As the sun began its descent, casting a warm golden hue over the training grounds, Alora's frustration reached its peak.

She couldn't shake off the feeling of irritation that had been building up all day. Tyra's attempt at mediation had only served to agitate her further.

"Why? What exactly is wrong with them getting along with each other? You're not being a very nice friend to Howland, that is for sure. So, you must give him some space to enjoy someone's company, alright?"

Tyra's words echoed in Alora's mind, but they provided little solace. Tyra's attempts to calm her down backfired, and she ended up agitating her even more.

"Oh, okay. I must need to apologize. I'm simply going to quit talking right now, sorry?”

Alora didn’t utter any word making Tyra more confused. Both of them stood there and observed as the two guys as they piled the wood next to the burgeoning fire.

Howland had a joyful time interacting with the other male members of the pack who were constructing the fire.

"Alora, why don't you just give him a chance?" Tyra said in a low voice. "It's Nuit de feu, come on," she prompted her by tugging on her arm. "Come on, Alora. Loosen up a little, will you?"

“Alright, fine!” Alora said as she finally gave in and slipped her arm through Tyra’s.

She was incapable of being angry for an extended period of time or of refusing Tyra's huge brown puppy dog eyes.

"Okie, dookie! That’s more like it! Tonight is going to be a lot of fun! For sure!” Tyra broke out into singing. Axel arrived at her side at that moment.

"Axel, were you involved in any way with this situation? Are you both trying to get me out of here?” Alora inquired in a commanding tone while retaining a trace of a grin.

"No, Ma'am," Axel responded in a hasty manner, while shaking his head. As he said this, he started wrapping his arm over Tyra’s neck and ruffling her hair.

"Honestly, I thought Tyra was going to bite poor Matteo's head off!"

"Almost, almost! Well, you see, he did challenge my position, didn't he?" Tyra whimpered and smoothed her hair as she touched her head. "He said I wasn't good enough. That fucker!" she complained.

“Tyra…” Alora comforted her, "You'll always be my head guard as long as you're capable of taking down a big tough Alpha, so don’t feel bad about it. It’s too petty.”

In the future, Alora would need to have a discussion about it with Matteo. She would under no circumstances put up with this level of disobedience and disregard for her authority.

"And how long is it going to take?” Axel joked, "I bet even if you competed against our Alpha, you wouldn't be able to win."

“Haha! Are you challenging me now?” She chuckled and said, "You don't know me very well."

"Of course, I do! I know you better than you know yourself, Tyra baby," he smirked, and she jabbed him in the ribs.

However, he grabbed on tighter and smushed her into his chest, and then, they kissed. After they had finished kissing one other, Alora stepped forward to allow her pals some space to themselves.

They couldn't have been more different from one another, yet they worked so well together after they got over their differences.

Alora made her way over to the gathering around the fire that was just starting to take form. Even when it had already risen a height of six feet, the men continued to pile twigs and wood upon it.

Families were arriving from all different locations, with women and mothers bringing food for supper, and little children running and playing tag with one other, as well as others kicking a ball in an impromptu game of soccer.

That was one of the things that Alora appreciated about these evenings. At least once a month, everyone would put aside their disagreements and problems, as well as the regular sources of tension among the pack, and simply have fun.

Around the crackling fire, they’d have a dinner together, sing a few songs, and trade tales of terror with one another; and of course, toast some marshmallows.

Alora arrived to the gathering as they were gathered around the fire, and as she did so, she gazed at the kindling and pondered whether or not it would ignite properly.

“Hey!” When she heard the booming voice, she got a bit taken aback.

"Oh, hi," she gazed up into his warm brown eyes and a sincere smile. She couldn't help but return his smile. There is no way to get around him.

"It should be a fun night. Well, it seems to be," Howland uttered, as he dusted the twigs off of his hands.

"Of course, it usually is," she said with a nod. Suddenly, she found herself unable to speak, and she fumbled about, trying to think of anything clever or humorous to say. She could not understand why, but all of a sudden, she felt uneasy when she was near this person.

Every previous time, all she had done was dispute with him, and in comparison, to this situation, it seemed rather simple.

Oliver came to her rescue just in time to prevent her from either yelling at him or stammering to him.

"Alpha Alora! Howland should have informed you about our upcoming camping trip, right?" Oliver inquired all of a sudden.

Her gaze flitted across to Howland for a moment before it settled on Oliver. She stated it with ice in her voice while placing her fists on her hips.

"Yes, I did hear something about an unauthorized trip through my territory," she stated.

Oliver immediately lost all of his excitement and stroked the back of his neck after coming to the conclusion that he was in serious danger. "Uhm, ah, well…" he said, stuttering.

Alora, for some inexplicable reason, recalled Tyra's advice to give the person a chance and to have pleasure in the evening.

She sent one more glance in Howland's direction before hurriedly remarking, "But well, don't worry about it. Simply let me know the next time, all right?”

"Yes, we will do that next time!" Oliver grinned with pride.

"Alright, you should’ve seen the..." his voice trailed off as a throng gathered around to listen to some weird tale as Alora turned to the voice at her elbow.

"Alpha Alora, here… this is your favorite dessert—an apple pie!"

"Oh, wow, thanks Arlene," as she beamed a grin at the kind lady and her mate Tomy, who had approached her and placed his hand on her waist.

“I'm looking forward to it!" She said as she rubbed her tummy. Alora grinned as they walked to set it on the dessert table, and she followed after them smiling.

"Greenstein, that's my absolute favorite spot," Howland suddenly uttered.

"Hey, that's my favorite, too," Alora exclaimed happily. After making a loud exclamation, Alora glanced up, and her sight immediately met that of Howland.

Her seemingly unexpected participation in the discussion caused him to show a moment of astonishment, but then his expression relaxed into a grin.

As the heat raced to her cheeks, she instinctively bowed her head, instantly conscious of what he had said and how she had reacted to it.

She had sworn she wouldn't have anything in common with this guy, yet here he was, admiring her favorite area on her turf. She could sense that his eyes were still on her, so she moved to look at something else in an effort to divert her focus.

Tyra could be seen around twelve yards distant, holding hands with at least three kids as they all attempted to drag her down to the ground.

Tyra took great joy in playing with the younger children, and the sound of their giggling could be heard all around them.

After picking up one of the kids and blowing on his stomach, which caused him to scream and giggle, Tyra slung him over her shoulder and began to run about the other pups like a demented kiddy monster. It was a hit with the youngsters.

Tyra regarded it highly. When it came to getting people enthused, she was a natural born leader. When a little girl came running up to her with a violet flower in her hand, she bent down and smiled at the woman.

The kid had a round, plump face that was framed by black pigtails that swayed and spun on her little shoulders. "Tyra! A flower for you!" she chuckled to herself.

“Oh my goodness, Madi! It's such a wonderful gift! This is pretty! Thank you so much, sweetie."

Tyra gave the little girl a bear hug and smelled the flower before accepting it in her own hand. The little child glowed and clung to Alora's leg with all her might.

Alora furrowed her brow and bit on the bottom part of her lip. It wasn't that she was a mean Alpha; she simply didn't have the same amount of time to spend with the kids as some of the other pack members did.

In all candor, she was not a fan of floral arrangements. She wondered with a distressed expression on her face that maybe it wasn't the core issue of her predicament.

"Alpha, it's time. We can now start,” A guy went up and offered a rock to her, telling her that she has the honors to start lighting the fire.

Flint and rock would be used to start the fire, as had been customary in the past.

Alora smiled and thanked the man for the fire starters before moving on to lighting the wood.

When she knelt down by the fire, she could feel Howland standing close behind her, observing. She took a deep breath, hit the flint, and then hoped that it would light on the first try.

She had spent many years to be perfect with her technique, and now she was certain that she understood how to start a fire in this manner.

Lighting a fire in this manner was an art form. The spark first fell on the pieces of waste paper, then it moved on to the smaller twigs and kindling, and finally the audience shouted as the larger logs and sticks began to roar to life as they caught fire.

“Yay!”

Her pack. Her existence. This was the point that needed to be considered.

Soon after, people began passing around food as music rang out throughout the countryside. Sparks lit up the night sky as they danced their way skyward.

Alora dragged her plate of food over to one of the several log benches and wedged herself in between Tyra and Axel.

"Would it be okay if I join you guys?"

"Of course! We can't say no to our Alpha," Tyra exclaimed and she gave her a little push. Axel moaned, stood up, and moved to the other side of Tyra, where she greeted him with a peck on the cheek as a token of her appreciation.

"Do you have sufficient salad there?" Tyra questioned with an eyebrow lifted as she looked at Alora's plate, which was completely full.

"Well, I'd still like to give this food a shot," Alora explained.

"Girl, I'm kidding," Tyra said with a raised eyebrow before bursting into laughter. It was well knowledge that Alora enjoyed salads.

"Wow! I must say that this steak is so good," When Alora heard the familiar deep voice say, she jumped just a little bit. "And the roast pork was cooked to perfection!"

‘Him, again? Who the hell invited him to come over here? Oh, no, they didn't do that!’

Howland sat himself down next to Alora, and Alora, in turn, squirmed her way even closer to Tyra.

"I don't know how they do it," he said as he pointed to the guys who were roasting a giant piece of beef on a spit over the fire.

"But, it’s so good! It's great. You really need to try some of it," he abruptly turned to Alora and scrutinized the food on her plate. She came dangerously close to stuffing it in his face out of frustration.

She responded quickly by saying, "No, I'm fine. Thanks, but I don't eat meat."

"For real? What was it called then?" Howland turned to face her as he reached out to touch her with his arm.

"Well, our Alpha, she’s vegetarian," Tyra bent over and spoke slowly like she would to a five-year child.

"But I doubt you know what that big, intelligent-sounding word means, you dumb idiot," and she pulled Alora over, causing her to brush into him.

Alora was aware that Tyra was just defending her or making the tension bit at ease, yet she still rolled her eyes at the situation.

She didn't want to specifically explore this topic with Howland since there weren't that many wolves who didn't consume meat. On top of everything else, he would consider her to be strange in his mind.

"Ah, I do. I know about that thing. My mother was a vegetarian all her life."

"Really?" Alora just stood there and gazed at him, completely dumbfounded by what he had just said.

"Uhm, yeah. I believe that she would have really liked you, especially with the whole tough Alpha thing," Howland said.

His dark brown eyes gazed into hers, and the firelight caught the depths of his eyes and made them glitter.

They seemed to entice her in such a way that it was as if a mystery narrative had been created only for her.

"Really?" She was so stupid that she kept repeating herself, and she wanted to give herself a smack on her forehead.

Then, despite her confused state, a logical relationship presented itself to her. "You indicated that she would have, and were. Where is your mother, exactly?”

"My mother… she passed away while I was only a little child. However, based on what I recall of her, she was a fierce competitor.”

Alora's pulse pounded harder and faster as she realized that she shared yet another thing in common with the guy who she did not want as her mate.

Howland's warm gaze held hers, and the rest of the pack seemed to drift out of consciousness. But this time, she understood, and she even desired, to experience this relationship that was so painful.

“It's been five years since my parents passed away, too.” She said to herself in a low voice, "I know what it's like to miss them and wish that they were still here."

His fingertips lightly touched the top of her knee, and that one gesture conveyed more meaning than anybody else could have ever understood or dared to imagine of expressing.

It was as if a bit of his damaged heart stretched out to hers, and hers to his, helping to partially complete each other's hearts in a manner that was both perplexing and entirely natural at the same time.

"Alright, it's time for a story telling!" Alora was jolted out of her trance by Tyra's sudden movement, and the interruption made her desire that she could either hit or smack her.

Because when she turned around to look at Howland, his typical arrogant and smug expression was on his lovely face, and Alora had no clue why she could ever sense a connection between the two of them.

‘This is getting too complicated!’

Tyra's voice resonated through the crowd, capturing their attention. The pups eagerly approached her and gathered in a circle near the fire. She began to tell them about a formidable border guard who patrolled the woods in their Alpha's territory. The guard was extremely dedicated to her duty. She gazed at the pups with a sincere expression, and they listened attentively to her every word. Her main focus was on ensuring the safety of the territory by eliminating any potential threats, including rogue wolves and particularly aggressive Alphas.

"Ohhh," the children whispered with enthusiasm. Alora could sense the direction this was heading.

One evening, the guard patrolled the forest, attentively observing, keenly sensing, and vigilantly monitoring for any signs of unusual activity. The moonlight was faint, making it difficult to perceive. There was a distant rumble of thunder, and the leaves whispered secrets that only the most skilled tracker could decipher," she spoke softly, creating the desired atmosphere. "The vigilant border guard remained undeterred." As she was about to engage in combat, a surprise attack occurred. She swiftly seized one of the young wolves, but then a massive wolf leaped at her, forcefully bringing her down!

The pups let out terrified cries, right on time. Alora chuckled.

"They tumbled and rolled, with the wolf attempting to attack the guard's throat. However, our beloved border guard emerged victorious, successfully restraining the wolf on the ground!" The pups giggled and applauded gleefully. "And that's when the guard figured out the true identity of the wolf!" An Alpha that is fierce, formidable, and commands respect, existing solely in your imagination! However, did the guard experience fear? Was she in a hurry to find cover and take shelter behind a tree?

The children all exclaimed, "No!" and Tyra nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely not!" She had no fear of any dominant figure! With a piercing stare, she coldly asked him, 'Do you have anything else to say?' just like any dutiful guard would. The imposing leader succumbed to her unwavering stare, sinking to the ground and humbly folding his hands together. 'Please, I kindly request your assistance!' Please spare my life! Please have mercy on me! Oh, please have mercy! Tyra portrayed the humor with her impressive acting abilities, and the pups were laughing uncontrollably.

Alora detected a faint growl emanating from the man next to her, whom Tyra was clearly imitating. She had a contented smile on her face.

"So, do you have any idea what the guard did?" She glanced at the children as they began responding.

"She brought him to the underground chamber!" She bound him to a tree! "She handed him over to our Alpha for a thorough thrashing!" "She hit him on the head with a stick!" "Did she instruct him to behave and then send him back home?" "She violently attacked him, gouging his eyes and shoving his thumbs into his nostrils."

These pups had incredibly creative minds.

"No, no, no, but all good ideas," Tyra smiled and nodded, hands on hips as she prepared for the climax of her story. "She gazed into his imploring eyes and... swiftly ended his life, protecting our Alpha from a multitude of complications!"

Alora's throat emitted a low growl as she quickly stood up from her seat. Everyone's attention shifted towards her, and she suddenly noticed that her hands were tightly closed.

"Oh no!" Some of the children appeared frightened as they exclaimed, "What?"

"Actually, you're correct. The guard didn't harm the aggressive leader," Tyra promptly responded, giving Alora a confident grin. She came to the realization that he was, in fact, the mate of our Alpha! She was aware that Alpha desired and favored her mate, so she cleverly presented him to Alpha with a grand gesture.

The children erupted in applause and rose from their seats. "Alpha desires her partner!" Alpha expressed her desire for a mate, and those around her applauded. Tyra quickly caught on to the chant, and the children joined together, linking arms and joyfully dancing around the fire, reminiscent of the young Native Americans in Peter Pan. "Alpha desires her mate, Alpha desires her mate!"

Alora dared to steal a quick look at Howland. Alora felt a surge of anger as she noticed a slight grin forming on one side of his mouth. She shot one more intense look at Tyra, who playfully blew her a kiss, before striding away from the fire. She felt overwhelmed by the intense emotions inside her and the conflicting thoughts in her mind, and she struggled to find a way to manage them. She had experienced a moment of confusion in the past, where her emotions of anger and rage overwhelmed her. However, she was able to confront and control those emotions. Leading her pack with a calm and focused mind was the only approach she had taken. Why was it suddenly difficult for her to manage her emotions?

"Hey!" she heard the person she was thinking about calling from behind, but she ignored them and quickened her pace, running up the hill towards the pack house. Her sanctuary, a place of solace.

Axel located her shortly thereafter. Of course he did, only he was aware of the secluded spot she would retreat to whenever life became too much to handle. This was a sanctuary where she could freely express her emotions, whether it be through tears or screams, without anyone else witnessing the deep pain within their Alpha's heart. This location where she had conquered her personal struggles and emerged stronger, determined to protect everything she cherished.

The wall that separates the two spires on the castle's rooftop battlement. She gazed at the stars, her feet hanging over the ledge. The bonfire's glow and the distant sounds of singing and laughter from her companions below went unnoticed as she immersed herself in the peaceful night.

"Alpha..."

She looked towards her beta's voice and gently motioned for them to sit beside her on the rock wall.

"I won't apologize for Tyra; we both understand her occasional behavior," he sat down next to her.

"Lacking empathy, harsh, indifferent, lacking knowledge on the subject."

"I get it, but is it really necessary to be so harsh?"

"Apologies, Axel, that wasn't my intention. However, there are moments when I hope she could become more in touch with her emotions."

"I could spend time explaining the positive aspects of my friend's personality, but I'm actually here to talk about you."

She let out a deep breath and cast her gaze downward. Axel was the sole person she was willing to listen to and learn from. He had developed a close bond with her, akin to that of an older sibling. A beta that is kind, knowledgeable, empathetic, and fair. Although he could be a bit strict at times, he had assisted her in reconstructing and molding this pack into its current state. She would have preferred no one else but him by her side as her second.

"I'm unsure of what to make of it, Axel. Should I be more relaxed? Feeling afraid? Is it really necessary to be so unwelcoming towards a total stranger who wants to join our pack, just because they're not my mate?

"No, not quite. It's important to exercise caution, but—"

"He has the potential to be anyone and engage in any activity, as far as our knowledge goes. It's evident that he has ambitions to seize control of the pack and was willing to resort to violence, as he made his intentions quite clear. Why haven't I imprisoned him in the dungeons? Why can't I handle him in the same way I handle any challenges to my authority?

"Since he is your friend, regardless of your personal feelings, your response to this situation has already been predetermined. The connection will become even stronger and more difficult to ignore the more you try to oppose it.

"Thanks for the support," she muttered with a hint of bitterness.

"Alora, it wasn't my decision. Please refrain from directing your anger towards me...or Tyra, for that matter.

"Apologies, Axel. Indeed, I am," she expressed frustration, admitting her struggle to control her intense emotions. She tilted her head back and let out a deep sigh, gazing up at the sky. "Can you see my perspective? Why can't I simply embrace Howland as my mate, my Alpha, and entrust him with leadership of our pack? Considering all that we have experienced together..."

"I understand."

"You were present, Axel. You witnessed the devastation."

"I was. We all were."

"Actually, you were present alongside me. She embraced me while my parents—" her voice cracked, and she sniffled, the memories once again rushing through her mind. The rain was unable to extinguish the intense blaze. There was an overwhelming amount of screaming, even the loud cracks of thunder couldn't overpower it. The pain was overwhelming, impossible to escape.

Axel embraced her and drew his Alpha nearer. "I will always be by your side, Alora. Regardless of the choice you make, I'll be there to support and assist you every step of the way. I will always support you and be there for you as your beta.

"Thank you," she whispered gently.

"In the event of a disagreement, I will express my viewpoints to assist you in making informed decisions."

"I'm confident that you will." She smiled at him and wiped her eyes, acknowledging his consistent support. After inhaling deeply, they both stood up, and Axel accompanied her to her room.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, getting ready for bed, her mind filled with nostalgic memories and various thoughts about what lies ahead. Her life had never been simpler, but perhaps with the natural resilience inherited from her parents, she would make choices that aligned with her own needs and the needs of her pack. That's all she could hope for as she drifted off to sleep.