Alora put the questions to the side before they could devour her, and she sprinted as rapidly as she could the rest of the way home, transforming before entering the territory of the pack.

She was in awe at the way the gloomy spires on the roof showed out starkly against the clear blue sky, as well as the sturdy turrets that kept watch over the castle at all times.

She always felt secure returning home to this spot, as if it could defend her from a multitude of invisible foes or the forces in her own mind that frequently collapsed like an old, deteriorating wood shed.

She went to the kitchen and took off her racing jacket once she got there. Her tank top and shorts were both drenched, and she couldn't wait to have a refreshing shower so that she could get the day started.

She downed a large glass of orange juice before searching the kitchen cabinets for a bowl and some breakfast cereal.

After hastily preparing some food for breakfast, she went to the sink to fill her glass with water and set it down.

After every strenuous run, she made it a point to drink a lot of water to rehydrate.

"Hello there, gorgeous."

Alora was startled when she felt two warm hands on her hips at the same moment that his voice tickled her ear.

She hastily spun around and pulled away from him as fast as she could. The contents of her glass flew all over Howland and landed in various locations.

The early morning light sent a glimmer on his naked chest. He seemed to be in a state of disbelief as he stood there, and she couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Nevertheless, as soon as his eyes caught hers, she quickly straightened her face.

"Woah! Look what you’ve done. You drenched me to the bone!" Howland exclaimed.

"Serves you right! What did you expect when you put your dirty paws all over me? Do you expect me to give you a kiss on the cheek for the morning?" she said in an irritated manner.

"Wouldn’t it be? I mean, after last night, I thought we..." he sputtered as he wiped water from his stubbled chin. His chin is really impressive in both strength and beauty.

"You thought what?" she inquired, shifting her gaze to the wall behind him in an effort to keep her thoughts under control.

"I thought we had an understanding already?" his voice rose at the end as if he was pleading for her approval, and he shyly touched the back of his neck.

"Wait, what? Was that some kind of funny joke? As that has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever heard! Well, here's another moment to add to your box of happy memories!” She spatted as she threw the remaining water in his face with a sarcastic smirk on her lips.

After which, she bolted out from the kitchen, her cheeks blazing with some emotion or sensation that she was unable to place.

Over the course of her life, she had experienced a wide range of emotions, but never this one, “Damn that guy!”

Not the way that her pulse raced every time he came near her, or the way that he gazed at her intently with those chocolate brown eyes of his, or the way that his lips raised slightly in a grin as if he knew a secret and would only tell her about it if she begged him to.

None of those things mattered to her. Never.

If she wanted to maintain her authority over her pack, it was imperative that she regain command of her emotional state. Her pack.

Alora vowed to her dying parents that she would never breach the promise she had made to them, and she would never give up, or let go of all that they had taught her.

“He’ll never shake me off!”

…..

It wasn't until Alora was standing in the shower with ice-cold water dripping down her back that she suddenly recalled a crucial detail.

"Grr, I forgot my breakfast!" She muttered under her breath, as she pounded her fist on the icy tiles.

After getting out of the shower and drying off, she violently washed her hair, almost ripping it all out in the process.

After going to her wardrobe, she selected a pair of her most comfortable and baggiest sweatpants as well as a blouse with a loose fit.

There was no way that she was going to put on a costume for anybody or anything today.

She managed to go to her office without knocking into anybody by carefully tiptoeing across the room on her way there.

She sat down at her desk and glanced at the pile of papers that, no matter how many times she went through and organized, somehow always seemed to become higher.

Alora thought to herself as she put on her glasses and turned on her laptop that breakfast was a waste of time since she wasn't really hungry in the first place.

She took a few moments to herself to gather her composure before focusing entirely on the task at hand, which was packing.

To be able to bear all of the stresses that Alphas are subjected to, the mind must be trained and disciplined, and Alora had always taken great pleasure in her superior mental capacity.

She was not going to let a particular guy spoil her track record at this point.

Alora was astonished when someone knocked on her door a few hours later.

‘Hi there, it's me!’ Tyra mindlinked her.

"Come on in." She yelled out.

“So? Do you have something to tell me or discuss with me?" Tyra inquired as she entered the room and afterwards sat down on the sofa.

When Alora didn’t responded, Tyra spat another question, "Have you found solutions to every issue in the world yet? You've been in this room for far longer than necessary."

"Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? What exactly are you trying to say with that?"

Alora muttered out a bit loudly in a quite hostile manner. Normally, she didn't mind when her friend interrupted her, but right now she was in a mood where she didn't feel like being kind.

“Uhm, there's nothing about that. Well, I’m just concerned. It's only that you skipped breakfast as well as lunch, and the warriors told me that you were going to practice with them later on today. But right now, I can see and say that you have a lot on your plate?” Tyra stated with a confused look.

"Yeah, you have that completely correct. Please let them know that we will need to postpone the training. They can go on without me for the time being,” Alora stated.

"Fine!” Tyra stated as she crossed her arms.

"And how are things with everything else? Have the fresh construction supplies been delivered to the carpenters?” She inquired without even looking at Tyra.

"Yes, it was already done. The shipment was delivered first thing this morning. The construction of the new homes is scheduled to begin the following day.”

"Good. What about the school?”

"About that, well… only half of the children were present. I think the fact that this is the last week of classes before the vacation doesn't help much," Tyra regarded her Alpha with a sly grin spread over her black eyes as they interacted.

“What about Axel? How are things progressing with my beta?" Tyra did not respond, although she did smile a little bit.

"What?" Alora asked once more.

"Would it be possible for you to ask the question that you and I both know you want to ask?" Tyra retorted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alora responded before hurling an eraser in the direction of her buddy.

Alora took a blow to the head as a result of Tyra's catch and subsequent throw of the object.

"Of course, you are." She leaned back on the sofa, sluggishly draping her legs over the edge, and tucking her arms behind her head to form a fetal position. “He'll be fine. Oliver is now guiding him through the pack.”

Alora paid no attention to her and that’s when Tyra asked another question. "Are you not going to go to the boarder with him and personally escort him?"

Alora pretended not to know by asking, "Hmm, you mean who?"

"Howland Gossom! Your mate? Who else?"

“He’s already too old for that. He can do it and find it himself," Alora said as she busied herself with rearranging papers that were already in order.

"Oh, really?" Tyra asked being astonished. Her eyebrows moved slightly as she laughed. "I don't believe that he wants to leave the pack. Neither do you, by the way-"

"Would you just keep your mouth shut! Do you not see that I am attempting to work here?” Alora yelled, but her tone became softer almost instantly as she noticed Alora frowning.

"Please forgive me, I was just... I'm sorry, but I don't want to speak about Howland right now, is that okay?"

"Hmm, sure." Tyra gave a sly grin before pressing her lips together. She watched as Alora crumpled up a piece of paper and then threw it away in the garbage can. "What the heck was that?"

"Oh, just another rejection from Alpha Gab regarding the land," Alora said.

"But... we are in desperate need of that land!" Tyra exclaimed.

"Yes, I am aware. I know that,” Alora said as she ran her fingers over her hair, "Let’s just add it to the long list of issues that cannot be resolved.”

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Tyra expressed her question with sincere concern. Because they were such good friends, Alora was aware that she always had her best interests in mind and would go to any lengths for her.

"Nothing… not unless you and Axel want to invade his territory and demand the land," Alora explained.

"You know we’re on it! That would be something entertaining to do! I have been advising you for a very long time-" Tyra was cut off when Alora spoke.

"I already said no about that, Tyra. No, and no, once again! I've been trying to explain to you that it is not the approach that is used when dealing with issues in our community.”

"I understand, you don’t have to be worried." Tyra stood up and began walking towards the exit while saying, "Well, I'll let you know when dinner is ready. Alora, you really need to have a break at some point."

Alora gave Tyra a kind grin before rubbing the bridge of her nose after the noise level in her office had returned to normal. "Thanks, Tyra."

What was her plan to make this situation better?

As the sun began its ascent, casting a soft golden glow over the waking world, the routine of Alora's days remained unchanged. Like a well-choreographed dance, each day seemed to mirror the last, leaving her caught in a repetitive rhythm that offered no respite from the turmoil within.

The mornings found her seeking solace in the quiet embrace of dawn, her brisk walks serving as a desperate attempt to shed the tensions that lingered from the previous evening.

With every step, she tried to outrun the thoughts that threatened to consume her, thoughts that always seemed to lead back to him. With his enigmatic charm and those haunting brown eyes, had become a constant presence in her thoughts.

His smile, like a teasing echo, followed her everywhere, challenging her resolve and stirring emotions she was not ready to confront.

And so, she found herself moving like a shadow through her own home, tiptoeing through the silence to evade any unwanted encounters.

The kitchen became her refuge, a place where she could steal moments of peace before the rest of the world stirred awake.

After that, she would go to her office, where she would immerse herself in her job in order to effectively avoid anything else that may agitate her or put her patience to the test.

She didn't seem to have much of that these days, particularly in regard to that man who persisted on smiling at her whenever they occurred to cross paths.

Howland would always sit at the opposite head of the table to her when they had supper with her command and the leaders of the organization, and he would toss looks and perplexing smiles at her.

While she ate in quiet, Oliver and the other warriors would engage in a spirited discussion with him.

Alora, on the other hand, would simply eat. Which was just how she liked it. It was pointless to argue as they did on the first night and make everyone else uncomfortable throughout their supper.

‘Alpha, you have got to come see this.’ One busy day, her beta connected to her through mindlink as she was working in her office.

‘Is there a critical situation?’ Alora inquired.

‘Yes, somehow. We would like to request for your presence on to the training grounds as soon as possible, Alpha.’

Instead of speaking in panic tone, Axel, ever the most gentleman, used a lot of fancy phrases and provided very little information.

‘Copy, I'm already on the way.’ She removed her glasses, closed the lid of her laptop, and grabbed her leather jacket on the way out of the office before putting them in her bag.

Alora quickly ran downstairs and out into the courtyard, where she stopped to inhale deeply of the clean air.

She detested the fact that she had been confined to her house for the whole week, as well as the manner in which Howland had made her feel like a prisoner.

She freely stated that the whole thing was just in her own imagination. Why did she give him the opportunity to treat her like this?

"Yay! Here, here. Flower… for you, Alpha," she heard a sweet voice that caused her train of thinking to be interrupted.

A small pup, a girl with brown pigtails, rushed up to her and presented her with a violet flower. "For you," she smiled with a wry expression between her two gapped front teeth.

"No, I don't like flowers," Alora muttered under her breath, as she hurried by her without so much as a glance down. She did not see the girl's face as it sank into defeat and wished she had.

"Madi! Madeline, please return to this spot!” A woman's voice could be heard calling. She immediately apologized to Alpha and took up the little kid. "Sorry, Alpha.”

A guy who was also one of Alora's warriors joined Alora and walked beside her as they headed in the direction of the practice field.

"She's got a mind of her own, our little one," the man said. "Always running off," he grinned at his young kid as he waved at her. “You probably don’t mind about this, but my mate and I are expecting another member of our family!"

"Oh, really? That's good," Alora exclaimed, while displaying a very tiny frown. "Our group will become more powerful."

"Yeah, I know. But why don't you sound happy?" As he saw Alora's displeased expression, his excitement began to wane.

She confronted him with the question, "Grecko, how many more pups are on the way?"

"Hmm, wait… let me see," he said with a wrinkled brow as he thought about it. "My wife have mentioned something about a dozen more women becoming pregnant before the end of spring.”

"Okay then, as I expected," Alora said with a pout while nodding. "That means we are going to need more land."

"Yes, Alpha. And the lumberjacks are working in accordance with your orders to clear a portion of the east woods."

"I am aware of this, but I do not enjoy clearing the land. It is my intention to broaden the frontiers," Alora stated.

"Yes, Alpha. We know that.”

If she ever opened up and expressed some of the challenges that she was facing, her warriors would understand they should simply listen without giving too many thoughts or comments.

Only those in her direct commanding ranks participated in the planning and meetings for the operation.

As they made their way down the forested path, they eventually got a glimpse of the practice grounds.

Warrior fans were gathered in a circle around the action taking place in the arena's center.

"Alpha, she won't pay attention to what I have to say.” Axel raced up to her and sneered at her as he jerked his head towards the battle.

"You've got to talk some sense into her," Axel begged to her.

Alora was able to confirm that the woman engaged in the furious conflict was Tyra, who was engaged with one of the soldiers.

She had no idea who was triumphing, but she was certain that Tyra could hold her own against the majority of the warriors. Because of this, she was promoted to become the Head Guard.

She yelled above the applause and jeers directed at Tyra, "Tyra, what's going on?"

"Ha! This one! He told me that I wasn't good for anything, and that I shouldn't be the head guard! Ahhhh!"

Tyra let out a scream as she was striking her opponent with punches and kicks and attempting to choke him. “Fight back!”

The man was visibly fuming mad, as seen by the several bruises that were already beginning to develop on his face.

“That is due to the fact that you are a female! And everyone... knows... that… I… I-I'm the greatest warrior here!" he cried as he slung Tyra over his shoulder.

"No, damn you! You are not!" Alora muttered under her breath, before leaping to her feet and bringing him to the ground once again.

“I am!” The man retorted.

"No! If I said no, then no!" she said as her hands flew into his face, sending her black hair flying in the process.

"Enough! Put an end to this nonsense right now!” Alora hurried towards them and made an attempt to pull Tyra away from the helpless man.

However, Tyra was not yet finished. She sprang up onto the shoulders of the warrior and immediately began pulling on his hair.

"I said enough!" After much effort, Alora was eventually able to get them to part ways when she took a stumble backward and Tyra landed on top of her.

As they tumbled, she was hit in the face with an elbow, which made her eye hurt, “Ouch!”

"Goodness! Alora, my goodness, I'm so sorry! I’m really sorry," Tyra freed herself from the knot and assisted her Alpha in standing.

"What in the world was that all about?" Alora demanded once she had picked herself up, pinned them both with her Alpha stare, and brushed off her clothes.

"This freak here, he was questioning my position!" Tyra glared at the man and said, as she pointed her finger in his direction.

"She started it! She belittled me by claiming that I fought like an elderly man!" The warrior, whose name was Matteo, crisscrossed his incredibly muscular arms across his similarly ripped chest.

"How petty! You couldn't just talk it out like grownups like you should have? You have to argue over it like you were in grade school?" Alora inquired, her temper on the verge of exploding.

Why did they bring her all the way out to this location for this?

Tyra's attitude of folding her arms, smirking, and rolling her eyes was one that she had honed over the years and used most often on Axel.

"Well, I had to get you out of your stupid office somehow," she said, folding her arms.

"Seriously? In the name of everything that is holy! How petty!” Alora groaned as she ran a hand over her cheeks and then rubbed her eyes.

Alora kept her hands on her hips as she scanned the room, looking everyone in the eye. "Alright, let's go back to the workout. Everyone of you must join the training!” Her temper flared up.

"Sure, and that goes for everyone, including the Alpha."

"Tyra..." she started, but then she leapt on the lady and tackled her to the ground.

They had been sparring and training for a quarter of an hour when all of a sudden, Alora halted them.

During that time, they had been circling each other, pouncing, targeting kicks, and blocking blows. She was huffing and puffing as she bent forward with her hands on her knees.

“I didn’t see Oliver here, where is he?” It was her mandate that all of the rated guards and warriors needs to practice once a week to maintain their strength and prepare for the possibility of an assault occurring in the future.

"That kiddo! Well, he's out at the campground for a camping," Tyra answered after she gulped her water.

"A Camping? What the hell goes in his mind this time?" Alora inquired as looked at Tyra as if she hadn't heard her answer correctly and continued to gaze at her.

"Yes, he went on a camping, together with his new buddy, Howland. You see, Oliver was eager to demonstrate the layout of the pack's area, so they chose to go camping for the next several days,” Tyra explained.

"Howland?"

"Yeah, you know-your mate," Tyra said with a smug grin.

Her line of thought was disrupted when all of a sudden, that guy managed to force his way back into her thoughts, just as she had finally managed to put him out of her head.

‘This has got to be some kind of joke.’

“But they should be returning soon, and they should have a lot of wood with them. To get her black tank ready for the Nuit de feu,” Tyra cleaned the grass off of it.

“You don't happen to have forgotten that it's tonight, do you? I mean, with the new moon and everything else?”

Alora was staring out into the horizon as her thoughts went completely crazy. No, she did not recall doing it.

She should have made it a priority, but other things appeared to need her attention more at the time.

And now that moronic mate of hers was being treated to a tour fit for a king and queen of her domains.

‘How thick-faced Oliver was?’

Alora was suddenly startled when she saw him and Howland step out of the woods and begin down the hill with their arms full of firewood and bags on their backs.

It was as if they had been called by her thoughts. They were giggling and having a good time as the air from the setting sun carried their deep voices.

Alora balled her hands into fists. “These morons! They’re getting into my nerves!”

As the sun began its descent, casting a warm golden hue over the training grounds, Alora's frustration reached its peak.

She couldn't shake off the feeling of irritation that had been building up all day. Tyra's attempt at mediation had only served to agitate her further.

"Why? What exactly is wrong with them getting along with each other? You're not being a very nice friend to Howland, that is for sure. So, you must give him some space to enjoy someone's company, alright?"

Tyra's words echoed in Alora's mind, but they provided little solace. Tyra's attempts to calm her down backfired, and she ended up agitating her even more.

"Oh, okay. I must need to apologize. I'm simply going to quit talking right now, sorry?”

Alora didn’t utter any word making Tyra more confused. Both of them stood there and observed as the two guys as they piled the wood next to the burgeoning fire.

Howland had a joyful time interacting with the other male members of the pack who were constructing the fire.

"Alora, why don't you just give him a chance?" Tyra said in a low voice. "It's Nuit de feu, come on," she prompted her by tugging on her arm. "Come on, Alora. Loosen up a little, will you?"

“Alright, fine!” Alora said as she finally gave in and slipped her arm through Tyra’s.

She was incapable of being angry for an extended period of time or of refusing Tyra's huge brown puppy dog eyes.

"Okie, dookie! That’s more like it! Tonight is going to be a lot of fun! For sure!” Tyra broke out into singing. Axel arrived at her side at that moment.

"Axel, were you involved in any way with this situation? Are you both trying to get me out of here?” Alora inquired in a commanding tone while retaining a trace of a grin.

"No, Ma'am," Axel responded in a hasty manner, while shaking his head. As he said this, he started wrapping his arm over Tyra’s neck and ruffling her hair.

"Honestly, I thought Tyra was going to bite poor Matteo's head off!"

"Almost, almost! Well, you see, he did challenge my position, didn't he?" Tyra whimpered and smoothed her hair as she touched her head. "He said I wasn't good enough. That fucker!" she complained.

“Tyra…” Alora comforted her, "You'll always be my head guard as long as you're capable of taking down a big tough Alpha, so don’t feel bad about it. It’s too petty.”

In the future, Alora would need to have a discussion about it with Matteo. She would under no circumstances put up with this level of disobedience and disregard for her authority.

"And how long is it going to take?” Axel joked, "I bet even if you competed against our Alpha, you wouldn't be able to win."

“Haha! Are you challenging me now?” She chuckled and said, "You don't know me very well."

"Of course, I do! I know you better than you know yourself, Tyra baby," he smirked, and she jabbed him in the ribs.

However, he grabbed on tighter and smushed her into his chest, and then, they kissed. After they had finished kissing one other, Alora stepped forward to allow her pals some space to themselves.

They couldn't have been more different from one another, yet they worked so well together after they got over their differences.

Alora made her way over to the gathering around the fire that was just starting to take form. Even when it had already risen a height of six feet, the men continued to pile twigs and wood upon it.

Families were arriving from all different locations, with women and mothers bringing food for supper, and little children running and playing tag with one other, as well as others kicking a ball in an impromptu game of soccer.

That was one of the things that Alora appreciated about these evenings. At least once a month, everyone would put aside their disagreements and problems, as well as the regular sources of tension among the pack, and simply have fun.

Around the crackling fire, they’d have a dinner together, sing a few songs, and trade tales of terror with one another; and of course, toast some marshmallows.

Alora arrived to the gathering as they were gathered around the fire, and as she did so, she gazed at the kindling and pondered whether or not it would ignite properly.

“Hey!” When she heard the booming voice, she got a bit taken aback.

"Oh, hi," she gazed up into his warm brown eyes and a sincere smile. She couldn't help but return his smile. There is no way to get around him.

"It should be a fun night. Well, it seems to be," Howland uttered, as he dusted the twigs off of his hands.

"Of course, it usually is," she said with a nod. Suddenly, she found herself unable to speak, and she fumbled about, trying to think of anything clever or humorous to say. She could not understand why, but all of a sudden, she felt uneasy when she was near this person.

Every previous time, all she had done was dispute with him, and in comparison, to this situation, it seemed rather simple.

Oliver came to her rescue just in time to prevent her from either yelling at him or stammering to him.

"Alpha Alora! Howland should have informed you about our upcoming camping trip, right?" Oliver inquired all of a sudden.

Her gaze flitted across to Howland for a moment before it settled on Oliver. She stated it with ice in her voice while placing her fists on her hips.

"Yes, I did hear something about an unauthorized trip through my territory," she stated.

Oliver immediately lost all of his excitement and stroked the back of his neck after coming to the conclusion that he was in serious danger. "Uhm, ah, well…" he said, stuttering.

Alora, for some inexplicable reason, recalled Tyra's advice to give the person a chance and to have pleasure in the evening.

She sent one more glance in Howland's direction before hurriedly remarking, "But well, don't worry about it. Simply let me know the next time, all right?”

"Yes, we will do that next time!" Oliver grinned with pride.

"Alright, you should’ve seen the..." his voice trailed off as a throng gathered around to listen to some weird tale as Alora turned to the voice at her elbow.

"Alpha Alora, here… this is your favorite dessert—an apple pie!"

"Oh, wow, thanks Arlene," as she beamed a grin at the kind lady and her mate Tomy, who had approached her and placed his hand on her waist.

“I'm looking forward to it!" She said as she rubbed her tummy. Alora grinned as they walked to set it on the dessert table, and she followed after them smiling.

"Greenstein, that's my absolute favorite spot," Howland suddenly uttered.

"Hey, that's my favorite, too," Alora exclaimed happily. After making a loud exclamation, Alora glanced up, and her sight immediately met that of Howland.

Her seemingly unexpected participation in the discussion caused him to show a moment of astonishment, but then his expression relaxed into a grin.

As the heat raced to her cheeks, she instinctively bowed her head, instantly conscious of what he had said and how she had reacted to it.

She had sworn she wouldn't have anything in common with this guy, yet here he was, admiring her favorite area on her turf. She could sense that his eyes were still on her, so she moved to look at something else in an effort to divert her focus.

Tyra could be seen around twelve yards distant, holding hands with at least three kids as they all attempted to drag her down to the ground.

Tyra took great joy in playing with the younger children, and the sound of their giggling could be heard all around them.

After picking up one of the kids and blowing on his stomach, which caused him to scream and giggle, Tyra slung him over her shoulder and began to run about the other pups like a demented kiddy monster. It was a hit with the youngsters.