Chapter 5

• After moving the new fridge in, Helena plopped on the couch in the kitchen and smirked. She glanced at Keiran and knew it was time to ask him what she had been thinking during the whole day.
• “Keiran...” She put her hands under her chin, leaning on the table, and smiled at him. He returned the smile and sat in front of her. “Where are you from? Which pack? I know the lycan monarchy is ruled by the royal family, but it's also split in smaller packs. Why did you find me before your eighteenth birthday?”
• His lips tugged in a thin line, and he straightened his back. He didn't want to talk about this.
• “I don't exactly have a pack.”
• “W-what?” Her eyes opened wider in shock, but she tried to conceal it. Being a rogue, no matter lycan or werewolf, meant you'd be hunted and killed. It was forbidden, and their kinds behaved as if it was a sin. It made establishing control easier, which on its behalf meant they could protect the humans and the outside world. It was also more secure for their kinds—they wouldn't let themselves be discovered and hunted by the humans. It was a win-win situation.
• “Well, it's okay. You're safe now, and you'll be able to join my pack.” A string of worry tugged inside of her. Even if lycans and werewolves had similarities, they usually didn't live together. Or if they became mated, they joined the lycan's pack.
• Ordinary werewolves couldn't keep up with the pace of a lycan. While lycans were more independent creatures, the werewolves loved their packs and often felt lonely without them. That's why a connection like this between the two species usually ended with both individuals hurt or unhappy. Sometimes, only love or the mating bond wasn't enough.
• But this at least meant that she wouldn't have to give up her position as the future Alpha, and she'd be able to stay with her pack. A big part of her felt guilty at this selfish thought, but she swallowed it down and focused on the reality.
• “I was very impatient to find you,” Keiran said and burned his gaze into her. Sparks buzzed at every spot he let his eyes land on. “I knew I needed you, so I decided not to wait for my birthday and come find you earlier. I also remained in my lycan body for two weeks while I was searching for you.”
• Two weeks, Helena repeated in her mind. Was that the reason his beastly side was so demanding and sometimes hard to control? While two weeks were perfectly normal for werewolves, for a still-growing lycan, it was hard to keep the balance between the monster and the human inside. Helena knew at least this much.
• “Oh... Okay. Do you want to meet the pack tomorrow?”
• Keiran stiffened again, and doubt passed through his beautiful green eyes. He glanced at the table and then looked at his mate, keeping his gaze on her for a long moment. Every sense Helena had fixed on him and the inside battle he was leading. She didn't need to know him for his whole life to know this. He was struggling on the inside. Uncertainty and fear battled against each other and meshed into a storm of fury. But why? 
• “Sure.” His lips pulled up in a closed-lipped smile, and his fists clenched and whitened.
• ...
• “Where are your training grounds and facilities?” Keiran asked the next day while walking in the small town.
• The place was full of trees, big houses with backyards, and only a few humans. He let himself get immersed in the atmosphere and the peacefulness and studied every possible detail with keen interest. It just made Helena wonder where he had lived before.
• “There are a few gyms here. They are the biggest in the district. The humans also use them, so we have a few more where we can show the full capabilities of our abilities. They are based underground in some of the main buildings downtown. The mall, as you saw, is just twenty minutes away by car. Sometimes we hold events with the pack from that city. We have an alliance with them.” Helena glanced at him. He was staring at the nearby school.
• “We also have two primary schools here and one high school. Human and werewolf children from nearby areas join them because we try to maintain high standards of education, hygiene, and support. Our town's reputation is quite good, if I may add.” Helena smiled proudly and continued, “Because we don't have a university here, most of the young humans usually move out of town when they graduate. The members of our pack join the neighboring pack's university or another one nearby. I'm also a student, but I do my tasks and homework at home. What about you? Did you go to school?”
• “So you like studying?” Keiran teased and raised his eyebrow playfully, completely ignoring her question. “It must be hard combining both the university and your obligations as a future Alpha. I'm not surprised so many Alphas just choose to lead their packs, without graduating with a higher degree. You have so many things on your hands.”
• Helena wrung her hands. The truth was, she wanted to keep her free time occupied and get her mind off of the absence of her parents in her life, and him. She needed her mate. But she didn't want to exactly tell him that. It was a bit too personal. She was an Alpha, and she was insecure. That was a bad combination.
• “Yeah, you could say that. What about you?” She chose to say instead.
• “I was home-schooled,” Keiran returned and looked at the merrily talking teenagers. There was a hint of longing in his eyes. “But I never enjoyed it.”
• “Do you still have more classes to take? You're still just a high schooler. We can enroll you here.”
• Keiran looked at her, his gaze oozing power, knowledge, and authority, no matter how much he was trying to hide it.
• “No, I already know everything. I know more than I ever wanted to.”
• Her eyes fixed on him, his grim expression, and lips pulled in a thin line. What was this all about? What was on his mind?
• After a few-second pause, Keiran broke the silence and tilted his chin to the side.
• “What is that place? I can smell the food there, and it's making my mouth water.”
• Helena followed his gaze and saw he was staring at one of her favorite spots.
• “Let's go then! We haven't had breakfast anyway!” she chirped. Her instinct pushed her to try and brighten up the mood, even if she didn't know why.
• Everything was the same as every time Helena went to the restaurant. People and werewolves greeted and smiled at her. She was the mayor's daughter, after all. But this time the members of her pack stared and studied the man beside her. It was way more than obvious he was not a werewolf or a human. This distinct aura preceded him even before they entered the doors. He was something else. Something more predatory and dangerous...
• “Hello, Helena.” A woman stood up from her own table and approached her Alpha female. Her hair was blond and curly and her belly—round.
• “Hey, Leslie, what's up?” Helena smiled, even though she wanted to grumble on the inside. Why did she have to meet her high school enemy the very first day she decided to show the town to her mate? She didn't want to argue with the other girl in front of him.
• “Oh, nothing much. I'm just here to see how you are...” She glanced meaningfully at Keiran, hinting that if Helena needed some kind of help now was the moment to say it. “... and to remind you I'll be taking a long-term leave in two months.”
• Helena was positively surprised by the support Leslie was showing her. Even if they hated each other, the blonde still held a high position in the pack. It was all thanks to her father and the fact she inherited his rank. Still, she was a good employee.
• “Yes, I know. Your maternity leave is approaching so quickly.” Helena giggled and touched Keiran's shoulder. “In the meantime, I'd like you to meet my mate—Keiran. He just arrived in town and has been staying with me ever since.”
• “Oh...” Leslie's eyes rounded, and she shuffled. The other werewolves in the restaurant also became silent and stared expectantly. This was big news. And it was sure to spread quickly. Just as Helena wanted.
• “It's very nice to meet you, future Alpha male!” Leslie greeted with a small blush and then looked at Helena again. “I never thought you'd find your mate so quickly. I'm happy for you! I just thought you'd be fine on your own, even if you never met him... I mean, you were never that into boys... or they into you... Not that you're bad-looking, just all the zits and acne pushed everybody away from you...”
• Helena narrowed her eyes, and her jaw clenched with annoyance. Leslie never missed an opportunity to annoy her. And now she was doing it in front of Keiran.
• “What?” Keiran's brows shot up, surprised by her insensitive words. Everybody in the pack knew about the bad blood between them, and it seemed now Keiran was going to witness it too.
• “Thanks for your concern, Leslie. You're a good pack member, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine, with or without my mate,” Helena beamed and winked, skillfully avoiding the snappy remark.
• She put her hand on Keiran's leg, signaling she had things under control. She wouldn't just let Leslie embarrass her in front of her mate like that.
• When the blonde opened her mouth to speak, Helena continued, “Don't mind us, I'm sure you have things to do. Take a good rest because we have a lot to catch up on at work." She pretended to blink in surprise, just for the fun of it. "Oh, that reminds me about the human company you had to contact about that contract." She cringed, wrinkling her nose, and Leslie flinched. If she wasn't going to do her job properly and just try to embarrass her Alpha female, Helena was going to stump her with a few more dozen folders of work. Leslie had lots to learn anyway. Especially in discipline.
• "Thanks, Alpha, I'll make sure to take a good rest before tomorrow." The blonde tried to hide her grimace, but her hateful eyes and pulled-down lips couldn't shadow her disdain. "We'll discuss the housebuilder then. See you."
• Helena smirked, following her disappearing figure. Oh, they were going to have so much fun at work.
• “So, what's up between you two?” Keiran asked, and she rolled her eyes.
• “Oh, you know, just the regular high school bullshit.”
• He just smiled at her, and Helena closed her mouth, remembering he was home-schooled. Regret gripped her stomach. It looked like a sore topic to him.
• “Tell me more about this high school bullshit.” He grinned widely, any sadness gone from his eyes, and gently put a lock of her hair behind her ear.
• She looked at him, and her heart skipped a beat, making her face flush. She just hoped it wasn't that obvious.