Alarick POV

Two hours later, I felt better. She had finally stopped shaking and was warmer. Her breathing was even better, making me unconsciously smile.

I took myself away from her and then heard a noise, looking at her, she seemed so adorable, that I wanted to bundle her up and take her away! Right now!

Unable to hold back, I shift and then pat her on the head, feeling her luscious fur through my fingers. When she made another noise, I could only sigh in defeat, as I knew I was desperate for her to wake up and be with me.

So troublesome…

She seemed to have gone back into sleep and I slowly crawled up and put my forehead against hers. My hands patted her fur on her head and I kissed her furry forehead.

I didn’t even know what she looks like…I don’t know what she’s been through…

Shaking my head, I again sighed, as I did a minute ago. Completely defeated.

Like I’ve never wanted anything before…I wanted her! Was the mate bond a futuristic feeling? Telling me that what I’m feeling now is how I would feel in the future? Hell, even though I don’t even know her, and that she was a lone wolf, I felt so addicted to her already…

Seeing that she might not be able to move herself, I decided to go and get her something to eat and left the small cave, which I began to think of as her den.

I hadn’t exactly finished getting everything I needed, to make her an easy meal, when I needed to check on her. With our weak link between us, I was filled with worry…

I had already checked her once, but now this would be a second time…I couldn’t bloody help it!

Racing back to her, I found her snuffing and acting strange. What’s wrong with her?

Touching her, she seemed to calm down a bit and my hand started to rub her fur on its own…It was like that with everything. My eyes, my hands, my everything, just wanted her everything!

Suddenly, she let out a small howl and I wondered if she was in a nightmare. Worried, I said, “Wake up!”

Seeing the wolf shift to sit quickly like that, I was a little perplexed…

Upon seeing blood coming out of her wound, I nearly freaked out, “Ah…You moved too quickly.”

Shifting, I automatically started licking her wound. Thoughts didn’t really cross my mind at all, it was all just instinct…

I felt her eyes on me and I shivered, my wolf excitingly jumping a bit on his front paws.

She was letting me lick her, even holding her adorable paw up. It was easier this time because of that, which astonished me and made me happy at the same time.

She’s watching me!

I felt exhilarated to have all of her attention, it was like all my dreams coming into real life!

Nearly getting carried away with thinking of her eyes were on me, I realized her wound was getting better. I knew silver seemed to be in there still but what had gone into one of her lungs, had probably been healed to the best of its ability now. It was just her skin that was still slashed opened, that needed more help.

She had been so still all this time, that I suddenly looked up to see those absolutely beautiful, blue eyes. Transfixed, I could only stand there dazedly looking back at her.

I wanted to mark her…Now!

Upon seeing her neck, and how it was hurt, instinctively, I went to lick it, wanting to help her.

Her growl stunned me, and I moved away from her. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, thinking if I shifted, I could also talk to her.

Seeing her reaction to me going to my human form, I found it very amusing. I tried to hold back my laughter at her innocence and couldn’t help but want her even more!

“…Does…Does this bother you?” I asked her, my voice husky to my thoughts.

I got a little angry with myself, because right now, she needed to get better! I can’t let my mind wonder off like that while she’s in pain!

…Perhaps Radolph and I were more similar then I thought…

Remembering that I had something for her to eat, I quickly said, “I’ll finish getting something that you can eat, I’ll be back in a bit.”

And quickly I ran off.

I was very serious when I made her something to eat, trying to keep my cool. My wolf seemed to smirk at me, not saying a word, only making me want to sigh. The food I had gotten…Looked like mush…But, I had put more then a hundred percent into it!

I was a goner!

Having decided to make her mine, I was already thinking of taking her back with me to my pack. I knew they might not like the idea of her being my mate, but my god, I could not leave her here!

But I couldn’t stay away from my pack too much longer either…

For some reason, these issues didn’t matter, I was just too eager!

That’s it…Eager to have her with me from now on…

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And hence the sigh…I was a goner! Completely defeated by the most beautiful wolf in the world…

When I had walked in, I watched her cover her eyes again and chuckled. My heart was racing over the small, cute, little things she was doing already…

I put down the crudely made bowl for her, “Eat.”

Sitting down and watching her, I felt strange under her eyes…Feeling nervous! Clearing my throat, I repeated myself, “Eat!”

Seeing her not shift and just stare at what I made for her, I was getting worried…What if she didn’t like it?

“It will be easier to digest…Ah, are you going to shift?”

To my disappointment on wanting to see her human form, she tried to gobble up the bowl, while she was still a wolf!

“Why don’t you shift?” Seriously, woman!

She huffed!

She huffed! At me!

…So troublesome!

Actually, while I watched her finish her bowl, I was gaining my courage.

Geez, why did I feel like I was only half a man when it came to her! I couldn't cook a proper meal for her, I couldn't just tug her away to a place to get her healed, she growled and huffed at me...Woman, you're driving me bloody nuts!

Taking that as my momentum, I let out the question, “Will you be strong enough to travel?”

…Woman! Why look at me like u haven’t a clue!

I wanted to sigh out, but then remembered I had the perfect reason to take her with me! That’s right, you have no way out my mate! Your coming home with me!

I cleared my throat,

“I’ll take you to get that silver, neck collar off and make sure that you get better.”

Better, being the words described as my mate, never leaving my side, better.

A whole minute went by, and I started to feel strange…Could my mate possibly be a normal wolf? Nah…Dam, though!

I just couldn’t take it anymore!

She had no other option, she was mine, so her answer was obviously yes!

I got up then and just went to pick her up. I was very gentle, I couldn’t even think of hurting her in the slightest…It was a whole new law that I had never known about, until now…

After the big, white wolf was in my hands…The whole world seemed brighter to me!

I was in my glory, so was my wolf…We just wanted to stay like this!

But! With her slow, short movements on wanting to escape, I decided it was time to go!

When she didn’t move after a while, I chuckled, at seeing her wolfie face. I didn’t really need her to tell me what she was thinking…What I saw…Was total innocence, like she had never been in this position before.

To have her act like the way she smelt, I unconsciously smiled to both fantastic things that I seemed to already enjoy very much.

I wanted to laugh again, when she tried to hide her big head, but instead, I held her tighter, quickly moving her head to my neck, beside my shoulder.

Heaven…

I sighed to my happiness of just having her in my arms and so close to me. Since I was already on my way back home, I wanted to suddenly dawdle…I was just so happy holding her like this!

Feeling her relax, I figured she had fallen asleep once again and I couldn’t help but soften my walking, to not disturb her sleep.

Upon my walk back, my mate…Yes…My mate…Didn’t seem to budge at all.

I knew her breathing seemed ok and that she was warm, but I was still too worried and sped up my pace.

After two hours, I was getting closer to the border and I called out to Radolph.

Within a few minutes, I got some clothes, to help with my mate’s shyness, and carefully picked her up again.

Radolph wanted to chat to me, but I told him to be quiet…Which only led to us having a conversation in our heads.

She’s the one? Our Luna?

Mmm, honestly, I was still accepting it myself. Don’t get me wrong, I was over the moon with her, just…I had practically nearly let her go and I was worried about who will accept her, how she would go with being my mate…

I never thought a man like me could worry so much about one troublesome, lone wolf…

I had absolutely underestimated the mate bond…Totally!

Hell, I was already smitten, I was already wanting to initiate her into the pack with no one knowing any wiser! I can totally understand my brother in law now! Hell, I wanted to mark her and make her mine, this very instant!

Why is she hurt?

His question did make me upset…Hell, I still had no idea!

It was all just driving me fuckin crazy!

I sighed. I could see my future being one hell of a ride from here on in!

A healer had already been prepared upon my arrival and he looked at…My mate…

Having to take more silver out of her wound, the healer had woken her up, even upsetting me. I heard the white wolf whine and the healer said, “It’ll be much easier if you shift, my dear.”

I started to get excited, I really wanted to see how beautiful she was as her human form.

But, to my utter astonishment…She was as stubborn as hell!

She just covered her eyes with her paw and laid back down!

Even though I wanted her to be healed, I found this aspect of her completely adorable! No wonder I had trouble finding my mate, she must have caused so much trouble with everyone!

Suddenly, I was extremely excited about finding out more about her. I wanted to know where she has been, why she was a lone wolf…

Questions started to full my mind and I didn’t hear the healer talk to me.

“Alpha?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, “Uh?”

“She won’t shift…”

Oh, yeah…For me, I was starting to get used to it…

Using my Alpha tone upon my mate sounded…Wrong…So they will just have to endure!

“Just heal her like that then.” So troublesome!

A scout went out to get someone from The Misty Ice Pack, to get off the silver neck collar and I just stayed with her. Patting her fur, I looked at the now covered wound on her and bent down to lightly kiss it.

The healer stated that it should heal a lot faster now, taking out most of the lingering small bits of silver. Having the healer unable to do much about the neck collar, I let him go.

I had felt relief when they had all left and I continued to pat her.

“Hungry? Thirsty?”

Hearing a grumble at my questions, I went closer to her head and asked, teasingly, “Which one, hungry or thirsty?”

A huff came out, making me laugh.

She moved her head away from me and looked away.

I had put her on my own personal bed, not feeling the least bit upset to the sudden guest in my own room. On the contrary, I was so excited, that I moved to the other side of her. I felt like she belonged on my bed, that to a strange regard, some of it now already belonged to her!

But even though I had lost some of my bed, I wasn’t mad or upset. Not at all!

This troublesome mate of mine…Sigh.

Showing her my face in front of hers again, I even went to pat her ears, but she moved her head in another direction, letting out a huff again…

I shook my head and sighed.

Putting my hands all around her wolf head, I snuggled into her ear.

A strange noise entered my ears and I smiled in amongst her fur.

Over the space of half an hour, I could see that she wasn’t as aggressive as she was when I first met her and gained more and more courage.

At first, I had just cuddled her ear and patted her head, but I ended up putting my hands down her silky, furry body and she laid into me.

I smiled at her, patting her stomach carefully and she snuffed…Which confused me. Did she like it or not!? Was it painful?

I knew it then, that I just could not wait to see her human form. She was teasing me so much!

Troublesome!

I don’t even know her name!

Just as I was going to shift into my wolf form, I was interrupted by the patrols

Boss! It’s the same pack as last time, they say that we should move our border back to where it was before, or there might be a real fight on our hands!

I went into wolf form and responded, tell them we will move our borders back by a few acres for now.

...Boss?

Only in the south east, move it back, I know we lose a hot spring but do it!

I knew I had given the impression that I hadn’t cared about taking more land, considering that it wasn’t theirs either, but at the moment, I wasn’t in the mood to fight with The Striker’s Den.

Looking over at my mate, I was taking a step back for the time being.

They accepted boss. They are…Already happy…

I raised my eyebrows at the random personalities of The Strikers Den and was actually happy with what I had done. I had made the right choice then!

Not changing out of my wolf form, I started to lick my mate, around the wound first, then…Everywhere else!

A few grunts and snuffs later seemed to satisfy her into another sleep and I felt proud now.

She had my scent all over her!