'We found our mate! We don't need to reject him!' Wasabi yipped happily in my head, jumping around on her paws.

Joy filled my entire being. I don't need to reject him! He's my mate! However, those thoughts died as soon as they came.

He was the Alpha of the North.

Nothing excellent, but nasty rumors.

How he terrorized packs and took them over to expand his selfish benefits. Not to mention, he had now taken over my pack when he contacted my father—Dad, who was desperate for the pack to have a better future, agreed.

On the terms that I also had to belong to the Alpha.

Wasabi grew sad when I mentioned my thoughts but whispered, 'Give him a chance, Iris. Remember, they're rumors. We don't know that they're true, plus... he's helping our pack. We owe him when no one else would even dare to help us.'

I gave in. Her logical speaking against my reasoning was no match; she won.

Wasabi thanked me as she wagged her tail, cutting the link between us. When my eyes stopped fogging over, he stood in front of me.

His face was blank.

Doesn't he know we're mates?

I frowned in confusion and was about to ask him until I noticed everyone staring at me, including Krill, Kace, and Mela.

They were awaiting my orders.

I cleared my throat, my business mode flicking back on.

"Hello, my name is Alpha Reed. Welcome to the Eclipse Pack. Well, here are the remains of it. We'll be in your care," I finished, offering my hand.

He blinked.

Then stared at my hand, not moving.

Is he going to take it, or what?

Almost as if he was reading my mind, he clasped his hands with mine, giving a gentle but firm handshake. We shook for a few seconds before he let go.

The tingles we touched ignited, almost causing me to fall to my knees.

Didn't he feel the spark? Our bond? Why isn't he responding?

Wasabi was silent, her head tucked away into her paws. She didn't know what to say or do besides whimper. Possibly think of if he was rejecting us or not.

My heart clenched painfully at the thought.

I put it away because my duty had to be first.

I took a hopefully not noticeable shaky breath, "We're loading the pack members' belongings in, correct? Let's get going. We don't have all day."

He stares at me for a few more seconds before his eyes fogged over. Automatically, his warriors moved all at once.

They grabbed the pack members' luggage and carried any children who wished to be brought onto the trucks.

The children were separated from the bags as the Warriors placed them into seat belts. They giggled softly and poked at the muscled warriors who attempted to look intimidating and stone-faced.

Some cracked some smiles, while others let a chuckle slip.

They couldn't hold themselves back from the children's cuteness.

Eventually, all the bags and pack members were safely placed into the trucks. The warriors started piling in, the Gamma next and the Beta last. The two front seats were reserved for me and him.

I glanced at him sideways, but he didn't even look at me.

Not a single glance.

He opened the door for me, motioning me to get in. I did, placing my seatbelt on me. He closed the door and walked towards the driver's seat.

He opened the door and sat in, slamming it.

His eyes fogged over, possibly mind linking his warriors and upper ranks if they were ready. A few seconds passed, and they gave him an okay.

The engine started, and his hands gripped the steering wheel. The other trucks are ready to follow.

And then it moved.

I gave one last glance at the pack house.

Goodbye... Dad.

I'll make you proud.

I promised.

And I plan on fulfilling that promise.

***

With my arm pressed against the window, I gazed at the scenery.

There wasn't much to see besides the woods, but at least there was something for me to see. Some deer perked their heads up in curiosity when they heard the engines of trucks running.

Birds chirping above us, worms or insects gathered in their beaks to feed their young.

The pack of deers trotted away from us, gathering near the thickness of trees. Leaves crunching beneath as they walked.

One of them, however, kept staring dead on. Their eyes stuck on the headlights. It looked much weaker than the others, almost as if it were on the brink of death.

The others had forgotten it because it was a burden. Something that held them back from surviving nature's wrath.

The Alpha of the North's eyes fogged over before all the trucks behind us halted from motion. He wrenched the truck door open with a bang, stepping out quickly. His eyes trained on the animal, who was shaking in fear.

One of the warriors stepped out of the truck and handed some fruit and plants to him.

He took it with a nod of a head, dismissing the warrior. The warrior bowed and leaped back into the back of the truck once more.

The deer stood before us, almost as if its life flashed before its eyes.

It's brown eyes on him, watching his every move. Cautious but still curious at the same time. Its hooves moved, picking up on the scent of fruit and plants.

The Alpha of the North took a few steps forward, unfolding his hand to show the animal the food. Proving to the creature, he meant no harm.

It bent over its head, nose wiggling to take puffs of the smell to make sure.

To my surprise, it opened its mouth and licked the plants from his hand. Chewing on it hungrily and then moving on to the fruits.

The Alpha of the North examined the creature. His hand extended without a hassle, caressing its head with the gentlest touch.

With the fruit and plants now gone and its tummy full, it leaned into his touch, very pleased with the food.

Wasabi purred softly in my head, her tail whooshing back and forth, 'Can he feed us like that, too? You say he's heartless, but a man who stops to feed a deer usually run over by others says otherwise.'

I was silent at her claim, mind wiring to comprehend it. Seeing him interact with it made me smile slightly, but still... he hadn't spoken to me at all.

Even though we're mates.

I was always taught that if there was a Bambi on the road, to run it over. It's better to run them over than to swerve and hit other vehicles. But he was so attentive on the road that they stopped before hitting the deer.

Ignoring the pang in my heart, I ask, 'Then... why did he take over and combine those other packs into his? He hasn't even spoken one word to us.'

Wasabi finally sat down in the corner of my head, saddened once she remembered that he hadn't reacted like most mates.

Especially the rumors of what he has done, but most of them have been confirmed to be true.

'I... don't know, Iris. I don't know if we ever will,' she whimpered.

I sighed, diverting my eyes before cutting the link.

Soon after, the door opened, and he stepped inside once more. The deer had wandered off once it was packed and searched for the group he had been with before.

The Alpha of the North's eyes fogged because he wanted to mind-link the other warriors to start their trucks.

We were back on the road with an unknown future ahead of us.