AN: Everything is slowly coming full circle. 🥰🥰

A fog lifts from my mind and I find myself walking through a forest. Where am I? Looking down at my legs I notice that I haven't stopped moving. And that I'm in a nice dress, one I vaguely remember but my mind won't make the connection.

'Stop.' I command but I get no response. I just glide over exposed tree roots and rocks on the ground like my feet have memorized the path from walking it so much.

I haven't been here before.

A sudden chill has me shivering and now I notice that it's snowing. Not hard enough to completely break through the canopy but there are definitely patches of white catching my attention.

I feel eyes caressing my figure but my gait stays constant. A purring starts in my chest and it shocks me more than walking around in a snowy forest.

"Happy Birthday. . . " A cold breeze carrying the words nip at my ear like a mischievous lover.

I know that voice.

Suddenly my body stops as it too recognizes who the words came from.

Will?

"Will.!" I shout to the tops of my lungs, excitement practically dripping from my pores.

"You're deep in the woods puppy eyes. Hasn't anyone told you that dangerous beings lurk in these trees?" His voice drifts over me but no matter how much I turn, I can't spot a hint of his grey skin or pure white hair.

I scoff loudly and place my hands over my hips.
"As if you'd let anything happen to me."

There is no rebuttal.

"You weren't at my birthday party." The pout is clear in my voice and I can hear the undercurrent of hurt, hell I can feel it within my chest. I want to rub the spot but my hands aren't my own, well they are but they're not following my commands.

"Puppy eyes. . . " Will's sigh brings an onslaught of cold wind that doesn't freeze my skin like it's supposed to.

"My mom helped with my hair and stuff but I picked out the dress all by myself. Do you like it?" I do a little twirl not at all feeling self conscious even though it appears that I'm completely alone out here.

A laugh bubbles through my chest and I keep spinning, finding pure euphoria through the motion. The trees blur around me but I keep a sharp eye on a specific one so that I won't be dizzy after.

I'm stopped soon as hands rest on my shoulders and I am face to face with a wild fae.

Gone is the Will I have known for months, standing before me is an embodiment of nature.

His hair is far longer than I remember and it's all in tangles. Will's grey skin reflects off what little light that's available giving it the illusion of a moving art piece. Every scar, every streak of dirt and debris make sense on his canvas.

He's wearing shorts but I know it's only because he's in front of me. A flash of my imagination peeks through showing me an image of running through these woods in nothing but what the goddess gave us. Heat creeps through my being but my body doesn't show any outward signs of my wayward thoughts, further cementing that I have no control.

My line of thinking is broken as I involuntarily squeal.

"Will!" I shout and throw my arms around him.

"You are perfection tonight Bex." Will's hold is only as tight as mine is on him.

I feel pure warmth spreading through my chest at his words because Will only ever says my name when he's utterly serious. This time I do feel my cheeks warming up along with my chest and I know that I'm blushing.

"I looked way better at my party. Why didn't you show?" Will pulls away from our embrace first but catches my hands in his own to keep me close.

"You didn't want me there." His sadness penetrates my chest.

"No way, I always want you around." With our hands clasped, his arms have no choice but to sway as I suddenly do.

"You don't remember our last fight."

"We don't fight." I answer immediately and then uncertainty grabs me. "Do we?"

Will chuckles and kisses my forehead. A gasp comes out of my body but I don't understand why.

"Oh." I say immediately trying to pull my hands away from his. Succeeding because he doesn't want to grip too hard.

"Puppy eyes. . ." He sounds hurt and it doesn't sit right with my being.

"I'm sixteen now, enough to know who I want to be with! I'm tired of never remembering our times together but knowing that something is missing." Now I can feel the tears in my eyes, ready to go at a moments notice.

Geez, this flip through emotions is exhausting.

Will doesn't say anything as he catches my hands again and pulls me close. I struggle slightly but not enough to make him let go.

There is no speaking as I lay my head on his bare shoulder, just breathing deeply. I can't seem to get angry that he hasn't answered me, instead I'm calmer- relaxed.

I close my eyes for just a second.

When I open them again, I'm in Will's arms and he's walking us somewhere. The bunched up ombré green tulle has me giggling and Will looks down at me with a smile.

"What brought you to the woods puppy eyes?" His voice is like an all over balm, nothing rigid stands a chance against him.

"I had a dream of us together. I'm not sure if it was when we first met or soon after but I was little and wandering around the forest."

A humming sound vibrates through his chest so I wrap my arms around Will's neck to get closer to him. It feels good against my cheek.

"Tell me about it?" The innocence in my voice has me appalled with myself.

By this point I understand that I'm in a memory but I can't figure out why.

I'm also not sure if I want to finish this one. It's too intimate, and I can't remember it which makes everything worse.

"You are correct, it wasn't long after our first meeting. Do you remember that? Well, as future Alpha your father wanted you to know the wild fae that lives in the woods. I've been living here for a long time puppy eyes, before your pack even settled in the area. It only made sense for you to meet me while young like your father has and yours fathers fathers before him. What we didn't expect was for your wolf to try and take over. You were just too young.

It was a troubling sight and nothing seemed to work until I thought of taking my memory from you, but leaving it with your wolf. I thought it was the last time we'd see one another.

Days after, when you were supposed to be sleeping, you slipped out of your room and started walking into my domain. I knew who you were immediately and stayed away until you started to cry.

I assumed that you were scared of being lost in the woods but no, you were just angry that you couldn't find what you were looking for. 'The man without a face.' Me.

And so started your frequent visits until the day I caved."

My head was nodding along with his story but all this information is new to me.

It sounds as if I've known Will for practically my entire life, and yet this is the first time I'm really hearing about it.

What happened?

"Well, if she's giving me back my memories through dreams, I don't think you should take them anymore." I feel pride in this she.

"That's what you've said before and later on you've been found convulsing. I nearly lost you once, never again." Will's words are firm yet gentle.

"But she's getting stronger, I know I can handle it next time." I forgot how much optimism youth can bring into any situation.

"She is stronger but you aren't ready for her yet." His words would have been nicer had he slapped me.

My body's reaction is immediate and I'm pushing him away while straightening my legs to take the fall. I sharp pain slices through my foot and I look down to see that I have no shoes on.

Has it been like this for the entire night?

Will lifts my foot to inspect it but again I push him away. Whimpering at the lost contact as well as the subtle pain.

"I got it." I snap while simultaneously feeling tears slide down my face.

He doesn't push me as I look over the small cut, but he does force my arm around his shoulders as we keep walking. With his height, we're completely imbalanced so he has most of my weight in his arm while my feet hardly skim the ground.

"It wasn't my intention to offend puppy eyes. I have always been honest with you and this is no different. You may feel ready but your body knows different, which is why there's a constant battle whenever she tries to emerge."

I stubbornly stay silent until he breaks.

"Puppy eyes, I'm sorry."

I feel myself about to say something back but then we break through the trees into a rose garden. A familiar looking rose garden surrounded by snow.

"Sit here and I'll be right back." Will sets me down on a suspiciously cleared off bench and walks off toward a run down green house.

After a few minutes my hands start moving around along with my head.

I had so little patience, there is no way anyone could confuse the younger me with who I am now.

Just as I'm about to get up, Will appears again with a first aid kit.

"You never could stay seated for long." His smile reaches his eyes to show that he's not angry with my inability to remain in place.

"I got bored." My pout only widens his smile. He maneuvers us so that my feet are in his lap.

"This will sting." He warns.

It did and I squealed for no good reason. Or so I thought until Will finishes cleaning and dressing the wound, then he wraps me in his arms to calm me. The victory surging through my chest is no illusion, young me played him.

I can't lie and say that I'm not proud.

"When I get my wolf, we'll never be apart." The fierceness in my words startle him.

"You're still young. Don't make decrees like that." His arms loosing while mine tighten.

"I'm serious." I don't look at his face but I can feel his jaw clamping shut.

"I'm too old for you. Think about your mate."

"Stop it. I've made my choice and I choose you." The adoration is so sweet in my voice and I can tell that it's killing him.

"You only like me because you've known me for years puppy eyes. I'm different from the pack but wait until you get a good look at the world, you'll see that this was just a silly crush."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" My fury has me striding away from his embrace while on a bandaged foot. Pain or not I felt the need to pace around slightly.

"Okay then. What about your family? They would never accept a fae as your chosen, much less your pack. Are you willing to give up on being Alpha?" His words hit my bravado but again, optimism shines through.

"They'll get there eventually, I just know it! Daddy says that he doesn't care what I do as long as I'm happy."

"Yes, but not everyone is your father. Supernatural beings were never supposed to intermingle, that's why you never hear of any half breeds. There is no official ruling against it but everyone knows that to try is a death sentence."

"We could live here! I'll protect us! You know these woods better than anyone and can tell if someone's coming." My excitement is so extreme that I don't notice that I've dragged Will to the center of the garden near a frozen fountain.

"That's not enough. We'd be running for the rest of your life. This forest is only so vast and with enough beings, even I cannot hold them all off."

For the millionth time I feel tears in my eyes but this time I let them go freely.

"But I want to be with you."

Will sighs and brings me close to his body. He starts to sway with his hands appropriately placed on my hips. It takes a second before I respond in kind and wrap my arms around his neck.

"You haven't experienced enough to make such declarations but if it makes you feel better, I will look into what I can. This will take time so I won't be around as often, is that okay?"

I nod my head and snuggle it into his neck. His body is mighty warm for a fae that controls all things cold.

"I would do anything for you Bex, but think about your mate while I'm gone. I've heard that there is nothing greater than the mate bond between wolves. Don't give that up for me, I'm not worth it."

Instead of answering, I move back slightly before kissing him.

I just plant my lips on his.

The angle was near perfect because he'd tilted his head down to talk to me.

If I could, I'd be still with shock as Will is. But my body does more by pulling him closer and standing on the tips of my toes for better contact.

Every nerve ending in my body sparks like never before and I can feel the warmth in my chest spreading to my every extremity.

I know what this means.

Suddenly, I'm being yanked from my body and thrown into a black void.

"Does this knowledge disgust you?" A powerful voice asks. It's volume shakes my entire being, definitely rattling my brain.

"No." Is my weak reply. I'm in a state of shock, I don't even try to shake it off.

"Would you fight for him even if it means forfeiting your own life?" Another voice asks that is just as powerful as the first.

"Yes." My answer is immediate and I know it to be true. I could never stand the fae but I wouldn't just stand by if he was in danger. Never.

"We shall see." A third voice booms.

Suddenly, I have no bearings again and get swallowed in to the darkness.

AN: I know that some people might find this uncomfortable but let me be clear, this kiss is the first EVER romantic contact between Will and Bex, who is sixteen at this time. Before this they were strictly good friends and he would teach her all about the forest surrounding her home. She developed a crush due to her developing body and raging hormones. Any early advances were strictly shut down. Will never took it farther, am I understood?