Kaiden was grinning, as Jack's eyes seemed to flash from one point to another, constantly checking where the werewolf was before his eyes seemed to be pulled back to his pack. Well, not exactly Kaiden's pack, he was simply a part of it.

After tugging Jack out of Verona's house, the wolf had gently guided him down the swirling paths that lead all the way from the witch's house down to the sturdy wooden cabins deep in the forest.

Several wolves had already spotted them but stayed at a polite distance, giving young Jack the time and space to let everything sink in. They already knew that the boy was soon to be one of them. Mated into the wolfpack.

But still, Jack could feel their eyes on him, causing him to jut his chin up, his full lips pulling into a thin line while he withdrew behind his walls. Jack already knew he was different to the humans of his village and how they reacted to that.

It was becoming very clear to Kaiden that Jack was expecting the pack to do their worse; to fulfill whatever lies and false facts the superstitious bigots of Jack's former town had whispered in his ears.

The man gritted his teeth while the wolf inside growled and paced from side to side. There would be no such thing in this pack, ever! His people saw Jack's discoloration as a gift from the moon and everyone, including their leaders, had already accepted the boy in their hearts.

He was happy with their Alpha pair, a couple that had lead them through good and bad times. They always took care of the pack first before they looked at their own desires and that was what made their pack so healthy and strong.

Kaiden's eyes were pulled down at the sharp contrast between his own sun kissed skin on top of Jack's pale and unblemished skin. Brushing his thumb over Jack's slender fingers, he noticed with amused curiosity that a small trail of goosebumps spread over the soft skin and Kaiden had to bite a smirk back as Jack shivered slightly.

As their eyes met, Kaiden had to suppress the more primal desires from his wolf as he noticed the flush on Jack's cheeks, or the way the boy was glancing up at him through his lashes. The wolf inside was preening with pride, knowing that it had captured his mate's attention and that their mate liked what they were looking at.

But as Kaiden observed Jack closely, a small frown crawled on his face before he gently tugged Jack along, moving towards his house. When Jack softly inquired where they were going, Kaiden couldn't help but smile reassuringly at the skittish boy.

"At my house; I can't believe I didn't notice before that your clothes are close to tearing at the seams. You can borrow something of mine." The werewolf chuckled as Jack flushed yet again and plucked at a loose tread.

"I didn't have any money to buy new clothes, or pay the hunters for supplies." Jack muttered with a frown, feeling slightly defensive. It wasn't his fault that the villagers seemed to hate him so much that they'd rather see him freeze to death.

As if reading his thought, Jack could see the larger man looking down at him before a soft growl slipped from his lips. "Those villagers really had it out for you, didn't they?" he growled in annoyance when Jack's face grew stoic and blank before the boy shrugged. "I deserved it, I guess." Jack whispered under his breath, unaware that Kaiden could perfectly hear what he was saying.

In that moment, Kaiden's wolf roared in his head before it took control and spun Jack around so that they were pressed chest to chest, their faces only a breath away. "Don't ever say or think that again! Those villagers are so full of themselves and of their ridiculous superstitions that they harm and even kill innocents."

Jack had to tilt his head back to look up at the man towering above him. With each breath they took, he felt Kaiden's abs and pectorals brush against the thin cloth that separated their skin. It was safe to say that Jack was more than a bit distracted.

Kaiden soon realized this and held a groan back as Jack's scent grew stronger, more alluring. He managed to push his wolf back and reclaimed control before they did something Jack might regret. My mate needs to be completely aware of what he means to me, to us, before we claim him.

With a soft sigh, he took a step back and allowed his mate the room to breath and calm down. If anything was to happen between them, then Kaiden wanted Jack to take the first step and come to him. He wouldn't force his presence onto his newly found mate.

Jack on the other hand was having a hard time to calm down. He had never felt this way before and felt a bit confused. Was it normal to feel tingles spreading over his skin whenever it brushed against Kaiden's golden tan? The muscles of his stomach tightened in an odd way and he felt slightly flushed.

"Maybe I'm growing sick." Jack thought to himself, unaware of the warm smile that pulled at Kaiden's lip, or the satisfied glint that sparked in his eyes. Jack shook his head when they arrived at cabin that stood a bit further from the rest, the sound of the creek flowing past it oddly comforting to Jack.

It was only after a few minutes that Jack realized that he was actually exploring Kaiden's house on his own, his fingers brushing over the figured that were delicately carved into the doorframe. Even the fireplace had been molded to perfection and Jack's untrained eye could see the craftsmanship that had been put in the drawings.

His fingers brushed over the wood with a soft sound as he followed the twists and turns of the vines that lead to an explosion of leaves and flowers. He traced every dip and curve until he came to the point where the vines seamlessly transformed into a howling wolf.

A smile curved Jack's lips upwards as he traced the wooden animal curiously before glancing over his shoulder to see the living werewolf leaning against the doorway, watching and observing his every move.

"Here," Kaiden cleared his throat and yanked the pants he had fetched for Jack off of his shoulders, along with a dark shirt to wear with it. "We'll make sure to repair your clothes later on." He added, glancing at the tattered cape before he hummed in his throat. That red combined with the nearly black clothes would certainly make Jack stand out in any crowd.

As his eyes trailed over the younger man, he became aware of the way Jack glanced at the cape with a frown before he rubbed over his arms, avoiding Kaiden's eyes. If only he would've known sooner of Jack's existence, then maybe all this could've been prevented.

"I'll let you get dressed without having to worry about me peeking." Kaiden grinned wolfishly and barked out a laugh as Jack yanked his clothes out of the wolf's grip and stomped towards the bedroom before slamming the door shut behind him.

His had instantly wanted to give chase, playfully off course; it was invigorating to see that spark of fire simmering in Jack's crystal blue eyes and Kaiden's wolf only felt tempted to explore the situation like a pup. By building the simmer up to a burn off course!

Kaiden all but jogged out of his own house and stopped at the creek, leaning down with cupped hands to splash the cool liquid in his face. If only his damned wolf could relax for a moment and stop antagonizing him or his mate, then maybe Kaiden could actually sit down and have a polite and intelligent conversation with Jack.

As it was now, he was sure that the animalistic desires and the instinct to mark, claim and protect what was his, all of that was going to be too much. If Kaiden didn't cool down now and took control of his wolf, things could turn very heated, very quickly.

"What are you doing?"

Kaiden was so distracted that he hadn't heard Jack coming out the door until the teen had asked his question. He spun around and tried to stand up all at the same time but somehow managed to trip over his own feet and fell backwards...into the cold water.

Cold, freezing water soaked his clothes in seconds as Kaiden blinked in confusion. Everything was drenched; from the black strands of hair on top his head down to his underclothes. He sat there, stunned for a second before the most delightful sound reached his ears.

Jack had tried to stop his fall, his hands reached out to grab Kaiden's arm but he had been too late. Now those hands were slapped over his mouth, muffling his laughter before it was accompanied with snorts and hiccups as he stared at the dripping werewolf in the middle of the creek.

He only backed away when Kaiden stood up with a playful grin and curved his finger, daring Jack to come closer. The boy shook his head with a laugh and took a safer distance as the wolf trudged through the water with a grin.

"Come on now, I can't be the only one to take a bath." Kaiden smirked with a devilish grin as Jack quickly scampered back. Looked like his wolf was given a chase after all!