Logan walked into his room and slammed the door, raking his fingers through his ponytail in rage. He growled and fisted his hands, pacing the room as he tried to keep his anger in check. He had always thought he was a master of his emotions until this white wolf came along. How could one person make him feel rage and love at the same time?

He couldn't really explain the feelings he felt when he was around her. She was doubleweight annoying, yet appealing as hell. He had thought she was attracted to him too; their brief meeting in the clinic had made him believe so. She had stared into his eyes with those big brown eyes of hers and he'd thought he saw his feelings mirrored in them, but maybe all that was a facade. Her behavior and reaction to him today in the dining room were making him doubt it. He had honestly never met another woman who made him feel such conflicting emotions before.

He growled in defiance as his body reacted to thinking about her again, and began to pace the room even more frantically. And yet, with all of this, he found himself thinking almost all the time about her. She seemed to have taken over his thought process, and since he had seen her in the snow, he'd found his mind going to her more times than he wanted to admit.

I told you. His wolf spoke up. She's your mate, Logan. Trying to stay away from her and denying what you feel for her won't do you any good. You need to accept that you both are bound together for life now.

"She's not," Logan said through gritted teeth "My mate."

Yeah, keep wishing. His wolf scoffed. You imprinted on her and you can't deny it. The sooner you accept that you cannot stay away from her the better. 

"I'll find out who she is and what she's about very soon. Then we would not be having this conversation anymore. It would not matter if she was my mate or not." Logan replied, "We would finally put an end to all of this."

Don't! His wolf protested. Don't even think about harming her. It would only cause you pain, Logan. See what losing a mate did to your father. You would be scarred for life.

"Exactly!" Logan countered "See what it did to my father. See how it broke him. Which is the more reason why I should end her and end this as soon as possible."

Do not harm her. His wolf threatened.

"I will do as I damn well please, wolf. And you better start getting used to that!" He yelled as the door to his room creaked open.

He turned around in surprise and saw that it was only his beta. Casper walked in cautiously, reading the alpha's face to see if he was still mad about the incident.

"I'm sorry, alpha." He said, closing the door behind him. "My apologies for disrupting your... monologue."

"It's fine, Casper. Come on in." Logan replied.

Casper walked towards the alpha and saw that his face was troubled. He had an inkling of what was troubling Logan but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he placed a concerned hand on the alpha's shoulder.

"Alpha, what's wrong?" Casper asked.

"Nothing. It's really nothing, Casper."

"Logan, talk to me." Casper urged and Logan looked up in surprise. His beta rarely called him by his name since they became alpha and beta. Usually, when he did call him by name it was because of a matter of concern. 

"Did this have anything to do with the white wolf? Was it because of my going behind you and inviting her to the pack house?" Casper asked.

That was not particularly the issue on Logan's mind but he seized the opportunity.

"Yes, I guess." He said hastily. "You didn't have to do that, Casper. Why did you have to invite her to the pack house? I really did not want her anywhere around me."

Casper let his hand slide down from the alpha's shoulder "Why? I never got the impression that she offended you in any way. In fact, that time in the dining room was the first time I would see the both of you meet."

Logan closed his eyes as he tried to control his rage "She is a pesky little wolf with all the stubbornness of a bull. She is rebellious, defies my authority, and deserves nothing but harsh treatment if she keeps up with that behavior."

Casper frowned "And you knew all that through one meeting with her?"

Logan glared at his beta "Yes. You have a problem with that?"

"I'm sorry." Casper looked at him with questions in his eyes. "Your outburst though. Was it because of the fact that I brought her into the pack house or because of something else?"

Logan frowned "What do you mean, something else? Why would there be something else?"

"I mean, I have seriously never seen a wolf of the female gender get under your skin like that." Casper continued, smirking "It's almost like you're attracted to her or something. Are you, though?"

"I am not." Logan gritted his teeth and walked away from Casper, facing the opposite wall. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. With the rogue attacks and everything..."

"Are you really sure?" Casper asked again. The alpha could detect the slight teasing in his voice. He turned away from the wall and faced his beta "Are you questioning my answer, Casper?"

"No, no." Casper quickly said, raising his hands in surrender. His eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Just saying, you've been practically nonchalant about the female gender till this white wolf came along. In fact, you've repeatedly made it known that you don't want a mate, even though the members of the pack have been clamouring for a Luna. So, seeing you suddenly throw all your beliefs away the moment this new wolf stepped into the picture is raising some eyebrows, mine included."

Logan walked forward till he was face to face with Casper

"I am not throwing my beliefs away. I still stand by them. I do not want a mate."

"That hasn't changed, I know. But..."

"But what?" Logan demanded; his eyes narrowed.

Casper stared at his Alpha eye to eye and asked him the dreaded question. "Logan, is she your mate?"