Justin Returns.

As if I had seen a ghost, my face had completely turned pale. "Y...You?" Was the only thing that I could think of at this time. Memories flashed through my head, and soon Aquafinia could see all the things that made my seclusion possible. Trying to stabilize my rapid breathing, I turned away from him. "Not necessarily." I spoke coldly towards him. I had the right to of course! "Why so cold, darling?" Justin spoke in a mocking tone, as my mother would call me. "Don't. Ever. Call me that." I growled as I snapped around to glare at him while pointing my finger at him as if I had something else to say, I merely kept it to myself at that moment. Sitting back down on the fountain's edge. "Why the gloomy look?" He questioned as I could hear a bit of remorse in his voice. I knew how he was, so I only glared at him.

"Why should I tell you? You're not even an alpha." I said coldly, leaning back down on my legs hoping to avoid him for the rest of the night. I knew that it wouldn't work, but I did so anyway. Instead of hearing his feet retreating away, I could hear him moving closer and now he stood directly in front of me. "Who said that?" He asked, as if mocking what I had said. Sitting up, my eyes questioned what he had said. It was clear I wouldn't be asking the question, he would have to tell me. Laughing as he found this situation amusing, he spoke rather coldly, "I am the rightful heir to the Winter Moon Pack. After your father sent me home, was when I learned who I truly was." He proceeded to move closer to me and this time he placed his hand under my chin forcefully lifting it up. "And I've come to claim what is rightfully mine." He growled intensely with ice cold eyes that seemed to stare into my soul.

Using most of my strength to push him off of me, I quickly tried to put distance between the two of us. "Then if you are an alpha, you should know better than to make advances on a female without the proper agreements." I snapped harshly as I crossed my arms and turned my back to him. "As I see it. From the moment I laid eyes on you, you became mine." Justin said coldly as I could hear the leaves crunching beneath his feet. Knowing he was now moving towards where I was standing. "And from what I saw, one year ago today, you had the same look as you do now." He sneered then pulled me into a tight embrace from behind. "There is no look!" I growled as I attempted to get out of his grip, but it wasn't enough. Allowing me to turn and face him, I looked into his eyes. He was right, those feelings I held for him once they were still there and I could still feel them. He reluctantly released me from his grip, only to laugh. It might have been a new feeling or really Aquafinia, but at that moment all I felt was my hand colliding with the side of his face.

"What bullshit lies. As for the slap, I'll let that one slide." Justin growled as he grabbed my wrist tightly, my hand still against his face. "Now, with what you said about the Lunar Ceremony." He began again with a mischievous smile as he continued, "You will be mine and nobody else's. Do I make myself clear? And if you do not comply, I will kill everyone here." I could hear a low growl as he began to threaten me and the life of my family. "You're lying." I blurted out trying to find any source of lies he said, but his face and eyes could tell me everything I wanted to know. As he tightened his grip on my wrist, he pulled me tighter into his embrace. Taking his other hand and placing it under my chin again, he lifted it without hesitation. Looking into his eyes, I could see everything. Trying to pull away wasn't doing much for me, but suddenly I stopped as he forcefully kissed me again. Reminding me of the night he had left. For a split second I closed my eyes then Aquafinia took over, forcing my hand to slap Justin across the face yet again. As he threw my body to the ground with a deep growl, this time upset about the second slap.

"You b*tch!" Justin growled as he stepped a few feet away from me, "I'll make you pay for that." He then began to step towards me, this time with a raised fist. "Help!" I screamed while covering my face from what was about to happen. As if the events in the meeting weren't enough, Alpha Lockwoode's scent filled my nose. Peeking over my fingers, I could see Justin frozen in place as a heavy and deep growling sound was coming from behind me. My body was already shaking, but the growl I was hearing only seemed to make it worse. Slowly turning my head, I saw a huge black human-like wolf standing behind me. Its pelt was short, but fine looking. Its defining abs and muscles seemed to twitch with each movement it made. Its claws and teeth were sharper than I had ever seen. And its height, much larger than my own fathers form.

"Alexander Lockwoode." Justin growled as he glared at the wolf behind me. "You shouldn't stick your mutt nose into a place where it shouldn't be." Alexander, who was still standing behind me, growled deeply. Maybe I was lucky he is here, but why him?! "Says the half-breed with a human mother. And you shouldn't raise a hand to any woman either." Alexander growled loudly as he moved in front of me. His form seemed to make the ground shake as he walked. Slightly looking over his shoulder, he spoke in a calm voice towards me "Are you alright little wolf?"

Hearing his calm tone towards me only made me a little calmer. Though, what did he call me? Only able to get a nod out, I shyly turned away from him. "Good." Alexander said as he turned back to Justin. "As for you, you shouldn't touch another's mate like that." He growled deeply as he glared at Justin. Laughing as if he heard something funny, Justin spoke clearly, "Mate? Don't make me laugh. From what I heard, this is the year of a true Lunar Ceremony. So she is not your mate. She's mine." Clearly placing a claim over me, Justin wanted only one thing. "Never. Only she decides her fate to love whomever she pleases." Alexander growled as he was now standing in a very defensive fighting position. "No need to fight. Let's make a wager on it." Justin said clearly trying to put his efforts into making a deal instead of fighting. "What's your wager?" Alexander growled as he watched Justin closely, clearly not trusting him at all. He didn't want to cause trouble on Blood Moon territory, but he would if he had to.

"If she chooses me by the end of the ceremony, you lose all claim to her and your pack." Justin said as he started to laugh. Making such a claim he knew this was only the beginning, or so he thought. "And if she chooses me?" Alexander asked, trying to think of something to use as a wager. "If she chooses me, you will return to being a lowly pack wolf under my watchful eye. As well as losing your pack to me." He spoke his wadger with a dark grin playing tightly in the corner of his lips. Alexander knew he wasn't going to lose that easily, as newly ascended pureblood Alpha wolf, he knew he had more power over Justin. And he was the strongest Alpha out of the others, including the last two elders. "Fine. But I won't give up without a fight. And death will be the only way in securing what you truly desire." Justin said with a grin. 'I will not lose to the likes of you.' He thought as he turned around. "See you both tonight. And remember Alexi, you will pay for the slap when you are mine." He spoke in a threatening voice. As quickly as he showed up, he soon disappeared and I slowly started to feel nauseous.

Looking at the ground, I noticed a pair of human feet now standing in front of me. Slowly tilting my head to look up, I could see a calm, but sad face looking down on me. Holding out his hand, Alexander spoke softly, "Let me help you up." Taking his hand he pulled me into his arms, lifting me bridal style into his muscular arms. He headed straight towards the house, but I did not bother refusing his gesture either. "Why are you carrying me?" I asked curiously, but not wanting to look directly at his face. "Because you called for help. And someone who needs help, I always try to assist. As for Justin, how do you know him?" Alexander said as he looked down to me. Wanting to get the answers, I clearly was hiding. "He is nobody. He shouldn't have even come here." I spoke trying to hide the fact I truly knew him. "Alexi, tell me how you know him. He is dangerous and you know that already." Alexander sternly said as he stopped dead in his tracks. "You can trust me. It's him you cannot trust." He added as looked down at me with soft and genuine eyes.

Staring up at him, my eyes started to water. "He...He was transferred from Winter Moon, but why you'd have to ask my father that. When he was sent here, he didn't know much about being a werewolf. My mother caught him trying to make advances on me. So at my parents' command, he was sent away without a trial." I spoke, only knowing what I knew about him. "So why does he place this said 'claim' over you?" Alexander questioned as he began to walk towards the house once again. "Because the night he was sent home, he forcibly kissed me taking my first kiss." I said with a soft sigh. The memories that were flashing through my head, seemed as if it were yesterday when everything happened. "Staking claim, where claim had already been." Alexander said with a soft chuckle, then looked down at me once more. "He will soon realize that his so-called 'claim' to you will have no chance. Now you have a decision to contemplate. I won't do anything, but protect you. Just understand, my stakes are as high as yours. I'll protect your family and kill him...If I must." He stated as he placed me on the steps of the front door.

Looking at his gentleness I blushed brightly. "Thank you for saving me. I just realized I never thanked you before now." I spoke as I started to rub the back of my neck nervously. "Don't worry. I'm not here for fights, but rather for love." He spoke softly, then moved some of my hair from my face. Blushing an even darker shade of red I turned my gaze away from him. "T...Thank you." I muttered nervously, but something was tugging at my heart. I turned to face him, this time our eyes met and for some reason, my next actions couldn't be explained. I stood on my tip toes, and planted a gentle kiss on his right cheek. Returning back to how I was standing, I looked at him once more. His cheeks started to turn red, and he asked in a stuttering tone "Wh...What was th...that for?" At that moment, I couldn't even have given him an explanation for that kiss, but it felt right to do. "D...Don't ask me. Something told me to." I blurted out next with embarrassment in my voice. It was like the Moon Goddess told me to show him a different kind of thank you, or maybe that was just how I was feeling. I couldn't explain it, even if I understood it myself.

"W...Well." Alexander started to say, as he took a second to regain his once calm composure. "I will treat it as a reward. Now go see your medic. Justin left quite a bruise on your wrist. So I'll check on you later, Alexi." He said softly with a light smile plastered on his lips. It was only a few hours that he was being so cold, and now he was being calm and thoughtful. "Alright. I will see you later." I spoke, as I turned on my heels and headed in the house. As I walked down the hallway and towards the infirmary my mind clouded with the events that had unfolded in the matter of a half hour. Knocking on the door to the infirmary, I stood there waiting for an answer.