Chapter Two

Present Day.......

Harvey's POV

I flipped to the next page of the novel as he leaned in and planted another kiss on my exposed shoulder.

I shuddered slightly from the contact

"Zach!" I whined "You're distracting me, stop it"

He chuckled softly

"I can't help it, you're just so beautiful when you're focused on something"

I blushed and shut the book I had been reading before turning to face him

"You're so cheesy" I teased and he chuckled again

"You like me for my cheesiness" he replied and I giggled

"It's one of the many reasons why I like you" I said as he wrapped his arms around me and I leaned my head on his shoulder close enough to his heart that I could hear it's steady rhythm.

Zach and I had started dating one month after that day at his house when I saw the mark on him. He had been curious to know what Scarlett, Alessia and I were keeping from him so he began following me everywhere.

He would approach me at school and even came over to my house severally. Mum and dad were more than pleased to let him in whenever he came by because he was the Alpha's son. Eventually, I had no choice but to open up and tell him about the dream I had, hoping that the possibility of us being mates would make him get scared and leave me alone.

It had the opposite effect. Instead of keeping his distance, Zach suggested that we spend more time together so we could find out if there truly would be a spark between us that could give us a hint on whether or not we were mates.

One thing led to another and the more time we spent together, the more we developed feelings for each other. It wasn't as strong as a mate bond pull but we wouldn't even be able to know if we were mates until we both turned eighteen. We then decided to just be boyfriend and girlfriend as we waited for our eighteenth birthdays. And so, we have actually managed to stay together for two years now.

"Your eighteenth birthday is coming up in two days. Are you excited?" Zach asked as he buried his nose in my hair

I sighed and glanced around. We were in his room, cuddled up on his bed like we usually did. His parents, the Alpha and Luna, had gotten used to our relationship and trusted Zach and I enough to leave us alone in his room with the door closed. They didn't know about the dream I had two years ago and even though they tried to hide it, I knew they worried that Zach and I were just wasting our time on each other because they believed we weren't mates.

Nevertheless, they still treated me well and respected me. Only Kayden, Zach's older brother knew about the dream because Zach had confided in him after I told him about it. Zach had made him promise to keep it a secret from both our parents.

Zach and I's relationship had brought our families closer and Zach's father, Alpha Scott, chose dad as his Beta after the first year of our relationship. I remembered feeling proud of myself for bringing our families together when I saw how happy mum and dad were after Alpha Scott made the announcement.

"I'm excited and nervous as well" I replied and he paused for a spilt second

"Why are you nervous?"

I let out another sigh and slowly sat up so I could meet his gaze

"Zach, you turned eighteen two months ago and when you did, your wolf didn't feel any change towards me. You didn't feel a mate bond with me"

Zach's brows furrowed slightly

"So? I also didn't feel a mate bond with any of the females in the pack so it doesn't matter. Maybe my wolf didn't sense yours because you haven't turned eighteen yet. I don't think that should cause you to worry, I have a feeling that everything will work out"

I bit my lip and looked down at my hands but he reached out and gently lifted my chin up so I could meet his gaze again

"Don't worry, Harvey. All your other dreams came true so this won't be different. We're meant to be together as mates, I'm sure of it" He murmured softly and I found myself smiling despite my anxiety

I nodded "You're right, I'll trust my dream. Besides, I'm sure you're the only one with that birthmark so it just has to be you"

He smiled "That's my girl. So no more worrying, let's wait until your birthday. I know our wolfs would acknowledge each other as mates then"

"Yes, I'm sure they will" I concurred and he gave me a loving smile before leaning in. Our lips connected in a kiss that started out slow and passionate but became hot and steamy as it went on. We eventually pulled away for air and he leaned his forehead on mine

"I can't wait until our wolfs acknowledge each other so we can finally spend a night together as mates" he rasped in a slightly breathless voice

"If we're this attracted to each other before the bond then we probably won't be able to keep our hands off each other after the bond is formed" I said, slightly out of breath too and we chuckled

"All I know is that it'll be worth the wait and I promise to make it the best night of your life" he whispered and I blushed

"I also can't wait" I whispered back shyly.

The night we would spend together as mates would be our first time ever. We had both decided to remain virgins until we felt the mate bond. Though we had been tempted many times to do it after particularly steamy make out sessions, we had managed to stop ourselves and pull back.

A buzzing sound rang out and Zach pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Ugh" he groaned after glancing at the screen

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go. I've got a training class to attend" he replied

The males in the pack were mandated to undergo training. The training classes taught them how to fight, it made sure they excercised and stayed in shape and also taught them how to endure pain.

"You're so lucky you're a girl and you don't have to train" Zach sighed as we unwrapped our arms from each other and slid out of bed.

I chuckled "I'm not lucky because I'm a girl. I'm lucky because I'm a girl born into this pack. I heard that in some other packs, especially the biggest one in this state - the Crimson Claw pack - that the females train with the males"

Zach nodded as we walked out of his room hand in hand

"Yeah, I heard it too. My dad has been there a few times and he said the Crimson Claw pack is the most feared and remarkable pack in the state. Despite the fact that they suffered a huge tragedy about two years ago, they've managed to bounce back and even double their population"

"Yeah, it's amazing" I hummed as we descended the stairs and began heading for the front door.

"Unlike our small, humble pack of just three thousand wolves, the Crimson Claw pack has over ten thousand" he continued and I gasped

"Wow, that's a lot. I wonder how the Alpha of their pack manages to handle such a huge number of wolves under him"

Zach shrugged as we stopped in front of the door

"I'm sure he has a system"

I giggled "Yeah, you're right. He probably does"

Zach beamed at me and was about reaching for the door knob when the same door suddenly flew open and a man, a member of our pack who I believed was in charge of border patrol ran in, breathing heavily with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

Zach and I had instinctively jumped back because we were startled by his sudden entrance but we both relaxed when we recognized his face and scent.

"Jackson, you scared the crap out of us!" Zach said and the said man exhaled. He seemed to be around the same age as us or perhaps the same age as Kayden.

"I'm sorry, Zach. I need to see the Alpha, is he home?" Jackson rasped in a hoarse voice. His clothes were all wrinkled and his brown hair was messy

Zach nodded, eyeing him warily

"Yeah, he's in the study. Is everything okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something of the sort"

Jackson jerked his head sharply in what was supposed to be a nod but because of how tense he was, the movement looked awkward.

"No, I, uh....... I just have something to report to him"

Zach's eyes widened

"Did your team find something anywhere close to our border?"

Jackson made the jerky motion again

"Yeah we did and it's very serious so I'm going to talk to the Alpha. But for now, you guys should stay within the pack at all times, don't go past our border no matter what. Spread the word out to your friends, okay?"

We nodded with wide, shocked eyes as he hurried past us, running up the stairs and disappearing from our line of sight. I heaved a sigh and turned to Zach

"He looked really worried and shaken. I wonder what they found at the border" I whispered, looking up at Zach's frowning face

"Yeah, I wonder too. I'll try and ask Kayden later cause my dad will not want to tell me anything but since Kayden is the future Alpha, dad will definitely confide in him"

"Yeah, you're right. Kayden should know something about it" I agreed as I bit my lip

Zach looked down at me, he was much taller so whenever we stood close to each other; he had to look down in order to meet my gaze.

"Don't worry, Harvey. Let's just do as Jackson said, I'm sure it's nothing serious" he assured in a soft voice and I smiled up at him, I opened my mouth to reply him when the door flew open again and Kayden rushed inside the house, looking just like Jackson had when he came in. His green eyes that were similar to Zach's were wide and frantic

He paused and exhaled when he saw us, running a hand through his blonde locks.

"Oh, you guys are here?" he breathed

"Yeah, we are. What's going on, Kayden?" Zach asked his brother. Kayden sighed, looking hesitant

"I'm not supposed to tell you guys so you wouldn't freak out" he whispered but Zach ignored his words and stepped closer to him. They both were tall and of similar build but Kayden was more muscular, probably because of his more intense training or because he was older.

"We won't freak out, just tell us" Zach urged and Kayden groaned softly

"Fine, if you insist" he hissed and I unconsciously stepped closer to them, bracing myself for the news

"We found a body close to our border, it was a wolf. His throat and stomach were ripped open and some of his internal organs are missing"

Kayden's words hit me like a freight train, all the bracing I had done was not enough to prepare me for what he had said. Before I could stop myself, my eyes closed of their own volition and everything around me went black.

The last thing I heard was Zach's voice frantically calling my name.