"Ready champ?" Abir was brimming with positive energy, early in the morning. He was already done loading two suitcases in the trunk of the car but was just waiting for Zade to be completely ready.

Zade cringes at the nickname Abir just calls him and sarcastically replies, "An excruciatingly long drive to an unknown place, deep in the forest with someone I trust the least. Should I be scared?"

"Nothing to be scared of," Ivory says from behind. She was carrying a basket full of snacks for the men to binge through the trip. Zade's eyes fall on Inara. She seems to be nervous. As soon as their eyes meet, they break eye contact.

"You are big boys now and can protect yourself." Ivory pecks Abir's cheeks to kiss him goodbye.

"What's with these suitcases?" Zade looks at the luggage that they would have to drag with them.

"All of our clothes. We will be going there a lot so we might as well keep them there beforehand. It would be suspicious of us to always take a big bag with us every time we go there." Ivory says.

"Remember to take the back road to Route 17." Odin advises them once more, "We can't let anyone know about our travels." Zade and Abir nod, looking at each other.

"Be safe." Inara gently touches Zade's arm and he assures her that he'll be fine.

"Let's do this!" Abir cheers. "You are driving." He quickly hops on the passenger seat, earning a groan from Zade.

"Just so you know, I am still not into the whole idea of Inara getting her memories back." Abir fiddles with the radio. Since they were traveling from town to town, the reception was pretty bad. Zade stops him from doing any further damage to the radio and connects his phone to it.

Abir browses some songs when Zade speaks, "I don't think I need to convince you. If she wants her memories back, she will have them." Zade says, focusing on the road.

"Okay," Abir replies in a salty manner, "Let's talk about Evelyn then."

"Choose a topic that doesn't give me a headache. I am driving right now." Zade warns him.

"Why not?" Abir acts innocent, "Now that Inara is your mate, it means it was an arranged marriage."

Zade nods.

"And that's why you didn't mate her yet," Abir concludes.

"You didn't too. Ivory seems sad." Zade snaps back.

"Kyros's pack was my only family." Abir looks at him with anger, "Low blow man." He hisses before looking out of the window.

Zade pokes the inside of his cheek, feeling guilty.

"How did you meet him?" Zade tries to make a conversation, "Kyros?"

"Oh, now you are so interested!" Abir scoffs.

"Just trying to be civil here. We have a long road trip ahead." Zade tries to be genuine.

───── ❝ Flashback ❞ ─────

"Ivory, you need to get up and try to walk at least!" Abir tries to help her but her leg was broken. It pained her to even move an inch.

"Run Abir! They will come behind us! Run! I'll stall them!" Ivory says with tears in her eyes.

"NO!" Abir shouts. He tries to put some pressure on the wound on her shoulder and she winces in pain. "I am not leaving you behind!"

"Please, Abir, just run! One of us should be alive." Ivory begs.

"Actually, it's not." A voice from behind startles them. Abir stands up, defending Ivory.

"Who are you?" he takes a fighting position.

"Hey! Hey!" Kyros tries to calm him down, "I am just here to help." He slowly proceeds towards Ivory. Her situation seems bad.

"Are you a doctor?" Abir asks when Kyros was checking her pulse.

"Not quite." Kyros's expression turns to that of worry, "She has lost a lot of blood already and she might lose her consciousness if we don't hurry."

"I don't know where to go!" Abir admits.

"Are you rogues?" Kyros lifts an eyebrow.

"Would it matter? I know you wouldn't treat her once you know what we are." Abir looks at him angrily. Rogue wolves are wolves who have been abandoned by their packs. No one is supposed to help them or shelter them.

"I don't work like the other wolves around here," Kyros says calmly. "My territory is 10 miles from here. Can you run?" Kyros says, stripping.

"What do you mean? Ivory can't run!" Abir points at her state.

"But we can. I'll turn and you put her on my back. Then you turn and we run for our lives. Understood?" He stretches a bit, "Once my territory starts, the ones chasing you won't be able to do anything to you."

"You can't run for 10 miles with her on your back." Abir knows it will be tiring.

"You'll be shocked to see how strong I am," Kyros smirks and turns into Blizzard.

Abir looks with wide eyes at the light brown wolf. He was larger than other wolves. Blizzard eyes Abir and he is broken from his thoughts. He carefully picks up Ivory and places her on the wolf's back.

"Please be careful." He pleads and looks into the wolf's eyes. They were sincere.

Abir wastes no time either and gets into his wolf form, running for their lives.

───── ❝ Flashback Ends ❞ ─────

"Kyros gave us a roof above our head. He got Ivory the best doctors so she could heal. And we have been under his protection since then." Abir says, remembering those days.

"He has a knack for saving people in distress, doesn't he?" Zade smiles.

Abir nods and chuckles.

"So, what about you and Evelyn?" Abir starts again.

"Seriously?" Zade sounds annoyed, "You are still not over that?"

"Come on!" Abir whines, "I can't spend the whole drive without talking!"

"I wish Ivory was here!" Zade whispers under his breath.

"I wish too." Abir sighs, "But we would be doing a lot more than just driving." Abir winks at him with a mischievous grin.

"Ewww!" Zade makes a face that is about to puke, "That is just TMI!"

"Come onnnnn!" Abir whines more till Zade gives up.

"Okay!" he finally gives up. "We got engaged the day we were supposed to leave for the exile. She accompanied me but I was mostly with Damon and Odin. She was there, somewhere." Zade tries to remember but can't. Only Odin knew about her whereabouts. "When we came back, Odin forced me to have some bonding time with her."

"Why exile?" Abir asks curiously.

"I am sure you'd know." Zade doesn't want to talk about the past.

"I know what happened in the war, not what happened after it. I know your Queen Omega was killed." Abir says sympathetically.

"And Damon was poisoned," Zade says. He was used to the sympathy now.

"And you lost your wolf." Abir looks for a reaction. Zade clutches the steering wheel.

"How'd you know?" he says, gritting his teeth.

"It was the talk of the town after we left." He says nonchalantly.

"We?" Zade questions.

"Ivory and I. We left to look after a pack that was under Kyros's protection."

"Which pack?"

"Moon Stone Pack." His voice becomes small.

"Aren't they extinct now?" Zade remembers. Moon Stones were a very small and inferior pack, but also one of the oldest.

"Luca Clarke was the Alpha King of that pack. Inara's mate." Abir states.