"Charlotte." His husky voice brought a blush to my cheeks, since no one really called me Charlotte other than my dad. I opened my mouth to tell him to just call me Charlie, but the words got stuck in my throat.

He gave me a hard look when I said nothing, his intimidating gaze sweeping down my body as if he was inspecting me.

"How old are you?" He asked in a cold voice, his tone surprising me.

"I'm eighteen..." I said quietly, unsure of how he would react to my youth.

Nolan's eyes hardened slightly when I spoke, and I was unsure if it was because of my reply, or just my voice.He looked almost ashamed of himself and I couldn't help from wonder his age. To me, he looked like he was in his twenties, but looks could deceive.

Nolan took a few steps closer to me, and I could feel the space between us closing, making my heart skip rapidly. But before the distance between us closed completely, he stopped and leaned against his desk while folding his large arms across his broad chest.

He began to talk in a dark, uninterested tone, "Last night I was researching people who might be able to help us with...this. And we finally found the name of an old witch doctor who..."I must have looked as confused as I felt because he trailed off and gave me an annoyed look.

"What do you mean...Alpha?" I tacked his formal title in just enough time to avoid disrespect. If the rumors about Alpha Nolan were true, he made people pay for disrespect. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat and waited for his explanation.

He glanced between us, brows pulling together as if he couldn't comprehend my ignorance. "This," he pointed at me and then at himself, "should not have happened."

Oh. I relentlessly chewed on the inside of my cheek. He did not think that we could be mates? "Why?" I asked, cheeks warming at the prospect of his rejection. Did he not feel our connection?

Nolan gazed at me as if I should already know, but I remained silent. Better to not anger him more. "My real mate is dead."

I flinched. The comment stung, but after the initial bite of his words hit me, I began to focus on what they actually meant. Of course, his old mate was dead. Everyone knew that story. And Nolan was clearly questioning whether it was possible for him to get another Fate Mate.

After a few long moments of strained silence I finally found my words. "Then why am I here? Why did you take me away from my family if you don't even want me?"

Something in his eyes flashed and he paused, deliberating his words. "Because even though we cannot actually mates...my wolf believes that we are. It is better to keep you here until everything is sorted out."

I folded my arms across my waist, suddenly immeasurably insecure. I had thought that we were mates, but Nolan was making it perfectly clear that we were nothing of the sorts.

"We are leaving at sunset to find the witch." The order slipped off of his tongue with ease. The Black Lupis Alpha indeed, accustomed to every being bowing to his command. I wanted to roll my eyes but self-preservations stepped in before I did anything stupid. "Don't be late."

"Aye aye, captain," I muttered, unable to stop myself. Nolan blinked, as if he could scarcely believe what I'd said, and just as anger settled over his features, his blue eyes glazed over and became unfocused. It was a look that I was familiar with. Somebody from his pack was trying to communicate with him through mind link.

He growled slightly and curiosity got the best of me. "What's wrong?" I questioned, teeth tugging on my bottom lip.

Only he did not reply, and I did not expect him to. Nolan wordlessly stormed passed me, a look of pure fury clouding his gaze. The scent of his anger made my insides shake. Before I could say anything else, he pushed the door open and muttered something to Sophia before exiting the room.

Sophia glanced at me, looking slightly worried, but she filled me in on what was happening. "A few rogues were caught in our territory. It's no big deal, we took care of them, but Nolan still wants to go and check things out."

I understood. Rogues trespassed on the Golden Walker's all the time, and they were a force to be reckoned with.

Sophia looked like she desperately wanted to join in on the action, but I knew that Nolan had commanded her to stay with me.

"You can go if you want," I offered. "I can find my way back to the room without getting killed." So long as I kept my mouth shut and didn't piss off any Black Lupis warriors along the way.

Sophia shook her head. "You aren't allowed to leave my sight." Despite her words, I could tell that Sophia's mind was churning. She cocked a dark brow and smiled. "So technically we could both shift and go out to see what is going on together?"

I laughed. The sound was cool and sharp, and I didn't quite recognize it. I'd had to admit my... deficiencies countless times in the past, but never to a member of another pack. "Don't get me wrong, I like the idea. But, there's one major thing holding me back." Sophia's head crooked to the side in question, and I continued, "I can't shift... At least not at will."

I could feel my face turn red as I shamefully admitted this flaw that had plagued me since I turned fourteen and shifted for the first time.

Her eyes widened, "You can't shift?"

"Um no... well, not at will," I restated, trying to make myself sound less pathetic. "It sort of happens randomly. Less and less as I've gotten older."

Sophia laughed, but there was nothing malicious in the sound. "That's insane! Does Nolan know?"

I grimaced. "I doubt it. And I'd like to keep it that way. Don't want to give him another reason to hate me." I tried to act like it was no big deal, and Sophia seemed taken by my façade.

She shrugged. "To be honest, I think he is scared of you. He thinks that there is something wrong with him because he found another mate right after his last one died." Before I could say anything else about the subject, she smiled. "You want me to help you pack for your trip tonight?"

"I don't have anything to pack." I failed to hide the dread from my voice at the thought of our trip to meet the witch doctor. The witchdoctor who could supposedly help resolve our situation...

Sophia offered me a smile, undoubtedly aware of my anxiety. "Well then we should probably go shopping?" She wiggled her brows before waltzing to Nolan's desk and digging around a drawer. Finally, she pulled out a silver, shiny credit card.

I smirked. "Fine. Do you have any malls around here?" My voice dripped with sarcasm. The packs resided in the middle of nowhere. It took two hours to get to the nearest human-infested city.

She rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't like a good road trip?"

----------

In a few hours, I found myself driving Sophia and me to the mall in a shining black corvette that we'd found in the pack garage. Sophia had warned me that we should take another vehicle. The black sports car was Nolan's prized possession, apparently. That thought only made me more excited to take the corvette for a spin.

We had not told anyone that we left, and nobody seemed to care. But as we ventured further and further on the old road away from the Black Lupis pack territory, I felt I strain inside of me that was pulling me back to the pack.

At first, the feeling was mild, but the painful emptiness soon began to consume my thoughts and body. Everything inside of me was telling me to turn back to the territory. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before.

Sophia, who had been rapping along to some obscene song about a woman with a large ass, suddenly stopped mid-verse. The abruptness caught my attention, and I glanced in her direction. Her blue eyes were glazed. "What is it?"

When she came out of her trance, she returned my gaze, wary. "Nolan just realized we left. He is not happy. He wants us to turn around."

I stiffened, but tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "What? Does he miss his car? Besides, tell him that we are almost there!"

She glanced around at all of the surrounding trees as we cruised on the winding, rural road. "Maybe we should head back... he is really–" Suddenly, her eyes dulled over and she clenched her eyes shut, grasping her head in her hands. I knew why it was so painful for her; she was resisting and blocking out Nolan's alpha command, and she was doing it because of me.

Sophia groaned in agony, and guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. I completely took my eyes off the road. "Sophia! It's okay! Let him in! We'll turn around."

She stopped squirming awfully as she let him in to her mind, and the entire time I kept my eyes on her. When Sophia finally refocused, she turned to me. "We have to go back, now. The rogues are--- Watch out!"

She screamed the last part, her eyes filled with panic and fear. I turned back to the road, but it was too late. A huge wolf stood in the center of the winding pavement, lips curled back over his teeth in a grow. I cursed and let my reflexes take over, swerving away from the hulking, menacing figure. The world around me was a blur as tires screeched and metal crunched.

Everything went black as chaos ensued. The corvette flipped, rocking to a halt on its back, and Sophia and I were left dangling from our seatbelts.

My vision blurred, but I tried to find Sophia's body next to mine amid the wreckage. She was unconscious in her seatbelt, but her chest rose and fell. There was blood leaking from a gash in her arm, but, other than that, she did not seem too badly wounded.

I was painfully aware of a sharp pain in my own head, but adrenaline dulled the true extent of my injuries. Besides, I had more pressing concerns. I turned my face to see the huge wolf from before padding over to us as we dangled there-- helpless. His black fur was covered in bloody patches that became visible as he approached; he was obviously a rogue.

My heart thundered in my chest as he neared, a predator slowly stalking his prey, until I could see his bloodstained claws next to the window. I began to fumble with my seatbelt, as if I could possibly outrun the monster if I could only unfasten the belt that held me in place. It was foolish. I was at the mercy of this rogue.

Suddenly, a furious, fuming howl erupted from the woods nearby, and my body recognized it immediately. Nolan.