Samantha was sitting in the garden, staring at a tree while reflecting on her life. Her body was complaining about her mood, and her stomach cramps were getting worse and worse. She had thought it was over after Rider's visit, but Nate's words had unsettled her more than she thought possible.

It hurt because it was correct. She had disregarded her pack because she was busy rolling in bed and cuddling with Rider. Moreover, just while their packs fought.

?It sounds like a damn trap,? she moaned, dispelling that annoying thought.

However, it was time to end it. She had already made too much by following her mate in that odd adventure. She could live without him, meeting only when their instincts couldn't allow them to live without the other.

It should have happened once every couple of months. Rider could build his own life by then and forget her.

?Hey,? she heard from the back, inside the house.

Nate crossed the door to the garden and reached her side, crouching down before sitting where she was: in front of a sofa. She didn't feel like sitting normally that day, so she had chosen the cold floor.

?I'm sorry for before,? Nate said. ?It was not your fault if Lara was kidnapped, and it was not your fault since you didn't know it happened.?

?No,? Samantha stopped him. ?It indeed was my fault. I wasn't there when you needed me, and it was so selfish from my side.?

?Why are you feeling so bad about it? Your phone was out of battery: it happens.?

?I was with my mate,? she sighed. ?That's why I forgot to check the phone. I would have noticed earlier that the battery needed a recharge. If only I wasn't busy... Oh, talking.?

?So, that's what happened. You're acting so oddly, recently. It's not completely bad, though. You look more human when you blush or lose track of your thoughts because of that wolf of yours.?

?Do I really do that?? she mumbled, pouting.

?You do. It's transparent.?

?Oh, then it's worse than I thought.?

?Will we ever meet your mate??

Samantha sighed, hugging her knees.

?I don't think so.?

?You're as jealous as to keep him hidden from your family??

?I don't think we will ever be together, Nate. It's not destiny.?historical

?It is, in fact. That's what having a mate means, after all.?

?Oh, no. It's impossible, and it's so complicated.?

?What makes it complicated??

He knew something about complicated mating relationships: he had a human mate and two pups, all while not signing any proper document nor making their relationship official in any human or wolf way.

Samantha thought about Nate's question, and she desired to tell him everything. But then, what if he thought she had forgotten her phone on purpose? What if he doubted her loyalty at that point?

What if he suspected she was somehow involved? She wouldn't have been able to bear it. Nate was the closest she had to a brother, a real brother who cared for her. Losing him was out of the question, not after feeling on her own skin what it meant to lose a brother.

?When I became part of your pack, you were so kind to me,? she said. ?You understood what brought my parents to send me here, and you told me we could find a way to overcome it. And you were right: we succeeded. I owe it to you if I live in a pack and not alone somewhere far away from everyone.?

?I also told you it didn't matter because I was too strong to be threatened by small problems,? Nate reminded her. He was a little turbulent as a teen.

When his parents had brought home that young girl, he had felt threatened by her. She could look him in the eye without bowing her head, and she could talk with his father just like he could. Nothing to do with the reverence the other wolves showed. Even though his father had a wife, which made him approachable to the others, his overbearing aura was too strong to be smoothed by Melanie. She had been a perfect Alpha female for the pack, but her husband's powers were too hard to control.

Yet, Samantha didn't feel nervous next to them. Nor did she avoid Nate because of his future position. At first, it was a surprise and a worry. But then, Nate had realised that Samantha wasn't dangerous for his people. Rather, she was an asset.

Like every place, even a pack needed someone who would dare to challenge authority and rules. It was necessary for development.

As such, Samantha was necessary to the pack just as much as the pack was to her.

?Listen... You might think you don't need a mate, but living without is... it's difficult. Especially once you know what you're missing. I can't tell you what to do and which path to choose, but believe me: once you start considering what to do, it's too late.?

?I don't want to abandon you, Nate. And my mate doesn't want to leave his pack. How can it work??

?You will find a way,? he replied. ?You might not know how yet, but it will become clear sooner or later.?

?Oh, but you don't understand,? she moaned.

His mate was a human; she had no pack! Joining Nate's pack felt no different than signing a job contract. But for Samantha... For her, abandoning her pack would be like forgetting her family. And joining Rider's would have been straight out treason.

Moreover, the two packs were at war. After kidnapping Lara and the pups, there was no way Nate would have settled for peace. He had a family to protect, and she couldn't agree more with him. They needed to attack and remind the Mayford Alpha what his place was.

?Let's not get distracted by the main point,? Samantha declared. ?What are we going to do now? Is it open war or economic return? Are we going to crash the company before the pack??

?Oh, we're going to crash everything,? Nate replied.. ?It's going to be total war.?