Casper has learnt in his many years as a beta to be a man of actions and not just words. He used to be a very carefree man, light-hearted and full of laughs, till he was made the beta for Logan, a quiet young man of fifteen then. He had been one of the few people Logan had included in his social circle, more because of his skills in battle than anything. Logan had taught him patience, discipline, and the ability to back up his words with action.

He had been the most reserved and disciplined young werewolf when they were growing up. It was clear that he was destined to be an alpha, whether or not he was the son of an alpha. He wasn't one to let petty things trouble him, and he usually proffered solutions to any problems quickly and efficiently.

So, Casper was aghast when he saw the same Alpha in his room looking troubled. Many questions from him about his troubled mood proved futile as Logan wasn't giving any answers.

"I know you'd prefer not to tell me what is troubling you but it is important that you tell me," Casper said. "But I'm your beta because you need someone you can share your burden with."

"I would rather not, Casper." The alpha replied gruffly, appearing uninterested.

"But Alpha..."

"Casper, drop it. Please."

Casper eyed him warily. "If you say so. I've been meaning to ask you something about the white wolf we rescued."

Immediately Casper mentioned the white wolf, the Alpha raised his head in alarm. He realized that he had looked too interested and quickly checked himself. In a split second, he rearranged his expression from interest to indifference.

"Yeah, what about her?" Logan asked in what he hoped was an unconcerned voice.

Casper looked at him with suspicion. The alpha was definitely hiding something. "I wanted to ask about the mark you found on her shoulder. What do you think it means? Frankly, I have never seen anything like it before. Rogue werewolves are known to draw tattoos that separate them from normal packs but that's one tattoo I've never seen before."

Logan signed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers "Yeah, you might want to keep that information to yourself, Casper." He said "Stuff like that can cause an uproar among the people. It would be best if we kept anything about the white wolf or her mark or how we found her to ourselves. Inform Dr. Frank to not say a word to anyone about it too, till I fix all of this."

"Noted." Casper replied, nodding his head "And what do you plan on doing with her in the end? She would still pose a problem whether she's a spy or not. Would you kill her or imprison her?"

Logan turned to him in alarm. Casper could read his expression as easily as an open book. His face was full of doubt and the beta could see that he was hesitating to make any judgment. It was like the Alpha was going against everything he preached.

"I haven't made a decision yet." Logan answered after a few seconds of silence "But in the meantime, tell Dr. Frank to keep her in the clinic till I figure something out. She is not to go anywhere or talk to anyone else. Not like she does a lot of talking anyway." He added under his breath.

Casper looked at his alpha and wondered what type of emotional turmoil could be going on inside him that would cause the man to act so distractedly.

Was it the presence of the white wolf or something else? With this last thought, he inclined his head towards the Alpha in greeting and walked out of the room, leaving Logan to his thoughts.

Logan sighed with relief as Casper left his room. He knew he couldn't take a minute more of his beta's incessant questions. Everything seemed to be getting to him these days. Usually, he would have answered Casper's questions seamlessly but he had caught himself struggling for words and solutions. All his mind could conjure was a curly, dark-haired, mute woman that the Goddess had forced upon him as his mate.

His thoughts randomly went to his father and he sighed as he remembered how great the old man had once been. He remembered being a young boy and idolizing his father, admiring the alpha he was. His father had been a great alpha, fierce in battle yet loving and gentle with his people. He loved his son and his mate Jessica very much.

Maybe a little too much.

The death of Jessica his mate had made him retreat to a dark corner of his mind till he slowly began to lose his sanity. People had thought that he would get over it after a few months but he had gotten much worse, till the Council of Alphas declared him invalid and unable to rule, thereby crowning fifteen-year-old Logan as Alpha in his stead.

Logan sometimes resented his mother for dying and leaving his father like that, but most times he thought most of the blame rested on his father. The man had been too weak and soft-hearted, giving room to love and be loved, and it has cost him a lot. The story of his father had taught him the dangers and implications of giving yourself wholly to someone. He had vowed to never follow that path. Ever. Not until this white wolf had come and turned his world upside down.

Logan grunted in frustration at the direction of his thoughts and stood from the desk behind which he was sitting, heading towards the door of his room. He would see his father again to remind himself of the dangers of falling in love.

His father had been moved from the main Alpha's quarters to a small room on the ground floor of the pack house, where he was to spend the rest of his days. Once Logan got there, he opened the door without any preliminaries and peeped inside.

His father was fast asleep on a couch by the window, his head lolling carelessly over the arm of the couch and his hands and legs flung about. His long gray hair was flowing down from the arm of the couch to the ground and he had almost a week's worth of stubble on his chin.

He was letting out a great unpleasant snore that made Logan turn his head in distaste. The alpha moved closer to his father and wrinkled his nose as the smell of whiskey and stale sweat hit his nostrils. Several bottles of the stuff were lying around and Logan saw that his father was clutching something to his chest. He gently removed the thing and saw that it was a picture of his mother, Jessica. Typical. His father often slept off with the picture in his hand. Logan's father was a defeated man.

The alpha's face hardened as he looked at the face of his mother smiling up at him from the picture. She used to be a beautiful woman and used to bake him cookies that he never ate because they were too sugary. He remembered throwing a lot of her cookies away and then lying to her that he enjoyed them just to please her. He never really had a close relationship with his mother: from an early age, he had been training to be an alpha and barely had time for anything else.

He looked back up at the snoring vulnerable man on the couch and hardened his resolve. If this was the price for love, he would never ever allow any woman into his life to treating him like this. Ever. And with that last thought, Alpha Logan returned the picture to his father's chest and walked away, leaving his past behind.

When Logan woke again it was early morning. Soft sunlight slipped through the curtains above his bed and he winced, raising his hand to his cheek and touching the warmth the sunlight had left there. He opened his eyes and sat up, looking around groggily, and suddenly he was jolted by the ring of his bedside clock which read 7:00 am. He switched off the alarm and threw aside his bedcovers, slipping his feet into his pajama slippers. The alpha rubbed his eyes and sighed in contentment, walking towards his bathroom. He had never felt this satisfied in a long while.

On his way to his bathroom, he passed his vanity mirror and stopped, staring at his reflection. A tousle-haired, crusty-eyed well-built man stared back at him. On impulse, he smiled faintly, as though enjoying the image that the mirror reflected. A few stolen moments of peace like this were worth all the chaos he would have to face later in the day.

He walked into his bathroom and freshened up, brushing his teeth and taking a hot shower. He caught himself whistling cheerfully once or twice. Logan was mildly surprised at his happy mood as the past day had been full of depressing events. From the rogue attacks to the discovery of the white wolf to Kylie's recent attempt at getting his attention and his visit to his father, his mood should have been anything but cheerful.

He walked out of the bathroom with only a towel on and noticed that a servant had laid his clothes on the bed. He slipped into the navy-blue button shirt and matching blue pants, completing it with black loafers. He combed and pulled his hair back in its characteristic ponytail and walked out of his room.

The dining room where he was supposed to have breakfast was located on the ground floor of the pack house, close to the kitchens. When he entered the dining room, he saw that his wolf aides were already waiting for him, sitting around the long dining table. They all rose in greeting when he came in and he gestured to them to sit down.

"Good morning, everyone. I see we're already having breakfast." He said cheerfully. Casper who was sitting to his right noticed the change in his mood as opposed to yesterday and wondered what must have gotten the alpha so happy.

"Yes, Alpha." His gamma who was sitting to his left answered "We thought you won't be joining us for breakfast today."

"Well, I had a change of heart," Logan responded and gestured to one of the servants, who proceeded to serve his breakfast.

Suddenly the doors to the dining room opened and a servant came in, bowing to the wolves. She turned to Casper. "Beta, the patient you requested is here."

"Oh, bring her in," Casper replied.

While Logan wondered what patient they were talking about, the servant turned and walked out of the room, coming back a few seconds later with none other than the white wolf they had rescued.

Aella was dressed in a simple white slip-on dress that reached her ankles. Her feet were bare and her hair had been let down so it flowed down her back and shoulders in lush black waves. Her brown eyes were big and staring around the room in wonder as she took in the number of male wolves sitting around the table.

The whole room had gone silent as the men in the seats watched her with awe and amazement. They had sincerely never seen any she-wolf as stunning as her.

A snarl slipped from Logan's mouth as he saw all the men staring at her. His mate instinct kicked in and he stood up, walking towards her. He reached her and immediately, her scent hit his nostrils again. Cinnamon, he thought. She smelled of cinnamon and crushed lilies.

"Why are you barefoot?" He whispered huskily, trying his best not to move closer to her. He feared that he would give himself away if he got too close to her and lost control.

"I prefer it that way." She replied sharply, pushing at his chest to walk further into the room.

Even that little contact had affected him in ways he couldn't explain. He stumbled and quickly righted himself, feeling the anger bubbling to the surface. How dare she treat him, an alpha, that way?

She reached the table and took a seat beside Casper, smiling at the men around the table. Slowly they all continued their breakfast, still watching her discreetly. She dug into the food that was laid on the table, filling her plate with breakfast.

Logan gritted his teeth in anger and walked towards the table, turning her chair with a force so that she faced him.

"You!" Logan yelled "How dare you come in here and make yourself comfortable without my permission? How dare you even walk in here without my knowledge?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" She asked, staring into his eyes while slowly putting a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

The effect that had on him was inexplicable. He found himself gaping at her lips as they closed around the fork. He quickly turned his back on her and faced Casper.

"I don't remember asking you to bring her in here." He yelled. "Why did you bring her?"

Casper dropped his fork calmly and faced his Alpha "She was already getting better and it would not be prudent to keep her in the clinic. And since there was nowhere else to keep her, I decided to bring her here. I didn't know it would be a problem."

"Well, it is a problem." Logan responded sharply "You shouldn't do things behind my back and without my prior notice."

The woman stood up and faced Logan in defiance "Hey!" She cut in "You know I'm here, right? Stop acting like I can't hear all that's being said about me."

"Shut up!" Logan snarled without even soaring her a glance.

"What if I don't?"

He turned to her abruptly and came so close to her that they were practically sharing breaths "You are nothing but a stranger we rescued and you should be grateful for that." He breathed into her face. "You will obey me as the alpha of this pack, without any questions. Do you understand?"

She stood on tiptoe as he was several inches taller than her and met his eyes squarely "What if I don't?" She repeated.

He growled as his haunches were raised in anger. "Everyone, get out." He whispered, but his whisper carried around the silent room. The rest of the wolves scrambled to get out of the room, leaving the alpha, his beta, and Aella in the dining room.

"I want to know who you are and why you were found close to my territory, now. Enough of all this." He demanded menacingly.

Aella kept her eyes on his without blinking "My answer remains the same. I don't know."

"You!" Logan reached for her but in a swift second, Casper has gotten between them, blocking the alpha from doing anything rash.

"Alpha, calm down" Casper murmured in his ears. "It wouldn't do to lose your temper and hit her."

Logan released himself from Casper's grip and walked towards Aella, his every step screaming danger. She moved backward as he came towards her until her back hit the wall behind her, their eyes still on each other.

"I promise, I will find out what you're all about." He whispered with venom in his voice "But before then, I promise to make your life a living hell. Mark my words."

Logan walked into his room and slammed the door, raking his fingers through his ponytail in rage. He growled and fisted his hands, pacing the room as he tried to keep his anger in check. He had always thought he was a master of his emotions until this white wolf came along. How could one person make him feel rage and love at the same time?

He couldn't really explain the feelings he felt when he was around her. She was doubleweight annoying, yet appealing as hell. He had thought she was attracted to him too; their brief meeting in the clinic had made him believe so. She had stared into his eyes with those big brown eyes of hers and he'd thought he saw his feelings mirrored in them, but maybe all that was a facade. Her behavior and reaction to him today in the dining room were making him doubt it. He had honestly never met another woman who made him feel such conflicting emotions before.

He growled in defiance as his body reacted to thinking about her again, and began to pace the room even more frantically. And yet, with all of this, he found himself thinking almost all the time about her. She seemed to have taken over his thought process, and since he had seen her in the snow, he'd found his mind going to her more times than he wanted to admit.

I told you. His wolf spoke up. She's your mate, Logan. Trying to stay away from her and denying what you feel for her won't do you any good. You need to accept that you both are bound together for life now.

"She's not," Logan said through gritted teeth "My mate."

Yeah, keep wishing. His wolf scoffed. You imprinted on her and you can't deny it. The sooner you accept that you cannot stay away from her the better.

"I'll find out who she is and what she's about very soon. Then we would not be having this conversation anymore. It would not matter if she was my mate or not." Logan replied, "We would finally put an end to all of this."

Don't! His wolf protested. Don't even think about harming her. It would only cause you pain, Logan. See what losing a mate did to your father. You would be scarred for life.

"Exactly!" Logan countered "See what it did to my father. See how it broke him. Which is the more reason why I should end her and end this as soon as possible."

Do not harm her. His wolf threatened.

"I will do as I damn well please, wolf. And you better start getting used to that!" He yelled as the door to his room creaked open.

He turned around in surprise and saw that it was only his beta. Casper walked in cautiously, reading the alpha's face to see if he was still mad about the incident.

"I'm sorry, alpha." He said, closing the door behind him. "My apologies for disrupting your... monologue."

"It's fine, Casper. Come on in." Logan replied.

Casper walked towards the alpha and saw that his face was troubled. He had an inkling of what was troubling Logan but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he placed a concerned hand on the alpha's shoulder.

"Alpha, what's wrong?" Casper asked.

"Nothing. It's really nothing, Casper."

"Logan, talk to me." Casper urged and Logan looked up in surprise. His beta rarely called him by his name since they became alpha and beta. Usually, when he did call him by name it was because of a matter of concern.

"Did this have anything to do with the white wolf? Was it because of my going behind you and inviting her to the pack house?" Casper asked.

That was not particularly the issue on Logan's mind but he seized the opportunity.

"Yes, I guess." He said hastily. "You didn't have to do that, Casper. Why did you have to invite her to the pack house? I really did not want her anywhere around me."

Casper let his hand slide down from the alpha's shoulder "Why? I never got the impression that she offended you in any way. In fact, that time in the dining room was the first time I would see the both of you meet."

Logan closed his eyes as he tried to control his rage "She is a pesky little wolf with all the stubbornness of a bull. She is rebellious, defies my authority, and deserves nothing but harsh treatment if she keeps up with that behavior."

Casper frowned "And you knew all that through one meeting with her?"

Logan glared at his beta "Yes. You have a problem with that?"

"I'm sorry." Casper looked at him with questions in his eyes. "Your outburst though. Was it because of the fact that I brought her into the pack house or because of something else?"

Logan frowned "What do you mean, something else? Why would there be something else?"

"I mean, I have seriously never seen a wolf of the female gender get under your skin like that." Casper continued, smirking "It's almost like you're attracted to her or something. Are you, though?"

"I am not." Logan gritted his teeth and walked away from Casper, facing the opposite wall. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. With the rogue attacks and everything..."

"Are you really sure?" Casper asked again. The alpha could detect the slight teasing in his voice. He turned away from the wall and faced his beta "Are you questioning my answer, Casper?"

"No, no." Casper quickly said, raising his hands in surrender. His eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Just saying, you've been practically nonchalant about the female gender till this white wolf came along. In fact, you've repeatedly made it known that you don't want a mate, even though the members of the pack have been clamouring for a Luna. So, seeing you suddenly throw all your beliefs away the moment this new wolf stepped into the picture is raising some eyebrows, mine included."

Logan walked forward till he was face to face with Casper

"I am not throwing my beliefs away. I still stand by them. I do not want a mate."

"That hasn't changed, I know. But..."

"But what?" Logan demanded; his eyes narrowed.

Casper stared at his Alpha eye to eye and asked him the dreaded question. "Logan, is she your mate?"