Fang tapped his index finger on his lips to act as if remembering the reasons why Diana was kept here. He hummed, raising one of his eyebrows, and then the wicked smile spread across his lips and I immediately understood it was Fang's doing. "Well, the girl was acting too much in her role that she asked directly for a permit. Now, who would tell her small brain that the card of acting Beta is only pertinent in Winterwells and not is utterly irrelevant in Waterwoods."

My eyes squinted at his impish explanation. It had not been a long time since I had known Fang, but I understood how sly his brain worked. He took pleasure in weaving webs that would attract people and be prey for his entertainment while he sat like a king in the middle, watching them squirm under his words.

"So how did Diana get the permit?" I asked as Fang had mentioned the acting Beta card won't work here, then she wasn't supposed to get the permit.

Knowing Diana, she would not test the waters with both her legs diving in. She sure had received the permit, and that is why she must have come here. Fang chuckled at my question, "Little one, you are starting to understand me pretty well there, asking the right questions."

Of course, when he had showered his rainbow of colours around me, I was getting to know his superficial character better. Fang was one of the people I had to be wary about because of the way he always played me on his word web.

The pride he carried and the kind of Alpha that he was; I had seen them firsthand. This I knew very well that each and every action he did and words he said had something behind it. Either a long-term goal or a personal gain, Fang did not waste time trying the diplomatic approach or stretching things. He meticulously took what he wanted, finding the right opportunity. Fang was smarter than he portrayed himself to be.

Fang placed his hand over his chest angelically, "I am such a good person I let her have the permit on her temporary position of Beta."

How foxy was he!

There was no need for him to explain what happened after that. Diana came here with that permit, which was probably not even legit, as the Beta had to sign for it a week early. I had got it done from the elders' headquarter so the permit I held was a legit one with an official record. "So you sabotaged Diana when she came here with your fake permit."

Fang shrugged, "My Betas are capable enough to differentiate the permits. I didn't have to involve myself in something so petty."

I stared at Fang with a 'seriously!' expression drooping my eyes. This idiot said he did not involve himself in something so petty, and yet he had actually involved himself in it by making sure Diana got the fake permit. And with laws so strict, there was no doubt Diana was ending up in the Waterwoods prison. If this was to be registered as an official case, Diana would face severe charges of trespassing. But I was sure Fang only meant it for his personal pastime.

I can imagine Fang laughing evilly when he led Diana to prison out of his own mischievous game.

"Alright, let her go, I am taking her back with me." I said as I walked past him freely to the outer room. This was the area where the drama had taken place yesterday and it looked as good as new today.

The white sitting mattress material had changed, as yesterday it was smeared with Liam's innocent blood.

Fang followed me outside and hugged me from behind and nuzzled his nose in the groove of my neck, "You smell like the ocean." His face raised as his lips whispered next to my ear, "I don't like it when you think about other men. And Liam wasn't innocent for that matter."

"He was drugged," I retorted, trying to push myself away from Fang. I could see it in Liam's eyes yesterday that the desire was engulfing him in a wrong way.

Fang snuggled me closer, "The only drug that Sylvie had passed to him was the one he used to kill himself. He was a lone wolf and they basically have no other motive in their life than finding themself a mate because they have left the pack."

His words had me ponder on my judgement. Was I too hasty in finding someone innocent who might not have been innocuous? The truth was only what Fang had seen, through Liam's memory and maybe even through Sylvie's, and that might have got Fang riled up. Because in reality, Liam was in his sane state when he had attacked me.

I opened Fang's hand that had encircled around my waist and moved away from him. He did not force me back, but let me take my distance. "It was wrong what happened here yesterday, Fang. It was very barbaric of you."

Fang sighed, looking at the place where he had beheaded the lone wolf who had attacked me yesterday and then back at me. "I would forget about that bastard, but I am sure Sylvie is agitated now and we don't know how she will come after you." Sylvie was the granddaughter of some important minister Fang had mentioned and the way she acted yesterday was enough to tell how pampered brat she was.

That girl would surely go to her grandfather, crying about what happened here, and he would surely come after Fang for answers, or maybe even his head. That might be fun to see Fang cornered for his stuff. There was nothing to worry about for me.

But that was something Fang had done wrong, and I did not see why I should be worried about her. "I don't care how Sylvie comes after you, Fang, I need to leave soon so I could submit these back to the elders' quarters and go home to take a bath to clean your icky scent off me."

"You can take a bath here if you want," Fang suggested, and as much as I would prefer that, there was no guarantee he wouldn't try something lewd with that.

"Just let Diana go and I will happily leave this hell," I stomped out of his residence to the small waiting area at the onset of his tent. It was better that I acted more like a guest that I was here than staying inside where his vile thoughts ran wild with his mouth that spoke and suggested crap.

Fang exited the tent after passing me a sly glance, and I sat there waiting for Diana.

Now that I was alone, my hand went to my neck, and I felt the mark that had formed on my skin as if it was burned. I traced the shape, and it felt like a full circled that had formed a bump distinct from the rest of my skin, in the middle of which I felt four dots and I assumed that was where Fang had bitten.

I banged my fist on the armrest of the sofa. I will find a way to evoke this mark because there would be too many problems that would follow if people around me started to find out about it.

I had to get Dandeline's help in hiding this, but till then I had to make sure I reached her without being noticed by others.

After some time, Lindsey, one of the Betas of Waterwoods, entered the tent, and I immediately got up, ready to leave. She looked at the clothes I was wearing and they were of Fang's, which made her eyes narrow for a split second and they went back to her professional look. "Diana will be released at the border. Let me escort you there," She was polite with her gesture but not bending and held her own honour.

"Okay, thank you." We made our way to the border from where I had entered, and I was conscious all the time to cover the mark that Fang had left on me by the strap of my sling bag.

There were eyes and murmurs around me, and I looked around, but Fang was nowhere to be seen. It was better at least I did not have to see him while leaving or Goddess knows what worry he will leave me with.

At the border, Diana was held in her restraints by one person who was opening her cuffs. Our eyes met, and I saw the muddy appearance of her face and she sent glares my way. I had a feeling if I went close to her, she would surely pass some smug comment, but more than that I did not want her knowing the difference of me being marked.

Not her, of all the people.

Her mouth restraints were released, and she was pushed out of Waterwoods land. Diana turned to me and sneered, "This is not over yet, Selene. Next, the pack members will vote for the best, so don't even get your hopes high as someone who had newly joined the pack."

Diana confidently turned into her wolf and ran away from there. I had almost forgotten that next was where the pack members would vote for the Beta and that was the reason me and Diana as finalists were given two days to prove ourselves. I did not know what perks Diana had received as the winner of Stage two. Channing had not mentioned what advantages the winner would be getting as compared to me, but I hoped it had nothing to do with the voting process.

I walked out, crossing the No-man's-land that divided Waterwoods and Winterwells borders. It was better I went to my house by the long way first and hid the mark. Being in the wolf form would hide it better.

I turned into my white wolf and checked how the sling bag was still perfectly around my chest.

While I was leaving, I glimpsed someone's wolf beyond the Waterwoods border and my senses turned alarmed. It was the black and white wolf. The one who had killed John Walter and Fang had covered for this werewolf's crime. The wolf ran back deep inside Waterwoods and my curiosity was left hanging yet again as I could not return to Waterwoods now to confirm who it was. Its fur coat suggested the wolf having high-quality blood as good as an Alpha and it only made me want to know more.

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Author's Note: I am currently travelling for a week or so and it seems that the internet and electricity are not on my team here. The number of chapters will be less for the coming week, so I will at least try to write longer chapters. I hope the readers understand. Thank you. QwQ