After the Mating Ball, Ryker was determined to return to his pack land and go on with his life. Yet, it's been days, and he hasn't been able to have a single good night rest. As a matter of fact, he has been dreaming about her.

Mary Elizabeth Carter—a paragon of sensuality but a complete disturbance to Ryker's state of mind. God damn, Ryker didn't want to like anything about her but he did. The female was bold--shameless to had approached him.

He should be used to it by now. Females constantly throw themselves at him because of his ranking status, his wallet size, and the amount of power he holds. They didn't care if he was a psychopath, sociopath, or some kind of fucked up narcissistic asshole. They didn't care because he wasn't born into his rank but fought his way to his position.

He learned his lesson when he fell in love years ago to a female he thought loved him but got his heartbroken. He swore to himself that never again would he allow himself to feel those feelings.

Yet when he felt the warm press of a feminine body pressed against his---all he could do was think about driving himself deep inside of her. He could argue that it had been two years since he had experienced a soft willing and curvy body pressed against his but it wasn't just that. There was something about her that kept him furious but desiring.

His eyes wandered back to the picture of Mary staring back at him. Logged into the Classification as a low ranking female wolf. She has no achievements within or outside of her pack. Her parents have passed away, but she has one brother who was an enforcer for the Solomon pack.

His eyes swept past her date of birth, newly turned twenty-five years old and unmated. A total of seven years' difference between them. Immediately, he knew she was seeking him for a mating prospect. He couldn't think of why else she would step inside a dark room and kissed a stranger.

But why did she run away when she heard someone come into the room? Didn't she want to get caught?

Unable to think any further and angry that she was entering his thoughts even while awake, he slammed the laptop closed. Abraham looked up from the file he was reading, unfazed with his brother's antics.

"Are the statements showing fraudulent charges?" he asked.

Ryker stood up from his seat and walked over to his office window. He took in the evergreen forests and mountains before him. They lived far from the city but still have a brawny hand in the investment industry in the city. It was their main financial resource. They used what investments to maintain their land.

Once in a while, Ryker or Abraham would step out of the territory to resolve investment issues or establish new investments. The rest of the pack members either work for Ryker or own their own kind of income. It generated a good economic cycle within the pack. As their leader, he could help those supported by the pack on internal and external matters.

"Or could it be the female scent I smelled when I found you in that dark room during the Mating Ball?" Abraham prodded further.

Ryker turned to glare at his brother. The two brothers were three years apart. Yet the two have a similar resemblance that if apart, no one could tell the difference between the two.

"Your nose is off. Might want to get that checked," Ryker replied, moving back to sit in his seat.

He picked up the file and stared blindly at the numbers he was reading. Irritation was rolling off of him in waves, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"My nose can smell a female scent perfectly," he smirked, setting down his own folder on Ryker's desk.

Abraham leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest to eye Ryker's mysterious shift in mood with a silent observation. Between the two brothers, Ryker was one who did not trust easily with females.

"It's nothing," Ryker muttered.

Abraham didn't look like he believed Ryker one bit. He knew that his brother wasn't alone in the room. When he had told his brother to meet him outside the room to talk about Samuel, he had heard the soft click of an adjoining door.

"You know that the Mating Ball is a hunting ground for females. Did you really think that by escaping to a dark room would be safe for you?" Abraham chided Ryker jokingly.

"I needed some air," Ryker replied, still glowering at Abraham.

Abraham gave in a little to his brother. Standing up from his chair, he walked around Ryker's desk to stand next to him. He lifted the laptop screen. It flickered back on and his eyes scanned the file that Ryker was reviewing.

"She doesn't look that bad," Abraham looked Mary's picture over. "But then she isn't what I would exactly call beautiful."

Ryker couldn't understand why Abraham's words irritated him. His eyes snapped to his brother, who took a cautious step back. He chuckled before making his way back around the desk to sit in his chair again.

"She is from Ivan Solomon's pack," Ryker said.

"Solomon? Isn't he the one that recently asked for a mating alliance between his little sister and you?" Abraham inquired with renewed interest.

Ryker nodded in response. It was true. Ivan approached him at the Mating Ball regarding a mating prospect between his sister and him. In Ryker's opinion, he knew why Ivan was seeking for an alliance. Over the years, the Stonewall pack has flourished in wealth and land. Their pack size was slowly growing.

"His sister is pretty," Abraham added, looking at him expectantly.

Ryker recalled glimpsing her at the Mating Ball. Indeed, she was pretty. Many males had asked her to dance, but the female was barely twenty. She was too young for Ryker.

"And?" Ryker nearly growled his reply.

"And you told him no," Abraham said with a heavy sigh. Leaning back in his seat, he crossed his arms over his chest. "You are turning thirty-three soon, brother. I think it is about time you find yourself a mate. I think visiting the Solomon pack would be an impressive start in looking for one."

"If I don't have an heir, I still have you to take over the pack," Ryker added.

Abraham snorted because they both knew he wanted nothing to do with the Alpha title. He will accept the Beta title, but the Alpha title involved too many responsibilities.

Ryker looked at the picture on his laptop screen once more. Contemplating the many reasons he shouldn't go to the Solomon pack, but realizing quickly that he wouldn't mind seeing Mary again. Would she own up to what she did? He wanted to see her reaction.

With that in mind, he nodded his head in agreement.

"I think you're right, Abe. We should visit the Solomon pack. Start looking at mating prospects or at the very least see what resources that the Solomon pack has to offer to establish an alliance," Ryker completed.

Exactly three days later, after agreeing to Ivan's invitation, Ryker and Abraham left their pack territory with a few enforcers. They arrived in Solomon's territory in half a day, running in their wolf form.

The Solomon's territory was mostly a flat, planed territory. There were hills, but no mountains. They had pleasant valley and rivers and harvesting locations. It didn't look at all that bad. As packs that live in a more secluded area, the air around the area was a lot more clean. There was a crispness to it that Ryker found comforting. City packs are more highly advanced. They work amongst humans and are highly innovative with their technology. Learning to drive rather than run.

Ivan greeted them at the border before directing them to his home. Sitting in Ivan's office was inside Solomon's mansion, Ivan's facial expression revealed how happy he was that Ryker had accepted his invitation.

"I'm glad you accepted my invitation. You wouldn't believe how happy my sister was when she heard you would be here," Ivan grinned.

Somehow Ryker found that hard to believe because, at the Mating Ball, Ivan's sister did not look at him with any interest. With the number of years between them, it would be hard for her to find interest, but it wasn't because Ryker wasn't a solid male himself.

Ryker was still young and robust, but with a young female wolf like Lily, they had no similar interest in anything.

"To be honest, I am not here because of your sister, Ivan," Ryker replied.

"W-what? I thought..." his voice dropped with confusion.

"You thought your young sister, and I had a connection at the Mating Ball? Quite the opposite. Don't get me wrong, she's a pretty female wolf, but she is too young Ivan," Ryker told him.

Ivan looked flustered. His face turning red with embarrassment. The young Alpha was about Abraham's age. Abraham chuckled to release the tension.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed, Ivan. Ryker would still like to look into an alliance with you. We are just here to observe your territory management and pack resources," Abraham assured him.

Ivan breathed a sigh of relief, almost afraid that he would lose this secured alliance between them. Nodding his head, he waved his hand in front of them.

"I am glad to hear. I would be happy to show you around my pack," he added.

"Actually, if you don't mind I would like to meet your pack members first," Ryker pushed further with a hidden ulterior motive.

"My pack members?" Ivan questioned not catching onto Ryker's request.

"Some of my enforcers that came with me today are not yet mated, my brother included. It would be nice to create a relationship amongst our pack members," Ryker lied smoothly.

"Oh, that's right. Splendid idea, actually," Ivan chuckled. "I'll have my Beta send out notices to everyone to meet and greet you this afternoon."

Ryker wanted to push further. The afternoon was hours away. If he was to have it his way, he would demand them to show their presence now. Honestly, he wasn't interested in anybody else. He was more interested in Mary. While Ivan prattled on about pack matters, Ryker wondered if Mary would be in the group of people who would be here to greet him.