THIRD POV

Zade had just finished exercising in the backyard of his pack. With sweat pouring down all over his body, Zade walked over to the small bench in the yard, picked up the towel he had brought before exercising there, and wiped his sweaty body with the towel in his hand. Zade looked around the backyard, and found Logan walking towards the backyard of the pack now.

"Alpha, today, you have a meeting scheduled with Alpha Liam at noon. He said he wants to discuss the cooperation contract agreement that your pack has." Logan said when he was right in front of Zade now.

Zade nodded his head slowly, then wrapped the towel in his hand around his neck. "Alright. I'll get ready then. You can prepare all the necessary things. Papers and all."

"Sure Alpha." After that, Logan immediately went to prepare everything.

As for Zade, he walked slowly into the pack, heading for the kitchen. Zade found the food and drinks already prepared and set on the dining table. But Zade decided to get some cold water from the refrigerator, to quench the thirst he was feeling right now. After getting a bottle of cold water, Zade drank it immediately, while walking closer to the dining table.

"Good morning."

"Uhuk-uhuk..." Zade coughed in surprise at the 'good morning' greeting given by Meira who was suddenly there near the dining table.

Meira approached, and patted Zade a few times on the back, when he did not immediately stop coughing now. "Are you okay?"

Zade dodged Meira's pats quickly. "I'm fine." He answered briefly. Although a few times, he still coughed a little, but he tried to hide it. Zade looked at Meira curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? I was making you breakfast. I saw you exercising earlier, so I thought I could make you breakfast. The omegas told me what kind of food you like." Meira looked at the plates on the dining table filled with Zade's favorite foods.

"Why are you doing all this alone? And where are all the omegas on specialized duty in the kitchen?" Zade looked around him, where there was hardly a single omega.

Meira smiled slightly, looking a little nervous. "Because, I'm used to cooking by myself, so I asked them to do other work. Some of them are cleaning your room, as well as mine. And others, doing other things."

Hearing that, Zade immediately looked at Meira who was watching him. Zade was silent for a long time, eventually nodding his head slowly. "Alright then. Um... can we eat together now?"

"Sure, if that's what you want." Meira smiled.

Although she herself knew that her heart could never lie at all. She kept feeling worried. Several times, she could not sleep well last night. Ever since the conversation they had.

Zade sat on one of the chairs there, and Meira immediately prepared the food she had cooked into Zade's plate, as well as hers. After that, Meira sat on the chair right next to Zade there, and the two of them started eating together. They were both silent, and focused on the food they were eating right now. Zade glanced at Meira a few times, and became even more silent with anxiety inside him. Zade tried hard not to show it to Meira, or even anyone in his pack.

"What do you think of the food I cooked?" Meira suddenly asked. Actually, she couldn't bear not to ask Zade that herself.

"It's delicious." Zade replied briefly.

Meira just nodded her head vaguely, then went back to eating her food. Even so, in his heart, Zade really wanted to praise the dishes made by Meira, it's just that, he was never good at praising things. Or even praising other people. Zade could almost never do that. Instead, he always got compliments from others during his life.

When they both finished breakfast, Meira quickly cleaned up all the dirty plates and glasses. Meira brought the dirty plates and glasses to the sink in the kitchen and started washing them. Zade followed Meira from behind, and kept watching her. Meira frowned, confused by what Zade was doing right now.

"What's wrong?" Meira turned around.

"I..." Zade seemed hesitant to say anything to Meira.

"Yes?" And Meira waited.

"Can you just call me by name after this?" Zade swallowed his saliva slowly. He looked agitated. It was almost obvious from his eyes there. "No Alpha frills. Can you just call me Zade?"

Meira was silent looking at Zade who looked nervous in front of her now. She felt anxious. A second later, Meira nodded her head with a smile. "Of course, Zade..." Zade refrained from smiling at once.

"Ehem. Well... I should get ready and go. I have a meeting this afternoon with your father." Zade muttered and immediately turned around to leave.

"You're meeting with my father this afternoon?" Meira's question instantly made Zade stop his steps. He turned around and looked at Meira who looked shocked and curious at once. Meira walked closer to where Zade was.

"What are you and my father going to do in that meeting? Are you going to discuss something about me together with my father?" She instantly felt anxious.

"That's for sure, Meira." Zade nodded his head with quick movements. He looked very serious now. "What's more, you already exist and live in my pack now, Meira. And that cooperation agreement is also something I must keep. I have never once broken any agreement with any pack."

"B-but..." Meira's eyelids blinked rapidly. "B-but that means, the cooperation agreement will still be written, if I am the guarantee. Do you still consider me as the guarantee of the cooperation?" Meira asked. A little panicked now.

Zade shook his head. "No, Meira. I've never considered you as collateral for any partnership. I've told you, that you are my mate, Meira. Mine."

"I know, Zade. I know about that." Meira swallowed her saliva with difficulty. Nervousness, as well as fear instantly filled her entire body now.

"But what my father knows is that I am here, in your pack, as a guarantee of cooperation between your packs. What if my father finds out later that I am your mate? And what would you write in the agreement? My father would go crazy."

Zade clenched his palms tightly together. "I've already thought about that, Meira. You shouldn't worry about anything. Get some rest. And let those omegas do their work." After saying that, Zade walked away and left Meira speechless. Meira bit her lower lip, getting more and more agitated.

Meira sighed, and hurried to finish the waiting work. Once done, she walked straight to her room and cleaned herself up. She tried to get rid of all the anxiety she was feeling right now. Moreover, with what plans Zade had about the cooperation agreement that she and her father had. Meira certainly felt anxious, as well as scared. She was very familiar with her father's attitude towards all things related to him.

"Oh my, I can't help but be curious. Zade must not have left by now. But how can I ask about the cooperation agreement? Moreover, with Zade still seemingly holding back his words, and also his attitude towards me. He was still distant, and so was I. If father finds out that I'm Zade's mate, then I'll definitely be finished by his hand."

Meira stood with a restlessness that she could not control. She felt very claustrophobic. She walked back and forth in the room several times, trying to keep her ragged breathing in check.

"But if I stay in this room, then I won't know what I can get. While Zade goes to meet with father. Can I look for something that would explain why Zade is so stiff with me? But who can I ask about that here?"

Meira walked slowly over to the open window of the room, and looked down. Where Zade and Logan were walking towards the car. Zade opened the car door and got into the car, as did Logan. After that, they drove away from the pack. Meira let out her breath slowly, as she shifted her gaze, and looked around the room now.

"That's right. There will be nothing I can gain if I just stay silent in this room. Although, I can't feel a mate connection to Zade, I should at least try my best to make him happy. Or at least, just by doing some things, it can help me calm my worried mind."

Meira walked out of the room, and decided to meet Vita, the omega who had helped her yesterday. She found Vita in the kitchen washing the meat. "Vita?" Meira walked over.

Vita turned around, and wiped her hands with the apron she was wearing. "Yes, Miss? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, I was wondering." Meira paused her words. Vita nodded and waited for Meira to continue. "Can I go into Zade's room?"

"Of course you may, Miss. You have the privilege to do so." Vita walked over to Meira with a smile on her face. "Alpha Zade told us that you can do whatever you want."

"I see... Actually, I was just curious, and wanted to get to know Zade better. I thought I could look through the photos or other things about Zade in his room."

"Of course, Miss. You can do that. Do you need me to accompany you?"

Meira gave a small shake of her head. "No, I don't. There is no need. I just want to confirm if I can go into Zade's room. That's all." Vita nodded in understanding.

After that, Meira went straight to Zade's room. She slowly opened the door to Zade's room, walked inside, and closed the door again. Meira looked around the room. Her gaze fell on the closed windows and curtains. She walked quickly and opened the curtains and windows, letting in fresh air. Meira's gaze shifted to a tall glass cabinet, which contained picture frames, and also album books inside. Meira opened the cabinet, picked up a photo album and opened it. A photo showed a man and woman holding a baby between them.

"This must be Zade. He looks so cute." Meira turned to another photo.

A photo featuring only a man and a woman, Zade's parents, on the bottom of which was written, 'in loving memory of Alpha and Luna'.

"They must be Zade's parents. And his mother looks so beautiful... but, she doesn't look like an ordinary werewolf. His mom looks a lot different. She looks mesmerising. So much beauty.

THIRD POV

Meira slowly put the photo album back, and looked around Zade's room. Other than the glass cabinet that contained many photos, there was hardly much for Meira to inspect inside Zade's room. Meira sighed.

"Just the photos won't be enough. I need to find something else. Something more that can give me the answers and understanding I need right now. But with what else? I don't think Zade himself would like it too much if I went into his room and looked for something that was personal to him. Also, I don't know what Zade and Dad are going to talk about."

Meira was silent for a moment with a very troubled feeling. Suddenly, she felt a little guilty, because it was very presumptuous to enter Zade's room, which was not necessarily liked by Zade. So not long after that, Meira decided to walk out of Zade's room and paused for a moment in front of the bedroom door which she closed slowly there. Meira sighed.

"I probably should have just asked Zade, or even everyone in this pack. After all, in order to get to know someone, there needs to be a harmonious conversation, right? I feel bad about barging into Zade's room like earlier. I'd better wait for his return in the room."

Meira muttered, and walked towards the room she was in earlier. Leaving the door of the room open, so that she could hear or know when Zade came later. Given that Zade had not long left the pack to meet with his father. Meira naturally felt uneasy. Because after all, the meeting that took place between Zade and his father, would definitely discuss about the guarantee of cooperation they had before, and definitely still involve her.

Meira sat back on the bed, and fell silent. "I'm very curious about what they're talking about now. What if I'm still used as collateral? But if it's the other way around, what would father, or Samara say about me? Hopefully, Zade didn't tell them right away that I was his mate. Otherwise, father and Samara would have gone crazy, and could have done anything."

***

"So? Why did you bring your other daughter to our meeting?"

Zade looked sharply at Alpha Liam who was sitting right in front of him together with Samara. Zade did not like that one bit. Alpha Liam sat tensely. As for Samara, she looked ordinary, and was not bothered in the slightest by the sharp gaze that Zade had been giving her. Samara looked still full of hope that Zade would choose her over Meira.

"I'm really sorry, Alpha Zade. But, Samara has been wanting to come along with me for a while now, so I don't have much choice in letting her join our meeting today. I really hope that you don't mind Samara being here." Alpha Liam replied nervously. After all, Zade's leadership power was much higher than his. Thus, Alpha Liam himself would have to abide by Zade's decision.

Zade did not answer immediately, just looked straight, to notice the nervousness displayed very clearly by Alpha Liam, and also the arrogance shown clearly in both Samara's eyes there. For some reason Zade felt furious at the two people who were acting right in front of him now.

"You take it easy, Alpha Zade. I'm not going to interrupt the conversation you and my father are having. I'll just stay here, and listen." Samara smiled wickedly. That instantly made Alpha Liam grasp his favorite daughter's right palm tightly, as a warning sign. But apparently, Samara did not think before saying anything.

'At least, with my presence here, I can know what the contents of the cooperation agreement that father and Alpha Zade have. Moreover, Meira's status is only as collateral for the cooperation. That sounds very pleasant to me. I feel like coming to The Moon Gold Pack, to make fun of Meira in person. Oh, what about the expression on her face since she stayed in that pack yesterday? I'm very curious about the poor girl's condition now. But it must be really fun to see her tormented, living in that pack with an Alpha Tyrant like Alpha Zade.' Samara said inwardly. Who secretly wished pain for Meira who was currently living inside The Moon Gold Pack with Zade.

Zade sighed loudly, and leaned his body against the chair he was currently sitting on. "I don't want to mince words then. The cooperation agreement between our packs continues. But yes, there are some differences."

"Differences? What differences, Alpha Zade?" Alpha Liam wrinkled his forehead.

"Meira Hill will not be a guarantee of this cooperation."

"What?!" Samara widened her eyelids, surprised by Zade's words.

Zade looked casually at Alpha Liam and Samara who clearly looked very surprised by what he had just said. "Yes, that's right. Meira will not be a guarantee for the cooperation that our pack has. She will indeed stay in my pack, but not as a guarantee."

"But Alpha Zade... if Meira is not a guarantee of this cooperation, what will that girl do by staying in your pack? She can't possibly stay in your pack quietly, without doing anything, right?" Alpha Liam gave a small chuckle. He was trying very hard to break his agitated mood.

"I know. Of course, Meira won't do nothing while living in my pack. But you don't need to know about what Meira will do there. That will be my business with her after this. And that means, you no longer have the right to know about my business and Meira's business. Now, all you need to do is sign the cooperation agreement between our packs, and then it's done."

Zade took out a folder containing several sheets of paper that contained the cooperation agreement that his pack and Alpha Liam's pack had. A little reluctantly, Alpha Liam immediately took the folder, then opened it and read the contents of each sheet of paper. Zade was again silent. While Samara looked sharply and disagreed with what Zade had said about Meira.

After a long silence and reading all the things written in the cooperation agreement, Alpha Liam finally sighed, and took the pen he had brought, from inside his shirt pocket. He slowly signed the agreement, then closed the folder, and handed it to Zade again. Zade accepted the folder and put it back.

"Alright then, I think there's nothing else to talk about. Our pack cooperation will start from today."

Zade muttered, then got up from the chair to get out of there.

"Wait a minute." Samara muttered and prevented the movement of Zade who was already standing up from his seat. Samara got up, and was followed by Alpha Liam who was confused at Samara's behavior now. Zade looked at Samara with one eyebrow raised.

"Why are you saying that Meira is staying in your pack, when she is no longer a guarantee of cooperation between our packs? And why can't we ask about Meira's whereabouts who will be living in your pack without a guarantee status?"

"Samara, cut the crap." Alpha Liam whispered in Samara's ear. "Alpha Zade, don't listen to what Samara says. She's a little unaware of what she's saying right now. Forgive her." Alpha Liam muttered, and looked pleadingly at Zade who began to look sharply at Samara there.

"No, Father. Don't stop me. I need answers." Samara refused to listen to Alpha Liam's words, and looked back at Zade defiantly.

"Tell me, why did you choose Meira that day and not me? Earlier, you said that she would be a guarantee of cooperation, and then today, you said no. Do you prefer Meira, because she has given you something? Has Meira been tempting you to be able to stay in your pack without the collateral status and become an omega there? And why are you so cold to me?! I'm even better than Meira in every way!" Samara stopped talking as her breathing quickened, and her face reddened. She did not even care about the tight grip her father had on her right arm.

"Are you done talking?" Zade finally spoke after the previous silence. "I think I've made it very clear that Meira's business is now my business. Because after all, Meira is already living in my pack. And whoever lives in my pack, that means they are already a member of The Moon Gold Pack. No more business with their old pack. And that's what happened to Meira. Since Meira is living in my pack, that means, she is already a member of my pack. It's no longer your business in any way. I don't want to waste time answering your nonsense questions, Samara Hill." Zade paused his words, and put his right hand into his pants pocket. Zade's gaze turned sharp. It instantly seemed to make Samara realize all the things she had just said so presumptuously earlier.

"But I have an answer to one of the questions you've been asking since that day. I prefer Meira to you, because she doesn't b*llsh*t like you do. I saw Meira first before I saw you. That's the answer I can tell you. If you still don't accept, then, I think, I can cancel this partnership in a matter of seconds. That's if you want your dad's pack to be destroyed. Just like the rebel pack that dared to question my decision." Zade delivered his threat instantly.

"No, Alpha Zade. Please. Do not cancel our pack cooperation. I apologize on behalf of Samara. Please, Alpha Zade." Alpha Liam immediately clasped his palms together, and pleaded with Zade there.

Alpha Liam immediately turned a small head towards Samara who was still silent and frightened by Zade's intimidating aura. With a quick movement, Alpha Liam immediately pulled Samara's arm to join in pleading with Alpha Zade. Reluctantly, Samara bowed her head, and also clasped her palms together to plead, just like Alpha Liam did.

But Zade didn't say anything to them, and simply walked away. Zade gripped the folder he was carrying tightly, in order to vent the annoyance he was feeling right now. However, hearing Samara's bold words to him earlier, really made Zade feel very angry. But as much as possible, he held back his anger, otherwise others could know the secret he had been keeping so tightly. Zade got into the car and returned to the pack.

On the other side, Alpha Liam pulled Samara's body tight and slapped her. This was the first time Alpha Liam had taken such a strong stance against Samara's insolence. Moreover, what Samara had said could affect the cooperation agreement between his pack and Zade's pack. Alpha Liam certainly did not want anything bad to happen to his pack.

"Today, you've gone too far, Samara. What if Alpha Zade cancels the cooperation between our packs, and he destroys our pack later? Can't you think before saying or even doing anything? Why are you always so careless? This time, Father will not remain silent. If something happens to our pack, then I will definitely punish you." Alpha Liam immediately left without caring about Samara who was silent while bowing her head deeply there.