The two women introduced themselves immediately, while the males turned and walked back into the forest. 

Dammit.

The taller female, covered in tattoos, was Eve, and the shorter woman with red hair down to her ass was Prim. They tilted their heads to Visena slightly, waiting for a response. She half-smiled, half grimaced and nodded at them briefly.

"So...Should we follow them?" she asked.

Both women shared a look and stood on either side of her. Prim cleared her throat, linking her arm with Visena's and asked, "What pack are you from?"

Visena shrugged. "I don't think I have one." Although her memories were fried, she felt in her gut that she was at least half right.

Or is that just the hunger pangs?

Both women frowned, confused. "What species are you?"

'Fae.' A whisper echoed in her mind with a fading hush like trembling leaves in a gentle wind.

Visena's brows shot up. "I think I'm Fae?" The disclosure was made so slowly that it came out like a question.

Prims brows shot up as she looked over Visena's grubby body. "I've never met a Fae before."

"How old are you?" Eve piped up, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Not sure. Maybe like twenty-something? Early twenties?" It was infuriating to Visena that she couldn't remember her age, only guessing the answer based on her reflection from the creek earlier. Her face lacked the soft roundness of a teenager but also any budding signs of wrinkles. 

"Same, " they replied with soft smiles. An overwhelming sense of welcome poured from both women, especially Prim, but Visena couldn't help but feel disappointed that the mystery male wasn't walking with her. She could see his outline up ahead next to another guy who kept peeking back at them with curious azure eyes.

"What are their names?" she questioned her companions, jutting her head toward the men.

"Well, that one," Prim lilted, pointing at the youngest-looking man who sported short chocolate waves and a hunched posture. "His name is Jed. He is Alpha's brother and one of our Gammas."

"I'm the other Gamma," Eve boasted proudly.

Visena smiled and nodded despite having no clue what the gibberish words meant.

"The brunette bodybuilder over there is my mate, Orion." Prim smiled, starry-eyed, as she pointed to her left.

A scowl appeared as he peered at the women before softening on Prim. The puppy love in his eyes was undeniable.

"Both of us are Delta's. And the one next to Alpha is Liam. He's our Beta," Prim stated as if her words made perfect sense.

Visena's curiosity got the better of her, "Am I supposed to know what it means when you say Beta or Delta or mate? And please tell me his name isn't Alpha. So pretentious."

Prim's eyes shot open wide, and her cheeks flushed. Eve, on the other hand, stifled a laugh in her palm.

"N- no, it's Greek," Prim stuttered. "It's our rankings. Or titles, I guess. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, then Delta... His name is, uh..."

Visena scrunched her face, giggling at Prim's sudden onset stammering. "Spit it out already!"

Her almond eyes flitted to the men ahead before whispering, "Gideon."

"Why was that so hard to say?" Visena felt warmth hearing the name and wanted to sound it out, but not in the presence of so many strangers. She saw Liam chuckle but didn't think Gideon had even been talking. 

Weird.

Eve nudged Visena's shoulder slightly with a smile, "Normally, we refer to... Gideon as Alpha as a sign of respect."

"Why?"

"Because we're dogs, little one." Liam had appeared out of nowhere with a grin. "Hierarchy and such."

"Liam!" Orion groaned, now also much closer. "Shut it." 

Visena's curiosity was piqued. "Are you like those other things that kidnapped me?"

"Wolves, sweetie. We are wolves." Liam put on a strange accent and bowed deeply.

"Don't patronise her, you idiot," Jed growled. They moved unnaturally fast, so it wasn't exactly surprising that they weren't human. 

Liam's hackles rose slightly before another wicked grin crossed his face. "You're just jealous you didn't talk to her first."

Visena quite liked all the attention, but Gideon still walked ahead by at least twenty feet. She wanted to talk to him the most.

"Where are we going?" She directed the question at Liam, but Jed answered first.

"Packhouse."

That doesn't explain much. Visena pressed her lips together and marched on. Quiet settled over the bunch for a while until the Fae couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"What is your, um... Pack name?"

Prim grinned and sighed audibly as if the silence was weighing on her too.

"Invictus. It means unconquerable in Latin."

The group all seemed proud of their title. Visena wondered if they decided it themselves or someone gave it to them. The possibility of the former statement being true made her chuckle quietly.

"You guys really like your old languages," Visena remarked with a smile before picking up her pace. She tried to catch up to Gideon without breaking into a trot, but it appeared that she would remain well behind him unless she sprinted. The Fae was not going to lower herself to chase after a man. 

She would yell at one, though. "Excuse me, Gideon. Can I ask you something?"

The whole group froze as his body turned towards hers. Visena had continued to walk unfazed and was now only a few feet from his towering form. His eyes flickered behind her, and she heard five pairs of feet running parallel to them until they faded into the trees. 

They were alone.

"You didn't have to make them leave. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit."

Gideon's chuckle soothed her soul, his previous confusing frown completely gone. "Go ahead."

Visena pulled a face as every thought she ever had suddenly escaped her. "Uh- What do you know about those, um, wolves that were with me?"

He sighed as he looked down at her, thinking. "They are from a neighbouring pack. Their Alpha is not someone you want to meet. He kills for sport. Zeir murdered his Beta; ripped his damned throat out..."

A strange pain shot through Visena's chest while Gideon looked forward with distaste. The pain got worse, and she doubled over slightly. And they're the ones who have my mother?

Warm hands clasped her shoulders, and she shivered beneath their touch. "What's wrong?"

Visena shook her head, "Not exactly sure," she half-lied. "I woke up last week in a Fae realm with no memories." Or clothes. A flush wrapped around her torso, easing the coldness of her dripping outfit.

"Nothing at all?"

The young woman shook her head again, looking at his curious face. He was so cute.

"But you're a Fae?" He had heard their conversation earlier. 

So that's why Prim whispered.

"I think so, yes. At least half."

His look hardened ever so slightly. "And the other half?"

Her shoulders shrugged up to her ears as she continued walking. Gideon followed a half step behind, and she could feel his gaze on her back. "I don't know. Probably human, I guess."

"Half breeds aren't common, Visena." His low voice sounded cautious. "They are usually the product of illegal means..."

She shuddered from his words, but they felt very wrong to her. "No. Not me. Pretty sure I was born from love." Visena chuckled at the odd word choice, but it sounded like something she had heard before. 

My mother must have said that. She buried Janna's words of her mother suffering again, hoping Gideon wouldn't notice.

"I thought you said you had no memory." His voice sounded guarded again.

"Sometimes, things just come to me," she replied quickly, clasping her trembling hands. "Are we almost there yet? My feet hurt."

His gaze shot to her cracked bare feet, dirt and mud mixture squelching between her toes.

Before taking another step, Gideon scooped her into his arms and pressed her against his chest. She protested and scowled at him for the unexpected movement, but he felt so warm. She stilled, letting his body heat thaw her frozen digits.

The earthy scent rolled off his neck too, and she confirmed it was cinnamon she could smell earlier. "Why do you smell so nice?" Visena asked innocently.

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. At the sudden movement, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck.

Rolling her eyes at his nonanswer, she grumbled, "You're carrying me. The least you could do is answer my questions." 

"I did."

"You shrugged."

"Yes, because I'm not sure."

She rolled her eyes again and leaned her head back as if unconscious. "I can see something over there." It looked like a little upside-down shed, with barred windows and a sagging roof covered in orange pine needles. 

"It's our holding cells. For young wolves to shift safely." His voice had a softness that made Visena melt deeper into his touch. His clothes dampened from her soaked attire, and she cringed as realisation set it.

"We must almost be there then." Her excitement rose as the so-called 'Packhouse' was closer than ever. The allure of a warm shower almost had her moaning aloud before she lifted her head again and let it rest against his hard chest.

A rhythmic thumping sounded in her ears, and she felt her pulse slow to match it. Visena looked up at Gideon one last time, and his ticking jaw made her pause. She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed slowly, his gaze hardening on the tree line. 

"Almost there," he replied.

~~~~

A/N

Thanks for reading xx 

K <3