Chapter 1078: After the war (2)

Sun was almost down when Torak, in his white beast form, started patrolling around the border of his territory.

Since the war and the number of the lycanthropes decreased, also the fact that they had to be careful to blend with humans, everything changed.

Torak couldn't possible go out and claim his assets as Torak Donovan, because people had known him as one of the shifters and though seven years had passed they had not yet forgotten about him, in fact his name was on the top of the most wanted non- human existence list along with Raphael and Calleb.

Because they knew the two of them were his personal assistants, but those humans did not know that Raphael had been killed.

The shifters, who were not yet identified, were still able to socialize with the other humans, but for those shifters who had known as non- human existence, they could only seek a place to hide from them.

In spite of that, Torak and the other survivors didn't really feel difficult to adjust with the way of their lives now, especially when you didn't have to think about money to support you financially, since Torak had a lot of it and it was enough for several more generations.

Everything was fine, just a little bit adjustment needed and with the help of the magicians they could shield every pack from humans and ward them off.

However, though everything was fixable, but for Torak nothing was fine when he didn't have his mate beside him.

Torak lived these seven years with half a dead mind and body. He would eat because he needed to but not because he enjoyed it, same applied to sleeping or other activities.

Only when he walked like this could he feel calm a bit.

But, today was exceptional. For some reason, his beast had been restless ever since the day had just started and Torak didn't know what happened. He just felt edgy and nervous.

Therefore, he took this opportunity to patrol around the border, longer than necessary, checking the things around it twice, or thrice, yet it was not at all helping in his case.

For some unknown reason, the anxiety still lingered on his being, gripping his heart uncomfortably.

Torak didn't know what happened, but it was definitely something unusual for him to feel, until he felt it. No, he smelled it.

The scent that only belonged to her. The scent of the fresh earth after rain…

It was impossible, right? His senses were only playing another trick on him, just like what had been happening during the past seven years.

However, even before he could process what was actually happening, his legs had started to pump forward, dashing through the woods, dodging logs and trees, led by his most favorite scent alone.

This couldn't be happening… no, this must be happening…

Torak couldn't think straight, as he was muddleheaded and didn't know what he should think of right now.

It was his instinct and his longing for his other half that made him run toward the source of the scent. It was her scent.

It was Raine's scent…

His mate…

His mate finally returned!

Torak didn't even want to think if his guess was wrong and he would be disappointed again. For him right now, a glimmer of hope like this was all he needed.

Maybe he would feel heartbroken if he found out that he was wrong, but at the very least, he could hang on to this tiny hope and believed that one day Raine would return, maybe not today, but one day he would have her in his arms again.

Torak was sure beyond the shadow of doubt.

It was just, the process of waiting for her was sometimes too exhausting. There would be always a night that Torak couldn't sleep and look at the moon through his window and prayed for the safety of his mate.

He didn't know that he could be like this. But, he would do everything just to have Raine by his side again.

The white beast moved faster when the scent got stronger and stronger, until he could hear the sound of the waterfall and found Eddard, who was standing there alone.

Torak shifted into his human form without even slowing down, the transition was smooth.

And when Eddard realized that someone was near, he turned around and found Torak.

"Alpha!" Eddard ran happily toward Torak and hugged the Alpha, who was still disoriented while sniffing the air.

He was not mistaken, Raine's scent was still in the air. Very strong, as if she was standing next to him. However, Torak couldn't find her anywhere.

"Alpha… who are you looking for?" Eddard asked in confusion. He raised his head to stare at the Alpha, while still hugging him.

"Eddard," Torak said his name and finally paid attention to the little boy, forgetting the fact that he shouldn't be there at this hour, especially when the sun was almost down. "Are you here alone? Was there someone else here with you?"

Torak didn't know why, but he almost had a hard time to breath, while waiting for Eddard's answer.

The little boy looked at Torak with his big eyes and nodded. "Yes, there was a beautiful woman with long black hair here."

Torak felt his heart almost dropping to the floor when he heard that. A beautiful woman with long black hair. There were only a handful woman in this pack with long black hair and even if it was one of them, Eddard wouldn't mention her as a beautiful woman, since he knew every single person in this pack.

"Where is she now?" Torak dropped to his knees, so he could be at the same eye level with the little boy. His hands that gripped his small shoulders trembled with wave after wave of emotions. "Do you know where she was going?"

Eddard nodded again. "At first I thought she is a human, an intruder, but there is something about her that told me she is not hostile."

"So? Where is she now?" Torak asked again, being impatient. "Do you know where she is going?"

"She asked about you," Eddard said, scrunching his eyebrows because Torak was acting very unusually.

"And what did you say?"

"I thought you were in the house pack, so I told her that you were there."

"She went to the house pack?"

Eddard shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so. But, I didn't tell her where the pack house is, since she didn't ask." He tilted his head. "I don't think she know where the pack house is."

"She knows." Torak stood up. His heart is beating so fast until it hurts.

"She knows? Who is she?" Eddard followed Torak, who walked in the direction where he came. "Is she a new member in our pack?"

"No," Torak said in low voice as it sounded very hoarse with emotions which were caught in his throat. "She is your Luna."

"My Luna?" Eddard blinked his eyes.

However, before the little boy could ask another question, Torak had given him an order.

"Shift!"

============== 

Raine walked toward a pack house, the same pack house, as she remembered the last time she was here.

The backyard garden, the flowers…

Apparently, Belinda took very good care of everything here and managed to bring back this garden alive again.

This garden was very beautiful. More beautiful than the last time Raine was here.

Basking under the golden rays of the sunset, this scenery was simply outstanding… she hoped she could see Torak here… among the beautiful flowers.

However, it didn't matter where they would meet either, as long as Raine could see him again, she would be more than grateful.

She met Eddard and that brought back a lot of memories about Raphael, since he looked like him a lot.

However, when Raine coaxed him to come back to the pack house, he was very stubborn and insisted on staying back.

And, because Raine knew that waterfall was still in Torak's territory, which meant he would be safe, she left him to play by himself…

Raine wanted to see Torak so bad and the thought of how he would react upon seeing her was something that she was looking forward to.

And there she was when she heard it.

A low growl that was very familiar and shook her to the core…

The sound of heavy footsteps that were coming in her direction told Raine that he was around. He was close…

And when the sound of it became more vivid, Raine looked around to find the figure of the white beast that she loved the most.

From behind sunflowers, Raine watched as a white beast emerged from the shadows before walking under the red hue of the evening sunset, basking in his glory and as beautiful as Raine could remember.

The white beast walked very slowly and then stopped, staring at her in disbelief, holding its breath as if what he is seeing right now is something unreal.

Yet, Raine couldn't hold back any longer and the way the white beast stopped approaching her, only agitated her.

Thus, Raine decided that she would be the one who had to run toward her mate.

Tears brimmed her eyes when she charged forward and literally threw herself onto the white beast, hugging his neck while feeling the softness of its fur against her skin.

"Torak, I miss you, my love…" Raine whispered to the dumbstruck beast and only got a response after a few minutes, because he needed a long time to process that what he is seeing right now is not just a mere imagination, and that his mate was finally here.

However, he felt something different…