97

"He should be here by now." I voice aloud, so on edge that I couldn't stop my leg bouncing impatiently.

What if they've hurt him?

"Stay here, and I mean it this time." I tell her firmly, giving her a firm look.

Winter nods silently, so I take a leap of faith in trusting her and I rush from the temple in search for my mate.

As I round the corner, arms wrap around my waist and quickly guide me back into the temple. Knowing his touch, I make sure he stays with me as we jog back inside.

"What took so long? Are they still here?" I worry, turning to face him only once we're inside and I know the Elders won't spill blood.

The sight of Hardin's face makes my stomach churn. At the time same I felt the unmistaken rush of adrenaline surge through my veins, and my heart begins to pound. The familiar sensation of hunger rumbling through my wolf as she urges me to go hunting.

"I'm fine, better me than you." Hardin grabs my face, trying to get my attention, to keep me focused.

"Don't touch me, please...don't." I whisper, gazing up at him with a little fright as I feel my irises turn crimson.

Hardin furrows his eyebrows, and slowly lowers his hands. For the first time ever, Hardin feels it too, what it's doing to me as it slowly takes over.

"If they see you like this, Winter won't be the only one they kill. Just breathe, and close your eyes." Hardin calmly tells me.

"It doesn't work-"

"I'm going to help you through this, just listen to my voice." He orders softly, calmly.

Trusting that he can do this, despite never doing it before, I move closer to him and close my eyes. The sensation of him inside my head is warm, and I feel his arms wrap around me.

Just like that I'm taken back to the day we met.

My parents, Hardin, Beck, the house that never felt like home, it's all the same. But Hardin is sat at the table with my parents, and he's holding my wrist just like before, except when his head turns, he's smiling.

"What is this?" I whisper, looking at my parents who appear normal, their usual dirty glare on me.

"In here no harm can be done, all you have to do is imagine what you want to see." Hardin whispers, releasing my wrist and cupping my face.

"But it feels so real." I mutter, touching him, and the table, as if it actually in front of me and not in my head.

"I know." He smiles a half smile.

Slowly turning towards my parents, I move closer to them, inspecting my mother.

"I killed you." I say, frowning.

She sneers. "Do I look dead to you?" That same hatred.

"You're still a bitch, even in here." I grumble.

Hardin's deep laughter resonates, and I feel myself relax completely. I turn around and face the beautiful man that I get to call mine.

"There's someone I want you to meet." Hardin says with a gentle smile, offering me his hand.

Without question, I take his hand and walk out of the room without looking back. We step into a forest, so beautiful and bright, that I couldn't help but become awestruck.

"What is this place?" I ask him softly, taking in the bright flowers that are so clearly well cared for.

"It was once my home." Hardin admits, kneeling down by the flowers and plucking a single white Lilly.

"Hardin, is this your girlfriend?" A child voice echoes, a sweet giggle echoing behind me.

Turning around, I see a pretty girl with grey/silver eyes standing there. A child, she wears a beautiful dress that had fresh mud patches on, resembling every wolf child.

"Oh my god, Hardin...is that-"

"Lyra." He says softly, nodding his head.

"You're pretty." She grins, and I swear my heart melts right then and there.

"Thank you, how old are you?" I grin, crouching down so she doesn't have to keep looking up.

She's so tiny.

"Almost five!" She beams, showing me her fingers as numbers.

"Wow, really? I'm super happy to see you, but I think Hardin has something for you." I whisper to her.

She shyly grins and rushes around me to see what he's got for her, which of course is her favourite flower.

My heart aches for him, seeing the pain in his eyes as he crouched down and embraces her with a smile. It's awful to thing this isn't real, just a memory, and the little girl has no idea that she is gone.

"You're back! I've been waiting to see you forever!" She admits as she cuddles into him.

Hardin closes his eyes as he buries his face into her little shoulder, squeezing her tight.

"I got a little lost." I hear him whisper to her.

I swear to god I felt my heart tear open for him.

I didn't have to ask to know what he meant, and I felt my eyes brim with tears. Both sadness, and joy, because I'm happy he's willing to finally let me in on this painful part of his past, and sad because I know this is what changed him. I don't think he's ever truly healed from the death of his siblings, but perhaps now he can begin to move on.

"It's so pretty." Lyra grins as she takes the flower Hardin plucked.

He smiles warmly, brushing his thumb over her little chubby cheeks.

"Just like you." He teases.

She giggles, and I walk over to Hardin, kneeling next to him and wrapping my arms around him.

"I love you so much." I whisper, kissing his forehead adoringly, like he does to me when I'm not feeling so good.

He grabs my arms and buries his face into my neck, simply breathing in my scent as he pulls us out of our memories.

"Better?" Hardin murmurs.

Nodding slightly, I wipe my damp eyes before looking up at him. Hardin just offers me a tender smile, the kind that tells me he's ok.

"How did you know that would work?" I ask curiously.

"Love balances you, but the fear of hurting someone you love encourages the bloodlust. Take away the fear, and you have control over it." He admits.

I shake my head with a smile, truly wondering what I did to deserve him. Was I a nun in my past life? Did I sacrifice everything for world peace? Honestly, what did I do?

"Thank you." I murmur wholeheartedly, not just for helping me, but letting me in on the most painful thing in his life.

I didn't need to explain myself, Hardin knows what I'm thanking him for.

He smiles warmly, leaning in and kissing me softly. Knowing the Elders are here, we keep it short.

"What do we do about Winter?" I ask him as we join her near the stone slab.

"We have two options." Hardin exhales, not much liking the idea of a rogue in his presence but sucking it up anyway.

"One, she finds someone within the pack to mate with, by choice of course." Hardin doesn't even like the words.

Winter immediately tenses, and I take her hand in mine. "Whats the other option?"

Hardin blows out a breath. "We convince the Elders into allowing us more land, not an extension of pack land but additional land for other purposes. As long as the pack don't take routes there, it's technically not illegal to have rogues live on it."

"I can convince them, but I need you to stay with Winter." I state, already standing up.

"Are you sure? They're not in the best of moods." Hardin grunts, gesturing to his bloodied face.

I grin. "I lived with them remember."

Hardin doesn't argue with me as I exit the temple, the Elders already wait outside, expecting one of us to come sooner or later.

"I'm sorry that things have got out of hand, but you have to understand that I just want to protect her." I sigh heavily, walking closer to the three men.

"You have to understand that we need to do our job." Elder Luther sighs, no longer angry, just tired.

I nod slightly. "I know, but we both know what will happen if you kill her." I say quietly.

The Elders nod with solemn expressions, the attitude they had earlier long gone. In the presence of other Alphas they have to be confident, and unyielding. With me, they're different.

"If the girl cannot die, then what would you have us do with her?" Elder Luther questions me.

"Allow me the rights to land, it won't be pack land but a safe place for rogues like Winter. I could help the ones that need it, and it would help lower the risk of attacks." I tell them.

"No Alpha in this world would agree to that-"

"Hardin already has, and I already know three Alphas that will agree. Wolves don't like change, and I get it but if we're not willing to change, how are we ever going to evolve?" I question with a frown.

"Hardin tends to agree to things that other Alphas avoid. We can't be certain that every pack will agree, and unless we have a complete alliance between all packs then I'm afraid we cannot even let this be a rumour." Elder Luka says.

"I can be very persuasive, and with Hardin, Dom, Sebastian and Maddox-"

"Maddox has agreed to this?" Elder Luther seems surprised.

"I haven't yet asked, but I am certain that I can convince him." I say confidently.

"That Alpha is as stubborn as they come." Luther says curiously, and I could see him considering my words.

"With the Alpha of the North backing us, the well respected and admired Alpha Stone, the young Alpha Slovak that is currently changing his family's awful reputation, and the hard headed Alpha that never agrees to anything...people will listen." I state, and raise my eyebrows.

"I can think of one Alpha that won't agree to this." Luther says knowingly.

"Who?" I frown.

"Your father." Luther sighs.

Shit. Forget about that issue.

"I'll just kill him." I say with a shrug.

The Elders give me a look, and I crack a grin. "Kidding, I can challenge him and take his pack, or he can just sign the paper."

"Isn't that blackmail?" Luka smirks, not fazed by it one bit.

"Does this mean that you'll leave Winter alone until we have the alliance?" I ask hopefully, knowing if they were completely against my idea they wouldn't even bother to hear me out.

"One month, that is all-" Luther grunts in surprise as I yank him in for a hug.

"I'm being civil with you for Winters sake, but let me be perfectly clear with you...if you ever touch Hardin again, I will make your life a living hell...and you know I can." I whisper venomously in Luthers ear, knowing they all hear me just fine.

"If we had the intention to kill him, he'd be dead." Luther retorts nonchalantly.

"Mm." I sound as I pull away.

"One month." Luka reminds me as I head back into the temple.

"Yep!" I call back in agreement.

"Do you realise what you just did?" Hardin questions.

I freeze slightly, not certain what he means. "I got us a month?" I ask with a confused frown.

"You just convinced the Elder wolves to go against their own law, which is quite literally in the same category as asking god to change a dolphin into a elephant." Hardin is bewildered.

His words don't particularly make much sense but I understand what he's trying to say.

"The Elders have certain standards they must maintain with Alphas, but they're different with me. I think it's because I spent so much time living with them, training with them, having them inside my head." I say with a small shrug.

"You make it sound so intimate." Hardin grumbles.

Grinning, I grab his hand as I walk past him. Hardin turns in the same direction and entwines our fingers as we approach Winter.

"So, it's not a permanent thing yet but we have a month to get an alliance formed that allows all Alphas to extend their land for rogues that need somewhere safe without the laws of pack." I explain to her.

Winter stares at me with wide, dumbstruck eyes.

"Are you serious?" She whispers, her voice cracking with emotion.

My chest aches, and I feel my smile fall a little seeing the look on her face. The utter disbelief that someone would actually help her, and others like her.

"Of course, I made you a promise and I intend to keep it." I say warmly.

In a flash Winter jumps up and wraps her arms around me, taking both me and Hardin by surprise. Feeling the tears seep into my t-shirt, I release Hardin's hand and wrap my arms around Winter.

"Thank you." She whispers, so much joy, and appreciation, that I knew in my heart all of the trouble to come will be worth it.

"You're welcome." I whisper, just letting her cry out her tears.

I know I'm the first person she's ever trusted enough to come this close to her, and for that I'm just extremely thankful. Helping one good person, beats the thrill of bloodlust any day.