After I managed to get my self off the floor I marched straight to Absalom's Apartment, although I had no idea where that was. It was my first time in the packs estate. As I passed through the houses, it was still early the sun had just started to rise, but it was beautiful. The houses weren't anything extravagant but they were classy, modern and cozy. No wonder everyone preferred their own place, rather than living together in the pack house.

I should have thought this through. Now I was in the middle of a street with no directions what so ever. All the houses didn't even look the same, they all had different architectures. The money it must have cost.

"By chance Luna, are you looking for someone?" A small strangely familiar voice spoke from behind me. I turned around and saw a little blond girl about ten or eleven, holding groceries.

"I know you, don't I?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"You saved my papa's life remember" her green eyes widening. Oooh, ahhh.

"The beta yeah?" I smiled.

"Yeah, Abel Klaus" wow, no I didn't know which I hated more, the annoying blond wolf or the fact that his daughter had to have a father that bore to first names. I stifled down my laughter, although she looked at lot like her pa she was too cute, I couldn't hurt her feelings like that.

"So whatcha doing outside this early, worse carrying grocery?" I bent down to level with her.

"Well my dad is watching the borders and my mom is taking care of the new baby, so I have to take responsibility." She stood straighter feeling proud of herself. Awwn so cute.

"That's really mature Scarlett" I smiled.

"You know my name?!" She squealed.

"Of course"

"That really means a lot Luna, I can't believe it, I'm so going to tell all the kids at school. You're so cool they'll totally be jealous" she giggled jumping up and down, making the bread at the top bop with her.

"So Scar do you know where Absalom stays?" Deciding to use a nickname to boost her already growing ego.

"Yes!" She squealed yet again. The people of this pack really had reoccurring traits.

She grabbed my arm and began to drag me back the way I came. Great Iris you even passed the house, what a wonderful witch.

"You know ever since you came into the pack, the boys have really started respecting themselves in school, you're so cool with the way you challenged our Alpha and stayed alive" she rambled on and on, boosting my own ego. Honestly it felt so nice to hear that the people of the pack didn't feel disgusted by the fact I was a witch.

"Everyone is even more afraid of you than the Alpha himself, oooh it so dope that you're here"

Okay one, Malik would not be pleased to hear that.

And two, dope? What is this last year?

"Here we are" she stopped in front of a glass house. Yes and I said glass but it was that two way glass. You could only see you reflection but not the inside. It was shaped like the letter L.

"Thanks so much Scar" I bent down and held out my pinky "anything you need I'll grant you one wish okay."

She linked pinkies' with me and nodded. "I'll get going now, bye."

I smiled at her retreating figure, and walked okay fined jumped over the gate. But I guess if you don't have to climb it isn't trespassing right? Oh whatever I'm a Luna I can do what I want. Okay fine fine I'm not yet Luna, I'm desperate.

I reached the door but it wasn't glass it was made of wood good call. I rammed into the door, banging and screaming.

"Luna?" I came face to face with a very sleepy looking Absalom. It was nice he could sleep when my friend was in despair.

I pushed him aside and walked into his house, my goodness was he messy. It looked as if a library threw up in here.

"Of course, come in Luna" he said still standing at the open door, he shut it and followed behind me. And noticed he had shaved, but he still had a small goatee which in my opinion should also go but Hey if he likes then who am I to interfere.

"Boy am I glad I made the door wooden, a lot of aggressive females in this pack" he sighed. He walked past me and I followed him, we walked into another disaster that was probably his kitchen.

"Does Malik know you're here?" He asked pouring what I assumed was coffee into a cup. He looked up "want some?" I shook my head, like I'll eat anything in this house.

"So crazy women like Esme?"

"Hmm... funny, practically everyone. You, Esme, Aria."

"Aria has been here?" I asked.

"Oh yeah" his voice becoming softer and he failed to keep eye contact.

"What exactly did you talk about?" His brows raised "I mean you did not happen to reject her did you?" I asked.

"And you want to know this why?" He sipped his coffee.

"Answer the question, Absalom."

"Yes, and so?" He spat.

My eyes widened "what do you mean by 'and so?', how dare you. How can you reject Aria? Do you even have a brain? And here you are sleeping peacefully when she out there suffering" I yelled.

He sighed. "With all due respect Luna, you have a lot of confidence coming here and talking to me about accepting my mate when you did the exact same thing to yours" he stated blankly "and I don't even see your concern in the matter, this is between my mate and I."

"Okay, low blow. Can you at least tell me why? Why you don't want her."

"It's easier for us, for both of us. I have to much baggage, and I know it's selfish but I already have too much on my plate I can't begin to allow distractions."

He sat down opposite me on on of the kitchen stools after shoving a shirt off it.

"But your mate isn't a distraction she's a completion. How can she distract you when she has been specifically made to support you and you her."

"You're a real hypocrite aren't you, Luna" he laughed.

Son of a bitch. But I couldn't get mad because Absalom had this way of making this things sound like a joke although we both knew he was serious. I wonder how he and Malik are friends. Their personalities would definitely clash.

"I know I realise I am not the person to be talking to you about all this stuff but can you really blame me? Malik and I are an anormality. And I was raised to think that love was a curse and a trick to make us weak. I'm not even by birthright supposed to have a mate." I raised my hands. "But you? What's you own excuse, and don't you dare say you don't believe in love because you have a child with another woman."

He nodded his head "exactly the reason, I know how that went, now we have a pup that technically belongs to two packs, how is that pure bundle of absolute joy supposed to grow up moving all the time? Besides I'm an explorer, I am hardly even ever in the pack, Aria seems so happy here. If we were to be together how is it supposed to work? I move around a lot and I kill a lot of people it's not a life I would wish one another. It's just better if I remain alone. I'll be outta here in about three weeks anyway and I could be gone for almost a year. Isn't putting her through that more painful?"

"What do you mean killing people? I thought you said you were an explorer?" I smiled "you're a spy aren't you"

"You can't tell anyone that" he replied.

"Sure your secrets safe and whatever you just said I call bullshit. You can give yourself a million reasons why you shouldn't be with Aria but I call bullshit. Nothing beats being with your mate."

"Were you not listening to anything I have been saying?"

"I have, but I don't care. You not rejecting my friend."

"You can't force me to accept me and I already told you why I'm rejecting her, besides remove the log of wood in you eyes before you remove the speck in another person's eyes" he got up "and don't even say you've learnt better, I know you still don't trust him. If you did you wouldn't have pushed him away last night."

My jaw was open at this point. "What do you mean last night?"

"Come on Luna, don't act too innocent now, everyone knows what happened. After mindlinking the whole pack not to come into the pack house yesterday, it was only safe to assume that you two were getting down and dirty, and we all know you didn't go through with it because the pack would have felt it. Also, seeing as my friend is a deranged ancient wolf, it only makes sense that you were the one that refused."

I just sat there speechless and flabbergasted. I could not begin to explain how I was feeling at the moment. I came here to call out his bullshit but I was the one getting tied to the stake at this moment.

"Now if that is all I need to get ready for the day, I'll show you to the door." He pulled me from off his stool and to the door.

I was so emotionally busy I couldn't even think of a comeback. As he closed the door in my face I yelled the only thing that came to mind "what's in your own eye is hardly a speck you jerk!"

I stood outside his door completely shocked. I clearly underestimated him, he is determined but no way I'll ever give up. Now since the two of them aren't listening to me, I'll have to manipulate them into listening to themselves. Now to find Aria.

************************************

I am just realising how terrible I am as a friend. I have been so engrossed in my own problems it just occurred to me that ever since I came back from Alpha Eli she hasn't been in the pack house. There is only one more person that I could ask.

Leonard.

I vaguely remember his place from when I was leaving the last time. So I walked up to a nice blue roofed house. Wow, he had some land too. His house was at the edge of the estate right at the border of the pack. I went to the door and rang the door bell.

"Luna?" A brown haired wolf answered the door. "Oh my gosh!" She squealed.

"Leonard!" No answer. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the house. Her stomach with a slight bump. Must be the pregnant mate I thought.

"I cannot believe you're here, Leonard has told me so much about you, and I have seen quite a lot for my self. Do you want anything?" Gosh her personality was as bouncy as her brown curls.

I have been meeting a lot of overly energetic people today if you ask me.

"No, no thank you. Where's Leonard?" I asked.

"Oh he is taking a shower, he just came back from training." She smiled.

I'll have to admit she had an amazing smile, it's does types of smiles that light up a room. She is pretty.

"I heard my name" Leonard walked into the kitchen with a towel on his waist and one on his head all wrapped up.

My brows went up at the sight on the towel on his head, he has really short hair, like military short hair.

He gave me a big smile "Luna."

"Leonard."

"What a pleasant surprise, does the Alpha know you're so far away?" He gave me one of does his cheeky grins and he pulled his mate to him and kissed the back of her neck.

I pursed me lips and grinned back. My favourite person in this pack.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I shook my head.

"Because you mated to the fiercest and scariest wolf on the planet" his mate replied. And I just realized I did not know her name.

"Fair enough..." I raised my brow in question.

"Ileana" she responded. Jabbing her mate in his stomach. "You didn't tell her my name?" She whispered in his ear but I still heard. Leonard clutched his stomach and rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty expression, like a little boy caught stealing.

"Don't be too harsh on him, I am a lot. I didn't give him a chance, and why the hell do you have a towel on your head? You literally have no hair." I asked.

"Hey, I don't ask you why you have blood on your-" he pointed to my sports bra.

"Oh please isn't that obvious?" I rolled my eyes.

Ileana gasped "is that the Alphas blood?"

"What? No. It's mine. Your Alpha is a deranged psycho, how did you even see it I changed. "

Leonard just nodded "lemme guess you tried to wake him up?"

"How'd you know?"I asked.

He shrugged "call it a Gamma's instinct. Plus I can still smell it."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Wow I didn't realise how much I missed rolling my eyes until now. Malik had banned me from doing that, I know crazy right?

"So as much as I'd love to have you over, I'll have to ask. Why you here?" He asked.

"Hmm I need to know where Aria is staying, I remember telling you to keep an eye on her for me."

He nodded. "She made a friend, Talon, she's been crashing with her."

"You know where the house is?"

Where the hell are you Iris?

I groaned internally, what has it been four hours? Why was he so possessive.

Don't worry, I'm not leaving you.

What?! You were planning on leaving me?! When was that ever in the question?

Oops wrong choice of words.

I couldn't deal with him right now so I just blocked him out. I knew that could never be the right decision but I had a goal in mind.

"I'll guess again, that was the Alpha."

"The one and only. Can you take me to her house?"

"Sure, let me throw on some clothes, help me babe?" He and Ileana walked out leaving me alone in the kitchen.

What Absalom said was true I had rejected Malik, and I felt horrible for it. But here we are, that mad man never even let me think about leaving him. He even almost killed me. Then it came to me, Malik never let me reject him. Aria should not let Absalom reject her. Although I would never advice anybody to use Malik's methods which are absolutely shoddy. But she could always use feminine charm and as she would prefer a bit of aggression.

"Shall we?" He came in with Jeans and a polo shirt. His feet were in flip flops so I guessed the house wasn't far from here.

"It was nice to meet you Ileana sorry I'm stealing your mate so early in the morning."

"Oh now problem there Luna, I am so glad you stopped by. Come again."

"Sure."

We walked out of the house together, the sun was already out and shinning. Leonard said it was already about 8:30 no wonder Mr. Grumpy was already mindlinking me. But he was always gone in the mornings, how did he know I wasn't back? The son of a bitch, he was spying on me? He probably sent someone to check for me.

"So do you know if they are close?"

"Well if having a pizza party and binge watching movies is a description of close then yeah."

I felt a pang of jealousy, I wanted to have a pizza party and watch movies. The awful truth is that I have never watched a movie before. As crazy as it sounds never. I'll just have remind myself that I was doing this for Aria and no one else.

We reached the house. It was very cozy, well you'd expect that from and unmated she wolf. And Leonard told me she was the packs librarian well one of them. I hope she is ugly and boring, again the jealousy, what? I'm still a person.

I went to door and rang the door bell desperately hoping that Aria was not here at the moment.

"Are you Talon?" I asked the she wolf that opened the door. Damn she was cute. Her strawberry blonde her was packed into a pony tail, and she was petite. Small and skinny, she had freckles scattered all over her nose and full, natural pouty lips. It made me mad.

"Yes? Aren't you-"

"Yes, the Luna" I interrupted her.

She chuckled "well not technically not yet"

"Whatever" I snapped back. "I need to talk to you about Aria" I pushed past her into her house. Unlike the last house I entered uninvited this one was unbelievably clean and organized. There were books everywhere and it was more like if a small cabin.

She closed the door behind Leonard and walked in. Leonard just stood at the door scanning the entire area.

She walked past me and gestured for me to sit on a couch. I chose one of the chairs around the table a few feet from the table.

She smiled and sat across from me.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, don't worry. You're already sitting anyway."

Okay okay I get I'm being a bit of a bitch but can you blame me, my only friend had moved on and I felt angry.

"So you said you wanted to talk about Aria?"

"Yeah, I wanted to solve her mate problem."

"No offense... um but isn't that their personal problem. They should handle it themselves."

I noticed that she avoided calling me anything. Ugh I am hating her more and more.

"Yeah but what kind of friend would I be if I just let her suffer without doing anything to help?" I raised my brow.

She coughed and shifted in her sit.

"What?"

"Well... it's just surprising to see that you care, you've not really been such a good friend and I don't even think Aria would appreciate you butting in like that" she bit her nail.

This bitch! It was taking a lot of self control not to smash her face into the table.

I laughed "oh thanks a lot miss observant I don't think I need you to tell me if I'm being a bad friend or not. And you known Aria for what ten seconds, don't preach to me about what is right or isn't okay?" I was already getting agitated.

"Luna? Is everything okay?" Leonard peeped into the room.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." I took deep breaths to calm myself. I was never this easily affected, I guess spending so much time with Malik had him rubbing off on me.

"I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect" she said coyly and I could not tell if she was being legit or sarcastic.

I rolled my eyes. "Look I don't care if I'm not technically your Luna but your going to listen and do everything I tell you to if not out of respect and loyalty then because of Aria. First of all I was never here, Aria must not know about this, us meeting. I would send more instructions later or we'll meet somewhere she wouldn't be. I assume that would be the library, she has never been an inquisitive wolf. Thirdly you'll get her to do anything I ask you to get her to do." She opened her mouth to speak but I held up a finger to stop her. I stood up and walked to the entrance of the room.

"Oh and before I leave, if you do not feel right calling me Luna just yet then by all means use my name. I'm pretty sure you know it although I don't know for how much longer that would be" I turned around to tell her.

"Let's get her mate shall we."

***