Aryn

I didn't like him one bit.

The luteous hue adorning his neck-length hair nor the incandescent allure repressed in his tired eyes. His suave features harboured identical dimples that deepened upon sighting Yil and his stance, albeit weak and lax, emitted an array of compelling voltaic energy.

Now that I thought of it, assuming that he was a rouge at first was quite foolish and irrational. This white wolf was the embodiment of a concealed powerhouse. One that I would still sock in the jugular, regardless of that fact, if he kept staring at Yil as if she were the sun in his orbit.

"I must be seeing things," his smooth, controlled whisper preceded the slow shake of his head just as his eyes darted about Yil's face in disbelief. "You're most certainly a mirage I'm sure," he added, gazing at her with a forlorn expression.

"No silly, it's me," she laughed quietly with tears in her eyes. "I'm real, see..." she added, placing both palms by the sides of his face.

My fists clenched, uncomfortably, by my sides and it took everything in me not to pull her away from him.

Why do I get the feeling that he is more than a pack member? I mind-linked Roy with a rigid stance.

He could be her brother, he suggested, quietly observing the exchange between them. Or a close friend, maybe? he looked in my direction, communicating that he didn't find anything to be amiss in their behaviour towards each other.

She's an only child.... I rumbled, discrediting his first assumption. ..... and no friend looks longingly at another friend, I added, disengaging from the mind-link before he could respond.

His arched eyebrow hinted at the fact that he thought I was blowing things out of proportion, probably because I was quite unnerved about Yil's sudden change in behaviour. However, there was something much more between them. I couldn't place my finger on it but from Yil's gentle mannerism and his adoring looks, I could deduce that they were connected on a more personal level.

Much deeper than friendship or familial relation.

"..... oh my, what happened to your face?" Yil's gasp brought my attention back to them. "You've lost so much weight and have gotten so pale," her voice cracked under immense emotional pain as she traced his bony facial features, slowly. "I'm s-so so sorry," she hyperventilated, letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks as an internal puzzle clicked in her head.

My insides twisted in pain and I yearned to provide her the comfort she required. However, the white wolf beat me to it and boy was I not happy.

"No, don't cry. Shhh," he soothed, taking a step closer to her. "I promise I'm as healthy as can be," he softly smiled, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumbs before he pulled her, suddenly, into a warm hug.

My resolve to let them be as I settled into the role of an observing bystander disintegrated, rapidly, the moment he did that. I found myself moving, automatically, towards them and with a fierce growl, pushed him back with so much force he stumbled back, stunned.

"You might be her pack member, but I won't stand for such shows of affection towards my mate," I enforced, staring him down, venomously.

"Mate?" He whispered, testing the feel of the word on his tongue just as Yil's abrupt shove on my chest pulled my attention away from him.

"Aryn what the hell is wrong with you?! Are you trying to hurt him even more?! Haven't you done enough damage already?!" She yelled, aiming bullet after bullet of hurtful words in my direction and glaring at me with emerald eyes that had been engulfed in flames of vengeance. In a similar vein, Kiba crouched down with hackles raised in high alert and a bared fang, ready to attack on his Princess orders.

To say I was shocked by her reaction would have been an understatement.

Tumultuous emotions swirled violently within her mesmerizing orbs just as shocks of destructive energy vibrated, strongly, across her form. I was the target for all these ominous feelings and for the life of me, I couldn't understand why.

"As your mate, I won't stand by and watch another male put his hands on you..." I ground out, again, through a clenched jaw. "...and as Alpha of this pack he will obey that rule or better still risk the consequence of getting hurt or worse killed," my eyes wandered to the white-wolf who was still seated on the grass with a palm on his chest and I glowered at him, wickedly.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled, challenging my authority.

"Let him try me then," I smirked, heinously with a nonchalant shrug as she backed away from me, slightly, in disgust.

That one subtle action caused a sharp surge of pain to shoot through my chest as I felt the feelings of rejection waft off her form.

"You really are no different from them," she breathed, furrowing her forehead in disappointment with wide eyes of realization.

We stood facing each other like lifelong adversaries just as the atmosphere surrounding us grew thick with animosity. It had never been this way between us, and it hurt that she looked at me with such resentment and repulse.

Instantaneously, the hardened placement of her features softened once she heard the white-wolf's grunt of pain as he righted himself up to his feet. I could see the panic and utmost concern in her eyes at the sound of his discomfort and turning around, swiftly, she sought to ease his pain.

An intense spike of jealousy clouded my judgement and reaching out a hand, I grabbed her by the wrists and halted her actions. Once she turned around to regard the reason behind my changed attitude, her distressed-filled eyes met my envious and questioning ones.

What is he to you? Why are you so overprotective of him? And more so why have you never felt this way towards me?

These questions, I tried to communicate to her. Unfortunately, we were yet to be marked mates and as such a mind-linked connection between us hadn't been created. I felt so exposed and vulnerable as I clung unto her like an abandoned chick in need of its mother's love.

The act reeked of weakness and I hated that everyone who was present here witnessed me in my low state.

"I apologise, sincerely, for my actions. I understand the exclusivity that the bond creates between mates and my behaviour towards Yil was arguably out of place," the white-wolf's soft voice broke into our transfixed gaze and together we looked towards him. "It was my mistake to come here. I just wanted to get a glimpse of a very missed friend," he continued, throwing a fleeting look at Yil. "I didn't think that I'd be caught in the act much less by the Alpha or her..." he paused, his eyes moving downwards to my possessive grip on Yil's wrists before it returned to my hardened glare. "...mate," he added, swaying slightly on his feet before he smiled, reassuringly, towards Yil who tensed up.

"Well, next time rethink sneaking into my pack because I don't take kindly to unknown visitors," I rumbled, unrepentant about my hostility towards him and quite unnerved by his continued poise and composure despite his obvious discomfort.

Not even one strand of his golden locks was out of place and despite his rough fall, his coat was devoid of dirt. Who was this guy anyway? Mr Perfect?

"Noted," he nodded. "I'm Rae by the way and all I ask is a few days at your pack before I continue on my journey," he introduced himself with a wheeze and promptly laid down his request.

"And what if I refuse?" I arched an eyebrow just as Yil wriggled her wrist, discreetly, in an effort to free herself of me. I repositioned my hold on her so that her wrist was firmly in my grasp and ignored the murderous glare she directed my way.

"Then there's absolutely nothing I can do," he chuckled, lightly at the question and I had the sudden urge to choke him out.

His Buddhist, self-righteous, holier-than-thou act was beginning to wear me down. Absolutely, no wolf was this optimistic and cheery after suffering an unwarranted beating.

"I do apologise again," he reinstated, bending to pick up an item that glittered upon contact with the sunray. I couldn't make out the shape of the object for he clasped it, hurriedly, within his palms just before his knees buckled and he fell face down onto the earth.

"Rae," Yil gasped, trying but failing to disengage herself from my hold. Kiba ran swiftly to his side and rolled him over to avoid an inhalation of dirt particles just as Star knelt by his side.

"How do I know this is not all a cunning act to stay here despite my reluctance?" I scoffed with a roll of my eyes.

No sooner had I said those words did I feel the need to turn back the hand of time. For Yil's forceful movement away from me coupled with her hurt expression was enough to make me swallow them down, whole.

"Have you no actual feelings of sympathy towards another?" She questioned with a whisper and a voice thick with emotion. "You know what, my bad," she laughed, bitterly. "I've forgotten just who you are," she spat out.

"I've had just about enough of this!" I thundered, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her towards me. "What the hell is up with you and this gibberish talk? What happened at Hunter's shed? Tell me what's eating you up inside," I demanded, frustratedly as she avoided my gaze. "I want to know every single detail," I gnashed my teeth, emphasizing each word as I placed a finger under her chin and angled it towards me.

"Alpha, he's still breathing albeit with a weak pulse," Star interrupted, quietly. "He needs urgent medical attention and not a minute late if we are to salvage his life," she added, hurriedly with an imploring tone.

I couldn't care less if he lived or died. However, sensing my inner resolve and knowing just how it could cause more friction between Yil and I, Roy stepped in and took control of the situation.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Roy directed his horse towards where Rae lay and looked to Kiba. "Help me place him onto the horse, quickly," he ordered just as Kiba nodded in agreement.

I never passed the order which you are executing, I droned down the mind-link, unimpressed.

Even a stubborn goat knows when to quit, he simply replied, mounting the horse with Rae slumped against his back.

"Let go of my arm," Yil protested with her eyes trained on Rae's unresponsive form. "You have no right to hold me against my will," she hissed, turning to pull on her elbow.

"I won't take this open disrespect of my authority as Alpha anymore. You of all people know just how disgraceful it is to have my mate openly defile me just as you are doing now," I hissed back. "It is something worthy of punishment and you know it," I growled just as Roy clicked his tongue to hasten his horse on the trail towards the pack with Star riding behind him.

"Then do me the favour of rejecting the mate bond, high and mighty Alpha," she taunted, spitefully just as Roy's horse glided past us.

Her statement struck a chord of pain within me but even that agony couldn't be compared to what was to come. For in the split second that Roy's horse sped past us, a procession of eye-opening events occurred. The most important one being that, I caught the whiff of a very familiar potent male scent.

One that I traced to Rae. One that I had scented on Yil, the day we walked to the forest. One that I could still scent on her despite Adolf's claims of denial that it couldn't be so.

Trust me Aryn, it's probably not what you think it is, he chuckled, shakily. His words acted as a desperate modulator against the fury that boiled within him. He still wanted to give Yil the benefit of the doubt despite the obvious truth that stared us in the face. They all share the same characteristic orange blossom scent after all, he mused, rounding his mental cage, restlessly.

Well, he could keep deceiving himself as to the truth of the matter because try as I might, I couldn't ignore the facts that whirled around, madly, in my mind.

The rush of blood in my veins led to a rapid inhalation of breath as I felt my heart shatter at the revelation. My psyche plunged into a depressing hole of all-encompassing sorrow just as my chest clenched, stiffly. The closeness between Yil and I suddenly became too stifling and uncomfortable and as if burned by her skin, I let go of her arm and backed away from her.

"Aryn I-I really didn't mean that. I'm just so... I-I don't even know...." she stuttered, running a hand through her hair in frustration before I cut her off.

"You'll ride with Kiba back to the pack..." I choked out, resisting the urge to punch the bark of a nearby pine tree "...however as soon as you get there you'll meet me in my office," I finalised, straddling Midnight in one swift action and riding towards the pack.

My breath was seizing, my chest was cramping, the rush of cool air felt like hot coals upon contact with my skin and the journey back to the pack felt like it took a thousand years.

My mate. The one destined for me. Mine. Only now she wasn't mine. In fact she had never been mine because for the first time since I had observed her behaviour towards Rae, I finally solved the missing link to the puzzle. Her heart belonged to him.

It had always been him. The invisible barrier that hindered her ability to develop romantic feelings towards me. The powerful obstacle that even had the capacity to go head-on against the compelling mate bond.

Digging my heels into Midnight's flank, his hooves skidded on the grassland as we both came to an abrupt halt. I jumped off his back, swiftly, and landed on the earth in a crouched position before I let out a series of disgruntled growls.

Midnight backed away from me in alarm, kicking out wildly just as my fangs became elongated.

"You know I'd never hurt you," I placated, hoarsely, when I sensed his terrified demeanor. He didn't look too convinced as he continued to stay at alert, putting me at arm's length. "I'm just going through so much right now, that's why," I whispered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears. From my darkened vision, I could see that he had calmed down somewhat and attempted to walk closer to where I squatted when he sensed my grief. "No, don't come any closer," I warned, turning my back to him as he neighed in displeasure. "Go to the pack, I'll be right behind you," I promised, feeling the need to shift.

True to his stubborn nature, he decided to stick around for a few minutes, pawing at the ground to get my attention. However, when none was forthcoming, he snorted in frustration a few times before he trotted back to the pack, reluctantly.

Once I was sure that he was gone, I shifted into my wolf and let Adolf take control as I receded into a lonely, reclusive space that protected me, for the time being, from the unbearable hurt and pain. We rounded the forest with maddening speed, leaping over fallen trees, climbing up small hills and stumbling over a few times. The spike of adrenaline did me good for when we were truly over and exhausted, I could do no more but lay down on the forest floor. As I regained control over my rapid breathing patterns and erratic heartbeat. Quite oblivious to the cuts and wounds that I had acquired.

It was around midnight when I finally made it into the pack. Coming close to the pack-house entrance, I made out the features of a quaint she-wolf. She was wrapped up in what seemed to be a wool coat to protect against the icy wind that blew down the valley. Her stance was one of anxious anticipation as she continually leaned her neck out from under the coat hood to look in each cardinal direction in search of something.

Or in this case someone.

For when our eyes met, she ran from her position in front of the pack-house entrance to meet me.

"Aryn, where the hell have you been?" She asked, furiously. "Do you know how many times Roy, Yil, Fred and I have gone to look for you? You got us all worried, especially when Midnight returned alone. I thought something bad had happened to you..." she rushed out, shakily as her eyes darted about my form in concern.

"...and what happened to your clothes?" She gasped, taking in the appearance of my tattered clothing. "Here, have my coat," she added, taking off her coat in an instant and before I could put in so much as a word, she went on her tippy toes and draped it around my form. "That should keep you warm for the time being," she affirmed and with shaky fingers she fussed with the buttons of the coat.

"Star, I'm okay. I just went for a run that's all," I placed a hand on her fingers to stop their jitteriness and noticed that they were frozen cold. "Moreso, as much as I appreciate the kind gesture, I can take the cold. So you don't need to give me your jacket. Where are Roy and Fred by the way?" I asked as I attempted to give her back the wool jacket. However, she pulled back my hand and turning it over, she frowned.

"You're wounded," she whispered, taking in the deep scratches that lined it's surface. "Where else?" She sighed, staring fixedly at my palm.

"It's an insignificant bruise, I'll take care of it," I dismissed, retracting my palm and walking past her.

"Aryn your legs are bleeding as well. That's not insignificant," she insisted, her voice rising a notch as she caught up to me and blocked my entrance into the pack house.

I looked down to the wooden floorboards of the entrance and noticed that I had left bloody footprints behind. The right side of what was left of my jeans had been soaked in blood and I now realized that rather than a muscle sprain, the wound had been the actual reason behind my limping.

"As I said before, I'll take care of it," I ground out, stubbornly, much to her surprise and walking round her, I entered the pack house and trudged up the stairs.

Behind me, I heard the faraway voices of Roy and Fred as they met Star by the entrance.

"Any sign of him yet?" Fred questioned with a pant.

"Yeah, he just arrived. Said he wants to be alone," Star answered, simply with a detached tone. No doubt hurt by my cold behaviour towards her.

It wasn't my intention to treat her that way, especially seeing as she had stood out there in the cold, for lord knows how many hours, waiting for me. However, just as she rightly said, I wanted to be alone and spending more time out there with her or better still indulging in the comfort she so willingly provided would only mean that I'd break down emotionally. She alone had that effect on me.

Wrapping the wool coat around my form, tightly, I took a deep inhale of her scent and calmed down. Nostalgic memories of the past were summoned into my mind at once and I had to curb the sudden urge to huddle up into a corner and wail.

Star smelt of home. A safe haven. My safe haven. She was the only one who truly cared. No one else did. Not even my mate.

I took the last steps towards the double mahogany doors of my room but before I could place my hand on the door knob, it opened from inside. Silvery-white tresses came into my line of vision before I held the emerald gaze of a fair-skinned beauty. Her stance emitted strong feelings of nervous concern and in her arms lay a thick, black jacket.

"Aryn," she breathed. "Where have you been? We've all been worried sick, looking for you," she opened the door wide enough for me to enter and attempted to usher me into the room. However, I evaded her touch and moved in of my own accord.

Her outstretched hands stayed in that position for a moment before she retracted them, slowly, and proceeded to close the door. "Star and I were just about to go out into the woods again to look for you when I thought to come up here to grab you a coat seeing as it's cold outside..." she continued, turning around to face me. "...but I see Star must have given you hers," she scratched her hair, nervously, and placed the jacket on the bed. "What happened to your clothes though?" She asked, taking in my disheveled appearance. "Did something bad happen? You're wounded as well," she noted, walking closer to me and bending down, she tried to peer, closely, at my injury. However, I moved away from her and settled on the bed as I began to untie my shoelaces.

"There's no need to act like you care," I snorted, dryly, yanking a shoe off with force and later regretting the action because it turned out to be the one fastened to my wounded leg.

"I'll go get the first aid supplies before it starts to fester," she sighed, referring to my wound and getting up from her crouched position.

"Forget it. I don't need your help," I hissed more so in pain than in anger. "I'm quite surprised that you're here anyway and not with your lover," I chuckled, spitefully. "I mean he's in a much worse situation than I'm in, afterall," I managed to pull off the other shoe albeit with some difficulties just as she turned around to face me.

"You're badly injured and I'm tired. It's been a long and emotionally tasking day for both of us. So I suggest we address all and any issues that we have when it's bright out," she voiced in a controlled tone as she picked up my shoes.

"Why? Is it because I caught on to your relationship with that white-wolf?" I pushed, rising up from the bed. "For how long did you think you'd be able to string me along huh?" I questioned, pushing back the curls that were blocking my view of her. "I have been nothing but truthful and open to you about everything concerning me and you never once thought that it'd be good to know that you had.... Oh shit! Maybe still have an ongoing romantic relationship with him," I growled, feeling all the repressed emotions of anger, resentment, hurt and betrayal boil up to the surface.

I was faced with still silence as she walked to the far end of the room and placed my soiled footwear into a brown paper bag. With her back still to me, she replied in a soft whisper. "I accept every responsibility and blame for not telling you of my relationship with Rae..." she started but I interrupted her.

"I don't want a generic apology, Yil," I groaned, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "You not telling me of whatever past relationships you may have had isn't the point I'm trying to emphasize here," I walked around, restlessly and braced myself up to say what I was about to say next. "It's you not telling me that you are actually in love with someone else that hurts more," I choked out just as my chest clenched, painfully. I caught the silent hitch in her breath when I made the statement and hearing no words of denial from her, I concluded that indeed she was in love with Rae.

"He's the reason why you never connected with me the way I did with you. He's the barrier against you opening up your heart to me. Heck! Every moment spent with you has felt like I was always the third wheel in a relationship you had with another invisible being. Now I understand why," I rushed out, punching a hole into a nearby wall in anger. "It was always him," I finished in a tight voice.

"You've hurt yourself enough already today," she inhaled, deeply, looking at the hole I had made in the wall. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. For now I need to clean your wounds and you need to get some rest," she insisted.

"You're awfully calm for someone who's been deceiving another, don't you think?" I scoffed. "My physical pain is the only thing you seem to care about huh? What of my emotions? Don't they matter? In fact have they ever mattered?" I took a step closer to her as I asked each question. "Did you ever even feel the slightest emotion towards me? What the hell does that golden haired fuckhead have that I don't have anyway?" I placed both palms on the wall behind her and caged her to myself as I brought my face closer to hers. "I'm your mate Yil. Your heart is supposed to belong to me," I growled just as her eyes lit up with embers of repressed flames.

"You know it's quite bold of you to say I deceived you when you hid the truth about the separation era from me," she growled back, bending down under my arm and escaping my hold. "How come it never crossed your mind to inform me about your ancestors being the initiators of the massacre and enslavement of white-wolves huh?!" She shouted as the tears streamed down her face, profusely.

Only now did I understand the reason behind her silence and calm. She was wrestling an internal anger that had been amassing ever since we left Hunters shed. However, seeing my condition, she had made the difficult decision to postpone her confrontation till I was in a much better shape.

Right now, I had just about pushed her over the edge.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I scrunched up my forehead in confusion. For I found it quite hard to believe that the white-wolves had separated from us for that reason. Or that my ancestors were the initiators. This was news to me.

"There's a huge paperback that's kept in an equally huge show glass that's not, mind you, hidden..." she gesticulated, sarcastically, with her hands as she described the book. "... in your druids' cottage that details all the gorey events leading up to the separation era and you want me to believe that you or no one else in this pack knew of this,'' she stared, incredulously, at me, expecting an answer.

"I rarely visit Hunter's shed. I'm more inclined to the sciences as you've seen and believe me sincerely, I have no idea of what you speak of nor does anyone else. The separation era happened over a century ago and it is feasible that the version of events that we, the current generation of normal lycanthrope, have knowledge of has been watered down greatly," I explained, walking closer to her as I felt compelled to provide her comfort.

I parted her hair away from her face, slowly, and with the pad of my thumb, I began to wipe her tears. However, she leaned her face away from my touch and faced another direction.

"I repulse you now don't I?" I smiled, humorlessly, and let my hand fall to my side. "What's the reason behind that though? Your love for Rae or your hatred for my ancestors?" I whispered, placing my forehead on her shoulder despite her reluctance to look at me.

I could feel the agile throb of her jugular vein and hear the steady beat of her heart. Her body heat encompassed me in their totality and for a moment we stood like that, not a word uttered or a sound made. Just silence and the constant rise and fall of our chest.

"A-a-aryn you're making me h-hot," she faintly choked out, disrupting the calm silence that I was becoming accustomed to.

"What did you say?" I asked, not quite hearing her the first time.

Reluctantly, I raised my head to hear her better and just in time, I caught her eyes roll to the back of her head. Before she fell to the floor, I caught her form and carried her over to the bed.

"Hey Yil, what's wrong?" I shook her slightly to bring back some life into her unresponsive body.

Placing my ear to her chest, I checked that her heartbeat was steady and putting a finger under her nose, I deduced that she was breathing as well. The only thing amiss in my quick check-up was the fact that she was running a high-fever. Moreover, she gave off a peculiar scent that drove Adolf and I to the brinks of ecstasy.

My eyes were drawn, instantaneously, to her neck and I felt the urge to mark her. The moonlight shone, favourably, on her face to highlight her features and I found myself tracing the outline of her lips with my fingers.

Hunter had said that she was experiencing her first reawakening. Just yesterday, I had found her downstairs, slumped against the kitchen fridge with an ice pack against her abdomen. Today she complained that I made her hot. Furthermore, it had been a full moon week.

It was all too clear what was happening and quite laughable that I hadn't picked up on it earlier.

She was in heat.
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