Rhys POV

'I would give everything a thought. Thank you once more for the gift; I appreciate it." She had said. I wasn't expecting an instant answer, but I would return for one. I felt lighter, a heavy weight lifted off my chest. I felt happy that she gave me an audience, nice and, I expressed myself. Indeed, it wasn't what I anticipated, but I was glad we had the meeting. I have done mine; it was left to her to make the right choice. Liora smiled, this time to me. She thanked me again for the gift and turned, making her way to her pack. I stood for some seconds, watching her retreat to camp. I would have taken her as far as her doorpost, but owing to the damages it caused, I have lost my respect in the Silver Moon Pack, and the members won't welcome my presence. Jaxon's POV Hidden in the deep woods, I watched helplessly as Liora and Rhys met for their friendly meeting. I focused on nothing else but on ensuring she was safe. But not long, after I lost control, my attention became divided as I focused more on their conversations. I was selfish, my whole body burnt with jealousy. Watching them standing very close to him and conversing at a very close range was a distraction to me. I found it hard to believe there was nothing between them but a friendly meeting as I heard. I hated that she still had time to meet him, paying attention to his demands. What if she has him in mind, and she chooses him over me? That thought alone was enough to disorganized me. Even though the fault was mine, that we were in this triangle, I still felt betrayed. I had broken things off with Seraphina, not minding all I stood to gain just for Liora, a foolish and ungrateful part of me wanted her to accept me back immediately, to overlook all and get back with me. I was even shocked at my reasoning, when did I become so inhumane in thinking? What if Rhys was a better choice, a perfect choice for her? I need to do something. I looked away for a minute just to distract myself, but something brought my attention back to them. Liora was receiving something from Rhys. On closer inspection, I discovered that it was a gift, a finely crafted sword, maybe with her name inscribed on it. It was one of the best swords, only in the possession of nobles of the werewolf kingdom, something very rare to come by. It was a symbol, signifying something. I felt my anger building up. Rhys was intentional about his feelings; he wasn't just apologizing with words as I did; he was showing Liora a practical aspect of his apology. He didn't come with mere words, giving her empty promises that might not be convincing to her. But in my turn, I did the opposite, only offering promises, which may not mean anything to her. I was hiding in the woods, another show of love to her, trying to make sure she was safe, but all that may mean nothing to her. I need to top my game. Why hadn't I given it a thought of doing something unique like that? I had broken up with Seraphina, putting a lot at stake to be with Liora, but I'd never for a day shown her without words how far I could go to get her. I wasn't doing enough, I wasn't romantic. 'Kelsey," I whispered, facing my silly assistant who had, against my wish, accompanied me into the woods. He was everything but a serious wolf. He was just a few feet behind me, staring and smiling at the romantic scene before us. He was more concerned with the display in front of us than what brought us to the woods—to keep Liora safe. He blinked but still refused to face me as he was consumed in the moment. 'Yes, Alpha?" I paused, feeling awkward and a bit foolish about what would come out of my mouth next. 'I need your help, I need ideas… great ideas of what to give a woman you love. You know, a gift that would leave her speechless, something meaningful." Kelsey's eyes widened in excitement and confusion. 'You mean this… like you want a gift, Alpha?" 'Obviously, that's what I said, Kelsey," I murmured, trying hard not to lose my temper on you. 'Something that represents my heart, a symbol of my feelings, and my care for her. And it should not be a sword; I have many of them." Kelsey chuckled, and rubbing his chin affectionately, he looked at me more bewildered than ever. 'Well, uh, I guess something colorful... Something like flowers would do?" I was shocked; I stared at him, speechless. 'Flowers, really? She's a warrior, a warrior of Silver Moon Pack, and the best had, Kelsey, not some palace princess, surrounded by maids and knights in shining armor." Kelsey nodded, trying hard to come up with something better. 'Right, right, just the right idea! How about something with a good smell… Yes, chocolate? Or something nice like… cloak?" I sighed in frustration. 'Why chocolate? And then, a cloak? Is that the best your brain could provide?" Kelsey looked genuinely lost, the task was cracking his little brain and stressing him out. Scratching the back of his empty head, he continued. 'I mean, Alpha, I'm nothing close to being romantic. But maybe… a good bottle of wine? Or a small new shield? They are all practical gifts, and I heard that women appreciate practical gifts." I shook my head in disappointment. Kelsey was more of a problem than an assistant; I couldn't recall how our paths crossed again. 'Forget that I ever asked," I muttered disappointed. 'I'll come up with something befitting." Meanwhile, Rhys, my opponent, was busy standing with the woman after my heart. He could still be apologizing, which I found unnecessarily long. He has spoken his mind through his gift; the best thing to do next was to find his way back to his pack; he needed not to stay away for so long from those he's ruling. The gift was indeed thoughtful of him; it was personal, and it described his emotions, though I hated to admit it. It says that k me, I have been wasting my time; I haven't been doing the right things. I tried to figure out what Liora could be thinking, but my efforts were useless. She was smiling, maybe at a joke that he told her, but on my last visit to her, she never smiled. I hoped helplessly that she wouldn't fall into the trap of Rhys. He was a two-edged sword, never trustworthy, as he betrayed my pack and followed the enemy to attack us. I need to act swiftly, if not, I would be pushing Liora to Rhys without him stressing himself. Most importantly, I need to warn Liora to let her know that Rhys is capable of hurting her, capable of breaking her and I don't want that for her. I'd made sure to protect her; her safety is my priority and I would arrive at nothing to ensure I protect her in my way. But on second thought, Liora wasn't just any other warrior; she was a seasoned and strong warrior, intelligent and capable of protecting herself and the entire pack. She deserves more, she deserves to be loved the right way, and that's what I would be showing her, bringing out just the best from her. 'Kelsey, we need to re-strategize; let's brainstorm and come up with great ideas, something real and relatable," I told him. 'Of course, that's great, brainstorming, that's great, Alpha," Kelsey replied, nodding as if he would be of help. 'Just that, I might be too busy to storm my brain for ideas, but do let me know when you think of what one." I shot him an angry look, rolling my eyes at his foolish jokes. But deep down, I knew I would get something if I worked harder. If I fold my hands, and do nothing, soon, I might lose Liora for good to a stranger. Thinking of the best place to get great ideas, my thoughts directed me to make use of one of the greatest assets of the pack, which happens to be the pack's ancient library. I wasn't exactly the type that fancy books; my kind of Alpha isn't the regular kind; those who put much effort in learning from blueprints; I believe in practicals. Other Alphas bury themselves in getting knowledge from their libraries, but I never paid attention to such things. But I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I was thankful that my ego allowed me to invest in myself. It wasn't entirely a bad idea to invest in knowledge as it gives inspiration, guidance, and laid down principles with a proven record of authenticity. If I was going to succeed in getting Liora back, I must unlearn, and relearn some things. I need to follow the old pattern; maybe it might touch her. I had grown so tough that ordinary things didn't shake her again. If I must win her over, I need to climb mountains and high heels for her. As I entered the old and musty room, I was welcomed by the scent of aged papers, dust filled everywhere, suffocating my breath due to lack of enough ventilation. I'm very much aware that this part of the pack has been neglected for a long time now, and my visit to it was impromptu, if not, I would have ordered for it to be cleaned. My mission was urgent and needed to be taken care of with immediate effect, hence my coming to this place. The shelves were a beautiful sight to behold, even in their dusty form. It contains books, lots of books that hold historical records. It was knowledge and information obtained from old times. It was one of the ways that our ancestors communicated their minds to us. I looked, and I noticed all the books were talking about the same things; it harbored books about the werewolf race, our warriors, how the leaders led, and finally, how to woo a lover. 'Kelsey, if I ever complain of getting tired, simply remind me of what I would be losing at the end. Liora would go to another man." I said to him knowing that he wouldn't stay without pushing me.