"Here, you'll need this."

A hot cup of hot chocolate was thrust into my hands as Ivy tied a knit scarf around my neck. I coughed when she tied it too tight and narrowed my eyes when she offered an apologetic shrug.

"Cozy?"

"Peachy," I replied looking down at my bundled-up body. I looked like I was preparing to embark on an arctic expedition. There was a puffer coat on top of a jacket and the jacket was on top of a sweater and beneath that was a long sleeve sweatshirt. I defiantly won't die from hyperthermia but I can't say I wouldn't die of a heat stroke.

"Ivy, do I really need all this?" I pulled at the scarf that itched my neck.

"Yes." She didn't look at me as she replied grab various items. "Osiris will hang me if you come back with even a sniffle." She continued to run about.

Confused I watched her, finding her words odd. With a nervous chuckle I questioned her comment. "You mean Desmond."

There was a slight pause in her movements before she shrugged and grabbed a basket. "Both of them care for you."

Her words held a sense of certainty as she pulled the door open, I followed close behind her sipping my hot chocolate.

It wasn't that I thought her words were false. After last night I don't think I could lie to myself and say that Osiris didn't care for me a little. I had to fight him to be where I am today, but I didn't think that the level of concern for me matched nearly the same as Desmond. Nothing would ever match Desmond's level of worry.

Regardless, I didn't push the topic further with Ivy as I followed her to the fields. They were further than I thought it would be my ankles hurt from the high snow was plowed through to get to the harvesting fields.

"Can anything even live through snow?" I asked standing at the edge of what looked like a field. There was a blanket of snow over the crops and only the lumps of what used to be vegetables could be seen.

There were a few other women out further in the middle of the field. They peered over at us but it was only momentary before they ducked their head back down.

"Yea, look-" She bent down brushing snow to the side. She fisted the green stems of a plant tugging the root free from the snowy dirt. "-see? It's a carrot." She tossed it into one of the baskets we had and proceeded to pull out another carrot.

I was stunned. I didn't think it was possible for plants to still thrive under snow. I was even more in shock when Ivy and I were picking for a while and we had filled the large basket that we had. We had only been out in the field for an hour and we had managed to fill on basket and nearly fill the other half way.

"Your pack must be larger than I thought. This is a lot of food." I tossed a turnup into the basket when I looked over at the red head.

"We aren't a huge pack. We actually formed fairly recent." She admitted. My eyes widened a moment but I concealed it before she noticed. "Everyone in this pack were found as rogues. Most were living on their own and had left their pack, casted out, or were left with no pack after being attacked by rival packs." Ivy stood up dusting off her hands against her jeans. "You are the only exception."

"Because Desmond found me as his mate." I admitted to myself in a soft whisper. I stared at the snow letting her words sink in. They weighted heavy in my chest. I was an exception.

Everyone else in this pack was a wolf, a tough, strong wolf. Then there was me taken in like a helpless pup. I wondered if they saw me as much of a burden as I saw myself, hearing Ivy's comment made me feel ten times worse.

"Yea, I guess." Ivy muttered with a strain.

A frown formed on my lips when I heard her tone. She had been like this every time I mentioned being Desmond's mate and I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Was I missing something?

Then I recalled Lucky's conversation, Desmond hadn't marked me like he talked about he would. Why was that? My teeth bit into my bottom lip as I thought about ever possible reason, every possible thing that could be holding him back. Was he unsure if he still wanted me?

I grimaced as the endless possibilities.

Trying to rid myself of the overwhelming thoughts I took in a deep breath. "Can I ask you something Ivy?"

She perked up from where she stood, panic flashed for a second on her face before she replaced it with a forced smile. "Yea, you can ask me anything."

My throat painfully tightened as I worked over my words. "You know Desmond very well." I began to which she nodded. "If-" I stopped to gather my composure. "If he doesn't like someone will be avoid them?"

Ivy chuckled. "Phinny, Desmond and Osiris are very busy people."

"I know that, but- I can't help but feel like he's actively avoiding me. He's had you hang out with me more than he has. Is that-" I struggled to continue but I pushed through it. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've seen when mates first meet each other. I've seen that spark of love and admiration they have, like they've found the most important thing in their lives. Like they found the missing piece to their heart." I looked up at Ivy as I stood up picking up the basket as well. "Why doesn't Desmond look at me like that?"

She blinked dumbfounded. I expected that, I had just thrown a lot at her but she's the only person that I feel comfortable talking to. She reminded me of Mara and the fact that she was Desmond's best friend on top of that made it that much more easier to confide in her. I just hoped it wouldn't bite me in the butt later.

With a sympathetic face she grabbed my upper arm. "Desmond is my best friend and though I don't know what he is feeling exactly I can tell you that he cares deeply about you. Don't worry yourself on trivial things." She smiled in an attempt to comfort me.

"Then why hasn't he marked me?"

Her eyes darted away from my face but not before they lingered at the bottom of my neck. I watched as she tried to find the right thing to say. I didn't think it would be this hard for her to have this conversation but it was like every question I asked she needed extended time to decipher what it was I was saying.

She tugged the second basket up into her arms still searching for the right words. She started her way off the field as I followed close behind.

"I don't think anyone but him can answer that for you. Maybe that's a conversation you should have with him." She sighed.

The rest of the walk was done in silence. My arms had grown tired but I kept the complaint to myself. I didn't want Ivy or anyone to over hear my complaint and run off to Osiris about how I can't carry my own, or that I was struggling too much. He'd keep me in the cabin for sure.

He was an odd man. I could tell myself that Osiris is purely acting on alpha intensions and instincts with most things, but still there was much left that perplexed me. Alphas were known for losing their temper from time to time but never once in all my life had I seen an alpha's eyes turn pitch black with rage. Anger forced the eyes of wolves to glow not darken.

Then there was the constant overbearing way he looks over me like a child. I had grown up in a pack all my life, I know how to live among them but he insisted on keeping me inside, where it was safe.

Above all though it wasn't the black eyes or the overbearing rules that made me wonder why I couldn't wrap my head around his behavior, it was that odd sensation he provoked. I have never felt something so uncomfortable but also so intriguing.

It was like I wanted to continue to play around with it, see if I could feel that sensation everywhere but then I was hit with the realization that it wasn't right. It was all wrong. I wasn't supposed to want to explore with anyone else but my mate.

So then why was there is growing need, the growing itch to seek him out? There was this desire to find him, to think about him and as much as I wanted to lie to myself and say I didn't find him attractive, but I did.

I found him attractive in a dangerous way that it made me feel guilty.

I've been telling myself that it's because I've seen more of him than I have my own mate but... it was more than that.

"You can dump the vegetables in that sink." Ivy pointed to the sink in the barn we had walked to. It was where they stored their food through winter she had explained to me during our walk. "Run some water over them to clean off the dirt."

I nodded my head as I turned on the facet. The water was icy cold against the palm of my hands. I hissed at the harsh cold temperature until my skin grew used to the feeling.

"Does this water ever get warm or-" I looked over my shoulder believing that I was going to face Ivy, but when I looked over she was heading out the door.

Here my voice faulter at her abrupt absence she shouted from the door. "I'll be right back." The door closed behind her before I could even reply.

The barn was mostly silent except for the running water. It felt eerie and unsettling without Ivy. The oncoming winter winds howled against the brittle wood of the barn creating an even more uncomfortable aura.

Hurrying to clean off the crops I turned off the water and laid them out into groups to make it easier to store.

I debated if I wanted to go out their in the wind or stay put for Ivy to return. It was getting colder as the sun was beginning to set, with the winter solstice approaching our days were drawing shorter and shorter.

My phone buzzed in my jean pocket. Pulling it out revealed an image of my mother on the screen. I swore under my breath realizing that I hadn't kept up with her today. I had made it a schedule with her to text and call her every day, but being out in the fields left me with no signal to communicate.

Tapping the pick up button I answered. "I'm sorry momma, I was busy all day today."

There was silence on the other end. "Mom?" No answer. Maybe it was bad signal and I couldn't hear through the line. "Hey momma, I'm going to text you. I think the service here is bad, let me-"

"Seraphina."

My blood turned to ice. My breath hitched in my chest and I could have sworn that my heart stopped for a moment. That voice cared lethal intent, intent I wanted no part in being on the receiving end of.

"Cat's got your tongue Seraphina?" He joked.

My hands struggled to hold the phone to my ear as they grew sweaty with foreboding. How did he get a hold of my mother's phone? Where was my mom? What was he doing with her phone?

A multitude of emotions flooded my every thought and as I tried to make sense of what was occurring the only thing I could feel was dread and guilt. I dreaded what he had done to get that close to mother and have a hold of her possessions. I dreaded the thought of what kind of state he may have left her in if she didn't easily hand over the phone.

Knowing my mother she was never one to just obey anyone, probably the reason why my mother and father were meant for one another. Both of them were strong willed individuals but where that can be a positive and very well can me a negative.

I knew she didn't just hand over the phone. Which leads me to my guilt. The guilt was suffocating as I blamed myself for any harm or torture I put her through. I felt guilty for ruining their image even further. The guilt just kept growing and growing in my chest until I was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"How are the brothers treating you? Good I assume?" He mocked.

I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat as I licked my bottom lip. "Where is my mom?"

"No, hello? No, how are you doing my alpha?" His tone was sharp but unwavering. He was fighting to keep his emotions in check.

"You are not my alpha." I crocked with a small burst of confidence. I had meant for the words to hold more conviction but they only came out choppy and weak.

There was a clear deep threatening growl through the phone. I had clearly pissed him off but the fact that he was miles away from me somehow settled a bit of my fear.

"I have your mother here," I listened as he shuffled about, then suddenly I heard a whimper. My mother's whimper and I stiffened. "I would watch my tongue if I were you." A chocked scream from my mother drew tears to my eyes.

"Don't hurt her! What do you want?" I pleaded chills running down my spine.

"I want to meet with Osiris."

I shook my head in confusion. "Wh-why are you coming to me? Haven't you asked him your-"

"Yes, I've asked him myself but he keeps blowing me off. I want you to change his mind." He grumbled. A smirk would have been plastered across my face at his rejection but I couldn't.

Rubbing my head I tried to make sense of his demand. "What makes you think that I can change his mind?"

"He took you with him, people saw you leave with him." He spat. "Word is it you're his brother's mate."

I gulped knowing that it was no secret, I just imagined it would take longer for word to travel back home. I mentally slapped myself at my stupidity. Of course the patrol would have told their alpha, it was recurred.

"I'm his brother's mate not his. I can't change his mind alpha Philip." I admitted. I didn't want to say I could do anything that I knew I couldn't do for sure.

Osiris isn't my mate I could convince him to do anything. Sure, I got him to change his mind yesterday but that had nothing to do with another pack or alpha, it had everything to do with me.

Panic quickened my heart rate as I listened to Philip grow more irate. Another whimper from my mother made me agree to something I wanted no part in.

"Okay, okay, don't hurt her. I-I'll talk to him."

"No, you are going to make him have a meeting with me." He corrected shuffling around again.

"I can't make him do anything. Please, I-I'll try but-"

"Uh-uh-uh, no buts Seraphina. Convince him, or else I'll leave you parentless. You have a week."

How are y'all liking the book so far? Yay or Nay?