#13

As Snow drove, Sable sat beside him, looking around as trees and other vehicles zoomed by. She was unsure of how to talk to him, so she kept quiet. She didn't want to see his mother give her another look, so she rejected his offer of saying goodbye. She held onto the plan of running from Snow though, knowing what she might tell him might do it for his patience. But, she focused on how he glanced at her once in a while, at the way his hand would find hers and squeeze gently. She focused on how soft his eyes were whenever she met them, at how soft his voice was whenever he spoke. She focused on how he stayed close.

It was three days since they left Snow's pack and he didn't ask her any questions regarding her near death. She knew he was dying to know, but he waited for her, and she was grateful. Sable also was grateful for how Snow kept others away. Especially males. She didn't want to be near them, however restaurants and hotels were full of them. But Snow kept her safe, kept her close.

Now, they turned off onto a dirt road which was familiar to her. She sat up in her seat and looked around, anxious and excited: anxious to see her alpha who supposedly had a hand in her capture, and excited to see her father. Snow held an arm out before her and pushed her back gently, right as a large pot hole made her fly forward. "Sit back, Sable. It's dangerous to sit so far forward. You could hit your head on the wind shield."

"How much further?" she asked softly.

"Five minutes." He glanced at her then said, "Sable, I know you want to see your father, but I need you to listen to me until I make sure everything is safe. I don't want to lose you or find you alone with Kenyan."

"I just want my father."

"I know, and I will make sure you spend time with him, okay?" She nodded with a frown. He sighed. "I'm trying to protect you until the cameras are set up. Once those are up, and Inigo has an eye on you, everywhere, I want you with me at all times."

Sable didn't say anything until they were parked and he helped her out. She looked around, seeing most of the pack, but not her father. "Where is he? Snow? Where is he?"

He grabbed her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We'll see him soon, I'm sure. Just help me get through the greetings first, okay?"

She sighed but nodded. Snow greeted Kenyan politely, and Kenyan led them to their rooms, as in plural. Snow was about to argue, but Sable stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms, preventing Snow from moving forward. She said, "I stay with Snow."

Kenyan chuckled. "Sable, I don't think your father would be happy about those arrangements until you were fully mated."

Sable glared. "Same room, Alpha."

Snow put an arm around her and chuckled. "If her father had any objections, Kenyan, he should have said something when he came to visit. We've slept in the same bed since we met."

Kenyan's face grew enraged for a moment before smiling pleasantly. "Of course. Follow me."

Once they were in their room, Snow grabbed his phone and called Inigo. "Are we on?"

"Yup! I see everything you two do."

"I'm going to let out the bugs then."

"Set them on the window sill and I'll direct them to their positions. Also, one will follow Sable wherever she goes."

"Good." Snow hung up and looked to where his mate was frowning up at a camera in the corner of the room. Snow growled. "That's not Inigo's."

"It's the alpha's," she said softly. "I thought it was high tech, but Inigo has better."

Snow chuckled and grabbed a chair. "Don't tell him that." He grabbed the camera and ripped it from its wires in the wall, then crushed the metal in his hand. "You'll have him gloating to the whole pack for months."

Sable smiled, but turned away. "Alpha is going to be mad you took that out."

"What is he going to do?"

"Either try to punish you or replace it."

Snow narrowed his eyes. "If he tries to do either, I won't wait for proof. I'll rip his throat out where he stands."

Sable shrugged and sat on the bed, scowled. "Can we walk around? i don't like these rooms."

Sighing, Snow nodded. Sable grabbed his hand and led him out into the fresh air. Immediately, younger pack members came to greet Sable, who knew a few of them because she was relaxed. Snow let her be, watching for any sign of tension in her body or any kind of malicious intent in the others. But all went well and she grabbed his hand again and continued on. They were stopped a few more times until they were in the forest.

Snow was looking around, sensing they were west of the territory. Sable was leisurely walking beside him, a soft smile on her face while he stopped every now and then to insert a camera in a tree. She paid him no mind, but stayed close. Snow always kept an eye out for others who came close. But none did this far out. The pack seemed to stay in the main area where the houses and other buildings were.

"Does anyone come out here?" he asked her as they walked some more.

"Patrol, but only at certain times of the day."

"Why not the rest?"

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "It's just something the pack doesn't do."

"You don't have pack runs?"

"No."

"Games?"

She gave him a grin. "Snow, the games here aren't like the games Rudi and Anju like."

He raised a brow. "You were really good with their game, Sable. I watched you fight Noreen."

"I was feral," she said, looking away with a frown. "I could have killed someone."

"But you didn't," Snow pointed out. "You had control."

Sable stopped in her tracks and stared at the ground. "By the time I got to Noreen, I wanted to kill something, someone."

"That's fine," he assured. "I was ready to kill Rudi too!"

Sable shook her head. "I'm serious, Snow."

He made her look at him with a finger under her chin. "So am I. I am also serious when I say that there is no other female who I would accept, no other female who makes me feel alive as you do." He saw doubt in her eyes, saw how she wanted to argue with him, saw how she wanted to run away. He said, "Whatever you saw, Sable, it was not because of you. Whatever you believe of my feelings for you since then, those are not true. I don't care what others say about me, you talk to me first and get my confirmation before deciding someone else is correct."

She opened and closed her mouth several times before finding her voice. "Why were you crying in your mother's arms?"

"Because I didn't understand how my wolf could have your trust so completely and I don't, even though we're one. I didn't understand what I was doing wrong that you believed I was less than my wolf. I want to be the best for you, thought I was. But you don't trust me like you do my wolf. And it frustrated me to the point my wolf and I were fighting. I was crying because I believed I was hurting you somehow and couldn't figure out how."

Sable was silent, her mouth slightly open as she stared up at him. Then she ducked her head, but Snow saw the blush on her cheeks. Softly, she explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, Snow. I do. I trust both you and your wolf equally. But it is White Wolf who I saw first, white wolf who I would forever trust more than any other because I know he would not harm me."

"But what about me?" Snow asked. "Do you believe I would harm you? Are you that afraid of me?"

"I was," she admitted. "As time came and went and you were acting like him, I got less afraid of you. As you showed me around the den, then helped me with Dr. Nathan, I was sure you are like White Wolf in many ways." She paused and met his eyes. "But you and him aren't the same."

"How?"

She stepped back, caution entering her gaze now. "Snow-"

"I won't hurt you, Sable." He put his hands up, took a step back. "I just want to know so i can understand."

Sable was quiet for a while, then said, "White Wolf is just that: wolf. You aren't. I feel safe around wolves more than humans." She paused, then winced, taking a few steps back. "I'm sorry! I trust you, but..."

"Because of your capture?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

"What will it take for you to trust me as human as much as my wolf?"

Hope shone in her eyes now as she looked at him, and he saw her body relax. "Keep me safe, like you have been?"

He held out his hand, a smile on his lips. "No need to ask twice, Brave Heart."

She smiled back and went over, taking his hand. He sensed rather than felt her relief and happiness. So he didn't ask who warned her away from him. Instead, he asked her about the pack and it's territory, asked her about information about hiding places and where the alpha spends most of his time. After, they played , running around and laughing while the sun began to set in the sky.

When they returned for dinner, Richard was right outside the main den area, talking to another male. Sable brightened further, but waited until her father was finished and the other male had walked away. Finally, Snow let her run into her father's arms with a squeal of happiness.

They went to dinner and Sable stayed close to Snow, but continued talking to her father hurriedly, as if their time was short. And Snow thought perhaps she was right, because Kenyan ordered Richard to go on patrol. Richard looked longingly at the food as Sable slumped in sadness. Snow narrowed his eyes on the alpha, but said nothing as Richard did as ordered. Tears were in Sable's eyes when they sat down and Snow hugged her, whispering into her ear, "We'll sneak away later to see him. Until then, act like nothing is wrong. Besides, I have a plan so you and your father will spend a lot of time together soon."

Sable nodded and began to eat. She spoke to no one except her friends while Snow eyed each pack member, especially Kenyan and his close circle. After dinner, Snow snuck food into a sack and began to take Sable to their room, but A large male with dreadlocks stepped in their path, his black eyes on the bag in Snow's hand. "No food is allowed outside the dining room."

"I get hungry during the night," Snow lied smoothly. "Besides, it's just a couple rolls and some cheese. I'm sure you won't even miss them."

"No food outside this room."

Sable edged behind Snow, seeming scared. Snow sighed and threw the bag to the ground, then smiled at the male. "Happy?"

The male grunted and watched as they left. Snow also kept an eye on the male and grinned when the male forgot to grab the bag of food. He and Sable went to their room and Sable nearly backed into him as she stared up at a corner of the room. He looked and saw another camera. Snow chuckled. "Kenyan is persistent, I'll give him that."

"Snow..."

He grabbed a chair and started to stand on it so he could take the camera off the wall.

"Snow!"

He looked at her. "What?"

"Don't touch it!" she cried.

"Why not?"

She gestured for him to move away and he did. Confused, he watched her find a rock then move back near the door again. She threw the rock and it was dust when it hit the camera. Snow blinked. "It's wired so that you'll be electrocuted if you touch it."

"I see," he said slowly and moved towards her, eyes on the camera. "No way around it?"

She wrapped her arms around him. "I don't know."

"Well, forest it is then!" he said with a smile. "I didn't like this room anyways!"

Sable smiled and they gathered their stuff and left the room and it's camera that kills.

Once they were within the safety of the trees, Snow slowed his pace and got out his phone. "Inigo, we have a problem."