Hunter didn't come to see me the next day. When I woke up, I felt anxious for some reason. My eyes kept wandering to the bedroom door. When I heard the footsteps outside, I knew right away that it wasn't Hunter.

For some odd reason, I felt disappointed.

When the door opened, it was Catalina. She smiled the second she saw Liam and I. She carried the breakfast tray over and sat it on the bed.

"Good morning, you two," she greeted.

Catalina was a wonderful cook. Her food was always delicious. Every day she would cook something new.

Without realizing it, both Liam and my appetite has returned to normal. We didn't force ourselves to eat in large amounts, nor did we eat less. We ate until we were no longer hungry. Out there in the outside world, we could go days without eating. We spent most of our time running, and not staying in one area too long.

If we did get something to eat, it was mostly small games. If we were lucky, we might get something big. Eating raw meat in wolf form was fulfilling but it didn't give us the nutrients we needed. We needed to eat in our human forms too.

Glancing at the breakfast tray, there were fluffy pancakes, warm maple syrup, butter, bacon and sausages. Liam was already digging in.

"Thank you, Catalina," I said.

"Your welcome, my dear."

I picked up my fork, but noticed her staring at me. I turned back to her. Her eyes swept over my body before she looked back up at me.

"If you don't mind, my daughter has a lot of clothes. I think you are just about her height and size. Anyway, most of her clothes are sweatpants and sweaters. I could dig up a few and bring it over if you don't mind. Shame on our Alpha for not buying you anything new to wear."

I looked back down my body. I had on Hunter's old white t-shirt. It reached mid-thigh. They were big on me, I had to pull the ties tight to keep it around my waist.

I don't blame Hunter for not getting me anything. I don't talk to him and avoid meeting his eyes as much as possible. Plus, I don't know how long I will be staying here. Wearing someone else's clothes didn't matter to me. When Liam and I were on our own, we each only had a few pairs of clothes to carry on our backs.

I nodded my head and a small appreciative smile slipped on my face. Catalina was a complete stranger, but there was this strange connection I have with her. She had a motherly nature, and it reminded me of my mom.

After Catalina left, Liam and I tried to remain busy in the bedroom. Sometimes, he would draw pictures. I'll teach him math and spelling—anything that I knew which wasn't too much. I spent most of my life in captivation, but I still remembered going to school and learning.

Memories were distant, but I still remember features of my father's face. I remembered he would tuck me in at night and read me a bedtime story. There were still some good memories that I carried with me, although not many.

The hours ticked by, and before I knew it, I began pacing the bedroom floor. My eyes sweep to the bedroom door every now and then. If I couldn't resist, I would move closer to the connecting door and strain my ears to hear.

Hunter wasn't in his bedroom. I would hear his footsteps in the hallway if he was here. His words echoed in my mind. He said mate again. My mom told me stories about it when we were in captivation. She said that my dad and her were mates and if I'm lucky, I'll find mine too.

But those were only fairytales. I don't believe that there was such a thing as a spiritual mate bond that connects two souls.

Hunter called me his mate.

My heart sped at the thought. Growling, I stomped over and sat on the edge of the bed.

It was late into the night when I heard quick footsteps thudding up the stairs. Someone was running. I glanced at Liam sleeping on the bed now. He had Hunter's headphones on. I could hear the classical music playing faintly in the background.

Suddenly, my bedroom door burst open. A tall woman walked in and slammed the door shut. She was breathing hard. Her body was shaking in fear or in shock? I'm not sure. She hasn't noticed me yet. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. I don't know who she was but I growled a warning.

That jerked her out of her stupor. She let out a surprised noise before turning to look at me. That was when I noticed her appearance. She had light russet colored eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She reminded me of Catalina—a younger version of Catalina.

""I-I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone was in here," she whispered.

I continued to observe her. I haven't really seen any pack members because since arriving on this territory, I spent my days in the room. It was hard to step outside. I don't know who I would encounter. I don't know who to trust. The unknown woman shifted against the door. Was I intimidating? Why did she look out of place and uncomfortable? What caused her to run off in such a hurry? Was someone hurting her? All these questions.

Deciding that I should talk to her first, I swallowed and licked my dried lips before opening my mouth to speak but I closed it a second later. What if she was a bad person? I don't know, but I should probably tell her it was okay that she burst into my room.

"It's okay." My voice was hoarse from lack of talking all day. I tried talking once more.

"Are you okay?" I questioned. "Is someone hurting you?"

Immediately, she looked crestfallen. As if her world just came crumbling down just minutes before entering my room. I wondered what got her looking like that. Who had hurt her?

"I'm upset," she mumbled.

Her voice shook when she replied. I knew that something must have happened, but I also didn't want to pressure her to tell me. I mean, I don't want to talk about my ghosts of the past. Why would I ask someone else to talk? But I would protect her if needed. If she didn't want to talk, she didn't have to.

Plus, she looked like Catalina and if I recall correctly, Catalina has a daughter. Catalina isn't a bad person. I seemed to trust the old lady, surely, I could trust her daughter?

"My n-name is Katya," I murmured while watching her reaction. Her eyes blinked and then smiled.

"My name is—" She was about to tell me her name, but we were interrupted when the bedroom door slammed open.

It pushed the unknown woman onto the ground. Immediately, I jumped on her. Growling, I shielded her body from the threat that burst into my room. I don't know who it was, but Liam was in the room with me. My protective wolf instinct pushed me to take action.

When I looked to see what it was, I remembered him. He was the guy that Liam bit when we first entered the territory. Who was he to this woman?

"Get away from her," he growled, making a move towards me.

A warning snarl crawled up my throat. But before he could make it to me. Hunter appeared behind him.

"Get back," Hunter grabbed the unknown man's shirt to stop him from approaching us.

"Your mate has my mate underneath her," The unknown man snapped, shoving Hunter's hand away.

"She's not hurting Rosemary, idiot," Hunter growled. "Look at her stance."

Rosemary? Was that her name?

The unknown man looked at us and I saw confusion appear on his face. He didn't look like he trusted me too. You and me, buddy.

"I'm fine," Rosemary said and touched my arm to assure me.

I thought about it, and believed that Rosemary knew what she was doing. So, I pulled back into a standing position. I made sure to keep enough distance from them. Suddenly, there were too many people in our room. I'm surprised that Liam isn't awake, but at the same time, Liam seemed to be sleeping better with the headphones. It seemed to lessen his nightmares and shifts.

"Thank you, Katya," Rosemary murmured and the unknown man quickly helped her. I watched him hold Rosemary close to him.

"Katya?" My heart skipped a beat. It was the first time I heard my name on Hunter's lips and every cell in my body seemed to ignite. I felt it from head to toe. Goosebumps pebbled on my skin.

I turned to look at Hunter. He looked confused for a minute.

"That's your mate's name. Isn't it?" Rosemary asked, looking at Hunter expectantly.

"Katya," he slowly pronounced it like it was a word he had never heard of.

My stomach did flips and I fisted my hands at my sides. I needed to be strong. Standing straighter, I lifted my chin.

"You talk to her but not me?" Hunter's face darkened and eyes glowed with rising anger. I tightened my jaw and glared at him.

Rosemary and the unknown man whispered back and forth, but I was too distracted with Hunter to hear.

"I'm your mate." I have never seen him this angry.

He took a step toward me and instinct told me to walk away. If anything was to happen, it would be away from other people. I have learned that anger would only result in violence or threats and I don't want others to see. However, before I could walk any further Hunter grabbed onto my arm. I felt the hard imprints of his fingers pressing into my arm and before I knew it, I whips around to punch him in the face but he grabs onto my fisted hand and twists both hands behind my back. He did it so effortlessly, I didn't have enough time to react.

"I'm your mate," he growled louder.

"Wait." Rosemary walked over to us. I flinched when she touched me on the arm, but the moment she touched me I felt no fear. "Katya, he won't hurt you. He is your mate. Alpha Hunter is a good person."

"I don't trust him." It came out quiet, barely a whisper but everyone in the room heard it. I snuck a look in Hunter's direction to see his reaction, but he looked stunned and happy? That confused me. Why was he happy?

"But you trust me?" Rosemary asked.

"Because you're a girl," I replied.

"I'm your mate." Hunter thought to emphasize again.

There was that word again. I heard it more times today than I heard it any other day. I pretended I didn't hear him say it.

"Katya, he's your destined soulmate. He is born to stand next to you—protect you. He will never betray you."

I wanted to scoff out loud. Was there really such a thing? If there was, then I could ask why the world was so cruel. How could there be pain and evil? If there was something this good, it was bound to get destroyed by all the bad things in the world. Nothing good stays.

"No such thing as soulmates." The words came out of my mouth, but they felt like words only. There was no meaning behind it. I don't know what to believe.

A second later, Hunter had me wrapped up in his arms. I began struggling. My entire body lit on fire. Sweet electrical currents flooded every inch of my body and I felt dizzy. The need to lose control hit me like a storm and I did the only thing I knew to protect myself. I fought for him to release me.

"Stop struggling, Katya. Feel the tingles? It feels like you are being stroked to life. Your heart rate is beating in sync with mine. You are my soulmate. These feelings aren't just here for no reason. They're here to tell you that I am yours just as much as you are mine."

"No," I denied.

Hunter fastened his lips on mine. I stopped fighting. For a minute, I remembered our last kiss out in the rain. In the second, I felt the softness of his lips and the urge to wrap my arms around him and to flee at the same time. His lips perfectly molded mine.

Distantly, I heard the clicking of my bedroom door. I knew it was just Hunter and I in the room besides sleeping Liam.

Then I mustered whatever energy I had left and broke the kiss. I pushed him away from me. He was breathing heavily. There were dark bags beneath his eyes. He looked like he hadn't had any sleep for days.

"Is it so hard to let it go, Katya?" Hunter whispered hoarsely.

He grabbed onto my hand and placed it over his right chest.

"Feel it. Tell me you can feel it. It wants to leave me and run to you. I care for you, Katya. I am not asking for much, but please talk to me."

I ripped my hand out of his grasps and wrapped my arms around my body protectively. He made no move to touch me, but waited for my response. The way he says my name—it makes me feel all kinds of way.

There it was again. The pain in my chest.

It was just talking. I could talk, right? Rosemary said he was my mate and if these people keep throwing the word 'mate' around it must mean something. I had questions and if he could answer them, maybe it would mean something. Rosemary also told me he won't hurt me. Hunter had repeated the phrase multiple times to me.

I licked my lips and looked up at him through my eyelashes.

"O-okay, we can talk."

Author's Note:

How many of you remember this scene in Fever Claim?