4

The day Harlow turned fully one, was the day she start saying her first word, which was no.

"No," Harlow said, walking away from Gore as he tried to put on her clothes.

"Come now, little one," he walked after her.

She laughed, trying to walk faster, "no, no."

He grabbed Harlow to lift her in the air.

Gore span her around, "yes, yes" he told her, "you have to get dressed."

As he said it, Harlow start peeing on him.

"See what I mean," Gore held her off his body.

"No."

Gore had a hard time trying to put her shirt over her head, because she kept turning away.

"No," she said.

Gore finally got her dressed, then brought her downstairs for breakfast.

"No, no, no." Harlow shook her head on the way there.

"Come on, Harlow," Gore said as he tried to feed her cereal.

"No," she said, but open her mouth anyway.

"Hey Har, can I get some?" Derek asked, already knowing that the only answer was no, but he couldn't resist.

"No," the baby said.

She smiled at Derek, having only finally warmed up to him, but she only allowed him close when she wanted someone to play with.

Harlow made airplane sounds, then opened her mouth for another spoonful.

"Good girl," Gore wiped her face, then head off to find Gloria.

"Please be careful," Gloria told her son.

"Aren't I ever?" Gore smirked.

He and the pack fighters had yet another rescue to make. His hopes were not so high about finding his mate this time.

If he wasn't the Alpha, he would have just stayed home to play with Harlow, but he had to be on the front line of things.

Gore kissed the top of Harlow's head before leaving.

****

"I don't trust this," Khalid said, as they walked up the snowy hill just outside a Vampire's Lore.

(Khalid is Alexis' mate and Derek's best friend.)

Gore didn't like it either. He had the feeling of being watched and was waiting for an ambush.

The snow fell again, but it didn't bother them, especially not Gore, because he picked up on a scent he was sure belonged to his mate.

"Over there." Someone pointed to where a female with long, ratty pink-hair had her head down and was tied to a pole. Her lanky body shivered from the cold, while her tan skin was covered in cuts and bruises.

A growl escaped Gore's lips, which caused the female's head to snap up, revealing a blistered narrow face, dull yellow eyes and an up-turned nose that had frost bite. Gore wasn't expecting to see a beauty queen, but he didn't expect that someone average looking might be his mate either.

The witch mumbled something that sounded like a spell. Gore shook his head to get over the fogginess from his mind. He now saw the female in a new light, fully recognising her as his mate. Feeling bad for having the thoughts he had.

'Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.' He told himself.

"A witch?" Someone mindlinked.

"My mate," Gore replied loudly, making it knew to them to not hurt the woman before them.

"Luna?"

"Luna?"

"Luna?"

They all questioned.

But Gore was busy taking deep breaths. Enjoying the intoxicating scent of the mate he just found.

"Are you ok?" Gore asked.

The witch shook her head.

"I am naked and chain to a pole. So no." Her cracked lips trembled.

Gore ripped the chains off with no hesitation. He hated seeing his mate like that, being treated like an animal and left for death.

She fell into his arms instantly, crying and shivering.

"Hush now, I got you," Gore cooed.

He pulled off his shirt, placing it over her head, then lift her up.

"Let's move out," The Alpha ordered. "You three take up the back. Derek on my left."

"This was way too easy," Derek said, as he and the other followed instructions.

He kept looking over his shoulders, feeling uneasy, but his brother ignored him. Because all he cared about now was to get his mate to safety.

With one glance over his shoulder, Derek saw a dark shadow moving away from a window. But he thought nothing of it, seeing that they didn't come under attack.

As soon as Gore got home, he took the witch to the clinic so she can get taken care of.

Will

get in here! He linked to the pack's doctor. In no time, the pack doctor was before him.

"Mild hyperthermia, dehydration and a few cracked ribs.'' Will said, all he did was look at the female to know the exact condition she was in.

"I think some wolf nectar can help to heal her." The doctor suggested.

"What? Let's only for wolves. Are you trying to kill her?" Gore snarled.

"Relax. If given in small portions at different intervals, she will be as good as new. And remember, I have only worked on sick wolves, never witches. But I'm sure the nectar will make her better."

Gore nodded, trusting the doctor's judgment.

It took two hours after a few nectar shots for the witch to wake up.

Gore never left her side, because his wolf wouldn't let him. So his concerned face was the first thing she saw after opening her eyes.

"Where am I?" The tried to sit up, but Gore pushed her back down gently.

"My name is Gore. You are in Grindavik, my pack. You are safe here," he told her.

The witch looked up at him. Her eyes seemed to darken. "Take your hands off me!"

Gore held up his hands, backing away, "I'm sorry, I was concerned about you, your health and safety."

Something flashed in the witch pinkish colour eyes. "I'm sorry, they have tied me to a pole for days."

Gore nod his head in understanding, "are you hungry?"

"Very."

Gore removed the covering before a bowl to reveal soup.

"I don't eat meat," she said, after seeing the small cubes of chicken in the soup.

(Witches, good or bad, don't eat meat. They practically worshipped animals.)

"Of course." Gore gave an apologetic smile.

Karina walked in shortly after with some vegetables and fruits, and Harlow in tow.

"No," she walking over to Gore.

He picked her up, then ruffled her hair.

"You look different," he noted, while playing in her hair, that was now down to her shoulders.

He studied Harlow's features, thinking that she didn't look like that a week ago.

"Is she yours?" The witch asked.

"I guess." Gore didn't know how to explain what the child was to him.

"Well, she's lucky to have you. I never knew my family." The witch held her head low.

"What's her name?" She asked after, then tried to reach for Harlow, which caused the child to hiss.

Gore looked down at her, then at Karina, who was leaning on the door frame with a surprised look on her face. Neither of them had never heard her do something like that before.

"She doesn't seem to like me." The witch gave a little laugh.

Karina was still leaning on the doorpost, even though glad that her brother had found his mate, but she found that there was something off about her.

"I will leave you three to get acquainted," Karina said before leaving the room.

"She's cute," the witch smiled.

Gore nod his head, agreeing with the witch.

"She is also a handful."

There was silence until Gore said.

"I will leave you to get some rest."

Before Gore could get up, Harlow somehow made an image for only him to see.

He never knew she could do that either, but what the image showed shocked him more.

Gore called an emergency meeting after the image in his mind faded.

He was looking down at Harlow as he went to his office, not able to phantom how a child her age could do such thing.