Derek just shrugged his shoulders at Shane’s question, while biting off his nails in deep thought. ‘Where could the little witch be?’ He thought interminably, not taking note of the abrasive looks on the faces of his two companions in the sitting room.

‘’Derek!’’ Shane shouted, getting pissed off already at the shade of aloofness he was seeing on his alpha’s face. He had noticed earlier, the tension between Derek and Clem since the human girl came around, but then he couldn’t understand, couldn’t pinpoint exactly, why the arrival of ‘she’ had to cause a rift between his two closest friends.  Although he was definitely happy that Derek had been thoroughly affected by a girl for the first time, he didn’t want it to be a cause of dispute between Clem and him. The pack didn’t need an alpha that is at loggerheads with his beta. They had to sort out their issues, whatever it is, now.

‘’Yeah, what is it?’’ Derek asked, still biting his nails intermittently. Taking a quick glance at Shane,  he couldn’t understand why his gamma was getting all worked up. His main priority was finding his little witch. He knew he wouldn’t be able to rest properly or talk well at the pack meeting, without having found out whether she was safe or not. The little witch really had him hooked.

 Turning away to face the white washed front door, he scratched his fore hair incessantly as if dig up ideas on how to teleport her to him. He glared at it also, like willing it to bring out Emma. His mind totally void of the earlier distraught looks of Shane.

Still looking at his alpha; but now in surprise, his mouth agape, Shane could tell what Derek was thinking about. The human girl. His alpha’s mind was totally not here. He turned around and looked at Leo who seemed to have the same look on his face; they both couldn’t understand their alpha’s fascination with the human girl.

‘’Could she be his mate?, He whispered to Leo, knowing fully well that Derek was so caught up in his thoughts that he wouldn’t pay attention to their conversation.

‘’No. No way. She can’t be. Our pack doesn’t need a human mate in this time of crises. You heard the information from the messenger sent by the white-sted pack two weeks ago; They want our territory!, in the disguise of expanding their shores. They want us to move, and you know fully well that we can’t. So irrevocably that’s war! Leo whisper-yelled, his blond eyebrows knitting in anger at the thought of his pack members becoming homeless or rogues at worse.

‘‘.. and you know his father won’t allow it. Claire is far more better as the luna, than the human girl.   She is stronger and faster. The human girl might be good in stunt, but this is our pack’s war, not child’s karate. She doesn’t even know about us; she might even flee at the sight of us .’’ He concluded, as he wiped his hands together on each other, throwing a bland glimpse at Derek.

‘’That’s true.’’ Shane affirmed. He totally agreed with Leo. Emma couldn’t and wasn’t a suitable mate for Derek. Running his slender fingers across his jaw which was coated with a week old strub of hair, he stood at ease, staring at Derek’s broad back.

‘’..spaced out.’’ He muttered to himself. ‘He should tap his friend again.’ He thought. The pack meeting would start in a few minutes. Taking a swift walk towards the door as a stalker, he tapped Derek on the shoulder gingerly.

‘’Yes..’’ Derek snapped, annoyed that his thoughts had been interrupted.

Shane scoffed at this action, but sighed tiredly in apology when Derek cut him a harsh glare.

‘’What’s going on between Clem and you?’’ He asked, after debating within himself whether the issue was worth incurring his alpha’s anger. The former won.

‘’Nothing.’’ Derek replied, feeling bored all of a sudden. ‘Why should he be concerned about that  betrayer.’ He thought. Clem wanted his mate, and he wasn’t going to allow that.

‘’He is your beta.. the war would soon start. I don’t think your father would be happy hearing or seeing you both at loggerheads.’’ Shane said, interrupting his thoughts.

‘’ Yeah, you’re right.. But why don’t you ask him the same question?’’ Derek said, his hands now at akimbo; totally oblivious of the fact that his stance was as that of a jealous housewife.

But Leo noticed, and laughed at the sight. His alpha was really whipped because of a human girl. Seems he would have to scare the human girl out of their territory before Derek loses focus. The pack didn’t need that now.

‘’There’s no need for that. It’s obvious that their misunderstanding stemmed from the arrival of the human girl.’’ He said.

‘’What girl?’’  Derek asked, feigning ignorance. He didn’t think that Leo might have noticed his attachment to the human girl  already.

‘’The human girl of course.’’ Leo replied.

‘’What human girl?’’ Derek asked still feigning ignorance, still facing the front door.

Leo scoffed, while Shane chucked mechanically. His alpha was really something.

‘’Emma.. Ask what Emma again..’’ Shane said, smirking.

‘’So, what about her?’’ Derek asked, turning towards them now. He took some steps, and took a seat on the fluffy sofa.

‘’What about her? It’s obvious that you and Clem like her. But I think you should let Clem have her. After all, you both will know your mate in a month time and it cannot be her. It’s not possible.  And we know you guys are just looking for play toys; so just let Clem have her, let him win, at least this once.’’ Shane said, hoping that Derek would agree.

But the thought of Emma with Clem pissed Derek so off, that he didn’t know when he uttered a growl.

Leo gasped. It seems he would really have to scare the human away. The pack needs Derek to be focused like never before. His father would soon be handing over to him, because of his failing health.

‘’Why should I let him have her?’’ Derek asked, still growling. His blue eyes getting darker at the thought of letting Emma go, His fingers sinking down strongly on the sofa, tearing of some of its seams in the process.

‘’Well, for one.. the pack doesn’t need a human Luna. C’mon Derek.. what can she do in the upcoming pack war? Secondly, your dad..’’ Shane said, touching Derek’s shoulder and squeezing it lightly, in a bid to calm him down.

So Derek calmed down. His gamma was right. He had to let go of Emma. It wouldn’t look good for her if he decides to mark her as his. He would have to make do with Claire.

‘’That’s right.’’ He muttered slowly. This conclusion brought a startling tearing pain to his heart, and he held himself from clutching his chest, as the pain doubled. He also wondered for a while why his wolf, Maru, was silent.

‘’Go talk to Clem, accept that he can have Emma.. We need you both at your best in the upcoming pack war.’’ Shane said, his hands still on Derek shoulder, as he made a light squeeze on it again. He felt sorry for his friend, but they couldn’t risk disunity between their leaders at the moment.

‘’Okay.’’ Derek said resignedly. He stood up and stalked off towards the direction that Clem had gone through earlier.

 ‘’But his beta was really something.’’ Derek thought. Why was he so interested in Emma. If human girls interest him that much, he should have waited till they started college next week. Why like Emma? Derek was pained, but he had to stifle it for the pack’s sake.

‘’Hey guys, I’m back.’’

Derek whirled around with an awesome speed as he heard Emma’s voice, a smile breaking out on his lips, unknown to him. Taking a rigid stance, he trailed his eyes all over her, from her deep red hair to her luscious pink lips, and for a minute, he forgot what he had decided to do concerning her.

‘’Hey nut heads, here’s the food.’’ Emma said, raising up her two hands; silently calling the attention of the guys to the packages dangling from her hands, her eyes zoning in on Derek who looked spaced out.

Shane cleared his throat, shaking his head at the pair. Taking the food from Emma, He dropped it on the centre table, and called out to Clem after beckoning on Leo with his eyes to join the feast.

‘’Clem, come on out.. Emma brought some food.’’ He said.

‘’But Emma, where did you get this food.’’ Leo asked, as he gurbled a sweet smelling pie down his throat, amazed at how the human could find her way around their pack already.

‘’Well, Melvina helped.’’ She replied.

Shane spitted out the orange juice he just drank, as he coughed intermittently. This human was really something, he thought.

‘’What did you just say?’’ Leo asked, his eyes bulging out in suprise.