When Jack and Roddy joined Luke and Mia, they were too exhausted because unlike Luke and Mia who were going  house to house, they were going to every hotel there is, going to restaurants and clubs, asking their wolves questions.

They did not find anything. No one knew anything. It was too suspicious, too quiet. Someone was bound to see something.

"Let's finish up guys. We don't want to go to Creek Pack at night," Luke told them, prompting Roddy and Jack to eat faster.

Mia and Luke had long finished, and they were waiting for the other two.

_________

They reached the Creek Pack Border, where they were checked for security when Luke told them that he had business with their Beta.

The guards alerted Sierra of their arrival. She told them to let them in, with the condition that Luke must come alone.

He didn't mind because he believed that Sierra wouldn't try any funny business now that they were forming an alliance. They've never done business before. They've never associated with each other ever since Luke became Alpha. His parents and the Creek Pack former leaders were doing business together, good business together because they had shared businesses in the oil industry, but Luke sold his shares to Rolus and he was bought out. That money was enough to build chains of hotels and other businesses they had.

"Let us know if they give you problems," Jack said, smiling.

Luke just laughed, then drove away into the Pack when Mia, Roddy and Jack got out of the car.

The road was rocky, and uneven. It was gravel, making Luke uncomfortable when he drove because the car would hit something.

He wondered why the Creek Pack didn't at least make a proper road instead of damaging their cars. It was a bumpy ride for him, but he managed to arrive in one piece. He drove down the driveway, passing several two storey houses around the property. He was headed to the Pack House, which he knew all the people of power lived in and other members of the Pack who preferred to live in the Pack House.

He spotted Sierra outside the House, waiting for him. He presumed she was waiting for him.

He parked his car, then grabbed his phone and exited the car.

Sierra was looking like she was ready for battle the way she stood. Her blue jeans and black leather jacket made her a little intimidating, especially with her hair tied into a tight ponytail.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" she bowed a little.

"I'm not here for you."

Sierra raised her brow, asking, "Really?"

"Is Rolus here?" he asked, his indifferent attitude the only thing going for him.

"He's here. But he's not really in a good place to have visitors."

"He's sick again?" he mocked, to which Sierra ignored him. He could see that she wanted to say something, something disrespectful, but she held herself back.

She put her hands behind her back and gestured for Luke to follow her. Luke did, finding himself following her into the octagonal wooden gazebo in the garden. It held four tables each with three chairs. They entered and sat down opposite each other.

Their garden was filled with too many different kind of flowers, with rose bushes dominating.

Luke pulled his eyes away from the flowers when he saw someone approach with a tray. On it, there was a jug of orange juice and two glasses.

He turned to Sierra, who just stared at him.

"What's with that?" he gestured to the juice. The person approached, bowing at the both of them and putting the tray on the table. She poured juice in their glasses, then left.

"It's called hospitality," she replied, grabbing her glass and drinking.

Luke didn't want to be poisoned, so he told Sierra to give him her juice when she took the first sip.

"They're practically the same juice. Why would I drink the juice if it was poisoned?" she asked, too disturbed.

"Glasses. Why did you choose the glass first?"

"Fine, don't drink the juice then. What did you want?"

Luke didn't appreciate her tone. "And by the way, watch your tone when speaking to me. I want to meet with Rolus, your Alpha. Call him out. There's a few things I want to discuss with him," he was getting impatient. If Rolus was too sick to come out, then Sierra should just tell him that instead of beating around the bush.

"Fine. Let me make a call," she stood up, then went to the corner of the building.

Luke remained seated, waiting for Sierra to come back, or rather, Rolus to arrive.

Sierra finished, then came back to sit down. "He's coming."

"Alright. You can leave now."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you think I'm going to let you be present in our meeting? I'm meeting the Alpha, not you. Now, make yourself scarce," he was being rude, but the girl didn't need to be present.

If looks could kill, Luke would have died a long time ago. He could feel Sierra's glare even when she left.

He just clicked his tongue in annoyance and patiently waited for Rolus to show himself. He didn't know exactly why he wanted to see him, but he just did. Oh, he wanted to know if he was aware that his Beta was striking deals on his behalf.

Luke felt like he's been waiting forever when he did only wait for five minutes. Was Rolus wasting his time deliberately?

He waited for another five minutes, but when he felt like it was now enough, he stood up. He was not going to be taken for a fool. He was nobody's fool.

He had just stepped out of the gazebo when his eyes landed to who seemed to be Rolus.

He was confused. What was going on?

Rolus seemed to be in bad health, his skin too sickly. His gown seemed to hang on his body instead of sitting snuggly like they usually did. He was with Zayn, who was balancing him.

"Wow! Wonders never cease to amaze," he exclaimed, looking at Zayn for some kind of an explanation.

"They don't cease to amaze me too. You, alone, in my Pack. What do you want?" Rolus asked, rather rudely. His voice sounded like he wasn't using it much these days.

"I wouldn't have come if I was informed that you were dying," he mocked, sitting back down. Zayn smiled at him in greeting, but Luke just ignored him.

Rolus was helped to sit down, then Zayn excused himself, but he only walked a small distance until watching them from afar.

"You have personal bodyguards now?" Luke asked, glancing at Zayn just a few meters away from them.

"What do you want?" he asked, then coughed terribly afterwards. It seemed like it took a toll on him to speak.

"I wanted to know if you were aware about the alliance that we're going to form," he told him, looking him in the eyes. The man was worse, reminding him of Mrs Fitch. Mrs Fitch. He shuddered when he thought about what Mia said.

"You think my Beta would meet up with you without my permission?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, I just wanted to know. Why are you even sick?" he changed the topic. He did kind of feel bad for Rolus because he was suffering too much now. He might have had a hand in his sister's death, but everyone knew that there was a possibility that her mate would save her. It was a possibility, meaning that it he might have saved her, but at the same time, he wouldn't have been able to save her even if he did accept her.

"Make fun of me all you like, but just know that I might be sick, but my Pack is not. They are still strong and if you want to start with your crap again of wanting to take over my Pack, we will not let you," he was exhausting himself being this aggressive.

"Whoa, chill. Your Pack is not even worth it anymore." That was a lie. If he did not become sick, he would still be hounding Rolus for the Pack. If his parents hadn't held the ceremony and made promises to the Moon Goddess about Luke no longer going to terrorize the Creek Pack, he would still be hounding Rolus for the Pack. Plus, his main focus right now was no longer on his vengeance against Rolus. He had bigger fish to fry.

"Then from now on, meet up with Sierra. I have no business with you," he snapped, glaring at Luke.

Luke didn't care. He was not the one who was sick. He was not the one who initiated the alliance. It was Creek Pack that started everything.

Luke stood, ready to leave because he just wanted confirmation from Rolus that he knew about the alliance. Since Rolus gave his Beta the reigns, then Luke thought that it was justifiable to do so too, give his Beta the reigns to deal with the alliance.

"By the way," he started, smiling in distaste. "I thought it would give you peace to know that I forgive you."

Rolus' eyes widened in shock. He quickly composed himself and looked at Zayn, wanting to make sure that he was not listening to them.

"Really?" he asked, his eyes still too wide for Luke's liking.

"Yes. I really don't want to hold a grudge against you when you're dying. I'm forgiving you so you can die in peace. Maybe that's the thing that's been letting you live. I forgive you. I want to set your soul free so you can be at peace. Don't worry, I will come say my goodbyes."

Rolus was starting to get mad, Luke could see. Rolus never bothered to apologise, that's one of the things that pissed Luke off. He never admitted to his crime, only going on as if everything was okay. He went on with his life as if he didn't reject his sister, as if he didn't let her die.

"So you're not really forgiving me. You're just forgiving me to make yourself feel better, aren't you?" he was too cocky, too arrogant when he figured out that Luke was feeling guilty.

Luke was not doing this for Rolus. Yes, he was doing it for himself. He was too tired to be hung over the past, instead of focusing on his future. He needed to let go of the past to move on. It all started with forgiving Rolus because be was the only one that wronged him, the only one that made the fire of hate burn stronger. He was focusing on Rolus too much to the point where everyone saw it as being obsessed. His hate made him sick, it made him devote his time to the Creek Pack instead of focusing on his Pack.

Now he was sick because he didn't find the time to look for his mate. If he had devoted the one year he's been terrorizing Creek Pack looking for his mate, his life wouldn't have been so stagnant. He would have found his mate by now and not have been that sick.

Luke looked at Rolus, then smiled bitterly. "Like I said, I forgive you. It's only going to eat you that you rejected your mate and I guess you will suffer in silence because I'm sure you wouldn't breathe a word about that to anyone. Have a good day, Alpha Rolus."

Did he mention that it felt good to have removed a weight from his shoulders? He wasn't even planning on forgiving Rolus, but it just came out of nowhere. He's been too busy his whole life, his life revolving around Rolus to the point that he realised that he was never free. To the point that he realised that he was a prisoner of Rolus because his life revolved around him.

It felt relieving to forgive Rolus, but he still felt a tinge of regret and guilt that he was trying to move on and put his life together. He was a great Alpha to his Pack, but he was not good to himself. It's time now that he focused on himself instead of holding on to what happened years ago. He wanted justice, but he realised that he was being unjust with his behaviour towards Rolus. Justice would be telling the truth to his parents and the whole world about what happened the night his sister died, but he knew that he would never be ready to disclose the events of that night.

He left Rolus to his thoughts. He knew Rolus would always live with the fear of Luke attacking them or telling the truth, that was punishment enough for him.

He reached his car and entered, then sat for a moment without doing anything. His forehead was against the steering wheel, somewhat feeling the impact of forgiving Rolus. Now he didn't feel that good, but at least he would now focus on finding his mate and the wolves that attached his Beta.

He groaned at the thought of those wolves. They were such a pain.