Morning finally came, but I hadn't caught a glimmer of sleep. My mate's words consumed my thoughts all night, but I realized that I didn't even know his name. I decided to go with him, at least for now, despite the uncertainty and fear that gnawed at me.

I packed a few pairs of clothes, the only proper ones I had, and waited in my small house. Should I stay and wait for him here, or go to the pack house and meet him? What if it was all a trick? What if he didn't take me with him?

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I didn't recognize the unfamiliar smell, but I could detect a faint scent of my mate. I hesitated before opening the door, revealing a man with combed back brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to pierce right through me.

"Are you Willow Wright?" he asked. His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, but he reassured me with a smile, claiming to be just a regular wolf.

He walked past me, observing my small bag, and declared he would explain everything on our way. I was baffled by his intrusion and his demand that I follow him without a word. But as I stepped away from my house, a wave of sadness washed over me. Despite my hatred for this place, my little house had been my comfort and sanctuary. Now, I had to leave it behind, venturing into the unknown with no certainty of what awaited me.

The man called out softly, sensing my hesitation. He came over and spoke reassuringly about letting go. His encouraging smile prompted me to gather my strength and face this new world with resolve.

As we walked, I noticed we were heading in the opposite direction of the pack house. When we reached the edge of the forest, I saw a black jeep waiting. My companion activated the engine and opened the trunk, placing my bag inside. He then opened the passenger door for me, a gesture of kindness I had rarely experienced.

I got in and buckled up, grateful for the music he put on to break the awkward silence. We drove away from the pack gates, the guards saluting as we passed. My companion looked relieved once we were out, and he turned to me with a laugh.

"That was rough!" He exclaimed, puzzled by my silence. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm alright," I replied quickly.

"By the way, I'm Archer, Moonwood Mill's beta. Nice to meet you, mysterious Willow Wright," he introduced.

"Well, I guess you already know me, but I'm Willow," I responded, trying to hide my apprehension as we continued on our journey to an uncertain fate.

He nodded with a smirk, enjoying my curiosity. "So, you're my Alpha's mate, huh? Well, he didn't exactly tell me, but why else would he take you away all of a sudden?" he chuckled to himself.

"I hope it's not much trouble, but can I ask where he is?" I managed to ask, trying not to sound disrespectful.

Archer turned toward me, a knowing grin on his face. "Missing him already? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but he's still in your pack taking care of business. He's an Alpha, you know. That's why I'm surprised that he's mated to you."

His words stung, though I could tell he didn't intend to be hurtful. My wolf complained in my head, clearly irritated by his comments.

"You know, it's such a rare thing to happen. Is that even possible?" he continued, displaying his talkative nature. "I mean, c'mon. He's an Alpha and you're a-" The car stopped abruptly, and we both jerked. "I- I didn't mean it that way. It's just-"

And then, I laughed. It surprised me too, as I had anticipated a harsh reaction. But there was no punch or kick; just a shocked beta staring at me, followed by a proud smile.

"Hey, you've got a nice laugh," Archer complimented, further putting me at ease.

"Alright, so from now on, I'll tell you everything you need to know about our pack. So listen well, okay?" He declared, prepared to give me a full rundown of pack life.

I hesitated but mustered the courage to ask another question before he launched into his explanations. "Can I just ask one thing?"

He looked at me and nodded, curious about what I wanted to know.

"It might sound weird," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Just spill it."

"Okay, here goes. What's my mate's name?" I blurted out, feeling my cheeks flush.

Archer burst into loud laughter, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Wow, and here I thought you were gonna ask me how to kill." He continued to laugh, making my cheeks warm.

Finally, he composed himself and answered, "Ezekiel. Ezekiel Evans is your mate's name."

As he said the name, I repeated it in my mind. Ezekiel.

We had been on the road for approximately three hours when we pulled into a gas station. Right next to it, there was a restaurant with eye-catching advertisements plastered on the exterior. 'Best Cheeseburger in the World Right Here!' and 'Value Meal at Only $4.99! Wow!'

As I read the enticing ads, I couldn't help but realize that I hadn't eaten for nearly two days. The thought of that cheeseburger made my stomach grumble loudly, and I tried to suppress the hunger pangs. Unfortunately, I didn't have any money to buy food.

Watching Beta fill up the gas tank, I contemplated whether I should ask him for some money. My wolf companion in my thoughts agreed with the idea, reminding me that I needed to eat. However, I hesitated, not wanting to burden him. I convinced myself that I could endure a few more days without food.

Archer went into the convenience store and returned with two bottles of water. At least I had something to drink, which slightly eased my hunger. As he started the car and prepared to hit the road again, I bid farewell to the delicious-looking cheeseburgers.

But just as he was about to speak, my stomach betrayed me with an embarrassingly loud growl. I tried to play it off, pretending that I was fine and not hungry. Archer looked at me skeptically, pointing towards the restaurant, and offered to grab something to eat.

In a desperate attempt to avoid revealing my true hunger, I clumsily denied it, trying to sound nonchalant. My stomach, however, had other plans and roared louder this time. It was beyond embarrassing, and I wished the ground would swallow me up.

Inside my head, my wolf chided me for being stubborn and urged me to accept Archer's offer. I felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration, feeling like I was being punished for some unknown sin. Should I just give in and admit that I needed food? The internal battle continued as I grappled with my pride and my growling stomach.

My wolf was laughing inside my head, and soon enough, Archer's boisterous laughter filled the air as well.

"H-hey!" laugh "if you were so hungry," laugh "y-you should've just told me!" he beamed, and I couldn't help but feel my face turn as red as a tomato. I tried to hide my embarrassment, lifting my hand and waving it dismissively. "I'm fine, really. L-let's just go," I said, but he continued laughing, thoroughly amused by the situation.

After a while, he finally composed himself and parked the car right in front of the restaurant. Confused and embarrassed, I glanced at him, wondering what he was up to. With an amused smile, he turned off the engine.

"C'mon, let's go before I change my mind," he said, stepping out of the car. Cursing myself for being so stubborn, I reluctantly followed him. Stepping outside, I couldn't help but notice the unfamiliar scent of human territory. This was my first time being in this kind of place since leaving my old pack. The smell of gasoline annoyed me a bit, but I could bear it.

As I looked around, taking in the new surroundings, I took a deep breath and turned to follow Beta Archer. He was already holding the door open for me, and when our eyes met, he burst into laughter again. Oh great, he's definitely going to tease me about this later.

I managed to mutter a thank you as I went in first, appreciating the gesture as it was the first time someone had done that for me. A blonde lady, probably around my age, approached us quickly and offered us a booth by the windows, which we gladly accepted.

Once we were seated, she handed us the menus, and she seemed to be giving more attention to Archer, complete with a wink and a perfect smile. Archer responded with a flirtatious smile, and I couldn't help but feel awkward, so I hid behind my menu to avoid the scene.

"Hello, my name is Aria, and I'll be your waitress for today. I'll leave you some time and take your order, alright honey?" she said, emphasizing the last word while looking at Archer, before leaving us to decide.

Raising an eyebrow at Archer's reaction, I couldn't help but comment, "Gross," sticking my tongue out playfully.

He laughed it off and focused on the menu. I did the same, trying to distract myself from the awkward encounter. "Your mate would hate that," I said, teasingly.

He huffed before replying with a chuckle, "Well, too bad 'cause I haven't met her yet." I was taken aback by his nonchalant response. 'Too bad?' I shook my head, trying to shift my attention back to the menu and choose between the cheeseburger with fries or chicken nuggets and fries.

After a while, Aria came back to take our orders. I opted for the cheeseburgers since they were heavily recommended in the advert.

"I'll get the same as her, and add two milkshakes too. One strawberry and one chocolate," Archer said with his usual charming smile.

Once she left, I glanced outside and casually remarked, "So you assumed that I like strawberries?"

"What? No. The strawberry is mine. You look more like you like chocolates," he replied, shaking his head playfully.

As we waited for our food, I found myself lost in thoughts, particularly about my mate. Archer had mentioned his name is Ezekiel, and he's an Alpha. That's all I knew, and I wanted to know more about him – his personality, likes, and dislikes. But the situation seemed impossible, considering our initial encounters where he had broken my arm.

Unconsciously, I rubbed the spot where my arm had healed miraculously in less than an hour. Archer interrupted my thoughts, asking if I knew anything about his pack. I recalled it was something like "Pan-something," and I shook my head to confirm I didn't know.

With a hint of sadness in his smile, Archer informed me, "Moonwood Mill is unofficially considered a warrior pack. Most members are skilled fighters, and they detest weakness..." He looked directly into my eyes, conveying the message that they wouldn't be too accepting of my Omega status. "I wish you luck."

The conversation fell into an uncomfortable silence, leaving me unsure of what to say. I didn't want to reveal that I was Ezekiel's mate and an Omega, knowing they might see me as a liability.

Thankfully, the food arrived, and we began eating. However, Archer's earlier words lingered in my mind, and I couldn't fully enjoy the meal.

"What about my mate?" I finally asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

"He despises weakness above all else," Archer replied, and I felt my appetite diminished.

"Wow, thanks for that information," I said sarcastically, taking a bite despite the disheartening revelation.

Archer's demeanor brightened as he tried to lighten the mood. "But don't you worry, at worst, he won't reject you. After all, mates are supposed to strengthen each other, right?" He said cheerfully, attempting to bring some optimism back to the conversation.

I managed to smile and nodded. "Oh, right. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me more about your pack and my mate?" I asked, hoping for more insight.

Archer burst into laughter at my request. "Wow, you've really been kept in the dark, haven't you?" he said, shaking his head. "Moonwood Mill is one of the most powerful pack ranks in the Americas. That's why I can't believe you haven't heard of us." He took a sip of his strawberry milkshake before continuing, "As for Ezekiel... I won't tell you anything about him just yet. I'll let you get to know him yourself." He flashed a devilish smile and locked eyes with me. "That'd be very interesting to see," he added mischievously.