Yil

So choose your pick: Aryn or Rae. Vanquez or Zaveri. Rae or Aryn, Ava's incessant yapping continued to disturb my peace of mind.

Leave me alone, I groaned. In fact now will be the perfect time for you to ignore me like you usually do, I pleaded.

Not a fat chance! she refused. But come to think of it, instead of the strong resistance and stubbornness you could just have both of them, she reasoned.

And did it ever cross your fur-filled head that both men would disagree, vehemently, I rolled my eyes at her suggestion and made another turn into a passage.

Only, this time it was different from the one Aryn had walked me through on the way to his study. This cabin was huge and confusing and if not for the tall, blonde beauty that had walked in unannounced maybe Aryn would have walked me back.

Touché my human partner. That's a bit harsh don't you think? she feigned being hurt. And is that jealousy I feel? she noted with glee.

It would have been nice if he walked me back that's all, I shrugged before trying the handle of a nearby door but it was locked shut. Just where exactly was I in this huge cabin? Besides you were just going on about me having Rae and Aryn as my mates or whatever you had in mind. Are you jealous that Nara might be cozying up to him and warming his bed while we are away? I taunted.

She let out a strong feral growl which escaped my lips and I had to stop to catch my breath. The intensity was unbelievable and to be sincere such thoughts pierced my heart and caused me great pain but I only said it to rile her up. Now I wish I had never done that because scenes of them together would begin to haunt me from now on.

Odin better not do that or else, Ava seethed and promptly shut me out.

What do you know? I wasn't the only confused female here. That bit of information made me smile and I pulled silly faces at my wolf. I could just imagine someone walking in on me, the unfortunate soul would be scarred for life when they witnessed this utmost show of pettiness.

"I win again Zena, you lose!" Dina's close voice, hollered with joy.

"That's because you are a master at the game. Give me one more try and see if I won't show you what real champions are made of," Zena huffed in frustration.

At last there were voices at the end of this stretchy passageway.

I made my way towards the sound and into a warm, cozy sitting room. Plush pillows had been scattered about and in the middle lay a mat with circle colored dots. Zena was seated, slumped on a settee and Kiba was beside her, regarding everything with quiet curiosity. Dina was currently straightening out the pillows and Llyod was hunched over the mat.

"Hey guys what are you up to?" I asked, greeting them with a smile.

"Hey Yil," Llyod called out, momentarily taking her eyes off the mat to greet me and Dina waved at me with a smile.

"It's one of the most mind twisting, confusing games ever," Kiba muttered.

"That's only because you won't give it a try," Dina retorted. "For someone who claims he can do everything, how come the mere thought of playing this game scares you?" Dina goaded.

"I never made such claims," Kiba denied, in a monotone voice.

"Oh my bad I was making inferences from your high and mighty behaviour," she remarked.

"Just because I don't want to involve myself in your childish games doesn't make me high or mighty," he argued with a roll of his eyes.

I tuned out Dina's response and quirked my eyebrow at Zena. She stifled a laugh at my silent question and waved me over.

"What's up with them?" I enquired, with a tilt of my head in their direction, when I got close to her.

"I can't think of a good reason," she answered. "My guess is that Dina just gets a kick from riling him up and poor Kiba falls for it everytime," she chuckled.

I looked towards Kiba again who was explaining something with a gesture of his hands while Dina remained cool and collected, urging him on. Yep, baby girl over there was enjoying this.

"But then why him?" I laughed, softly.

"Would you rather it was you?" Zena suggested and I shook my head vehemently. I already had my hands full with the tease candy. "Besides he's a grown man, he can hold his own against a teenage girl," she reasoned.

"Fine I'll play this game of yours," Kiba relented with a sigh. "But only to show you that there is nothing to it and it would be an absolute waste of my time," he explained.

Dina grinned like a cat that got the cream and the realisation that it had been her plan all along hit me. Zena smiled at me with a knowing look and I giggled.

Kiba must have offended someone in his past life to be the constant butt of a teenage girl's joke.

"Fine then," Dina smiled. "But first we go over the rules," she announced. Kiba quirked his eyebrows, a sign that she should hurry up with it and she shook her head at his impatience.

"Okay players," Llyod clasped her hands together and stifled a laugh at their competitive glares. "The rules of the game are simple. I will be the referee who will roll the spinner and call out the moves and this usually includes a body part and a colour," she explained. "So right hand red would mean that both of you would place your right hands on a red coloured dot simultaneously," she said, pointing to both players who were now on opposite sides of the mat. "And any player who falls or touches the mat with an elbow or a knee is immediately eliminated. You got that?" She looked towards Kiba for confirmation regarding his understanding and he grunted a reply.

"Okay then let the game begin," Llyod squealed. "Shoes off," she instructed and Kiba heeded the order with a grumble.

"May the best player win," Dina giggled with a stretch of her hand in good comradeship but Kiba was having none of that as he continued to stare on. "Okay then," she retracted her hand and focused on the mat.

"How much are you willing to bet on Kiba?" Zena whispered to me.

"Nothing," I answered without losing a beat. It was as clear as day who had the upper hand here.

"Gee thanks guys for the support," Kiba regarded us with a mock smile and Zena and I averted our gazes in unison.

"Left foot blue!" Llyod called out after a roll of the spinner and with that the game officially commenced.

I watched on for a few minutes, marvelling at how flexible Dina was in maneuvering around Kiba in an effort to draw him nearer to the edge of the mat. With each split and backbend Kiba was becoming restricted in his circle coloured options, nevertheless, he preserved with steel determination. The guy wasn't giving up anytime soon and this gladdened Dina who continued to push his boundaries in an effort to exhaust his already waning flexibility.

"It's going to be a fight to the finish, huh?" Zena commented, her eyes glued to the game.

"Looks like it," I agreed.

"So what did you guys talk about?" She abruptly asked with a brief sideways glance for she still wanted to keep tabs on the progress of the game.

"Our propositions, deals. Whatever you want to call it," I replied, suddenly getting agitated for what her reaction might be once she learns about the 'new developments.'

"A-and?" She dragged out with her eyes still on the game.

"He wants me to stay here for a month," I rushed out in a whisper.

"What?!" She hissed, loudly and jerked her head towards me. At the speed with which she used to turn her neck I was surprised she hadn't sustained a whiplash injury.

Kiba's stance faltered on the mat and he turned to glare at Zena. "Just because you aren't rooting for me, doesn't mean you have to deliberately sabotage me," he complained with a sour expression and Zena apologised with a sheepish smile while Llyod and Dina gave into a fit of giggles.

"I'm still in the running so spin," he mumbled to Llyod and she did just that.

"A month?" Zena gaped at me in disbelief. "If it's a joke I'll tell you now that it isn't funny," she warned.

"It's not," I promised and she swore softly, under her breath.

"But what for? What does he need from you that'll take so much time?" She enquired, trying to understand the reasoning behind residing here for a month.

"That's the confusing part," I whined. "I don't even know why he needs me here for that long and he won't even say. He went on about how I'll find that out myself and that he needs to know me more or rather we need to know each other more so he can trust that I'd keep to my end of the bargain," I rambled on, glad that I'd finally got the words out of my mouth.

The load on my shoulders had reduced tremendously.

"I would say that was bullshit if he wasn't your mate but I kind of envisioned this. It's probably a plan for you to fall for him and agree to be his Luna," she reasoned. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," I replied, confused. "I mean it's not like I have a choice. It's either this or war?"

"Or we could just steal the power-box with the aid of our powers and portal the hell out of here. He'll never find us without that thing anyway," she shrugged with a devious smile.

"Trust me I've been down that lane and I've made up my mind, we are not going to do that," I affirmed and she slumped her shoulders.

"Dang it! I was looking forward to a victory strut down his perfectly manicured lawns and into an awaiting portal," she huffed in disappointment.

"I'll accept his proposition but I understand if you have to go back to Kent," I said.

"Don't ever say that again," she reprimanded with a fierce shake of my shoulders and I smiled. "I'm not going anyway without you. We are in this together because as much as it'd hurt to be away from Kent for that long, I can't even imagine the pain you are going through with being torn between your mate and Rae," she sympathised and I felt my heart squeeze.

"Yeah," I laughed, dryly, in an attempt to ward off the tears that threatened to spill. "I won't see him for a month," I lamented and flashbacks of how he had hugged and petted me to sleep the night before I traveled here flittered past my mind.

I had woken up with my heart almost bursting at his protective shield around my body. He hadn't stirred when I had woken up and I knew it was because, just like me, he was emotionally drained. So I had remained content with stroking his hair, delicately, and staring hard at his face to memorise his features. Features I vowed not to forget. And with one final lingering kiss I had left him with nothing, not even a wave goodbye. I missed him terribly and it hurt that I wouldn't see him for a month.

What if he moved on with Nara? I mean it would serve me right, she didn't come with the baggage of a mate. In fact she was a lone wolf just as he was. They'd be perfect together.

"Hey love," Zena whispered, gently lifting up my chin and wiping my tears. Tears that I hadn't felt fall down my cheeks. "I'm sure he understands why you had to do it and if he truly loves you like he claims he'll patiently wait for you," she assured me with a smile and I settled with a slow nod.

I couldn't voice out my opinion concerning my perceived strength against the mate bond because, per adventure, he actually waited for me but I ended up disappointing him because I finally let Aryn into my heart. Then what would happen then? Was love strong enough to overcome the mate bond? I was becoming very fearful of the answer as the day passed.

Dina's abrupt shout of joy was enough to draw me out of my musings and I turned towards the source of the sound.

"I win again!" she squealed, excitedly but the much rather confusing part was that she was splayed over Kiba's chest as she expressed her happiness. "You touched the mat in a full body slam so I won," she grinned, smiling radiantly in his face.

"I get it so you can get off me now," he choked out in a strained voice.

His chiseled face adorned with a full beard was lined with tight veins that threatened to pop out and his cheek was the colour of scarlet. He rarely spent time around she-wolves except if you counted me and if you ever witnessed just how silly I could be around him you'd understand why. I had scared him off she-wolves for life. Also, Kiba was extremely shy to a fault and every attempt to chat up a she-wolf had resulted in him abandoning ship only to chuck and hide so I could understand his uneasiness around Dina. Unfortunately, the girl was oblivious to his pitiful plight.

"What if I don't want to?" She dared, placing her chin in one hand with her legs angled upward behind her.

"You won. Isn't that what you wanted?" He asked, incredulously. "Because now you can get off and gloat all you want," he reasoned.

"I win all the time so that is starting to get boring," she huffed in feigned exasperation.

"She's a damn good actress," Zena noted.

"Yeah but it still confuses me as to why she is so relaxed around someone she barely knows," I mused.

"Dina, that's enough. Get up right this minute," Llyod warned.

"Promise me you'll watch a movie of my choosing?" Dina pushed, disregarding Llyod.

"What's that?" He enquired. At this point I was convinced he was going to die of suffocation from his resistance to breath as Dina's face was only mere inches from his own.

"You'll know in good time," she replied. "So yes or yes?" She asked.

And this folks is a classic example of limited options if any at all.

He nodded fervently and she rolled over from his body and dashed out the door. "If you go anywhere I promise to make your life a living hell," she called out.

He sighed his relief and got up from the mat quickly.

"I apologise for her behaviour. She usually derives immense pleasure from teasing others but it's never this extreme," Llyod smiled sheepishly as she cleared the mat away.

"No need to apologise, the big man here can take care of himself. Right Kiba?" Zena teased with a slight smile as she tapped his shoulder.

He shrugged her off and glared at her and this earned a laugh from her. I swear his ears were turning pink. He looked over at me and I smiled slightly but his demeanour changed and he mindlinked me.

Are you alright? Did Aryn hurt you?

My ever perceptive bodyguard. He could read my countenance from a mile away.

No, it's nothing I promise, I placated but he still looked at me unconvinced.

Out with it Yil so I can determine who needs a dust blow, he growled, ever ready to carry out my orders.

By the way among element benders, the throls were given much respect because of their uncanny ability to administer dust blows. It was the most painful element attack as the victim is assaulted with a pile of stones, debris, rocks, soil and everything earth-filled. If Nyrlians were to counter-attack with water, they'd only get the dust blow wet and that's much worse. If Airians thought they were smart, well, they'd only grant the sand easier access into their eyes and then the Forlins were the pitiful of the bunch because let's just say that hot stones in this case would not grant pain relief but pain aggravation.

Trust me it's nothing. Zena will fill you in on the details of Aryn's proposition and we can all talk about it once we are done here, I assured him.

Okay but don't ever hesitate to tell me anything especially if you are hurting, he mind-linked and I nodded.

"So apart from your powers," Llyod cut into our mind-link before scooting forward to where we sat on the couch. "What's your world like, where is it and how do you get there?" She enquired, inquisitively.

"Ahm our world is not that different from yours maybe just a little smaller but still with the same hierarchies," I answered. And a lot less killing.

"And we get there through portal travelling," Zena added.

"Who opens these portals?" She asked.

"Ortions and Seers, of which I am," Zena answered.

"If you don't mind, could you go through the power categories of white-wolves again?" she asked, shyly. "Because unlike some wolves I don't enjoy literary readings as much as I enjoy fighting or horse riding," she admitted.

"That's okay," I smiled and with that Zena and I explained the categories and powers associated with each. Kiba would chip in here and there to further clarify when it got confusing.

In return she talked in detail about their world and how it's designed. She enlightened us on faraway lands, cultures, human beings, the four other Alpha's and a whole lot of other stuff. It was pretty satisfying, knowledge wise, especially with the calm and patient way in which she explained it all as she went through points over and over again to make sure we fully understood.

"That reminds me we have to think up a place of your origin to tell other pack members when they get curious," she recalled with a scratch to her head.

"How about Fra-a-nse?" Zena suggested as she enunciated the word slowly in an effort to get it right. "I didn't pronounce it well, did I?" she pulled a face and smiled sheepishly at Lloyd.

"No you tried," Llyod assured with a giggle. "But it's France with a 'c' not 's'," she corrected and Zena nodded her understanding. "However, I was thinking Germany would be a better option because my aunt is mated to a wolf there and I could always say that you are all distant cousins. Also if we tell them that your hair colour isn't real but dyed then they'll believe me even much more because no one is as crazy as me when it comes to dying my hair," she laughed. "They'll be convinced it runs in the family," she added.

"And what if someone finds out that we are impersonating identities that aren't ours?" I voiced out my apprehension regarding the plan.

"I guess that's where the real test of my abilities lies," she joked and Zena and I smiled. "But jokes apart, I'll let my aunt know once I get the go ahead from Alpha Aryn and I'm sure she'll be willing to adopt you three as her kids for the time being. Till Alpha Aryn deems it fit to expose your true identities. Which I'm hoping won't be long right?" She directed the question to me with hopeful eyes and I smiled slightly to reassure her. Upon seeing my gesture she relaxed.

I guess it would be tough on her to mislead other pack members on the true identity of their 'Luna'.

"But why all this secrecy around our identities?" Zena questioned. "I mean, I wouldn't have loved it any other way because there was a reason our ancestors separated from your kind in the first place but still it seems like something really bad could happen to us if this got out," she postulated.

"Well I'm sure it's because there are people who would want your powers for something sinister. A means to a powerful end? I can't be so sure. But the current obsession with finding the white-wolves, not only here in the US but in most parts of the world, among wolf clans, points to the fact that you are needed to fulfil a particular role in a scheme. What your role would be exactly, I don't know but it wouldn't be something good," she explained, convinced.

Their greed and lust for power and blood did drive us away from them. The need to be the sovereign ruler and tormentor to the ones beneath them did repulse us. And when our kind started to look more and more like the ultimate solution to their sinister plan did we flee. For the menacing, cruel look in their eyes was unmatched even till this day

These words, that every white-wolf had to memorize, rang in my head and when I looked towards Zena and Kiba I gathered that they were also thinking the same. This was the reason why the separation era happened in the first place, however, there were still some of us that were unbelieving of the words but we never voiced our reservations.

As they say seeing is believing, I just hoped it didn't cost me my eyes.

"Then how can we trust your Alpha or you or anyone in this pack?" Kiba questioned with a hard glare.

His question was legitimate because ironically Aryn also needed me for something and he wouldn't say what it was. How could I trust him despite the pull of the mate bond? I mean what was its use if I wound up dead.

"I wouldn't want to hurt anyone or bring them pain. I've always stood by these words and I won't change now so it's up to you to trust me or not," she replied, softly. "As for my Alpha I agree that some of the things he might do or his ways of thinking might not sit well with you and that's expected, you come from a different world and probably do things slightly differently. But if there is something I'm glad of, it is the fact that you will be able to teach us some of your ways and vice versa and just maybe we might learn to understand each other. With that said I can vouch confidently for Alpha Aryn's character as he is just and fair in his dealings," she finished with a hand to her chest and her eyes closed.

"What are you doing?" Zena asked, confused with a giggle.

"Swearing an oath," she replied with a quirked eyebrow and a slight open of her eyes before she joined Zena in her giggle.

I smiled and looked towards Kiba. He hadn't let his guard down yet and the same went for me as well. Only time would truly tell.

"Ahem so what is a movie?" Kiba asked the question so softly that I would have missed it had I not been staring intently at him. It was a wonder how Llyod managed to hear him over her fit of giggles as she turned towards him.

"It's a visual depiction that plays out on a television. Much like Yil's water story," she answered. Kiba was about to ask another question no doubt regarding what a television was but he was cut off by Dina's soft, excited voice.

"Okay rally round ladies and gent," she winked at Kiba and he averted his gaze. "Let's get this show on the road," she announced before handing out blue porcelain bowls with large cups of crushed ice. I couldn't be sure.

"That is popcorn," she said pointing towards the fluffy looking white stuff in answer to my unasked question. "And that's a slush puppie," she finished with a gesture towards the contents of the cup.

I sipped the contents through the straw and almost got paralysed from the icy shock wave that hit my head causing me to shiver at the impact.

"And that my friend is a brain freeze," she laughed before moving to switch on the flat, sleek, screened device that I was guessing was a television.

"It's painful," I complained and that fuelled her laughter even more.

Llyod moved in to draw the curtains and with a motion for Zena and I to get off the couch, she angled it to face the television. Then Zena, Llyod, Dina, Kiba and I piled unto it with Kiba obviously sitting by the edge but that didn't stop Dina from squeezing herself between Kiba and I with Zena by my other side and Llyod by the other edge.

We were ready to go.

We watched a comedy at first and I couldn't say that I had watched anything remotely half as funny. The characters played out their roles very well and the surprising thing was that they didn't speak a word. Llyod explained that it was a mime and the sole purpose was to make you focus on the act's folly and gullibility which led to it's funny actions rather than the words they spoke. Even Kiba cracked a smile here and there but it never went unnoticed by Dina and everytime he would clear his throat and act like it never happened.

I continued to sip on the slush puppie with relish as I was not deterred even though it caused some uncomfortable feelings in the brain but what could I say? The taste was addictive. We took a momentary pause when Dina had to refill our popcorns and this time I followed her into the kitchen only to witness the best, jaw-dropping sight of all time.

Jumping corn?! I figured that was where it got its name from.

On our way back, Dina grabbed a box of tissue from the kitchen counter and I wondered what we needed that for but she only smiled and told me to trust her. Thirty minutes into the romance movie and I understood why she had grabbed it in the first place. I was bawling my eyes out and so was every other she-wolf on that couch with me. Apart from the sad scenes in the movie, I also took advantage of the moment to cry out all my pent up tears.

Being far away from home, my parents, Rae especially Rae, the mate bond, my confusion, the shitty Sky Lordians........ and of course the movie.

"I still can't understand the rationale behind watching something that'll make you sad. You she-wolves are probably faking it just to make me feel uncomfortable," Kiba muttered with a roll of his eyes.

And in unison, almost as if there was an invisible force that bound us all together in that moment of female solidarity, we turned to face him and shoot him the dirtiest stink eye in the history of the world as a whole.

"What I meant was how dare he breaks her heart after all the love she had shown him. He's a jerk I know," he said, faking sympathy and pointing towards the television.

"You weren't even focusing on the movie because you are off the plot," Llyod sniffed, staring daggers at a confused Kiba.

"Just keep quiet and pass the tissue," Dina wailed.

"Yeah, what she said," Zena chimed in and he promptly passed her a sheet from the box of tissue that was placed on his lap.

I almost snorted in laughter at the uncomfortable grimace on his face but another fresh wave of tears overcame me and so I pushed my pity for him to the back of my mind and cried some more.

When all that was remaining of our tears were a few sniffles and hiccups from Dina, I gave into the sleep that had been hovering over me, waiting for the opportunity to descend on me and when it found one, it wasted no time in claiming it's prey.

I was still conscious, however, for I scented Aryn before I heard fragments of his conversation with someone.

"Why is this place littered with tissues? Did you watch Titanic again?" He asked someone. I just wanted them to keep it down, I could envision myself at my pack and his voice was disrupting my euphoric mind representations.

"Yeah we did," Dina yawned and someone got up from the left side of the couch. I was guessing it was Zena.

"Go get some sleep kiddo. You as well Llyod. I'll carry her to the room,"

Go to sleep? Was it midnight already?

I struggled to open my heavy-ladened eyelids but they wouldn't budge. Then again which room was he talking about because I wasn't sleeping with him tonight or so help me I will claw at his chest if he so much as placed a finger on me.

However, all my resistance died down when he lifted me off the couch, bridal style, and carried me out of the room. I welcomed his warmth and intoxicating scent and I snuggled closer into his chest. He chuckled, lowly, against my ear and I smiled. It might be the effects of the mate bond but I trusted that he wouldn't hurt me or my friends. He was my mate after all.

My spirit portalled out of my body and I was face to face with Rae. He grinned at me with his dazzling smile and I itched to touch his long blonde hair. I hyperventilated a little bit and Aryn murmured something that made me calm down.

I would see him after a month and hopefully he would find it in his heart to forgive me.

I was placed softly on the bed and Aryn covered me with the silk covers. I waited for him to join me as he had said he would yesterday but I felt no dip in the side next to me. He was probably going to sleep on the roll-up mattress today but then I heard the slight opening and clicking of the door. Or maybe not.

I was grateful to finally have absolute peace and with the ongoing tug of war between my love for Rae and the mate bond, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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