The busier the southern side of the territory had been with the lake and Lycans living around it, the more peaceful the northern side was.

Lush green uneven grounds stretching till far away with big trees. I was curious to see what was further ahead. How the border touching Eastern and Mystic Pack looked like? I wanted to see the places Karam had been to look for Severa.

But for now, we were sitting at the same spot after walking through the whole jungle. At the dried muddy escalated path with patches of grass at places.

For our, you know, unofficial second date.

He was in an even better mood than yesterday. More cheerful and teasing me all the time, asking me if I was touched by his gesture of saving the camera. As if he could see through my silence, how low I had been feeling since I checked the photos.

Honestly, I could barely go through first five ones. Of Gilbert's note, of my room, of Alpha Rucus' statue, of the girls dressing up before the first night of the ceremony. My heart had already dipped deep into the nostalgia. It was overwhelming.

I didn't want to cry and make myself more pitiful alone on that bed during the night. So, I placed the camera in his cupboard which now had my clothes more than his.

The new day brought refreshing mood. But I still couldn't get over the fact that Karam had managed to recognise Eva and Keira so cleverly.

The evening came so early. I barely could pass through the routines and have an urge to do a chore or anything. Amelia and Nysa were really not passing any orders, not assigning me anything. As if they knew that I was so busy mentally, I couldn't focus at the world out of my head.

Until the evening actually arrived.

Today, Nysa made a fishtail of my hair. While his were down. He looked radiant and unfazed by cold wind. His collars were loose, showing off the black threads around his thick neck.

While I was dressed in another foot-length blue dress with a light blue apron like cover at the front. It was a thicker fabric in one-piece and much comfortable than those two pieces dark-colored silk dresses. The good news was that Alvena had provided me tailored inner wears two weeks ago. It was a relief that I couldn't describe in words. Slowly I noticed that all of them were used to wearing layers. But it was not for me, to seduce my Lycan mate.

I promised myself, I won't let this happen to the next bride. Though I wished for no other girl to cross the border and end up like me. I would be the last one to be stuck here with them.

But how much I could wish and turn it into purpose? My own hormones were the reasons behind the failure of crossing the border.

I wanted to chuckle out loud at my thoughts sarcastically. But I refrained from it as it was a good day. Karam seemed happy.

There was silence between us as we had just down and were now admiring the scenery. There were so many thoughts in our minds but didn't know from where to begin.

I looked down at my lap and turned on the camera that I had remembered to bring. Turning it on, I checked the gallery this time from reverse and the last clicked photo appeared.

My heart squeezed a little at seeing the pink feather. It was still there in the pocket of Pete's jacket, in that trunk in the bedroom.

Unconditional love

Axel had said those words while describing the meaning behind finding a feather of a particular color so randomly.

Werewolves believed in omens. I too couldn't help but be fascinated.

The signs were there all along.

But I was too human to read them.

The next photo was of the colorful red and yellowish trees. The empty road with no other vehicle going around was covered with colorful fallen dried leaves. It was dawn when I had stopped the truck. The sky was filled with dark bluish hue and yet to go lighter with the upcoming sunrise.

The wind was soothing. I could still remember the touch of it on my cheeks.

I breathed out and checked the next photo.

Natalie was on Axel's lap, they were making out. They were in each other from long ago. But the circumstances of that night brought the actual confession. And then, they weren't holding it back.

It was a good click. I wished I could show it to them.

The next photo. Thomas was asleep on the shotgun. More like drugged by Axel's cookie. Unaware of what was going on at the back.

"That night was one hell of a ride," I whispered, while blinking in wonder. There were so many chances of going to the city and then coming back to the pack.

Some were helping unintentionally, some intentionally. I myself was a mess. But if I had reached the city that night, things would have been so different.

"That night was cruel," the voice came from behind me.

I glanced at the right and realized that Karam had scooted closer behind me and was hovering over me with his straight long back.

I looked back at the camera. "It was. Pete's mate came to the territory. He hurt my sister's mate. They sent me early to the city without a proper farewell. Then, Natalie tried to run away. Then, Keira. Then, Axel chased us. Then, Luna Anne's wolves. I even hurt one of them."

My own actions had terrified me. I was nowhere near proud of hurting Zac. I wished to go and see him to apologise properly.

"My mate was leaving," he said from behind me, his voice sounding deep and calm in my ear. "Right before the night we were supposed to meet and get bonded."

My heart swayed in shock. Wait. What?

"Did you feel it?" I asked immediately.

Instead of saying anything, his long finger went for the screen. Right behind Thomas' photo, the truck, on the other side of the road, a pair of red eyes were camouflaged in the colorful leaves of the tree.

My mouth parted in disbelief.

"I was there all along, chasing on my side of the border wondering why you were going away when we were just a day apart from meeting each other," mumbled Karam while resting his chin on my shoulder,

My stomach flipped.

"I saw you looking around during the dawn. Yet I couldn't see you looking at me. I was so close. I thought the border was a wall. You couldn't even feel my presence," said Karam, in slow and sincere tone.

Chills ran down my spine. He was there with us all along.

"I didn't know my mate was an innocent human."

I gulped the lump in my throat.

I couldn't imagine him waiting for ten years, getting hope of meeting his mate and then all of a sudden finding out that she was going away again.

"For once, I thought that if you'd leave for real, I would jump at the border." Karam whispered in my ear.

My throat shook and I couldn't even move in the sudden guilt that had started to fill me.

"But then, you finally returned."

I gasped silently.

He was burned by the border on the very first day, I had arrived at the pack. The lumps of skin was still collected beneath his collars. I could only see the little bit of it randomly.

Being a Lycan with Alpha blood, if his skin had still didn't go to the normal. I was horrified by my own imagination of how severe the wounds could be.

"Why didn't you yell for me?" I asked quietly, realising that I actually didn't deserve him. I had been so ungrateful towards him.

He stayed silent. "It is against the rules to disturb the neighbors. I whispered whenever I could."

How could he be so calm? If I had been in place, I would have hated my mate. How could he not even show his frustration? Or was even there any?

"Would you have stopped?" He asked after a thought.

I turned my head to glance up in his amber orbs. His pupils dilated.

"I would have made sure to reach Gran and take her with me away further ahead of the city to hide from my mother and her werewolf family."

He chuckled and passed me a warm look, putting his hand on my head to rub in affection.

"I am grateful to your sister's mate," he said while tilting his head.

I heaved a sigh while turning my head back around to look at the camera.

Suddenly, he pointed at the screen.

"How do you freeze your memories in this box?" He asked innocently. His tone was laced with a little bit of frustration as if it was out of his ability to understand. "How are the wolves hidden in this box? What magic is this?"

It lightened the mood.

I wanted to jump around on him and squish his cheeks. But I was busy smiling to myself.

I couldn't help but imagine him trying the buttons randomly under a tree in the forest and getting fascinated by the sudden faces appearing on the screen, all this time.

He must be bewildered.

"Here," I mumbled while pressing on the button. His hold on my waist tightened absentmindedly as he leaned ahead and concentrated on what I was explaining. "You set the view that you want to take in like this," I said while raising both of my arms while he held his breath.

The whole green scenery of northern side looked magnificent in the camera. Though, the photos still wouldn't do the justice to the experience of the reality.

I captured the photo and showed it to him only to hear a fascinated gasp over my right shoulder.

"You want to try?" I asked while looking at him through my peripheral vision.

He hummed a 'yes'.

So I pulled his right arm from my waist ahead and let him hold the camera. Raising his arms, I set the view this time taking in broad pinkish blue sky too.

"Magic," whispered Karam when I helped him in pressing the button.

I looked back at his face as his eyebrows raised at the photo he had just clicked.

A wonderful smile curved his lips. Something fluttered inside my chest.

I raised his arms one more time while pulling up and turning the screen around. I smiled when our faces appeared on the screen.

I myself had gotten amazed. After a long time with no hope of holding a gadget in my hands, I was looking at my face in a camera.

He was still frozen, wondering how everything was working.

I chuckled through the screen, watching him blinking in confusion.

"Look here," I pointed at the lens. "Now, smile."

He was still caught up in the amazement. So, I leaned back over him, pulled his collar to bring his face closer to my shoulder. "Now, smile."

He slowly did, it was a mere smirk though. I did a toothy smile and captured it.

"Ah! We look good," I said while lowering our arms down and taking the camera. "My nose," I whispered while observing the ring. "It looks cool."

Then, I actually looked at the photo. The clothes, the trees behind. Our faces, hair and hairstyles.

"We totally look like a medieval couple," I mumbled.

"I want one like of your sister and her mate."

My eyebrows raised. Uh-What?

When I glanced back at him, his face held the humor but eyes seemed so serious.

My smile faded in sudden nervousness. I gulped briefly.

His hands reached for my waist and he pulled me on his lap.

I blinked in surprise and turned blank for a second at the close proximity. His face had started lean closer to mine.

"You look more beautiful in these dresses," he murmured, making me put the free right hand over his chest to stop him from making me crazy.

I couldn't focus.

"These. . . These are wa-warmer."

Misty, get a hold yourself.

I couldn't believe I was stuttering.

I breathed in and out. "Amelia said, the hot summer was over. The cold one had approached the territory."

He hummed in agreement and murmured, "She says right. I will get more of these tailored for you," he said, looking in my eyes. "Within a month, the wind will bring the frost. We will get you sweaters and gloves knitted too."

He glanced at my lips. I looked at his.

"You will?"

He nodded and looked in my eyes. "I will. I have been thinking of it from years. I will finally get to spend beautiful winters with my mate."

"Winters are still half a year away," I said.

He blinked lazily. "I can't wait."

Without another thought, in my left hand, I got the camera ready. He turned excited with the way he sniffed in my scent. My right hand reached for his neck.

I hesitated and looked up in his eyes.

He was being patient. But he seemed restless.

When I turned my head left, he almost looked down in slight disappointment, probably thinking I didn't want it. His face nearly fell in heartbreak.

I chuckled and straightened my back to reach his height properly. He waited calmly with this intense fire rising in his eyes. I closed mine.

Slowly, the lips touched and the heartbeats paced like there was no tomorrow.

I heard the click one time and slowly, my arm lowered. The camera slipped from my hand smoothly to the ground.

My left arm reached for the back of his neck on its own. His hair were so soft. The kiss deepened.

I would be lying if I'd say, I was unaffected. From my head to my feet, I was shivering as if the heat had still not gone. There were tingles all around the mark while the touch of his lips had sent me to a wonderland. I felt weak.

We both had soon lost our breaths. He pulled away when I was literally out of breaths. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest.

When all of a sudden, it actually did.

Because from nowhere a little pup jumped on Karam's shoulder and then, on my stomach.

I was startled and let out a shriek.

Karam grabbed before it could reach my face and let out a growl.

I scurried away from Karam and gasped at the scene.

Karam chuckled while playing with it. It wasn't in its human form. It was a baby coyote but double the size of Keev.

I gaped as it licked his face, literally putting its tongue inside Karam's mouth who only laughed in response and scratched it behind the ears.

Feeling my gaze, the coyote's shiny white eyes moved on me and it growled.

I jumped a little and let out a nervous chuckle. "It's going to hurt me," I wailed lowly.

Karam laughed and waved his hand to invite me back. But I shook my head.

"It's a pup. He doesn't know you. I will tell him and he will calm down. Come here, my mate." He said while I blinked rapidly, thinking of standing up and going back to the jungle.

"I was good with puppies. Okay? I can play with dogs. The big ones scare me. But I take care of it and still love them. But this is not a dog. He is big. . ." The coyote growled at me. I almost shrieked again. "I can't. I am going home."

Karam patted the pup's head and picked it up in his arms. He got up and started walking towards me.

I tried to get up and started crawling back when he almost reached me.

"I am here," said Karam while kneeling beside me and putting baby coyote down.

The coyote's eyes were on me, narrowing again. He growled lowly.

"My mate. She is my mate," said Karam while taking my hand and kissing it.

I squirmed and saw the coyote noticing it.

"Stop," ordered Karam when the baby growled again. Taking my shaky hand, he forwarded it towards the coyote.

"No. No. No, Karam. He is going to eat it off. Look at his teeth. They are so big" I almost whimpered while Karam gave me a smug look.

"Really?" He asked.

I blinked and remembered his beastly form. His canines were the longest and sharpest I had ever seen. To think that they had pierced through my neck, I wanted to hug myself for handling such monstrosity and then, slap myself for kissing the same monster. Only his good heart was keeping me sane.

My hand touched the smooth white fur.

The coyote stopped moving and bent his head.

"Caress," said Karam while I did as he told.

The baby was not being scary anymore so I scooted closer and caressed his head properly, combing back down to his back. He enjoyed it as the tongue hung out in affection.

A smile curved my lips when Karam hooted. "Yeah, like that, my sweet mate."

"They are four brothers including one sister, born two months ago. But they are still naive and young. They only know me since their mother knows me," explained Karam while a sudden light flickered in my mind.

"Another female?" I asked while my eyebrows had straightened.

Karam ran fingers through his hair and observed the sky getting darker with a smirk. "This breed, they don't shift. But I like that you are jealous."

"No. But what about their father?" I asked immediately.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't see him here. Must be one of the coyotes living in the forests under the high mountains of the temple."

I stayed silent because my heart wasn't satisfied.

Great! Misty!

You are jealous of a female coyote.

"Go! We are leaving," said Karam while rubbing his fur enthusiastically and sniffing in his scent.

The pup licked his hands and got more rubs from us before leaving finally.

I picked up the camera and clicked a shot of him running towards the north in the open ground under the dark blue evening sky.

I stood up along with Karam.

He took my hand and turned to walk towards the forest.

I didn't move and waited as I tugged on his hand for him to look back down at me.

He waited curiously as I took my time in saying, "Stay for tonight."

My eyes lowered. I rubbed my left feet on the sand while waiting for an answer.

The silence had gotten awkward. I was now scared if my heart would break if he'd said no. Was he really keeping his distance to make me realise what his company meant to me?

His thumb rubbed over my knuckles. I looked up at him.

He nodded slowly with warmth shining in his gaze.

I smiled and started walking along with him.

But with every step towards the home, a sudden realisation was spreading on the surface of my heart.

The more I was being open about showing my emotions, the more it felt like I had given up on continue looking for Severa.

What was left in it for me anyway? I couldn't cross it. Continuing the search would risk my relationship with him. Most importantly, his trust.

And now, I couldn't deny caring for his heart.

Even after knowing all his memories, and still playing with his heart—would be a sin.

It wasn't like I didn't like him.

Even if it was the effect of heat or this mark. Call it mate bond or just my wild and young hormones—I didn't want to hold back.

I wanted to be honest with him and most importantly, myself.

The border had caged me in and there was no way out.

The only way left was to accept this fate with my mate.

It wasn't his fault that I was his mate. But it would be mine if I would use this fact to lie and betray him, again.

______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

____

Pheww... I finally updated.

I wanted to show how Misty's mind and heart are working at the moment. The more important things of the plot will be in the next update. I have an holiday tomorrow and going to try finishing the chapter.

How are you all?

I didn't want this Diwali without an exchange between us. It's the Indian festival that really makes me all cheerful and Because I missed you all. Hope, you liked the chapter. The next ones until the last chapter are going to be fun.

Love,

Nikki <3

P. S. It's a new moon. When wolf fam manifests.