The itch to go for a nice walk had been clawing at her. As much fun as tonight has been, she is yearning for some relaxing quiet away from all the people. The glow of lanterns and the boisterous talking start to fade as she walks into the adjacent woods. The brisk night air caresses her face and she breathes it in deeply. There is something incredibly comforting about a cool quiet night illuminated by the moon and stars.

She doesn't have any particular direction in mind, just allows her legs to carry her wherever they please. Clearing her mind Amara keeps wandering around in the peaceful darkness. The same unknown tune came to her lips.

Time seems to slip by like water through her fingers. she could have been walking around for seconds, minutes, or hours. Amara loved the feeling of walking without aim or destination. Simply letting her senses get lost in the darkness.

In the blackened night she sees a glow in the distance and the sound of rushing water. She makes her way there, her curiosity leading her. The smell of damp moss and fresh springs hits her nose a second before she breaks through into the clearing.

There is a river, tranquil and clear. The moon brightly reflected off its surface. She sees ripples as fishes swim upstream. Scattered wildflowers are growing along the riverbank. Walking up to the edge, she lays down beside the river. The peaceful atmosphere acts like a natural relaxant. She closes her eyes and once again hums the unfamiliar tune feeling the soft mist from the ever-flowing river against her skin.

Her body begins to feel heavy and sleep seems to be setting in when the snap of a nearby twig sends her eyes flying open. Amara bolts upright and looks towards the sound. There approaching her, is Alpha Maddox. His hands are up as a sign that conveys he means no harm. "Sorry if I startled you. The party has been over for a pretty long time. Your parents were worried and I had already planned to patrol so I offered to look for you."

She offers a small smile to let him know she is fine "I should be the one apologizing. I guess I was out here a lot longer than I had thought."

Closing the gap, Maddox sits beside her looking out towards the river. "It is easy to lose track of time out here, especially on a night like tonight."

Amara nods in agreement and turns to look out onto the languid river as well. "I started walking and just got carried away. As great as moving here has been, there are also so many of us together. The quiet was just a nice change."

She feels him look at her briefly before returning his gaze to the scenery. "I get it little wolf. I do it all the time when I need to think. With that being said, you should still let someone know where you're going. We work hard to keep our territory safe but you can never be too cautious. If nothing else, you at least keep others from worrying."

His words are said playfully but she blushes a little knowing he's right. His tone is not harsh or serious in any way so Amara knows she is not being reprimanded or anything. The realization hits her, this is the first real conversation they have had. The atmosphere is so relaxed, nothing like their previous charged interactions.

This may be a one-time thing so she needs to make the most of it. Amara wants to keep talking to him. Get to know Maddox as a friend. There may be no way to have him as more than that but that does not mean she wants to keep avoiding him or their possible friendship.

"Do you come here often?" the question is out of her lips before she realizes how cliche and dorky that line is. She hears him chuckle softly under his breath. So much so that she barely even heard it.

"I come around whenever I need time to myself. It's pretty far from the pack house so it's not frequented by many. Wanna know something I've never told anyone?" His face is now turned towards her and she matches him. Amara feels giddy like a kid being let in on a secret. She nods excitedly, now wide awake and listening intently.

The smile on his face isn't the polite one she had seen him use when dealing with responsibilities. It's more boyish and a little playful. It makes him look younger and much softer than his rugged warriors' physique gives off. "This river and the clearing are where I used to hide when my pops was Alpha and wanted me to shadow him. I wanted to run around wild and shoot the shit with my friends, not learn how to lead the pack."

"Really? I would have imagined you all gung ho about becoming a leader. You were born knowing you would be Alpha, right?".

Madd shakes his head "Nope. Well, it was always expected of me and I damn well knew that. I didn’t want it though. Hell, I nearly refused to take the mantle after he died. The expectation felt restricting. The more I was told that I was made for this, the harder I wanted to fight for the freedom to go and do whatever the hell I pleased” he confesses with a far-off look in his eyes.

That makes sense, and it makes her look at the man in a new light. "Can I ask a question that's completely none of my business?" This time his chuckle is loud and clear " go right ahead, sweetheart. Ask anything you want."

Amara hesitates for a second, hoping she's not stepping into sensitive territory. "Why did you accept it then? You could have left and let someone else take over if you really wanted."

His expression gets darker for just a moment and he sighs. "You're right, I could have said fuck it and made a life somewhere else. Anyone who bitched would have eventually gotten over it. In the end, I couldn’t do that. I fuckin hate the political bullshit and there are countless lives constantly in my hands to worry about, but it is my legacy. I thought about my pops and all of his advice. He once said that good men lead because they must, not because they want to. I thought about that for a long time after he passed and I finally got it. There are other circumstances I can't go into but that’s the gist of it."

There is so much going on in that gaze and Amara wishes at that moment that she could crack him open and crawl inside. To be privy to the thoughts behind the emotions flicking through his eyes too quickly to capture. She had been attracted to him before but now she was drawn to the small glimpse of what hides beneath the gorgeous exterior and devilish smile.

"I understand. Sometimes, you realize there are things you need to protect that are bigger than yourself. Life takes unexpected turns and from there you adapt. You changed your course, even though it must have been hard to let go of what you thought you wanted to step into shoes you weren’t quite comfortable wearing yet. I just hope you’re happy. That giving that part of yourself up was worth it. Either way, you’re pretty remarkable for doing it."

"Remarkable and stubborn are often confused for each other" he jokes, lightening the mood.

"It's only stubbornness if it doesn't work out so I guess you got lucky, huh?" Amara quips back with laughter in her voice. She feels unreasonably proud of herself when she hears Maddox laugh out loud

"You're not wrong about that" He readily admits. The laughter gets swept away by the wind and they settle for staring back out at the flowing river in contented silence, somehow feeling closer to this incredible person sitting beside her. Time goes by and she once again feels sleep wanting to overtake her body. She fights against it as best she can but ends up bringing her knees up and folding her arms over them so she can rest her head.

The scent of honeysuckle and cinnamon envelopes Maddox. A smell completely unique to Amara and he feels almost drunk off of it. He had been craving her presence since she walked out of his office. His skin tingles at the sheer proximity and his muscles tense as he tries his best to restrain himself. He can sense the contentment radiating from his wolf at getting to be close to their mate. Unfortunately, along with being content, he can also sense his desire to get even closer. To touch her, hug her, claim her. It mixes with his own creating a dangerous cocktail of emotion.

With Amara's eyes now closed, he can freely admire her. Maddox wonders if she has any idea how much he wants her. Need her. How much she fills his thoughts and how he aches to know her in every way. Has she caught on to the fact that they are mates? Even if it's just an inkling. If she has, it doesn't show. It's getting incredibly late and he is aware that he should be getting them back to the pack. But, he can't bring himself to break this moment where it is just us two and the rest of the world doesn't exist. God, he is turning into a fuckin sap.

Amara's breathing is now even. Her plump lips are slightly parted and glistening. He has to shift focus before his thoughts of how soft those lips would feel against his threatens to break his resolve. Her slender frame now taking on a sinfully womanly shape. Her hair looks like curls of spun silk and, not for the first time, he is tempted to slide his hand into it.

He tries to imagine what color fur her wolf has. Suddenly he gets the dumb ass urge to demand she shift, his wolf intensifying it before he tamps it down. It does make him realize he has never actually seen her wolf. He has never seen her shift and he makes a mental note to make sure she knows about the next pack run. Not everyone attends every single one but they all make sure to make at least once a month.

Maddox debates and argues with himself. He could look at her serene sleeping form all night. Unfortunately, that is not an option. The night is getting chilly and she'll be sore in the morning if she sleeps in that position too long. This magical atmosphere seemingly suspended in time has reached its end. The issue he is warring with isn't whether to stay or not. No. That choice is easy.

The one tearing him up is choosing to carry her back or wake her up. He had vowed to himself that he would limit any physical contact with Amara until she came to him after the office shit show where she ran from him the entire week after.

The moment he touches her again, their connection will grow infinitely stronger. The bonding starts at the first touch then strengthens as they grow closer both physically and emotionally even if it does not solidify until her birthday. He already has a hard time keeping his distance, giving her space, getting thoughts of her out of his head. He can't imagine how much more intense it will grow as the bond does. The possessive side of him that he fights against, the need to protect that already threatens to consume him would go fuckin haywire.

You would think that makes his choice obvious but you would be wrong. Evident by the fact that his body is moving on its own, standing so he can bend down and grab her. Gently, he lifts Amara into his arms princess style. She groans with her eyes closed and it takes all of his strength to keep Amara steady. He clearly felt the pure white-hot jolt that traveled through her body at the moment of contact down to his very soul. It aches in a beautifully delicious way and shakes his wolf to its core.

Maddox takes a second to gain his composure. The weight of Amara in his arms, the way her small frame rests against his chest should be illegal. Wading through the hurricane of sensations and emotions flooding him, he takes a step forward at a time. Maddox already knew he was a goner when it came to his little wolf. But now, after tonight? There is no way in hell he could give her up. She is his, forever and always. If only she could hurry up and come of age soon so he could make it known. To her. To everyone.

He feels pretty fuckin euphoric. He basks in it and tries to memorize every bit of it. It will be some time until he gets to hold Amara in his arms again. Hopefully, the memory of it will keep him from going insane in the meantime. At least that is what he keeps telling himself. The truth is, now that the bonding has started it will be nearly impossible to keep away. But, that is a worry and struggle for tomorrow. At this second, he is holding his mate in his arms surrounded by the very nature that connects them and that is all he needs. The rest will be dealt with later.

He is reluctant to let Amara go once he makes it to her room. Laying her onto the bed and helping her get under the covers makes the clothes shift and Maddox catches the smallest glimpse of a hidden necklace. Gently, he lifts it out to take a closer look. The familiar pendant feels weighty in his hands. Slipping it back out of view, he finishes tucking Amara in and gives in to his baser instincts, budging just an inch to place a kiss on her forehead then slips away soundlessly. It seems the longer Amara is around, the more questions they are met with.