For some distance, the ride went smoothly as I saw the forest passing by. The night had almost blanketed the land of Adalolpha and the carriage made its way into the capital city, heading straight towards the castle. It was strange to ride a carriage in these times, but I enjoyed the feeling with the silence inside.

I suddenly felt Fang close the distance and sit closer to me. I glared at him, "what are you doing, there is plenty of room for you there." My head signalled for him to move. Instead, his hand raised to rest behind me over the backrest. I snapped and pushed his hand back to his side. "Move."

Fang tsked, "always irritated"

My hands folded over my chest, "and whose fault is that? You keep your distance and talk to me" At this point in time, I was unknowingly comfortable with Fang being around close. It did not make me uncomfortable, but he sure stepped on my nerves. Fang bent in front of me, over to the other side, searching for something at the side of the carriage. "What are you doing!" My heart hitched in my chest as I moved back in my seat.

If I could, I would merge into the seat and never come out of it. Fang was quick to get a bottle of water and get back up. But he did not go back to his previous place and stayed close to me drinking water calmly.

How I wished I could slap that bottle on his face.

His eyes shifted to me, and he offered a coy smile, extending the bottle ahead, "Need some?"

"No, thank you," I said, returning his coy smile. Fang shrugged and put the cap back on the bottle. He was about to bend again when I snatched the bottle out of his hand, "Give that to me. And stop seeking every opportunity to come closer to me."

Fang held his hands up in defence, "Werewolf or not, a person needs water to survive"

I ignored his words and kept the bottle back in its place. There was no use in trying to push him away, as it would only result in him glueing to me. My attention was back towards the passing scenery when I saw the No-man's-land, which divided Waterwoods and Winterwells.

There were some very irritating memories of Fang here. But somewhere deep inside was a place where I had met Channing in his dying state.

It had barely been two weeks since that day and so many things had changed for me just because of that one incident. A few people turned by my side and a few held extreme hatred towards me. It wasn't exactly a good thing, but better than starting with a clean slate with everyone. A lot of things had turned in the favour of my mission since then.

"You should have come to Waterwoods," I heard Fang speak, and I turned to look at him with creased brows. He tilted his head to have a better look at my face, "If you had started your mission in Waterwoods, it would have taken me just one snap of my fingers to make the elders bend for you"

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers and I bought the 'seriously?' expression, looking at his hand and then at him. Like an Alpha can tell elders what to do. They were the Gammas of the village, werewolves of experience who had the last decision.

It only made me roll my eyes and shift my attention back outside when I remembered something.

I turned to face Fang again, "Where were you when Channing was attacked?"

He chuckled as knowing exactly where I was leading. "Not in Waterwoods, of course. Do you think I would have let that happen to Channing in my presence?"

I had figured that out late. There was a bond that Channing shared with Fang. Possibly because both of them were Warchilds and understood each other's position. "Where were you?"

Fang hummed as his lips twisted in thought, "possibly in the ministers' quarter. I am only in my Village half of the month, the rest I have to spend near the castle as the minister in the king's court" He turned back to me and leaned a little closer which had me shift back, even when there was no place, and cramp near the side of the carriage. But Fang being Fang closed even this much distance as his lips twisted, "Why do you ask, little one?"

My eyes shifted away from him as I spoke, "I have my doubts." I rested my palms against his chest.

"About who killed John?" Fang asked casually. "It wasn't me I told that, did I not. But you were right back when you had guessed that I was trying to protect the killer or was one." One of his hands went around my waist and my body hiccuped, startled by his touch. Fang pulled me closer on the seat. "Sit comfortably, I won't eat you"

My hand held onto his wrist and pulled his hand away from my waist. "You make it tough to be comfortable" my voice came low as I felt the intimate distance. Fang let go with no resistance, with his wicked smile surfacing back.

"I haven't done anything yet, little one, and look at the colour rising on your face." It satisfied Fang with what he was doing to me. My cheek got warm, but that was because of the sudden touch and the intimacy that was shared, not because I had some feelings for this senseless person. His hand came up again as he let his fingers play over the necklace I was wearing. Circling and tracing it as his eyes trailed from my lips to my neck and lower, "You were saying?"

The air in the carriage had changed in an instance. Fang had messed with me many times before, coming close and holding me close. But this was different.

It was like those times he was just fooling around while right now he was trying to seduce me and I did not understand how to react. If I pushed Fang away now, no one knew what he might do, as he won't take his distance. I gulped as I felt my breath stop and tried to take the topic back to where it was previously. "I-I was asking about who killed John"

Fang shifted his eyes back to mine. The smile wasn't there, but his dark eyes were sharp to observe every little reaction I was having when he lifted the neckpiece, the back of his fingers brushing against my skin.

He hummed and my body reverberated with his voice, "I did not kill John, it was someone else from Waterwoods."

"Why did you defend them with your name?" I rushed my words to keep my mind off of what Fang was doing. His lips pulled up as he let the neckpiece rest back in its place before running his finger over it for the last time.

Though his hand had left me alone, his eyes were doing their job of flowing into mine. Fang tilted his head and pulled up a charming smile, one that any girl would fall for. "If I took the blame, it was an Alpha defending his people as I had lost quite some pack members then. But if the other person was put ahead, he would have faced consequences" His words were so smooth as if he was a godly being who cared about others. Fang took his distance and looked outside and said,

"Look how the road went by quickly in each other's company. We have reached inside the Castle grounds. You must be feeling so nostalgic right now"