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"Oh no, I should go after her." Valerie was about to chase after Raven when Alpha Denzel stopped her.

Being a nursing mother, no one knew when Denver would start bawling for her. The pup could really suck and therefore needed his mother close to him all the time until he begins to take in solids.

"Let me handle it." Alpha Denzel gave Denver to Valerie and chased after Raven. The party went from excited to sad, and Ludwig felt at a loss, not knowing what to do.

All he wanted was the chance to make his mate happy, but it seemed to him that his mate did not like him, and since he did not know her much, he was confused as to what to do.

She had not outrightly rejected him, so that was a good thing. Perhaps, she only needed time to come to terms with the fact that they were mates.

Alpha Denzel was amazed by how far Raven had gone within the short time when he began to chase after her. Those legs must really be fast, thanks to all his training, or she was just too upset.

When he finally saw her image in the dark, he was certain to have caught up to her and roared in his Alpha tone. "STOP!"

Raven stopped immediately, and her legs wobbled from fear as she turned around and sat on the floor.

She sounded miserable. "Alpha, I don’t want to go. Can’t I stay here? I can reject him."

Alpha Denzel walked towards her and extended his hand to her. When she grabbed it, he ordered, "let’s walk."

Raven obeyed, and they walked through the pack, under the street lights. Everyone was at the party except a few warriors stationed to ensure the security of the pack.

"Do you hate your mate?" Alpha Denzel suddenly stopped and asked. Raven thought carefully, and strangely, she was still wearing that jade necklace Alpha Ludwig gave her.

Right now, her emotions were all over the place, but she was seeing things clearly as well.

"Alpha, you knew he was my mate, so why didn’t you tell me?"

Everything began to make sense to her. Alpha Denzel and Luna Valerie’s behaviors over the last few days, including that of Alice and Burke.

They knew she was going to leave, and it saddened them. She thought they weren’t happy for her, but it turned out they were just as miserable by then as she was now.

If only her mate was not an Alpha, she would have convinced him to join her pack instead.

Alpha Denzel addressed her accusation calmly. "You didn’t grow up in the pack, so I have to explain it to you. No one is supposed to tell the other they are mates, even if one recognizes the bond."

"It could result in chaos. Assuming I or Alpha Ludwig had told you, you could have rejected him because you weren’t feeling the bond, and that could bring severe consequences," he explained.

Seeing her confused expression, he explained it further. "Then again, if you reject him now, you shall never have a second chance mate because he did nothing against you."

Fear shone in Raven’s eyes at Alpha Denzel’s last words. She wanted to have a mate and have an amazing pup like Denver in the future but only wished that her mate was a member of the Evergreen Pack.

"But I don’t want to go," Raven cried. "This is my home. I want to stay here."

Alpha Denzel was moved but explained to her softly. "We don’t determine where we want to be. Only the moon goddess does."

Raven did not agree with him and challenged, though in a respectful way.

"But you stood for your destiny. You never agreed with everything the moon goddess gave you."

Alpha Denzel let out a frustrated sigh but was not upset. Raven was one of those he went very hard on because of the future ahead of her.

However, she was also among the few who tasted his softness and complete trust.

"Raven, everything I did was for my mate. When I rejected her, it was to protect her, and when the moon goddess wanted to take her from me, I had to fight for her. If you reject Ludwig, then you are being selfish," he said honestly.

He didn’t like the idea at first, but Ludwig proved himself worthy.

"But it’s because I want to help this pack," Raven insisted. Alpha Denzel shook his head.

"The Black Fur Pack needs you, or the moon goddess would not have made this match. Ever since Ludwig told me you were his mate, I tried to make it difficult for him. I gave him tasks, hoping he won’t be able to accomplish them, so I could leverage on it to keep you here, but guess what?"

"What?" Raven asked, stunned by the revelation. With the way Alpha Denzel was insisting on her accepting her mate, she had no idea he had done all that for her.

"He performed beyond my imagination, and that only means one thing."

"What is that?" Raven asked, too shocked to say anymore.

"That he loves you. He became a better person because of you, and I hope that you also do your part to make him reap the reward of every sacrifice he made for you."

Raven recalled all the work in progress projects she saw at the Black Fur pack and the way Alpha Denzel seemed to be in control of it.

It never occurred to her that it was all because of her. "I never thought about ever starting over. I thought I would be mated to someone like Gandolf or any of the warriors, so I could remain here."

Alpha Denzel was moved, but the right thing had to be done. "That did not happen. You are destined to be a Luna, so let me ask you one last time. Do you love your mate or not?"

If despite feeling the mate bond, she felt no attraction or love for her mate, then she will have a good reason to reject Alpha Ludwig, though Alpha Denzel was hoping for something different.

’Don’t. You can’t reject our mate,’ her wolf screamed in her mind. She was frustrated.

"My wolf is messing with my mind," she said honestly. Alpha Denzel insisted.

"Be true to yourself, Raven, do you love him or not?"