tell us that Tara wasn't well. That day, King feared for her health. He said that the mountain he had seen last time all walled up, now had a crack."

"It can be some illusion," I said, bringing my human experience and belief on science. "Did any person who is aware of the pain of longing came here with a person doesn't?"

Karam shook his head with a soft smile on his face. "Generations have passed. Some might have. But no one likes to come here unless it's an unmated female with no hope of finding her mate or someone in need of visiting the temple, mostly."

I blinked in thought. "That is why, no bride came here. Except me."

"Because bless me," he sang while looking at the path. There were stones ahead to NY relief. "I am being patient with my young mate."

I narrowed my eyes and gave him a stern look. "Very funny," I mumbled tauntingly. "Now are we almost there?"

He grinned. "After two hours, we will be. Almost there."

I whimpered while he laughed and pulled me closer. We walked carefully and quietly.

To visit the temple.

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"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

___

It was a very long chapter.