Octavia looked outside the window at the boys fighting. It was good that Aleksander and Jacob had someone besides her in their life. Goddess knows they both needed a male that they can relate to. Her eyes briefly moved over her mate and involuntarily she lifted a hand up to touch the mark on her neck.

He had marked her.

She wasn't expecting that. She was his officially. Her wolf was prancing on her paws practically. Octavia can already see it. She should be mad that he did it without her permission but her body and heart was telling her differently.

Who was she kidding?

She was his.

She loves him.

Maksim made a dive for the two boys and brought them high into the air as they giggled. His eyes crinkled on the side as he laughed along with them. Her gaze dropped to his strong muscular arms and down his taut chest to defined abdomen. He even had a v-line that disappeared underneath his shorts where she remembered how big he was.

Biting her lips from the desires that were stirring inside of her, she continued to ogle her mate. He was gorgeously handsome. She can see the sweat beading all over his body and she found the urge to run her hands all over his body. A slow flush starting to crawl on her skin and she knew she had to tear her gaze away.

The girls decided to take some time away and relaxed. Freshly popped popcorn in a bowl and an old human movie playing on the TV screen in Natalya's room as they sat around and ate. Antonia was braiding Katya's long blonde hair.

"I always wondered how city life is." Natalya murmured as she popped popcorn into her mouth. Her gaze was focused on the TV screen.

"I have been in the city a few times." Octavia replied honestly.

Natalya's eyes snapped to her with clear interest. "You have?"

Werewolves rarely venture into the human cities or territories only because of the risk of exposures. That's why they create their electricity in a more environment friendly way. They have their own farms, hunt for their meats, and fish in creeks or lakes. They make do with what they have. Money wasn't important to them and they rarely use it as a trade. It was more of trading food or resources that were on the land.

Octavia nodded and moved to sit down in the seat next to Natalya as she reached for some popcorn and popped one in her mouth.

"How was it? Why did you go?" She asked.

Octavia's lip curved as she remembered exactly why.

"I didn't go there for anything important. I wanted to see how life was like in the cities when I turned eighteen. My parents were reluctant but eventually agreed on letting me go." Octavia answered. "You know what the first thing I did was?"

"What?" Antonia asked and Octavia smiled at them all.

"I went into an ice cream shop." She admitted. "We rarely get a chance to taste the cold delicacy here as milk was used for other things instead."

Natalya and Antonia laughed. "I would have done the same thing."

Natalya sighed. "I have to admit, sometimes, I wonder if I need to roam around the humans to see if my mate is there."

Octavia could see almost a defeated look cross Natalya's face before she gave them a sad smile. It was the hardest thing to go through a werewolf life without finding their mate with each passing day it was a nick in their hope.

"What's a mate?" Henrietta asked.

Antonia answered the curious girls then. "A mate is your soul mate—someone the Moon Goddess made for you and you only."

They continued to talk and watch movie for a while longer until a familiar man that Octavia recognized from yesterday walked into her bedroom. It was Natalya's Beta. He held a grim look but when he saw everyone his facial expression relaxed only slightly.

"Natalya, I have something you want to know about." He said gruffly. Octavia's eyebrow crinkled in concern. He didn't look so happy.

Natalya sat the half empty popcorn bowl down and stood up. "What is it?"

Yulian glanced between all of them before his gaze landed back on Octavia. "Two elderly mates were found dead in the woods."

Immediately, Octavia's gut clenched. Something was wrong; the look in Yulian's eyes when he looked at her told her that she knew these two people. Standing up immediately she walked over to their side.

"Who are they?" She asked. Yulian and Natalya should know. They met the whole pack already. She grabbed onto Yulian's thick arm, her fingers imprinting on his skin as she dug her hands in.

"Who are they?" She repeated her question again more firmly.

Maksim appeared in the doorway, breathless. His hair wet from what looks like a swim. His bare chest rose up and down as he looked straight at her. She saw the look in his muted gray eyes and it told her what she needed to know.

Shaking her head she took an unsteady step back. "No."

"Octavia, мой Котёнок, C 'mere." He said gently.

Antonia quickly took the two girls and guided them out of the room. Yulian and Natalya was already out to investigate the scene. It was just Octavia and Maksim and her heart was breaking into a million pieces. Her eyes blurred and she blinked only to realize tears fell down her cheeks.

"Octavia." He took the last few steps up to her and wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his chest.

"No, please, don't tell me." She whispered, her hands coming up to cover her ears. "I don't want to hear it."

"Ok, ok, I won't." He replied gruffly as his hand ran up and down her back to comfort her. She wept into his chest as the realization hit her. Her parents were dead. Just the thought has her crying harder. He swept her up and she felt him moving them.

"It's okay, Octavia. I am here. I am so sorry, мой Котёнок. I wished I could have stopped it." She could hear the torment in his voice.

"When did it happen?" She croaked out as she looked at him. They were in a different room now and she was sitting in his lap. Her face was hidden in his neck as she cried.

"Under an hour ago, there body was still warm. They were walking down a dirt path-"

"The path they like to walk on daily together." Even the memories tore at her heart. She really lost them. He ran his hand through her hair and tightened his grasp around her crying body.

"Roman and Darren are already chasing after the tracks and scents they caught. Natalya and Yulian are close behind them. This time he won't get away, Octavia." He promised. "I'll end his life. It was my fault. I should have killed him when I had the chance."

She cried and curled her hand into his shirt. Her body shook so hard that Maksim had to place a tighter hold on her to keep her from slipping. She needed his comfort and he seemed to realize it. Shifting in the bed, he adjusted their position so that she was protectively cradled in the side of his body with his arms wrapped around her. He held her and allowed her to soak his bare chest up with her non-stop tears.

Just like all the other pups she took care of, now she was alone. She didn't get to say good bye. She didn't get to say I love you. It was all too sudden. Her heart and wolf couldn't take it. She was howling in Octavia's mind, mourning the loss of their parents.

Maksim held her until she fell asleep in his arms. He was reluctant in letting her go. The guilt that ate him up inside was torturing him slowly. He felt every bit of her sorrow and the pain in his chest was unbearable.

He allowed this to happen but Alpha Hansen was a sneaky little rat, played his tricks and cards like a little coward. Maksim's jaw clenched in anger and he fought back a growl that was threatening to crawl up his throat.

The amount of anger he has towards that Alpha was immensely powerful and Maksim couldn't wait to sink his jaw in the little rat's neck and rip him into pieces. This time Maksim wasn't going to go easy. This time Hansen was going to die before he could utter a word.