The crowd cheered loudly and Mike, Luke and Holly all ran up to me. Holly screamed in my ear for various things; taking her place, winning, being dumb, being brave. Mike wouldn't stop smiling and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder which I tried, and failed, to shake off. Luke was standing in front of me talking about my tactics. I smiled and nodded but I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering for Tyler.

I saw him standing in one of the shorter trees, watching the entire scene with interest. I think it's safe to say that my mate is a tree hugger.

He smiled at me but when I put my hand up in the air to wave at him he disappeared into the foliage.

"Don't worry, Nova," Holly said, looking at the place that my mate had been standing a moment ago," He'll be back."

"I know," I muttered before walking towards the pack house and away from a very knocked out Teresa.

Once in the house I was immediately swamped with the pack, each eager to tell me what a good job I did and how great my skills were. I managed to slip into the kitchen for some peace and quiet when it all got to be too much. The Luna was in there, behind the stove as always.

"How was the fight?"

"It went... well, I guess."

Luna Catherine doesn't go to our pack fights, she's an extreme pacifist and opposes any violence once so ever. She knows the rules of the pack though and can't do anything real to stop them. In short, she has no idea that I took Holly's place or that Holly was the challenger at all.

"I meant," she glanced at me with a grave look on her face," How did it end?"

"Teresa's unconscious. She's being taken down to the interrogation room as we speak to give her final words and the answers she's promised. I won."

Her head snapped up and around to me like it was attached to an invisible string. She came over to me and took both my shoulders in her hands.

"Nova, did you fight that girl?! What were you thinking! She took out almost all of our patrol wolves alone!"

"If I didn't ," I looked her in the eyes, desperate for her to see the fear that had been in them not moments before," Then Holly would have. It was Holly that had challenged Teresa in the first place, when I found out I took her place."

She absorbed this information. While the Luna has love for all of her pack, she's always been closest with Holly. Especially after she mated with Kian, that's when they started to spend more time together.

"I see," she stopped talking for a long moment. She snapped out of her daze and said," You must be hungry, dear. Let me get you something."

I nodded and sat down on one of the stools at the island. While she put together a quick meal I laid my head down on top of my arms and dozed off.

____

My room isn't as warm as I wish it were later on, but I gues I should expect that when we're in the middle of winter. The snow is falling again outside so I pull the window shut but I don't close the curtains in case Tyler comes back later.

Standing in front of my mirror, I notice that Teresa did manage a few bruises and scratches earlier. Minor bleeding at best, but I still don't like to be cut. Thinking of her makes me shudder.

What if she escapes them?

What if she comes back later?

What if she doesn't care that I won and still won't answer our questions?

You need to stop worrying yourself.

I internally glare at my wolf. I have every right to worry. She's not a part of our pack so she doesn't hold the same morals as us or follow the same laws. I wonder what pack she comes from? I'll have to ask Tyler later on.

When he gets back.

This time my wolf full on growled at me for my doubting him. I just shake my head and block her out.

It's been hours and he still hasn't come home. What if he was upset with me challenging his sister? They are blood, after all. We haven't even marked eachother yet. Where does her place lie in his heart? Where does his?

I rub my face in my hands. Forget marking or mating, we haven't even kissed yet. Who was I to expect such things out of a man who I haven't even kissed?

His mate, that's who.

"I though I blocked you."

You did, now you're talking out loud and sound crazy.

"Shut up."

No, I-

She didn't finish her sentence because of the reflection we both saw in the mirror. My mate was standing behind me for god knows how long, intently watching my eyes.

"Tyler," I said as I turned around," When did you get in here?"

"A bit ago."

"How long ago, exaclty?"

"Long enough to hear you talking to your self."

"Damn it," I muttered. He smiled a bit at my reply. I tried to turn around but he put his hands on my hips the moment I tried to move to hold me in place. He brought his face closer to my neck with out breaking eye contact. I noticed a bit of red slowly seeping into them.

"What's wrong," I asked him. I've never seen his eyes turn red before and, due to my little to no experience with his kind, I have no idea what it means.

He stared at me for a moment longer before moving his head from my shoulder and placing his hand there instead.

"Nova," he said in a slow and quiet voice, almost like he was trying to talk to someone who was sleeping with out waking them.

"Yes," I somehow managed to croak out.

"Can I kiss you?"