I eagerly pulled the door open and it chimes to announce my entrance. Lisa walked into the main room where I was standing. She smiled when she realized it was me. "Where is she?" I asked, noticing she wasn't with Lisa.

I was right on time. Four pm like promised. "Cassidy's room," she answered and I walked towards the hallway. I couldn't remember exactly which room was little Cassidy's but thankfully I found it when I saw Rieka sleeping peacefully on the bed through the tiny space of the open door.

I awed, admiring how peaceful and angelic she looked. Cassidy was curled up on the other side of the bed, hugging a stuffed wolf. Not even thinking if it was the right choice, I lift her cautiously bridal style. She moved a little but soon relaxed in my arms, leaning into my skin. I smirked, knowing that even in her sleep she was attracted to me.

As I walked out carefully, I was too busy admiring Rieka that I almost walked into a little girl. "Oh, hello there," I surprisingly stated. "Who's that Evander? She is very pretty," the little one awed, stretching her neck to get a better look at the sleeping beauty.

"She's my mate," I proudly announced.

"Your mate? Your real one?" The girl's eyes lit up. It always surprises me how happy a pack is when the mate of their Alpha is mentioned.

My smile widens," yes. But you need to keep it a secret alright?" I replied, keeping my voice soft so she wouldn't wake up.

Lily quickly nodded," she's going to be an amazing Luna! You should have seen her today, Alpha," Lily excitedly replied, almost bouncing on the spot. I winced, looking down at Rieka to make sure she hasn't woken up.

She shifted a bit, leaning into me but she was still out like a light.

"I bet she was, but I have to get her to bed, alright?" I whispered back. "Yes, of course, bye," she blurted out in a hurry before running away.

With a smile on my face, I walked out of the orphanage. I gently place her in the back seat, propping my hoodie under her head as a temporary pillow. After making sure she was secure I got into the driver's seat, strapping myself before driving home.

I used the excuse that my room was closer as I placed her on my bed. She moved around a bit in the new atmosphere and I was in complete awe of her beauty.

Her phone notified her that she received a message. Deciding to turn it off since it was loud and would possibly wake her, my movements froze when I saw her messages.

I didn't mean to look at them. But they caught my eyes and I couldn't stop.

We should talk.

I'm sorry for the way I reacted.

:

Please reply.

:

Call me.

:

Answer the call.

:

Mom and dad are moving out. I need my sister right now.

:

Are you ignoring me?

:

I'm sorry but you were wrong too. We need to talk.

I clenched the phone tighter as I watched the messages over and over. They're some hours apart but the last message was sent a couple of seconds ago. He's just going to try to take her away from me. I can't let that happen.

I won't.

Before I realized what I was doing, I was pressing clear on the entire conversation, deleting all of the messages. It wouldn't take an idiot to know that it was wrong but I had to eliminate any options for her to leave my pack.

She wasn't even fully a member yet. The gut feeling settled in me when I realized that Rieka would be pissed at me for doing that. Would she understand why I did even though I already regretted it?

The knock on my door pulled me out of the book I was reading. "It's open!" I shouted, closing the book as Evander walked in.

Upon seeing me he smiled. "I wanna go do something with you," he stated. My eyebrows furrowed, seeing that it was nearly eleven in the night. "And what's that?" I asked curiously.

"You're gonna have to come with me to find out," he grinned excitedly. My eyes narrowed at him as I thought of it but I wasn't going to disagree anyway. So I sighed and followed him to wherever he was taking me.

His hand gripped mine tightly as we walked out of his house. "Don't let go okay," he gently ordered. I simply nodded as my reply, wondering what he had to show me that was in the forest.

After a couple of minutes of walking, I was growing impatient. Thankfully, I was wearing a hoodie that helped with the chilly weather.

"Evander, what are you doing?" I asked, looking around the spooky looking area we were in.

We were surrounded by trees like they were walls for the tiny circle that we were in. I'm sure fifty people could fit inside here but for now, it was just the two of us.

Evander's eyes were observing me as he pulled out a knife from his back pocket. My heart started to race but for another reason than you think.

The knife was a special knife only used by alphas. It's the knife you use to cut the hand of a new member of their pack if they weren't born into the pack.

It was a simple process taken place days before the full moon. The palm of the alpha and the new member must be cut and the blood must mix in their hands before it heals.

"There's no turning back from here, Rieka," my father emerged from the woods. Evander didn't even seem surprised that he was here.

"Do you want me to do this?" I asked, wanting to know what he was thinking.

"Yes, I do. I trust this pack ironically and I need Evander to keep you safe since I can't," He answered.

I nervously bite my lip, turning back to Evander. "We don't have to do it now, we can do it whenever you want," he suggested.

Jayden refused to message me and the people to grew me up fed me lied that broke my heart. I needed to move along and move on with my life. That needed to start somewhere and maybe that somewhere is here.

"Let's do it," I finally say. Evander let go of his breath in relief, at the corner of my eye I saw my father smiling more than before.

Evander turned his attention to his palm where he pressed the blade into it, dragging diagonally with blood seeping out as the blade continued. I held my breath as I opened my hand, taking the knife from him and repeating his actions. I winced at the short pain before Evander's fingers locked on my own.

As we held each other's hands tightly, my eyes began to water as I felt the link of every single wolf in his pack.

It felt magical.

"Holy shit," I finally say once it stopped but the tingles running through my body never did. His other hand slips below my ear as he stepped closer, claiming my lips. It was a short and sweet kiss, the only way we knew how to express our emotions to each other.

"That's enough guys," My father cleared his throat as we pulled away. We were much closer now as his beautiful scent filled my nose.

"You're insanely beautiful," Evander's voice evaded my mind. My jaw felt loose as he grinned at my reaction to hearing his mind link for the first time.

"Welcome to the Golden Cove pack, Rieka."