After a quick meal, Visena joined the wolves for training. 

This time they did a long-distance run through the forest, and she only started to struggle to keep up after the seventh mile. Eve and Prim kept her company and made sure she didn't get into any trouble. "Did I hear your voice in the Alpha's bedroom last night?" Prim wiggled her eyebrows suggestively while panting.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so we talked for a while." Visena was glad the heat in her cheeks could be explained away by exercising.

"I thought I was imagining things," Eve added. "You also smell like him, " she said, sniffing slightly.

Visena turned her body away, appalled. "Don't sniff me! I'm sweaty..."

They turned in an arc, running along the pack boundary. The earth crunched beneath their feet. "I can't believe he let you in his room." Eve was hardly sweaty. "Alpha is very private in that way." 

Visena flushed a deep red. "I don't need to know about his exploits, Eve. Please." She felt a stirring of jealousy in her chest at the thought.

Prim giggled as Eve backtracked, embarrassed, "No, I don't think... I mean, he was waiting for his mate. He never lets women get close to him."

Visena got the impression mate was something more than a normal relationship. "What is a mate?"

Prim stopped in her tracks. And the other women skidded to a halt. "What?" She looked incredulous at the Fae.

"Why do you all keep talking about mates? What does it mean?" Visena started jogging again before her legs decided to seize. 

Prim caught up quickly and tried to explain. "A mate is like your other half, but it's so much more intense than that. When wolves reach maturity at eighteen, they recognise their mate. It's instant. The moment their eyes meet, they just know. It's innate and pretty spiritual." Her eyes looked wistful. "I feel like I always knew Orion was my mate, even as kids. We were lucky I was right!"

Prim turned bashful, "We mate until death. After that, the survivor generally leaves the pack and lets their wolves take control until they die from old age or fighting. And, when you complete the mating ceremony, you gain some strength from your mate. Cool, right?"

Visena was still somewhat confused and glad she wouldn't need to understand all the mate business being a Fae.

Eve was quiet, and Visena turned to face her, reaching over and touching her shoulder lightly. "How do you find your mates if they aren't in your pack?"

"The Council throws mixers every six months. We just returned from one last month." Eve's shoulders hunched slightly. Visena realised then how important mates were for wolves, but she had a good feeling looking at Eve.

"You'll find them. I can feel it in my bones." Visena smiled at her friend and received one in return.

"I heard the Fae have amazing intuition." Prim shared with a grin.

"Really? That makes so much sense." Visena finished the run puffing but in a good mood. She saw the other pack members were already stretching and preparing to spar. Gideon stood near the Packhouse, talking quietly to Jed and Liam before his head lifted. After less than a second of searching, their eyes met, and they shared a small smile. Jed turned to frown at the intrusion, instead spying Visena by the forest edge. His scowl lifted, but suspicion remained as they continued their conversation.

Eve worked Visena hard. She was slick with sweat and could barely drag herself to the shower after completing the session.

Thankfully, she felt better by dinner time, joining the other Packhouse members in the dining room.

"How's it going?" Orion asked with a mouth full of food.

Visena shook her head with a small laugh, "I'm good, Orion, but please keep your mouth closed when you eat!"

Prim nearly spat out her bread while Eve chuckled.

"You have a mouth on you, little Fae," Liam squinted at her from under his hair.

"Are you feeling better after I kicked your butt?" Visena shot back with a grin.

He only grumbled in return when Gideon walked in. The oak dining table accommodated twelve people, and Visena chose the seat next to Eve. The chair on her opposite side was free, as was the head of the table. Gideon must have usually sat at the head, as Visena had never seen anyone else sit in that spot. The packs' unfiltered expressions of shock also demonstrated that fact when Gideon rounded the table and sat next to her.

They shared their meal in comfortable silence despite the darting eyes back and forth from the others. "What?" Visena finally asked. When the wolves met her with silence, mild irritation nagged her. "What is your problem?"

"They are wondering why I'm not sitting in my normal place," Gideon muttered, casting his eyes across the table, eyebrow raised.

"No, not at all, Alpha," Prim replied before shoving some bread in her mouth. She gave Visena an awkward smile before excusing herself. Orion and Liam soon followed, sharing a furtive glance back at the three remaining people.

"Have you heard any news about my mother yet? Or those blood tests?" Visena asked Gideon.

"Yes and no. Malum Pack has agreed to meet with us on neutral ground on the night of the next full moon. And no news yet on the blood tests. We should receive the results tomorrow."

Visena wasn't sure if she was supposed to be excited. "So, just to clarify, on the next full moon, I'll get to see my mother? She's definitely alive?"

"Yes, she's alive. The Fae council member offered to do a welfare check and said she's there of her own free will."

The scoff that erupted from Visena's mouth had a small piece of bread flying across the table. She quickly wiped it away, embarrassed while commenting, "I don't believe that."

"Neither do I." Gideon concurred. He swallowed a spoonful of dinner, looking sidelong at Visena. 

With a jolt, she met his eyes in sudden realisation. "When is the next full moon?"

Another spoonful quickly smothered his slight smile. "Three weeks."

"Ugh, three more weeks without my memory. This sucks." She heard chuckles from both sides. "Is there anything else I need to know?" Visena pouted.

Eve spoke up this time; her voice held a foreboding. "It's a full lunar eclipse. A blood moon."

"What does that mean?"

"Vampires are overcome by blood lust, Fae usually hide in their Aether realms, and humans feel weird apparently." Eve snickered.

"And other things," Gideon added with a smirk. Eve only rolled her eyes, and Visena felt left out.

"What other things?"

"The potency for mate ceremony transfers is at its highest on a blood moon."

"I don't know what that means..."

"Well, don't worry about it then, Visena," Gideon stated, finishing his dinner and standing from the table.

Visena didn't want to admit how giddy she felt hearing him say her name, so she settled for a sarcastic reply. "Oh, don't you worry, Gideon. I won't."

The Alpha peered over his shoulder at her, olive eyes flashing gold before he turned to wash the dishes.

Eve just stared at Visena in shock and awe. Obviously, nobody talked to the Alpha like that normally...

 But Gideon wasn't her Alpha.

~~~

Can you believe the boldness of this Fae!?

I do kind of love it though...

Thanks for reading xxx

Until next time <3