“Why… did you do that?” Conrad slowed after the first word and Clyde could tell he grudgingly omitted a curse word. Or maybe he just uttered it mentally. He looked down and took a deep breath, “It just happened. I realized my mistake afterwards. I wrongly assumed that the people I told would shut their mouths. By then, I don’t know how to contain it. I apologize.” His mother appeared at the Alpha’s side, “Dear, you’re apologizing to the wrong person. And it doesn’t stop at that. What do you plan on doing to correct this mistake? You can’t just say you don’t know. You started it, you should finish it.” Conrad grunted, “Him admitting his mistake is already a miracle. At least, you know you did wrong, but that’s the bare minimum. Think, boy. What will you do now?” Clyde inwardly sighed. His father never gave him direct answers. He’s always asked to think for himself. But this time, he really needed his help. Recently, he’d been taught how to use the pack link, but he hasn’t mastered i
“You don’t need to explain anything. Just tell them you were wrong to expose her like that. You didn’t believe her and that’s that. You should have stopped at that. Aside from that night, she never bothered you about it, did she? She didn’t harass you or anything of the sort. She kept her distance and remained respectful. The same can’t be said about you.” Ice kept advancing and Clyde became angry with how he’s being pushed into a corner. He can’t seem to stand his ground and face his brother head on.“Just say all these and admit you were the jerk, because you were. She acted properly and you’re the one who reacted with ill intentions. You could’ve let it be but you didn’t. You just have to open it up for others to side with you.”Clyde’s getting annoyed at this point. He pushed his brother away and quickly fled the house with a glare.It’s really not easy to admit one’s mistakes in front of so many people, or simply to so many people. He still has hope, though, since he can admit he
Clyde witnessed the aftermath of his blunder. Yes, he initially thought everything would go back to normal, but that was wishful thinking. He didn’t think he could still be naïve. Even though his words are clear, some didn’t actually take it seriously. He’s not the alpha yet, so they’re not bound to obey his authoritative voice. He still heard gossips about that matter and some unsavory words about Sab. “Now, you see it for yourself. This is a consequence of your actions.” His mother suddenly spoke from beside him. In that particular moment, they’re watching a group of four girls talking about it in hushed tones. But they’re wolves, so they can hear it just fine. Clyde didn’t notice her approach. She has that ability to sneak up on you. He sighed before approaching those young women. They’re younger and surely more immature than his younger self. They were startled when they saw Clyde. “Did you not hear what I said about this matter? You’re not to talk about it and Sab wasn’t at f
Over the next few days, Ice managed to occupy most of Sab’s time. She’s too busy to look around and be wary of other people. They trained harder and people were also surprised to see them sparring and to hear him give her lessons. There are already plenty of girls who are envious of her, but more got added because of this. Ice doesn’t care. With whom he spends his time has nothing to do with the rest of them. A few times, she noticed their interactions and it would seem they’re not on good terms. She feels bad thinking it might be because of her. “What’s going on with you and Clyde?” She asked when Ice approached her after exchanging a few words with his twin. “Hmm? Nothing. Why do you ask?” “It looked as if you’re angry at him or something. Angry is too strong a word, though. Are you in conflict?” “Nah. Let’s just say I’m still mad at him for what he did to you. Every time I hear someone still talking about it, I get angry again. So, I’m still blaming him.” He shrugged before pic
“Clyde! Sab!” Alice happened to be near and heard their exchange. She quickly went to intervene, sighing as she looked at her son.Sab glanced at her before quickly looking down. She let the tears fall on the ground, squeezing them out without being obvious.“Let’s think about this very carefully. Sab, don’t do anything yet. I’ll speak with Clyde.” She went and dragged Clyde away. He wasn’t happy with it, but he can’t exactly tell that to his mom.When they arrived home, they took seats in the dining room.“Are you sure this is your decision? This is what you want? You’ve been waiting for your mate this whole time, yet you asked her to reject you? I know Sab. She’s a simple child. I’ll say this again, I don’t believe she would lie about her bond with you. You think she’s trying to trap you? Has she ever done anything to make you think that? I know she likes you, but she never did try anything out of line, did she? There were times she couldn’t even speak to you properly because she’s
Sab felt different the next day. She doesn’t exactly feel lighter. It’s something she couldn’t properly describe. There’s a dull ache over her chest, but it’s nothing new. When she caught a glimpse of Clyde, she smiled at how her heart didn’t skip a beat this time. Is this indifference? She couldn’t be sure. When Ice showed up, he didn’t ask her anything. Though he knew she planned to reject him yesterday, he didn’t ask to confirm if she did. He simply focused on their training. After this week, the monthly evaluations would begin. He dared Sab to defeat all three opponents she would face. Her old self wouldn’t have dared, but this time, she made it her goal. She’s putting all her focus on training. Ice praised her determination and he noticed the change in her. This seriousness is surprising but it’s a good thing.“I’ll buy you a cake if you win all three.” He encouraged her with a reward and her eyes brightened at hearing it.“A big one?” Seems only fitting given how difficult it wo
Sab almost won the bet. She defeated the first two opponents. But on the last day, she lost to the third one, even though it was a close fight. She almost won. Almost. She actually felt sad, instead of feeling accomplished. This is the best performance she ever had in all her monthly evaluations. “I’ll buy you a small cake.” Ice consoled her, chuckling at her expression. She perked up at his offer, “Really?” She’s currently craving something sweet and she’s fond of fluffy cakes covered in icing. “Yes. Meet me at the coffee shop later.” “Alright. Thanks. I’ll see you at six?” She feels much better this time. The evaluations are exhausting, though she got enough rest in between, watching other people’s battles. Ice nodded and left. In a way, she’s beginning to associate the change she’s experiencing with the amount of physical work she’d been doing every day in the last few weeks. It seems the more active she is, the better is her condition. She rested at home for a couple of hou
The inevitable happened after a few more months. Sab had to face Clyde in a fight. She took it seriously and she did have the desire to win.It was awkward. They’re probably the only pair that didn’t bother taunting or talking. Not one word was said between them. It took a while to begin as they both waited for the other to take the initiative in attacking. Realizing that after a few minutes, they went ahead and attacked one another. His movements are firm and he’s quite strong. She had difficulty delivering any real damage. Still, she did her best. It’s good enough that she managed to hit him a few times and she also dodged well.Clyde couldn’t believe he’s unable to take her down within a short time. Then, he remembered who taught her. His annoying twin. He gritted his teeth. He would be damned if this woman wins against him.Finally, after almost half an hour of exchange, he tripped her backwards and stuck a knife against her neck. When he was announced as the winner, he got off he
Once they confirmed the date, the preparations for the ceremony began. It’s not much, given how it would coincide with the year-end celebration. Sab tried to familiarize herself with most of the people in the pack. It wasn’t very difficult. She’s familiar with everyone who uses the training grounds, not to mention the elders, women and children she interacts with as her main responsibility. She’s bad at remembering names, though. She hoped they won’t hold it against her. She would still try, of course. More people have graduated from their training programs. This translates to a higher fighting power and better security. Hopefully, that is. Clyde remained attentive to trainings and classes, analyzing the needs and potential of new batches of trainees. All seemed to be going well and the activities have been normalized again. A couple of weeks before the ceremony, Clyde remembered something which worried him before. He deliberated before bringing it up in a conversation and asking h
The next day, they were visited by Alpha Xavier and his men. There was a bit of a commotion when they realized Isabel has been injured. It’s a good thing Lucas has been by her side since the incident and has given her the best treatment for her wounds and injuries. Isabel helplessly tried to calm her father. “It was my fault. I wasn’t supposed to fight but I still went. I didn’t know about all their rules yet.” She tried to explain. “You’ve been here for months and you don’t know all the rules yet? There can’t be too many!” “I’ve been with Lucas most of the time. I was supposed to assist him but I was itching to fight.” She dared not say that Lucas didn’t bother telling her because he really thought she won’t be battling anyone during an attack. His role is to tend to the injured and he expected her to assist him, given how he somehow educated her about his job since she began staying with him. It was really her fault for joining the fray. Her father would probably be livid if he l
It was almost dawn when Sab sat with the others for a pack meeting, attended by the alpha’s family, the ranked members and the elders. “What was their intention?” An elder asked and everyone turned to look at the alpha. His expression isn’t good. It seemed like a serious matter. Sab noticed how his gaze was fixed at a certain point on the table and she turned to look at their Luna. She assumed they’re communicating at the moment. “Have you been informed already?” She used her link with Clyde and she saw him minutely shaking his head. “Not yet. This will be the first time I’ll hear of it. I wasn’t there when they interrogate those people. The Beta led that mission.” “I see.” Sab waited with the others. The silence was welcomed by everyone. After about ten minutes, Conrad finally spoke. “They spoke of vampires. They heard Snow Mountain is home to several. Obviously, their information is inaccurate. They believe we’re a threat.” “Do I count as a vampire?” Alice asked out of pure c
Clyde tried to be rational about it. It’s true that she has trained for years for this particular purpose. He just didn’t realize until that moment how worried he would be of the possibilities. He’s simply afraid that she would get hurt. Looking back, he did think his mate would be someone who can fight alongside him. And Sab can, but he’s still not assured that she would be relatively safe. At the end of it, he realized it all stems from the fact that he wouldn’t be able to accept it if he loses her.When his father saw him, he was immediately reminded to focus and to worry less.“Have you ever felt afraid of losing mom?” He can’t help but ask through the link and he was floored by the response.“Every day, but you live with it as normally as you can. Don’t let it distract you. You have to trust your mate. She’s not ordinary. She’s your equal. Trust that she can protect herself as well as others.”Clyde grunted and talked aloud this time, “So, what’s going on?”“Rogues, apparently. B
Sab was surprised one time when she saw Isabel on the training grounds.“What is she doing here?” She asked Hana before they started their training.“Do you know her? She introduced herself as Lucas’ mate. She’d been here since the alphas’ conference. Apparently, she stayed at his place and remained at his side every day. Lucas went out to visit the city so she came out.”She was understandably surprised to know about it. “Really? She’d been here all along?”“Yeah. She seems like a chatty one. Look at your mate’s face.” Hana chuckled and Sab quickly found Clyde. He seemed to have just arrived in the grounds and he’s already frowning at Isabel’s direction. He felt his mate’s eyes on him and turned to look at her.“Did you know she’d been here for months?” She asked through the link.“Dad might have mentioned it. I’ve forgotten about it.”“What are you going to do?”Clyde grunted. “Would you mind taking her in? Let her join your team.”“No. My team would feel intimidated. She’s an alpha
They haven’t really made an announcement. News of their mating slowly spread by word of mouth. Clyde and Sab would randomly be congratulated by others in the span of almost two months. One time, as they’re having dinner with the pack’s Alpha and Luna, his father asked him if he’s ready to take over. He has now fulfilled all the requirements. Sab quietly glanced at him and he carefully contemplated. These last few months with Sab, he hasn’t really given that matter much thought. Alice spoke up before the conversation turns serious. “Sab would need some time to prepare, too. You can let her join the meetings from now on, so she’s aware of what’s going on within the pack and other important matters outside our territory. How about we give you six months? Afterwards, we will hold the ceremony of conferring the titles to the two of you, as the new Alpha and Luna of Snow Mountain. I think it would be a lovely celebration.” The elder couple gave them time to think about it. “What do you t
“So… you know now that I was telling the truth? You… you’re feeling the bond now?” Sab would be surprised if that’s what he’s saying. He nodded, “Yes.” There was a moment of silence as her eyes widened and she thought of the situation. “Then… why are you… why do you keep your distance from me?” That is what’s puzzling her. Clyde sighed and held her hand. “I’m just feeling guilty. This seems different than before because I knew with absolute certainty that I truly wronged you. I know you’ve forgiven me and you’ve given me a chance… What I’m struggling with is forgiving myself and overcoming that feeling of guilt. I know what I should do, but I still feel bothered.” It was then that Sab realized what was different. The banter. He doesn’t tease her to annoy her, which he did before. As she looked at him, she knew she would be unable to understand what he’s going through. “But… you still want me, right?” That’s all she wanted to confirm. “Yes, of course I do. Always, Sab.” He cuppe
Although Clyde kept her company, she could feel a certain distance from him. He didn’t leave her to attend the conference. Too bad they didn’t witness the other amusing event which happened on the third day.During the morning break, Lucas showed up and Isabel gasped when he turned to look at her. This the girl Clyde previously considered to be his mate.“Mate! Mate, mate, mate!” With wide eyes, she leaped over and quickly pounced on him. She was excited, especially upon seeing how attractive he is. He looked very mature and dependable.Those around them were surprised, especially her father. Xavier squinted at the man. Who is he? How come he showed up only today? Why wasn’t her daughter alerted of his presence sooner? He heard someone sigh near him and looked over.“Do you know him?” He asked Conrad who wore a somewhat worried expression.“Lucas. He’s our pack doctor, the only one in Snow Mountain. Although he has a few apprentices and he teaches classes on first aid and medication.”
Sab braced herself but what she expected to happen didn’t come. After recovering from the intense pleasure, she felt dejected. Clyde immediately noticed the way she turned her head away, the absence of her smile, and the sadness in her eyes.It was a reaction he least expected after their mating. He became worried.“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Was I too rough? Was it bad?” He couldn’t be sure which one it was.Sab shook her head and glanced at him. She tried to smile, “It was nothing.”She wanted to curse herself. Just as she replied, tears came to her eyes for whatever reason. Even she doesn’t know why. Why is she freaking crying?“This isn’t nothing. Sab, tell me.” He carefully wiped her tears away and she forced herself to admit her fear.“You… you didn’t mark me.” Her voice was so low and she couldn’t look at him straight.Clyde audibly exhaled. Oh. So, it’s just this. For a second there, he really thought he did badly. When his brain processed her words, he felt elated and chuckl