"The world changes from year to year, our lives from day to day, but the love and memory of you shall never pass away."

I watch from my window in the packhouse as Alessandra hugs her family goodbye. She looked sad to leave but there was a sense of excitement around her. I was happy to be able to give her that.

Her dad was lecturing her about safety and her mom looked as if she was going to burst into tears. Isabel looked upset to see her twin leave and Callie was wearing a frown on her face. Lilia's face held anger that I am sure was directed at me. Jaden pulled her in for a hug and it was hard for me to not rip his hands off.

Stupid fucker.

"Regretting your decision yet?" Hiro asks. He's been watching me watch Alessandra through the window.

"No." Yes. I don't want her far away from me. But what choice do I have? It's only a matter of time before I end up marking her and I know we would not lead a happy life together. Sometimes the mate bond is not enough.

Our hate for each other is so strong that we have held out on marking each other for this long. It's practically unheard of. Most wolves barely last a couple of days before they are fully mated. It's almost been a month for us.

How strong does hate have to be for it to overpower the mate bond?

"How long do you think it will take until your angry all the time? Wolves are grouchy without their mates."

"I'll deal with it. I'm sure Donata has herbs for me that can ease the pain." I look out the window one more time. Now she's laughing with everyone as they all give her a big hug.

Have I ever made her laugh?

I give her one last look, memorizing her features then I turn away before my wolf puts any more ideas in my head.

"I need to go see Donata, make sure Alessandra is escorted safely to the airport," I tell Hiro. With those parting words, I head towards Donata's cabin.

Every time I come here, I get the creeps. The inside of the cabin is very peaceful and it has what Donata calls "good energy". The outside, however, looks like something out of a horror film.

She opens the door before I knock and lets me in. I'm always struck by the fact that she is around 500 years old but looks 70 whenever I see her. Wolves are able to live long but many die due to the wars that are common between the supernatural factions. We never let oracles or gifted wolves fight in the wars though. They are too valuable.

"So did you find out what the dream means?"

"I haven't had the chance to decipher it yet, come sit, my crystals always help in tellings."

I sit on the tribal looking rug with my legs crossed.

"You said you think this dream is foreshadowing something?"

"Yes, it seemed too real to just be a random dream."

She grabs a bag and pulls out various crystals. Some of them are big others are small and they are all different colors.

"Palms up."

Donata places a white crystal on my left palm and another on my right. She sits across from me and places a moonstone between us.

"Describe the dream to me, dear."

"So Alessandra is in my arms. She's bleeding like she was stabbed or something. I think we are at some sort of costume party in the woods. She's wearing a dress that looks like it's from another era. Her eyes are open but their blank and haunting as they look into mine. I'm crying and I think I say something in Italian but before I can finish, I wake up."

Donata's eyes turn completely white. The moonstone glows and she stays that way for a solid minute before she is back to normal. Her breathing is heavy as she looks at me, the moonstone still glowing.

"It's not a glimpse of the future, but rather one from the past."

"What? What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, the spirits only tell me what they want me to know. I've never seen something like this before," she says. She looks perplexed and in all my years of knowing her, I have never seen her look anything other than calm.

"Well go ask them!"

"They won't tell me, dear. It must not be the right time."

Not the right time? I'm having dreams of Alessandra dying in my arms but it's not the right time?

She can't die in your arms if she's not here.

The thought calms me and only makes me feel more confident in sending her away. Just another reason that the distance between us is needed.

"Why is that rock still glowing?" I ask, pointing at the moonstone. She smiles at me.

"The spirits are with us."

"Whose spirits?"

"The spirits of past pack members who are looking over us."

Slowly, the scent of roses fills my nostrils. I find it odd, considering all the incense Donata has burning in her home. Roses remind me of...

"Could it be my mom?" I ask with a choke.

"She's always here Zane. I can feel her, she always did have such a bright soul," she says with reverence.

I nod at her and leave the cabin. My heart weighs me down as I walk faster towards the packhouse.

She's always here.

I find comfort in the thought and hope she's not upset with me.

I just want her safe mama.