Clyde would admit he’s feeling nervous. He’s not sure how to approach her mother now. He found her at the nursery, helping mothers take care of babies and little kids. They were having lunch and he didn’t want to bother them, so he’s just hoping to set a day and time to have a conversation with her later.When the other women saw him, they seem to already know his intention. They informed Sab’s mom of his presence and she looked over. Her expression isn’t the usual friendly one he’s used to.The woman got up and he slowly approached her as she walked over, too.“Are you looking for me?”“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch. May I ask when you’ll be available? I would like to speak with you about something.”Sab’s mom raised an eyebrow and Clyde could guess why. He sounded really formal. Not to mention he’s used to calling her “Aunt”. He couldn’t help clearing his throat. There’s suddenly a lump there which he tried to swallow down.“Do you still need to set an appointment? N
He ran a hand through his hair, unsure what to say.“I didn’t mean to. I apologize. She’d been avoiding me. Maybe if I can speak with her, I’ll be able to explain properly and let her know my thoughts. It wasn’t my intention to make her cry. I just want us to spend time together like before and have a deeper understanding of each other to improve our relationship. We can work from that point. Would you give your permission?”Sab’s mother sighed. “As much as I want to protect my daughter from any harm, I am aware that proper communication can resolve most misunderstandings. I do believe there’s enough of that between you and her. You came to me to assure me and say all these things, but Sab doesn’t know any of that yet, does she? She may have decided to act a certain way, avoiding you and all, but I wouldn’t say it’s the right decision. She clearly hasn’t considered several things, due to lack of information. Which you could have supplied, by the way. In that sense, it’s somewhat your
“You don’t like me. You’re just saying that.”“No, Sab. I do like you. I’ve admired you for a while now. From the moment you began training seriously and showing everyone the progress you’ve made. You’re exactly the kind of person I like.” He tried to begin explaining.“You don’t have a kind of person you like. You’ve been waiting for your mate all this time. Why stop now?”Her direct question made him a little uncomfortable, but he was ready to answer it.“Can’t I change my mind? I found someone I like. What’s the point of waiting for someone who may not show up?”“What if she shows up, then? What would you do? You’re going to choose her, aren’t you?” Her tone rose up a little and they both noticed it.In a way, he’s glad she’s pouring out her emotions in this exchange. Still, he doesn’t like seeing the pained expression on her face.“I won’t. I’ve already considered that situation, Sab. Trust me. I want you and even if someone like that shows up, I still want to be with you.”She sh
“Did… What you said earlier… Did you say you believe me?” She didn’t like how she seemed hopeful. I thought you’re no longer expecting anything? She inwardly reprimanded herself. Still, she looked up and dared to stare directly into his eyes. She wants to see if he’s saying the truth, as she didn’t see it earlier.Clyde held her gaze and softened his expression, “I did. I believe you, Sab. Forgive me for doubting you back then. I’ll keep believing in you from now on.”When her eyes began to fill up with tears again, Clyde edged closer to her. He touched her face and wiped those tears. It seemed pointless but he wanted to keep doing it. He was somewhat relieved by the way she looked at him. It was as if she’s already considering giving him a chance.His father was right. This is a very important matter for her. He should have realized it much sooner.This time, they just kept staring at each other. She looked adorable, looking at him like that. He smiled at her and was rewarded by her
They just stood there awkwardly for about five minutes before her mother came out with the packed food.“Thank you.”“Hmm…”“I’ll get going, then. Sab.” He nodded to the two of them before leaving.Her mother eyed her and raised an eyebrow.“What do you think? What are you thinking?” She went and tugged her inside the house and closing the door behind them.“I don’t know. He said a few things earlier. I didn’t know how to respond.”“How are you feeling?” She guided her towards a seat and Sab found the table to be set already. It was surprising.“Were you really expecting him to have dinner here?”The other woman shrugged, “Not really. It was a possibility so I simply prepared. He spoke to me earlier and he seemed sincere. I mean, he’s the next Alpha, after all. But if you don’t like him, then I’ll respect your decision.”Sab sighed, “How can I not like him? I just… even though he said… something… I still worry that it’s not what he’ll do in the future.”“Is this about fated mates? You
“Where have you been?” His mother asked as soon as he came home.“I spoke with Sab. Then, I took her home. Her mom packed these for me.” He set the food on the table and went to get some plates for them.“Oh? What happened?”“Nothing yet. I talked to her mom during lunch break. Then I went to see Sab after her class. We talked for a bit. I tried to convince her, to give me a chance. She said she needed time to think, so I took her home. Earlier I did ask her mom if I could take her out and maybe join them for dinner once a week. She may have thought I would be having dinner with them.”“Really? You already ate?” Alice checked the time. The amount of time that elapsed doesn’t seem enough.“No, I haven’t. Sab needed time to think so I didn’t dare disturb them. That’s why her mom decided to pack the food instead.”“Oh, you’re being considerate? That’s a nice thing to do.” She was slightly impressed by his decision.Clyde barely smiled. He’s still not at ease, though. “I hope she would no
Clyde could guess what she wants to happen and he’s more than willing to do that. Still, he has to find certain outlets to show his feelings. Now that he’s sure of what he wants to happen between them, he could no longer keep it within himself. He wanted to be much closer to her and to be intimate.He would never have imagined himself craving the touch of someone else, to hold her and keep her by his side. This kind of desire is new to him. But for now, he has to rein it in. It’s clear that she’s uncomfortable with it, as they’re not used to it. He has to approach this slowly until they’re both comfortable with each other.When he showed up for lunch, everyone became quiet. They’re waiting to see what’s going to happen now. Clyde didn’t say anything and simply did what they used to do, laying out the food as everyone formed a circle. They do share what they’ve brought. The meal time was quieter than usual, though. The trainees tried to speak with another in lowered voices.Clyde chuck
The following week, things changed again, though. Sab was confused when her trainees excused themselves during lunch break. They all left and she could only look at Clyde in bewilderment.He chuckled, already understanding the situation. He did see their underlying expressions. There was a couple of thumbs up and several winks were thrown in his direction.“Are you uncomfortable having lunch with just me?” He asked and if she says yes, he’s ready to call them all back.Sab tilted her head and hesitated. “Not really.”“They probably planned it. To let us have lunch together, just the two of us.” He doesn’t want her to remain clueless about it, so he kindly told her. To ensure her comfort, he maintained a respectable distance.Sab’s expression turned into helplessness and disbelief. They actually did that? They all agreed to it?“Should I call them back? They haven’t gone far yet.”Sab found their spot and saw they’re already taking out their packed lunches. She grimaced before saying,
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