The sun was moving towards the top, turning brighter by each second.

Unlike Axel whose gaze was turning darker while watching Natalie leaving the ground. His eyes didn't move off her until she was finally out of the sight.

Thomas and Nirvan were laughing in mockery. So were all of the females including me. Axel's friends had silenced.

I had expected some angry or sarcastic response from him. But nothing came out. To my shock and relief, he chose to slide this away. After all, he couldn't just digest the she-wolf who put his life in danger, flipping her hair after insulting him again.

A pup of ten to twelve years came running towards us from the wider ground. His face was all red from running. He panted after stopping in front of Nirvan. We all watched as he informed, "Beta, Alpha is calling you."

Nirvan's smile faded. Gina and Orina had started to gossip about their dresses for the evening while Keira and I were listening to the boy.

Thomas smiled at the boy lightly. "What is it about, Jackie?"

"Alpha needs help in serving the brunch to the guest rooms," answered Jackie with a sincere look.

"Have you seen Ivan?" asked Keira, making Nirvan sigh and blink.

The boy shook his head politely. "But Alpha was telling his mother to take Ivan and Beta Iago for the drill."

"What drill?" I asked absentmindedly.

Thomas gave me serious look. "It's for the she-wolves above sixteen. We, as neighbors of them monsters, show the females the borders, caves and you know, places they need to know. Who knows who might get mated to. . ." He sighed heavily, not being able to complete the sentence. "Natalie must be joining it too."

"The geographical knowledge is always helpful in running away from the enemies," said Keira thoughtfully. "When is it starting?"

"After an hour," replied Jackie.

I gulped while Nirvan taunted, "Thank God, Ivan has work. I thought, Pete is knowingly distancing himself from my brother." He got off the stone he was sitting on and started walking away.

Thomas shook his head. "He doesn't know that he could be a greater Beta than Ivan."

Keira looked at Thomas, her gaze holding a belief. "Not greater but Careful? Yes."

I smiled sadly to myself as both of them looked at Nirvan's retreating back. A silence had spread among three of us.

"Hey! Look at them," said Orina while glancing at the ground from in between her gossips with Gina. "I swear, this female must find her mate before I go to her home with Klynn. Because I am not tolerating a sister-in-law like her."

Thomas' face turned blank as we all followed Orina's gaze towards the ground. My own eyebrows raised at seeing how Thea and Alyssa were standing face to face with each other.

"They are arguing. . ." Ellie started while concentrating hard. As a human, I was nowhere able to listen. But I could see the angry gestures.

"About what?" I asked because even Gina and Orina were concentrating.

"That bitch," said Gina through clenched jaws while trying to move off the stone we all were sitting on.

Keira grabbed her elbow. "Let them fight this on their own."

"How do you even stay friends with her, Ellie?" said Gina through gritted teeth. She was literally glaring at the ground scene.

Ellie only chuckled. "I have no parents. Luna Anne loves me and Leo as her own kids. Alyssa has always been like a best friend except she is more savage."

Thomas huffed silently while Orina twitched her lips. "It's not fair. Thea is younger. She is scared by the way Alyssa is threatening her."

I looked at Thomas' face like a fool as I couldn't hear anything from that far. He was getting blank by each second.

"I am going to sort this issue out," said Thomas. "I am going to them."

Alyssa immediately pushed Thea hard who staggered back and bumped into Alanna and Rosalie who were supporting her. Alyssa was all alone.

Ellie shook her head. "You don't have to. They are about to come here only."

"Why?" I asked her

She sighed heavily. "They are fighting over Thomas after all."

I watched with wide eyes as Thea turned towards us and started walking angrily. Alanna passed her the volley ball while along with them, Alyssa too was approaching.

"Uh-oh," mumbled Keira. "Thomas, don't side with anyone because you are still confused."

"So, now you understand this confusion. But not for Ivan?" Thomas taunted in his calm anger.

Keira clenched her jaws but didn't say anything because Alyssa and Thea had neared.

Alyssa was smirking while Thea was red from sweat and anger. She clenched her jaws and glared at Thomas. In her black shorts and tank top, she was fuming.

"Why didn't you tell me that you are her mate?" Thea asked calmly.

Thomas breathed heavily while getting up and going closer to the girls. We all watched as he looked at Thea innocently. "Because she is not. It's her who is spreading such rumours. I haven't felt anything towards her. I am all confused with scents. I told you that. Right?"

Thea flared her nostrils while Alyssa's face had turned blank at listening Thomas' words.

"She says that you guys made out last night," said Thea while tilting her head angrily.

Thomas blinked rapidly in hesitation and nodded. "We did," he said while not even looking at Alyssa. "She forced. . . Yeah, we made out."

The volley ball hit Thomas right on the face. I gasped loudly while Keira got up to stand beside Thomas.

"Thea, it's not like you are sure that Thomas' is your mate. You can't show anger like this," said Keira while looking at Thea politely.

Thea clenched her jaws and glared at her. "Didn't you hear him? He made out with Alyssa right after he told me that he thinks, that I could be his mate. I haven't shifted yet, Keira. I can only trust him. But not after this. Thomas, you are a douche!"

Thomas' right cheek was scarlet from the ball he was hit with. Still he didn't say anything except for looking at Thea with shameful eyes. "I am sorry. I still feel that it's you. I can't tell. . ."

"Or maybe, you are just not male enough to realize for whom your dick erects actually!" Thea scolded him hard while my ears were close to bleed. "And I thought that you were my mate! You fucking piece of non-existent shit!"

"Enough," said Thomas while looking at her. "I told the truth. You don't understand. And it's okay. I can't help my own circumstances."

Thea scoffed angrily while backing away. "Then, you are just a loser. Stay away from me. And don't dare show me your face! Shame of a male!"

"Thea!" Gina gasped while following her Beta's daughter. After all, Thomas was Gina's cousin and even she couldn't hear Thea scolding him like that. "Thea!"

Ellie gave Alyssa a disappointed look. "Why do you do this?"

Thomas closed his eyes and was about to walk away from us, feeling all insulted as hell. Alyssa came into his way and looked up in his eyes.

Axel and his friends were grinning and nodding towards us. They enjoyed the show.

"I do everything to get my mate," said Alyssa, her eyes holding love for Thomas.

"You do everything to ruin my moments," replied Thomas in a cold tone. "The thought of mating you makes me cringe. You are nothing but a helpless, jealous bitch friend of Axel. Go, join him and laugh at me like you always do—

"Thomas." Alyssa shook her head, her face not holding smirks anymore. "You know that I have changed. I didn't even meet him properly for you. . ."

"Then, please do that and leave my way." Thomas said, his voice shaking in anger. "You have been successful at ruining my newly formed friendship with the sweet Thea!"

"Sweet Thea?" Alyssa screeched in anger. Her heavy boobs were showing the cleavage I could die for. Her curves were the most attractive thing from Eastern's pack. Well, after Leo, of course. "That bitch is not your mate. I am your mate! And I will ruin your friendship with all those stupid females you think you can have moves with!'

Keira sighed while Ellie shook her head.

"Isn't that too possessive?" I asked all of a sudden.

Alyssa looked at me harshly and clenched her jaws. Her eyes were glossy yet she sounded powerful. "You don't know how it feels being ignored by your own mate for a whole year! He did that to me!"

"Because he isn't sure!" Keira intervened to defend Thomas.

"Well, no one is sure. Your Evangeline! She wasn't sure too. Right? I have seen Leo dying in pain. And this jerk is about to do the same to me? Well, Thomas Arche! I am not an angel like Leo. I am the devil. I will give it back to you if you dare try to hang me out!" Alyssa threatened loudly with wide cat eyes.

She left his hand and huffed loudly, leaving for the carpet where Zac, her brother was chilling with his newly found mate, Albertina.

"Thomas, listen!" Keira ran after him as he started walking away in anger and sadness.

I palmed my forehead and looked around in blankness. I seriously didn't know if I could do anything to help Thomas like I did with Eva and Leo.

"Alyssa never lies when it comes to serious subjects," Ellie told Orina. "But then, she has always been friends with Axel and his group of jocks from all packs. She has always laughed whenever they targeted Thomas. Even if Thomas starts trusting Alyssa, Natalie will never agree to their relationship. She hates Axel. She hates Alyssa."

"True. Thomas can't go love a she-wolf knowing that his twin sister doesn't like her," agreed Orina.

"What is this confusion he is talking about? This thing is out of my understanding," said Ellie while glancing at me.

I shrugged my shoulders and chuckled briefly. "Whatever it is, it does hurts like bitch. I have seen Ivan suffering because of it. I don't want Thomas to suffer the same."

Orina moved her fingers through her long black hair and gave me a mischievous look. "Confusion can never be a hindrance to loving someone. Love is always visible in eyes. All you have to do is just read them."

"Do you have a lover back in the city, Misty?" Ellie asked, forgetting everything and focusing on me.

I let out an awkward smile and shook my head.

"I am not that good at reading eyes."

* * * *

The door opened at the second bell. My smile widened just like his arms. Loud laughter followed the bear hug.

"I hate you for making that disgusting medicine."

Stephen pulled away, laughing heartily. Pushing back his specs, he closed the door after I entered the house. "Good. At least you are alive to hate me. Feels like new birth after Rucussa breeze?"

"Definitely." I chuckled to myself while walking through his drawing room with the long tiffin box in my hand. "I brought lunch for you," I sang while walking towards his kitchen.

But just as my eyes fell on the sofas of his drawing room, my steps slowed down.

The aura of the person sitting there was so strong, I couldn't stop halting my feet. Dressed up in plain white tee and jeans, the bulky male was giving vibes of a wrestler. But something was different about him.

Royal blue eyes, thin lips and not-so-sharp nose. He wasn't the very best definition of handsome as those grey circles under his eyes were breaking his pinkish complexion. Yet why my heart was fluttering and thighs were demanding to be clenched.

I gulped hard when the stranger's eyes moved from my head to toe.

"Oh, Misty dearest. This is Declan. Alpha Leandre's nephew. From the Eastern Pack."

Klynn, Zac and Alyssa's cousin.

My lips parted in confusion. He looked older than all of them. Probably like he was in thirties. But damn! He was so big. The sofa where I had slept once, seemed small for him.

"Declan," I whispered to myself, absentmindedly.

"And this is my Misty dearest, Deck."

Declan's expressions were so blank, I couldn't even guess what he thought of as the first impression. Because I managed to break a polite smile in between the crazy attraction I felt for this rough-looking guy.

Bulky men turned me on, I never knew before. Because I always had a thing for nerdy-smarty pants. Skinny or chubby were the later thing to decide.

"The new best friend?" Declan asked, with no expressions on his face. In front of him, a glass of water was there on the table. He must have come to meet Stephen like a good friend.

I smiled at Stephen on this.

"Yes," said the old man while taking the tiffin from my hand. "Misty, go sit and warm yourself up with my guest. While I put this all in plates and bowls."

I nodded while awkwardly walking towards the sofas. Stephen walked towards his open kitchen, doing his task.

I cleared my throat while sitting on the sofa that was perpendicular to the one Declan was sitting on as I didn't want to sit directly opposite to him. Breathing heavily, I smiled at Stephen who brought a glass of warm water for me to drink.

"You sent a message towards the Lycan's territory?"

In front of the man who was able to make my knees weak, it wasn't easy to gulp water calmly. On top of it, his sudden question been asked in his rough voice, blew my senses.

I choked on the water.

Putting the glass away, I coughed hard while embarrassingly wiping my mouth. Some of the drops were there on the table and I ignored them. "What did you say?"

Declan clenched his jaws. Though, he didn't look angry. Yet he was still intimidating.

"You heard me," he said in his rough velvety voice.

"How do you know that?" I asked, calmly.

Declan blinked while moving his eyes off mine slowly. He gulped water from his glass. Stephen returned with his big trays full of bowls and plates. He put one tray for Declan and other for mine. "I told him," said the old man.

"Steph, I have done my lunch. But how do you know this?" I asked shakily because that meant, Nirvan broke the deal between us.

"Not just I know this, but also Pete." Stephen said while giving me a cheeky smile.

My eyes rolled in between as I palmed my forehead. "God, kill me."

"Nirvan didn't tell anyone. It's just that Pete felt doubtful and he investigated it. That's how, he made a conclusion which turned out to be right," explained Stephen. "Pete shared that with me."

"And not Gilbert?" I asked while moving back and leaning on the sofa. "Ah! He will use this to make Mom angry on me."

"He didn't tell anyone but me," said Stephen while eating the meal. "Though, I am amazed that you actually did it."

I blushed when Declan cleared his throat to mark his presence.

"What did you write?" He asked while staring at me. I blinked and took the plate of dessert that Stephen was forcing upon me in love.

"The answer Alpha Rucus gave upon being asked for the withdrawal of the border?" I said, trying to be smart as hell.

I thought that Deck would be impressed since Stephen actually looked like it. Instead the bulky man was all sighing and shaking his head in loss.

"How useless!" He commented while staring at his lap.

My eyebrows narrowed and I definitely took the offense. "Well, sorry for not considering your non-existent recommendation?" I said sarcastically. "At least I tried something that was impossible for the wolves here."

Declan scoffed and started eating his food. He broke the bread and dipped it into the mutton curry. "You are not the first one to throw arrows with messages to that territory."

I clenched my jaws and glanced at Stephen. The old man was giving me an apologetic look. "Declan threw chits, tried messages by sending clothes through the river that flows from his pack to the Lycan's territory. There is hardly any other way left that he didn't try."

"In his pack, it must be allowed. You told me that it wasn't allowed here," I said while looking at Stephen.

Declan nodded. "But you could have written something different. Like a clue for the right person to understand something."

I licked the cream off the spoon while looking at him. "That was a message for a female who could be my brother's mate. Though, Pete isn't sure yet. He was all happy and charming last night," I said while looking back at Stephen. "He danced with the she-wolves who have been his childhood friends. Layla and Rachel."

Declan scoffed. "Of course, those bitches will dance with him. They are not crossing the borders for they have Lycan mates."

My mouth opened in shock. The females were Eva's friends.

"Both are in their early twenties and not attending Ceremonies. They came to this one after four years. Clearly, they are avoiding being chosen for Lycans. Right?" Declan said while looking at me.

His rough voice was making him look more intimidating. It was hard to maintain eye contact with him without blushing continuously. His aura was as strong as of an Alpha. Just the same vibe I felt with Gilbert or Alpha Rudy and others.

"But how can this happen. Your own Aunt, Luna Anne keeps check on the she-wolves. Right?" I taunted while narrowing my eyes.

Declan turned quiet before saying, "As a host, you can't ask the guest Alphas about why one particular unmated female is not here. They are free to bring any unmated female or not."

My stomach churned for a second. This meant that Natalie could stay back for the fourth night if she wanted to.

"It depends on the Alpha and Luna. Their decision," said Declan while giving me a stern look.

Their went my idea from the cliff. Clearly, Gilbert was too patriotic to not let Natalie stay back. I sincerely wished for her to be Axel's mate rather than of a Lycan. At least, she would be at her home pack. But the moron had been a confused male.

"Wait," I said while pointing my finger at Stephen. "Layla and Rachel are from Northern and Western Packs. They don't share the borders with Lycans."

"Exactly. This is why, no one really asks these two packs about why they didn't bring some females. Even Hidden Furs does the same. There's a perception that mostly neighbors get mated. And for Lycans, even  mates from neighboring packs are less in numbers," said Stephen. "So, they don't care. Clearly, their company affected Eva and she wasn't much interested in Leo."

Declan nodded while staring at the table. "I hate those kind of bitches, who don't give a fuck about their mates. Especially, when they are religiously waiting for them."

I bit my lip. "Where's your mate?"

Declan gave me the straight look. "Dead."

Stephen chuckled lightly at my shocked face. "Not dead. He never found her."

"I am thirty years old. I never smelled her. So, she never existed before she could even shift," said Declan while looking back at the table.

"So, you are single?"

I bit my tongue because Declan's expressions quickly changed from blank to confused to blank to amused to blank.

"Yes," said Stephen, chewing on his food with a goofy smile on his face.

I took spoon full of apple pie, too shy to look back at Declan.

"How does it feel?" asked Declan all of a sudden. He hesitated before finally putting his question clearly. "How does it feel, living without a family?"

My smile faded. I blinked and thought for a moment. He was talking about my life before coming here. I licked the cream off the spoon and replied, "I have Gran as family. My neighbor friends Ryan and Lexi. School friends and acquaintances. It wasn't that bad."