Two

Logan continued to walk through the forest, paying no attention to the direction his steps were taking him. He felt as though he was moving against a tide, as though he was leaving all he had always wanted behind him. All that his heart and wolf wanted was to turn back and see his mate again, but his brain needed a break from everything that had just happened.

He reached the edge of a creek and sat down on a tree stump beside it. The creek was his comfort spot, a place where he could offload and recharge. It had been his favorite spot as a young werewolf, and now, with all the responsibilities of an Alpha on his shoulders, he found himself coming here more often.

The creek was frozen over due to the weather, its surface shining like a lake of glass. Logan stared into it, seeing his reflection look back up at him. His was the face of a tired young man who had been dealt the rougher side of life.

From a very young age, he had been made the Alpha in his father's stead, having to rule over people who were older and more experienced than him. It wasn't easy being a teenage alpha. He'd had to put aside his own needs and emotions for the good of the whole pack, and the years had taken a huge toll on him. All his life had revolved around being an Alpha and taking care of his people and he had paid little attention to anything else, including finding a mate.

He didn't want one, period. He had seen what having and losing a mate had done to his father, how the old man had given himself slowly to misery till he became a shadow of his former self. He didn't want to ever experience that, to love someone so much that losing them felt like death.

But somehow the Goddess had decided to make his life worse by giving him the one thing he least wanted: a mate, even though he'd rather do without one. She was his responsibility now, more because of the situation he'd found her. He wasn't so callous as to abandon a lone wolf in need of help, whether she was his mate or not. With that thought in mind, he opened the mind link, trying to reach Casper. Within a few seconds, his beta answered.

Alpha… Casper called.

Casper, take my…take the white wolf to the pack's clinic. Make sure she's well taken care of.

Alright, Alpha. We're on it. Casper paused, as though contemplating what he was about to say. Then he spoke up again. Alpha, are you sure you're okay? You looked a little put out the other time.

It's alright, Casper, I'm fine. Thanks for acting concerned.

It wasn't an act, Alpha. I was genuinely worried. I've never seen you act like that.

Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there Casper? Logan answered in a not-too-kind voice.

Oh, I'm sorry if I passed my bounds, Alpha. The beta replied and cut off the mind link.

Logan closed his eyes and let the cold air wash over him, soothe his frayed nerves. His mind went back to his mate and he wondered how she was faring. Every time he thought of her his wolf would jump in excitement and impatience to see her again. Suddenly he found himself wishing he was by her side instead of by this lonely creek.

A thought crossed his mind uninvited and he paused, opening his eyes. What if she was a spy, planted at the pack's border by the rogue wolves? The crescent mark he had seen on her shoulder pointed very convincingly to that fact. In his ten years of being an Alpha, he hadn't come across any wolf with that mark. It was strange and looked eerily ancient, like a long-forgotten hieroglyph. What if she wasn't really in pain and in need of help?

What if he had imprinted on the enemy?

His wolf groaned in defiance at that unwelcome thought and he stood abruptly from the tree stump, moving towards the pack house. If that was the case, if she really was a spy planted in his territory, he would have no choice but to kill her.

Immediately this thought crossed his mind his inner wolf snarled dangerously. Don't kill mate. She's the Chosen! His wolf screamed.

"Shut up!" He growled out loud and his voice scared a couple of birds from the trees. Thank the Goddess he was alone in the woods. His subjects would think he had finally lost it if he was found talking to himself.

His wolf reared its head and reminded him She's your mate! Killing her would bring you unbearable pain! You'll regret it for the rest of your life!

"But accepting her as my mate would cause more harm than good. She might be a spy; she might have been planted here by the enemy. And I cannot risk falling in love and going through everything only to be left miserable at the end of my life. Have you seen what losing a mate did to my father?"

His wolf snorted in derision and asked Are you your father? Last time I checked you were not!"

"I'm not." He replied, frowning "Doesn't mean it can't happen. And I'm not willing to take that dangerous risk on my life. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to end the subject there."

His wolf growled in rebellion and retreated into a corner of his mind, still muttering threats. Another voice replaced that of the wolf in his head. It was the voice of Casper through a mind link and he silently swore. He was sick of everyone getting into his head so much in one day.

If you mind link me again, Casper…

Alpha…Sorry for disturbing your quiet again. There's news. His beta's voice was slightly amused. He probably thought his Alpha was overreacting.

Bad or good this time? Logan asked. His thoughts immediately traveled to the white wolf that was now his mate and despite his resolution to end her life, he found his heart skipping a beat as he contemplated the thought that something had happened to her.

Depends on how you want to look at it. Casper answered, his voice still amused. The lone wolf we found? She's awake.

He looked up and towards the pack house in excitement. She is?

Yes. She's morphed back to human too. You should come to see her.

Keep her there. He replied to his beta after several seconds. Restrict every effort she might make to escape. I'm on my way right now. He concluded and closed the mind link.

His wolf became excited again as he walked away from the frozen creek and towards the pack house and his mate. He tried to shush his wolf but deep down, he was excited too. He would finally meet the she-wolf that had made him feel so many unfamiliar emotions in the space of a few hours.

God help him if he had to kill her in the end. He was too deep in this already.