A few hours later, I found myself standing inside Ann's luxurious, marble bathroom. Showering in here eased my pulse down and right now, I needed to be in her room, away from everything, especially my parents who had been non-stop chasing behind me to tell Alpha Richard about my mate.

Soon, Lily or he might get mad. My Dad's words crossed my mind. I stuck my head out of the shower as Ann came knocking on the door, her knocks growing strong with each one.

"What?" I screamed.

"Come out, quick!"

"Fine."

Ann lived close by to my house and I usually ended up crashing here whenever I felt like. We even had our monthly sleepovers here as I loved her bedroom and everything she owned.

After hearing her, I quickly dried myself off and walked out of the bathroom with only a robe covering my body. The night was upon us already and I intended on ending this night differently.

My eyes raced down to Ann's bed and I found a pair of jeans and a shirt. "I'm not going to wear this!" I threw my hands in the air out of frustration before going to her closet and pulling out one of the nice dresses she owned. Her closet was filled with designer clothes and handbags as her parents were businessowners.

I dragged the small dress along with me and Ann's eyes sharpened as she realized what was going to go down.

"Uh, no, you're not going to fuck. You're going to go talk." She pulled the dress away from me.

I grabbed it back. "Uh, no, I need to trap my mate and force him to accept that I need time. Seduction is the only way." I gave a little wink and she gagged.

"Fine. Where are you even going to find your handsome, lost, Alpha mate?" Her heels clicked on the ground as she turned around, staring at the ceiling while I wore the dress.

It was short, displaying my bare legs but far more than enough for tonight, didn't want to take it overboard. What if my mate denied my requests for needing time? I needed to take my naked ass out of there then.

"I'll find him. Not a problem."

"But he doesn't live in that cabin anymore." She reminded me before she whipped around. "Please don't tell me you'll go in his territory, the wolves at the borders will kill you before you can even talk to him."

I sucked in a breath, pushing my stomach inside while zipping up the dress. "I know, I know, I won't." I replied in a tight voice, my throat begging for air as the zip went up.

Everyone knew the borders of the Scarlet Pride were a no-no, no pack wolf, rogue or lone wolf was allowed in their territory, unless of course he/she had a written letter from the Alpha. And, I had none of that yet I was going to shoot my shot and maybe try getting myself killed.

What an adventure.

"Well, I'm ready." I ran the brush across my cheeks and gave a quick look at the mirror to see myself. "I'm going to leave. See you tomorrow."

Ann gave me a sympathetic look and handed me a coat I could wear over the dress. "Please, come back alive and not in pieces."

"I will. Just don't tell anyone where I'm going." I pushed my hands through the holes of the coat and buttoned it up. "And, if my parents ask where I am, tell them I'm sleeping here. I should return by morning. If not, then I'm dead." I set my back straight and threw a handbag over my shoulders before waving Ann a goodbye.

She was the only one who knew where I was going. My Mom suggested speaking to Lorenzo and my Dad told me to speak to Alpha Richard.

I chose speaking to my mate.

Ann came along with me downstairs and we crossed paths with her mother, Mrs. Kristy. It was the first time in a while she saw me and when she did, her face scrunched. She bent down a little, taking in a sniff.

"Why do you smell like someone familiar yet so strange?" Mrs. Kristy asked.

Lorenzo's scent was still over me, it was crisp and strong and since Mrs. Kristy came from the Scarlet Pride, she recognized the scent but couldn't make out who did it belong too.

"It's nothing. Just this new perfume!" I shrugged, acting calm.

"Yeah, Mom, it's a perfume." Ann agreed before taking my hand and pulling me away from her mother before she could figure out the truth.

"Lilliana!" Mrs. Kristy said.

I stopped and turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Let's hope it isn't what I think it is." She gave me a vague response and I couldn't get what she was implying on until I thought hard.

Mrs. Pitts, Ann's grandmother, might have just told her son and daughter in law about me. There was a probability Mrs. Kristy knew that I was Lorenzo's mate.

"Does she know?" I whispered to Ann while walking to my car. My heart skipped a beast and I grew conscious of who knew the secret and who didn't.

It wouldn't be long then before everyone found out. First, it was Evan and he died, now it was my friends and soon their parents. Who else? Seth? Alpha Richard?

"I don't know—I don't think so and even if she does, it's fine, it's my Mom, she won't tell anyone." Ann assured me, patting on my shoulder like it was okay.

"All right. Thanks for letting me in and lending your shower. I'll see you tomorrow." I gave her a quick hug and she returned it with a kiss on my cheeks.

"Don't get hurt and don't get killed."

"I won't."

It was entirely dark and quiet when the engine roared and I reversed the wheels, pulling away from Ann's. The silence followed me for long as I drove down the streets of Far Waters. It was midnight, yet I found a lot of people awake, laughing, strolling, taking their dogs out for a walk and enjoying the warm nights that were going to turn cold and brutal soon. With August approaching, summer was ending and fall was going to start, followed with winters that were known to freeze everything in Far Waters.

It took me a whole lot of time and tears to conclude at Mom's advice. I wanted this to work out differently, I didn't want to be kicked out or killed by my Alpha, neither did I want to separate myself from the whole town and the place I called my home just for a mate. The uneasiness slipped away from as I travelled across the town, leaving and going on the empty highways.

The land around the Blackpool, Scarlet Pride's hometown, was free land and some it was owned by our pack. Ann's lake house was around there, almost at the borders of Blackpool.

The building's faded into the oblivion and the large trees, touching the clouds appeared at my vision. They bought color to the night.