The loud beeping of the monitor rang in my head, continuously. I sat on the recliner seat, leaning all the way back before my eyes pressed shut. I occasionally peeked and looked at Beatrice, hoping she'd be awake but every time I did, I only lost hope.

Arnold stood nearby, the door, waiting for King to return from the grocery store. It had been a few minutes now and the silence was killing me, it was taking me into the path I didn't want my thoughts to go, it was forcing me to remember the night, the words, the woman.

She knew when King was arriving, she heard him but did she knew him? Did she knew it was King coming for my rescue? I learned a while back and that werewolves kept an eye on each other, especially Alpha's.

And who were they? Who was she talking about? Who wanted to take me? Who was threatening me? Was someone still behind me? After eight years?

I dreaded knowing the truth and ever returning to Barnsley but today, I was confused, my mind smushed and my thoughts scattered. I didn't know what to think or what to believe. The sheriff at the station told me they couldn't figure out who had killed my parents but the woman from the church I went to when I was a child told me they were going to come for me if I didn't skip town.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

Someone was here.

I jolted up awake and twisted my head around slowly while Arnold attended the stranger outside. For a split second I thought it would be King but he wouldn't knock.

"Yes?"

It was silent for a second and I grew worried as I couldn't see the stranger outside since it was dark in the room. It wasn't just one stranger, it was a group of two/three men to the least.

"I had been informed that a couple of pack wolves have crossed my territory. It was only fit enough to see it myself." The man said, his voice deep and rough. "What are you doing here? And how many of you are here?" He continued, a clear threat in his voice.

My eyebrows shot up and my attention quickly diverted away from Beatrice. I stood up from the recliner and walked closer to the door but not close enough for them to see me.

Who were they? Territory? I supposed it meant that Barnsley had a pack of werewolves and unwanted wolves weren't allowed.

Arnold cleared his throat while still holding the door and standing in front. "I don't answer to anyone except for my Alpha. You'll have to wait till he returns and he'll be able to—answer you." He replied without any emotion or fear in his voice.

"An Alpha? Who must that be? Which pack do you come from?" The man asked, shooting his brow at Arnold who stayed stern.

When he didn't respond, the man took a sniff before his eyes snapped to mine. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest upon him finding me behind Arnold.

"A new wolf. A pup. What are you doing here?" He asked me.

I took in a few deep breaths and walked over to the door. "I'm just here for my friend. She got into an accident and she's in terrible condition. We can't leave until she has woken up." I responded but something didn't seem fit.

Why did he call me a new wolf? Did he know that I had just shifted for the first time recently? King had called me a pup several times but all those times I assumed he was giving me a sweet, little nickname.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. As the Alpha of this pack, you stepped into my territory without my permission and that sums up to a threat and I don't take threats." He said, gritting his teeth as his eyes darkened with anger.

He was an old man, nearing his fifties for sure. His voice was throaty yet sounding controlling. And he was an Alpha.

We couldn't just leave without Beatrice waking up and getting a little better. We had to stay for another day for her to be able to be okay to go home.

I stayed behind Arnold as the two men behind the Alpha prepared for something. They rolled up their sleeves and for a moment, I believed they were going to shift and run us out of their town.

Until, King appeared from the hallway, "There are no threats, William," He walked closer to the door, facing the other Alpha. The fine lines over his face suddenly smoothed at his appearance. "We are not here to cause any harm. Just passing by. Shouldn't be a problem, should it?" He quirked his brow, eyes burning into the Alpha's.

The Alpha swallowed and then nodded his head before taking a step back from King. "It shouldn't be a problem. You're welcome to stay." He gave him a quick smile before scurrying away with his men.

I breathed out in relief and returned into the room. Just before King stepped in, he whispered something into Arnold's ears and I heard it, "Keep eye on the Alpha of this town. Make sure no one gets anywhere close around this area."

After listening, I sat back down on the seat while King stepped toward me. More confusion found it's way in.

"I thought he would've forced us out. How were you able to convince him without saying anything?" I asked King.

He placed the bags of food over the table before sitting down beside me. "They fear me."

"Why?"

"Rivalry," He responded. His fingers reached to my face, brushing my cheeks and pushing the tendrils away from my face. "I have secured and defeated many packs over the years, won several battles and lands that weren't mine. It's not about the strength or the power I have. It's about the way I demand others to surrender and submit." His words shot straight into my head, forcing me to think hard.

"Oh," I blinked in surprise. "Wow."

It was no wonder to why everyone sort of feared King, whether it was the people from Frostford, Barnsley or even Hildon, they all acknowledged him as someone who was higher in authority.

"Drink something. I don't want to see you die." He changed the topic and pulled out a juice from the paper bags. Opening it, he offered it to me and I took it.

It was orange juice, fresh and delicious. After putting finally something down my throat, I felt a lot better, as if I had regained all my energy after the car crash.

Clutching onto hope, I still waited for Beatrice to wake up soon. Another long hour had passed by. The sun began cracking through the dark, night sky. I stood by the window, waiting for the sun to rise as the night passed by.

It rained non-stop throughout the night, nearly flooding the streets and the roads of Barnsley. Different memories of my parents and living here flashed into my head when I looked at the view outside of the hospital room.

Then, I was an innocent child, not knowing about anything—not knowing that my parents were werwolves and they had a witch up their sleeve, not knowing the town was ran by a werewolf Alpha, not knowing about the woman in the church was a werewolf, not knowing that I was going to loose my parents in all of this.

I barely knew anything.

"You should rest for a bit." King whispered to me while his hand circled around my waist. A few moments earlier, he was asleep on the stretched couch along with Arnold.

I was the only one awake just incase if Beatrice would wake up and she would want something.

"I don't want to." I replied, placing my head over his shoulder. "But there was something I wanted to talk to you about." I added.

He braced me closer to his chest, "Tell me."

Many confusing things remained hung in my head but there was one thing I was finally sure about—King.

"I forgive you for trying to kill me," My voice sounded hollow, sleep deprived but I wanted to get the words out before it was too late. "And I want to mate with you." I continued before parting myself away from King and looking into his eyes. They shone with cheer as he listened to me. "I thought I couldn't forgive you because you turned me into this—animal—but that's changed. You didn't give me the curse. I was born with it and my parents did some voodoo to suppress that part of me."

I hadn't told him everything that woman in the forest told me as I was too worried about Beatrice and everything else. But now, I got the chance too.

King looked a bit surprised but at the same time, he smiled at me. "What? How did you know that?"

"Someone told me..." I trailed off. My pulse quickened as I dropped my arms over his shoulders. My eyes fell over his lips that were perfectly framed with a shadow. "Will you mark me?"

His eyes lightened while his pupils dilated. His lips curled into a smile and with joy in his voice, he replied, "Of course."