I rushed back to my other comrades and met them half-way. With their forehead creasing, I stopped them. They all returned to their human form.

"Did you catch up with him?" asked Lieutenant Commander Lycan.

I shook my head. "I didn't. He was too fast," I lied. I caught up with him and even managed to speak with him. "How's Commander Bennett?" I asked, diverting the topic.

"He is alright. He didn't get any bruise," Commander Bricks answered. He approached me. "Are you alright? Why are you massaging your head?" he asked worriedly.

I smiled wryly. "I bumped my head to the culprit's jaw a while ago," I said as I kept on massaging my head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"We should head back, Simon, Walter."

"Yes, sir!" Walter and I said in unison.

We all headed back. I slightly turned my head as to where Claude ran off. I am quite worried as to what my wolf said. I also had the feeling he would come back.

'For us.'

I squinted my eyes as I shut her off. I suddenly felt a shiver from her words. I should be more careful. I need to come back here tomorrow. I might lead myself to where he was hiding. I need to do it before the sun rises. I need to know how he found me. I already told Casey and Storm not to tell anything as to where I was.

It could be Casey spilled it off. I need to contact them soon and asked for some confirmation about this thing.

We continued patrolling over the night. This time we were more cautious and more alert from our surroundings.

I asked permission from Lieutenant Commander to wander around over the borderline. He nodded. "I will report this matter to the Fleet Admiral. Be careful, Commander Rachelle."

I nodded as an answer.

I jumped to the strongest branch of the tree before jumping into the next one. I used my sense of smell in case I would smell Claude's scent of mint and after rain. I was being cautious and wondering how Claude really followed me and knew my location. I never intended to tell him where I was working...

"It could be Casey. Indeed," I mumbled under my breath.

I reached the lake that was far away from the royal palace. I became cautious while staying in my place here on the branch of the tree. I sniffed in the air and I suddenly came across the smell of mint and after rain behind me. I instantly jumped away from my position and faced the tree where I was earlier.

'Mate,' my wolf whispered in joy.

I squinted my eyes. "Claude..." His name was a taste of poison as I watched him sitting on the branch of the tree.

His hazel orbs stared at me then he formed a smile. "I smelled your scent from afar and I know you are going to follow me here, Rachelle." He jumped out of the tree. "Although, it took you some time to decide..." The tone of his voice sounded disappointed. "But I am happy that you are here."

"How did you know that I am here?" I asked as we started circling each other. I couldn't let him touch me even though I could feel his overwhelming aura that made me shiver.

'Because he is our mate that could make us weak when he is near.'

I told my wolf to shut up. I don't need any opinions from her. What matters most is to know how Claude knows where I was.

"Answer me!" I demanded as Claude stayed silent, eyeing me up and down. His eyes were changing from hazel to red eyes. His wolf was overwhelming him. "Did Casey tell you where I am?"

Claude smiled as his eyes returned back to normal. "Nope. Even though she is my sister, she won't tell me where you are going. No one tells me where you are going because they respect your wishes."

I suddenly felt relieved upon knowing that. I thought Casey snitched on me. I was wrong after all.

"Then how?" I asked dangerously as we both stopped circling each other, facing one another.

Claude suddenly lunged towards me. My eyes widened. I ducked and kicked him on his stomach. He was being thrown off to the lake. What is wrong with him?! Why would he lung towards me?!

I let out my daggers in my holster as he slowly got himself out of the lake. What is happening to him? Why is he acting like that?

I became alert when he ran towards me again. This time I used my daggers so he won't be able to touch my arms. Claude stepped back when I managed to wound him on his arm and his side.

Claude smirked. "Now, you are making me mad, Rachelle..." I gulped as the tone of his voice made me shiver. A pool of heat suddenly creeps in between my thighs.

"Stop this, Claude. I don't want to hurt you..." I said as I positioned myself in a fighting stance.

His face darkened. "No. I would like to talk with you. We will only talk if I manage to touch you, Rachelle." He lunged forward again. This time he gave me a real fight. He managed to make me release the dagger I was holding in my left hand.

I lunged forward with a dagger in my right hand. I hit him on his back using the bottom part of the dagger where there was no pointing part. Then I kicked him on his back. When I turned around, I was surprised and gasped that Claude was in front of me.

I raised my dagger but Claude was quick to take my right hand and turned me around to pin my hands on my back. He took the dagger I was holding, spun me around again then pushed towards the tree as he locked me with his body pressing on mine.

"C-Claude!" My heart was racing rapidly with our closeness. My wolf was raging inside me with our closeness to each other. I struggled and tried to release myself. "Release me this instant!" I ordered him but he just watched me with mischief on his eyes.

The moment his fingers caressed my face, a raging fire was suddenly lit up inside me as I felt the heat pooled my sensitive core. I gasped and immediately looked at his eyes after I shuddered.

"You feel it, too, right?" he asked in his husky tone of voice. I closed my eyes as I felt my body suddenly getting burned just by hearing the tone of his voice. My breathing suddenly became rapid like I had gone off from running. There was no way I should feel this... I shouldn't feel this... "' Glad you come here, Rachelle. I did not waste my time to go near the border of the palace. I have missed you so much. You have no idea I've gone insane with the idea that I couldn't see you again..."

Panting, I opened my eyes and dared to shot him some glares. "Stay away from me..." I shuddered again, feeling weakened. Why am I feeling this way? I had never felt like this before when I was with him in my brother's pack. The heat was so strong...

'We're now in heat. We need our mate to relieve this pain...'

I shook my head. This was one of the reasons why I don't want him to touch me again. Because of this... I am in freaking heat. But why now? This is so messed up!

I released a moan when Claude sniffed my neck, especially in the place where he should mark me. "You're in heat right now. Just in time that I am here..." I shuddered when he licked my earlobe.

"No..." I tried to push him away from me but I was too weak. Damn it! Why now? Why am I in the heat? "Claude... I..."

I looked up to meet his eyes. His thumb was now caressing my lower lip in a sensual manner that made me feel more in the heat than before.

Claude smiled. "I could smell your arousal, Rachelle," he stated that made my cheeks flush from embarrassment. Then he pressed his body more on me, feeling his warmth. I even felt his hardness in his lower body that was protruding from my stomach.

I shook my head again and pushed him away. This time Claude let himself be pushed. I leaned in the tree as I hugged myself, feeling an intense feeling that needs to be released. I even closed my eyes and felt my sweat beads slowly crawling down to my neck. Damn...

I slowly slid myself down to sit on the ground. Looking up, Claude was towering over me. He slowly knelt and I almost shrieked when he pulled and spread my legs as he positioned himself on top of me.

Panting heavily, I reached for him. "Do something..." I said. I need to go back to my post. The sun is almost rising. Lieutenant  Commander Lycan would surely look for me. But I couldn't go back with my own if I am in heat right now.

I remembered the former Luna in our pack, Storm's mother that also became my mother when they adopted me. When a woman is in heat, she needs to release it with her mate or else, her arousal will make the other men werewolves infuriate and will hunt the woman in heat to make her relieve.

Claude smiled. "If I do something, you will have no choice but I will mark you as mine. Do you understand me, Rachelle?" I moaned when he rubbed his hard front on the apex of my thighs which is already soaked from the pool of heat I was feeling.

I shook my head. Not that. I don't want him to mark me. Yet.

"Don't... please..." I begged at Claude.

His mischief smile slowly faded. "So, you still don't want to accept me as your mate? Is that it, Rachelle?"

I looked away and bit my lower lip. I am still not ready to accept him but I don't want to reject him. I took a sigh, trying to ignore the painful feeling. "Even... Even if I tell you my reason, you won't understand me, Claude..."

Claude shook his head. "Your brother, Storm, already told me the reason as to why you are hesitant to accept me." He drew his face closer to mine. I stared at his orbs that almost drowned me. "Rachelle, I am willing to help you in your past. I can help you. I have resources. I—"

"I don't need your help!" I raised my voice in annoyance that made Claude stop talking. "Whatever Storm told you, forget it! I don't need your help, Claude! I don't need it!"

I tried to push him away by using my legs but Claude was quick to stop me. I saw disappointment and sadness in his eyes. I also saw lust reflected the most as I know it reflected mine somehow.

Claude caressed my face again. He planted a kiss on my forehead. "Fine. If you don't need my help, I will not push it until you ask it from me. But this time, I will push myself to help you to relieve your heat." He sighed. "But I badly want to kiss you..." His voice softened in slight frustration.

I didn't say anything. He scooped me in his arms and made me sit. Then he reached for my clothes.

I stopped him. "W-What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

Claude tilted his head in confusion. "I'm taking you to the lake. You need to remove your clothes and transform them into your wolf form. So that when you transform back to your human form, it won't get wet."

I blinked, looking at him. So this was the help he was talking about... I thought it was the other way around. "I-I can manage to undress me..." I tried to stand up but I couldn't. So Claude helped me.

"You sure you can undress? I can help you," he suggested with a naughty smile on his lips.

"Turn your back!" I ordered him. He raised both of his hands and turned his back on me. "Don't peek." I scowled only to earn a chuckle from him.

I started undressing my uniform while leaning in the tree. I didn't leave any single garment in my body.

"Are you done?"

"Yes." I held on to his black shirt as I almost collapsed if he didn't hold my waist for support.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I held my breath feeling the warmth of his hand on my back. I scowled when his eyes raked through my naked body.

"Hey! My eyes are up here!" I narrowed my eyes at him.

Claude shook his head and scooped me in his arms. Then he sighed. "If I let my wolf overwhelmed me, I had already ravished you, Rachelle." He sighed and kept his eyes straight. I shuddered from his words as I watched him. He never dared to look at my body again.

He carefully placed me in the water. I started to get cool down from the heat I was feeling earlier. I shifted to my wolf form so I could swim in the deepest part of the water. I cooled myself as I enjoyed this lake.

I came to Claude with my wolf form as I shook my body. "Whoa there!" he said as I intently splashed him some water from my fur. I grinned mentally. "Are you okay now?" he asked with his soft tone of voice. I purred on his hand petting my head. My wolf and I were liking it. "I'm glad you are okay now, Rachelle." When he smiled, I suddenly felt guilty from what I said that I don't need his help. Claude stared into my blue orb eyes as he held my face with both of his hands. "Storm told me before that you won't let anyone see your wolf form for some reason. Your wolf form is beautiful. We have the same features, Rachelle. I am too happy that you can trust me seeing you in your wolf form. You are really beautiful in human form or wolf form. I hope in time, you will accept me as your mate. But don't prolong your decision because we will both suffer from this. Do you understand me?" he said softly which made me transform back to my human form. Claude smiled looking at my face that was already flushing. "You should dress now and go back to the palace. I need to go back from where I am. My father would be mad if he finds out I wasn't there."

I narrowed my eyes to what he said. But I closed them when his lips landed on my forehead. What does he mean by that? Go back from where he was?

He helped me with my clothes. Even though he was tempting to touch me, he fully controlled himself. After I was done dressing up, he cupped my face.

"We will meet again, my love. And please, don't let any man touches you again like your comrade who draped his arm over your shoulders. I would definitely kill any man who touches you. So stay away from them."

I didn't manage to say something when he transformed into his wolf form and started running away. I didn't even manage to say thank you for his help.

Just who is he? Why did I not ask Storm and Casey about him before?