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.

Tyra regarded it highly. When it came to getting people enthused, she was a natural born leader. When a little girl came running up to her with a violet flower in her hand, she bent down and smiled at the woman.

The kid had a round, plump face that was framed by black pigtails that swayed and spun on her little shoulders. "Tyra! A flower for you!" she chuckled to herself.

“Oh my goodness, Madi! It's such a wonderful gift! This is pretty! Thank you so much, sweetie."

Tyra gave the little girl a bear hug and smelled the flower before accepting it in her own hand. The little child glowed and clung to Alora's leg with all her might.

Alora furrowed her brow and bit on the bottom part of her lip. It wasn't that she was a mean Alpha; she simply didn't have the same amount of time to spend with the kids as some of the other pack members did.

In all candor, she was not a fan of floral arrangements. She wondered with a distressed expression on her face that maybe it wasn't the core issue of her predicament.

"Alpha, it's time. We can now start,” A guy went up and offered a rock to her, telling her that she has the honors to start lighting the fire.

Flint and rock would be used to start the fire, as had been customary in the past.

Alora smiled and thanked the man for the fire starters before moving on to lighting the wood.

When she knelt down by the fire, she could feel Howland standing close behind her, observing. She took a deep breath, hit the flint, and then hoped that it would light on the first try.

She had spent many years to be perfect with her technique, and now she was certain that she understood how to start a fire in this manner.

Lighting a fire in this manner was an art form. The spark first fell on the pieces of waste paper, then it moved on to the smaller twigs and kindling, and finally the audience shouted as the larger logs and sticks began to roar to life as they caught fire.

“Yay!”

Her pack. Her existence. This was the point that needed to be considered.

Soon after, people began passing around food as music rang out throughout the countryside. Sparks lit up the night sky as they danced their way skyward.

Alora dragged her plate of food over to one of the several log benches and wedged herself in between Tyra and Axel.

"Would it be okay if I join you guys?"

"Of course! We can't say no to our Alpha," Tyra exclaimed and she gave her a little push. Axel moaned, stood up, and moved to the other side of Tyra, where she greeted him with a peck on the cheek as a token of her appreciation.

"Do you have sufficient salad there?" Tyra questioned with an eyebrow lifted as she looked at Alora's plate, which was completely full.

"Well, I'd still like to give this food a shot," Alora explained.

"Girl, I'm kidding," Tyra said with a raised eyebrow before bursting into laughter. It was well knowledge that Alora enjoyed salads.

"Wow! I must say that this steak is so good," When Alora heard the familiar deep voice say, she jumped just a little bit. "And the roast pork was cooked to perfection!"

‘Him, again? Who the hell invited him to come over here? Oh, no, they didn't do that!’

Howland sat himself down next to Alora, and Alora, in turn, squirmed her way even closer to Tyra.

"I don't know how they do it," he said as he pointed to the guys who were roasting a giant piece of beef on a spit over the fire.

"But, it’s so good! It's great. You really need to try some of it," he abruptly turned to Alora and scrutinized the food on her plate. She came dangerously close to stuffing it in his face out of frustration.

She responded quickly by saying, "No, I'm fine. Thanks, but I don't eat meat."

"For real? What was it called then?" Howland turned to face her as he reached out to touch her with his arm.

"Well, our Alpha, she’s vegetarian," Tyra bent over and spoke slowly like she would to a five-year child.

"But I doubt you know what that big, intelligent-sounding word means, you dumb idiot," and she pulled Alora over, causing her to brush into him.

Alora was aware that Tyra was just defending her or making the tension bit at ease, yet she still rolled her eyes at the situation.

She didn't want to specifically explore this topic with Howland since there weren't that many wolves who didn't consume meat. On top of everything else, he would consider her to be strange in his mind.

"Ah, I do. I know about that thing. My mother was a vegetarian all her life."

"Really?" Alora just stood there and gazed at him, completely dumbfounded by what he had just said.

"Uhm, yeah. I believe that she would have really liked you, especially with the whole tough Alpha thing," Howland said.

His dark brown eyes gazed into hers, and the firelight caught the depths of his eyes and made them glitter.

They seemed to entice her in such a way that it was as if a mystery narrative had been created only for her.

"Really?" She was so stupid that she kept repeating herself, and she wanted to give herself a smack on her forehead.

Then, despite her confused state, a logical relationship presented itself to her. "You indicated that she would have, and were. Where is your mother, exactly?”

"My mother… she passed away while I was only a little child. However, based on what I recall of her, she was a fierce competitor.”

Alora's pulse pounded harder and faster as she realized that she shared yet another thing in common with the guy who she did not want as her mate.

Howland's warm gaze held hers, and the rest of the pack seemed to drift out of consciousness. But this time, she understood, and she even desired, to experience this relationship that was so painful.

“It's been five years since my parents passed away, too.” She said to herself in a low voice, "I know what it's like to miss them and wish that they were still here."

His fingertips lightly touched the top of her knee, and that one gesture conveyed more meaning than anybody else could have ever understood or dared to imagine of expressing.

It was as if a bit of his damaged heart stretched out to hers, and hers to his, helping to partially complete each other's hearts in a manner that was both perplexing and entirely natural at the same time.

"Alright, it's time for a story telling!" Alora was jolted out of her trance by Tyra's sudden movement, and the interruption made her desire that she could either hit or smack her.

Because when she turned around to look at Howland, his typical arrogant and smug expression was on his lovely face, and Alora had no clue why she could ever sense a connection between the two of them.

‘This is getting too complicated!’