The trip back home was spent in comfortable silence and easygoing banter between Drake and Ellie as I listened in, occasionally adding onto the conversation.

Ellie had shown her growing trust in us by bonding to the point where the three of us could share a mind link. A mind link that was settled soon after we had left Curtis' pack territory.

The poor pup had started shaking, terrified out of her mind because, up to that point, even though the pack hadn't treated her like it... her wolf still had that connection to her birth pack.

And now it was gone.

But it was a void easily filled, as her pup had instantly reached out, overwhelming us with a barrage of her emotions. It had instinctively searched desperately to fill the sudden emptiness and Drake had been more than willing to accept the little pup in his pack.

As it was, she was busy roaming near our paws, jumping back and forth. Finally letting the natural curiosity of a young pup take over as she darted all over, leaping up to playfully snap at our wagging tails.

I snickered as I noticed Ellie stalk behind us from the corner of my eyes, and Drake's tail swishing suspiciously low, oh so temptingly within her reach.

Her pupils expanded as she huffed seconds before leaping up, a mouthful of fur firmly within her jaws.

Drake gave a playful yelp as she tugged on his tail before he pulled it out of her muzzle. She wasn't deterred at all, yipping and dancing between our paws, jumping up to snap at one of the overhanging branches of a bush.

And then proceeded to burry herself in the snow that fell down from it.

Both Drake and I barked out a laugh as I reached forward, muzzle pushing through the snow until I pulled Ellie out of the mound by her scruff and placed her back down.

The pup wasn't the least bit worried, shaking the snow off of her fur before panting happily. She only paused and whimpered before hiding between my paws as the wind turned, blowing from behind us.

And carrying the scent of Max to our noses.

"He's still following us?" I sneered, growling lowly as my fur bristled. Drake growled as well, ears perked up to catch any sound before nudging me in the side, urging to keep moving.

"And has been since we left Curtis' pack. I'm guessing the only reason he hasn't approached is because of my presence." He murmured through the link, looking over his shoulder occasionally.

But neither of us could see him, as he was more than likely staying out of sight. The snow crunched under our paws as we took turns leading the way, making sure that Ellie could easily follow in the trail we made.

Even though we were at the tail-end of winter, the weather didn't seem to mind or pay attention and had decided to blanket the world with a thick layer of snow.

At least we could carry the pup on our backs or in our muzzle if she grew too tired. Especially now that we were being followed, we weren't inclined to take breaks.

"Heavens know what Max is capable of." I thought bitterly, unable to lower my hackles completely. After all, I had never anticipated how Max would act, how he would betray me and lash out, ultimately rejecting me.

Drake snorted in agreement before lowering his head to gently grab a hold of Ellie. The pup squirmed only for a moment before relaxing when the hold around her remained gentle, teeth tucked behind lips to avoid harming her.

"Indeed. Though it is rare, I don't want to risk getting in a territorial fight with Max's wolf." He hushed over our personal link, leaving Ellie out of the loop with a pointed motion of his muzzle.

And I felt my stomach roll as I understood what he meant. If Max was capable of attacking me when I was his mate, would he be capable of attacking a little pup in an attempt to force me to do what he wanted?

Drake's ears flexed backwards, his own hackles bristling harsher before he picked up his pace. "Let's not find out, shall we?"

I huffed in agreement, following behind him at full speed, ignoring the slight pinches of pain I felt in my joints. They only served as a reminder of what I was running away from.

"Has an...ex-mate ever come to find their rejected partner?" I wondered curiously, sending the thought to both Ellie and Drake, in an attempt to distract the little pup from the potential danger we were in.

Drake sighed, a soft whine slipping past his lips as he nodded. "More often than you'd think. Men and women that have rejected their mates without a second thought before they can realize what they're throwing away... Wolves that had taken over their human host, even killed them in an attempt to be reunited with their fated..."

The massive Alpha shook his head, sighing as he slowed down, allowing me to trot alongside him. "Most of them leave as soon as they realize that there is no bond to salvage. Some, however, will linger, denying the fact that they themselves have utterly destroyed what was fated to be."

I blinked, ear flicking and twisting behind me at the sound of a branch breaking in the distance. It was relatively far away though, and the snow covered ground only aided in carrying the sounds along the wind.

So, it's always the humans that take over and reject their mate...

My wolf huffed slightly in agreement, a hint of annoyance coating it's thoughts. But there was nothing else there besides annoyance and anger; there was no longing, no desire to turn around and wait for Max, even if it meant to reunite our wolves.

A shiver of understanding raced over my body, nearly tripping over my own paws before I staggered into Drake's side. He whined softly, eying me worriedly before reaching out with his mind, sending reassurance and comfort over the bond.

"... What happens to the rejected wolf? Do they fade away?" I whispered hesitantly, dreading the reply. Because in a way, I already knew, had already drawn my own conclusions as my wolf had been much more active in the past.

Drake's whine confirmed my worries as he lowered his head. "It happens, from time to time. Where the wolf pines after the lost bond between both human and it's counterpart... they'll lose the will to live and slowly fade away."

Ellie whined, eying both of us worriedly before Drake continued, "But, it will fight if it has been given a reason to live. Your wolf has kept you alive during the years after your rejection and can now relax, mourning the loss of what was meant to be on it's own terms. I doubt it'll fade after all the effort it did in keeping you alive, Kyle."

I lowered my head in relief, feeling my tail twitch in an involuntary wag as my wolf took over for a split second. Reassuringly letting me know that it was still there and would be there for a long while.

And I was glad that it still had the strength to go on. Because it was a subject I had never wanted to think about, fearing that if it was reminded of what happened, my wolf would slip away, lost forever.

It had spent most of its time after the rejection keeping both of them alive. His wolf had dragged them along when I had wanted nothing more than to lay down and let the elements have their way with me.

Now that we were no longer in danger, my wolf had taken more to the background. And although I was happy to let it rest and mourn what could have been, it felt amazing to get that small sign of life.

Both Drake and I paused at the top of the hill, Drake wagging his tail proudly as we could see the distant buildings of his pack, smoke circling up from the chimneys.

A thought hit me and as we started our descend on the hill, I curiously asked, "Has the opposite ever happened? Where the wolf took over and the human...faded?"

Drake's fur bristled in disgust as he nodded once, hopping over a rotting log before turning to look at me. "It does, very very rarely. One of the pack is Smothered, yes."

A low whine slipped from my lips as I followed his path, hesitant to continue.

"Smothered?"

Drake placed Ellie back on the floor, nudging her little pup forwards as we followed close behind. "Yes. If the wolf overtaking the human happens instantly, they just turn rogue. But in the case of a rejection, it happens slowly...painfully, where the wolf turns against their own human and, well, smothers them."

Almost instantly I senses the quick reassurance that my wolf sent my way. That it would never, ever, attempt to seize complete control and force me in submission in a dark corner of our shared subconscious.

Drake pressed against my side as I shivered at the horrifying idea to be a prisoner in my own body. A puppet that was being pulled along, left to the devices of another entity without any say.

"Thank god it never happened. Never will happen." I told myself vehemently, enjoying the quiet as I walked alongside Drake towards our pack... his pack...

Who am I kidding?

He snickered, having heard my thought before playfully bopping me on the head with his paw. Unlike his massive form, he crouched low like a pup, barked and then darted off.

I rolled my eyes at his antics before grinning when Ellie was trying with all her might to chase and keep up with the Alpha.

My claws dug into the snow as I charged after them both, feeling the cold cut through my lungs. My eyes landed on the breath misting from Drake and Ellie as he just barely stayed outside of her reach.

Before I tackled his fluffy bum into the snow.

We skidded along for a bit, where he somehow managed to be the one ending on top of me, both of us growling playfully until Ellie managed to attach herself to Drake's ear.

"Ow! Mind the sharp puppy teeth, kiddo!" Drake barked out as I laughed, shoving him off of me as Ellie whimpered, turning on her back to appease Drake in case he truly was angry.

He wasn't of course and after shaking his head and pawing at his ear, he snorted and gave her a reassuring lick over her head.

"Let's go home." He said, making Ellie yip excitedly before he looked at me with a softness in his gaze. I yawned, stretched and then shook my fur out as I got on my feet.

"Let's go home." I agreed.