Imelda shook her head. "Can anyone fake their love as a duty? Maybe for some, but not for me. You can send me away, but never doubt my feelings for you. Even if you don't believe me, I love John and the pack."
Ryan kissed Imelda's hair. "I don't doubt you. I just … It's hard to understand your heart."
Imelda said nothing for a while until she finally said, "You only need to see my action to understand me. Whenever I stay beside you, it shows you my love, commitment, and loyalty."
Ryan kissed Imelda's hand. "Yes, you are right. Let's go to the dining room. Maybe John has been bored waiting for us."
Meanwhile, John walked away after hearing the chats between Ryan and Imelda, but he didn't go to the dining room. Instead, he went back to his house.
Imelda called him through the mind channel. 'Beta John, where are you?'
'I have something to do at my house. I'll be back in a half-hour.'
John did nothing but only stare at the ceiling of his room. It bothered him a lot to hear the conversation between Ryan and Imelda. More than anyone, John knew how much dedication Imelda had given to Ryan, himself, and their pack. Imelda was his nanny when he was a pup and his father's pillar until now.
If he didn't eavesdrop on the chats, he wouldn't know that Ryan and Imelda loved each other. But John had no clue that Imelda refused his father because of him.
'Ma, I feel quite guilty about you. If you become Luna, it'll help everyone.'
John knew more than anyone else how selfless Imelda was. She gave her life to serve the pack. Of course, Imelda could choose to mate with someone else and have her pups. But no, she left them all behind.
'What can I do to make you happy, Ma? You are the closest person I know as my mother since I have never known my birth mother. But it's me who becomes the obstacle between your relationship with Father.' John punched the wall, feeling so useless.
Then Imelda called him again. 'My dear boy, come quickly to your father's house. We have been hungry to wait for you.'
'Yes, Ma.'
John returned to his father's house with sagging shoulders. He avoided staring at Imelda's eyes when he sat in the dining room.
"Beta John, are you okay?" Imelda asked.
"Sure, why do you ask?"
"You seem … tired." Imelda patted John's back, just like when he was a pup.
"Ma, I wonder something."
Before Imelda could reply, Ryan interjected them. "Let's eat first. Then, any conversation can be continued after the dinner."
They enjoyed the dinner. John ate roasted fish eagerly, added a portion of deer with sauce, and ended his dinner with berry tart.
He patted his stomach and smiled. "Ma, if I can find a she-wolf as skillful as you in cooking and as patient as you, I will make her my mate."
"There are many she-wolves like that. You only need to open your eyes wide." Imelda smiled and patted John's hand.
"Nah, Ma, it's different. I have found no one like you."
Imelda shook her head. "My dear boy, never try to find someone similar to another. Each she-wolf is different. You should love her for who she is, not what you expect." She patted John's hand. "If you keep looking for someone as you expect, you may continually look. You may find yourself to find better and better she-wolves later. It will be an unending search."
"So, how do I know if I have found the right mate?" John asked further.
"Trust your heart that Magna will lead you to recognize and find her."
Ryan coughed to hear a pretty unusual discussion. "Find a healthy, beautiful, loyal, and smart she-wolf to be your mate. You won't regret it."
"What do you think about mate bond, Father?"
"It exists. Your late mother was my mate."
"How could you know it?"
"I felt it."
"Is it possible that not all werewolves feel the mate bond? Is it possible that there are werewolves born without the mate bond?"
Ryan shrugged, as he didn't know the answer. He glanced at Imelda, asking for help with no word.
Imelda nodded a little. "Well, it's possible that some werewolves lack sensitivity to recognize their mates bond. But I think it's okay if you choose your mate on your own. Well, as long as she is a good she-wolf. So, what do you think, Alpha?"
"I agree with you, Imelda."
As Ryan said nothing else, John didn't prolong the conversation as he saw how uncomfortable Ryan was with the topic. When John finished with his second slice of berry tart and drank a glass of water, he stood and nodded at Imelda.
"Thanks for dinner, Ma." Then he bowed at Ryan. "I'm leaving, Father."
"Remember, no breaking the rule."
"Yes, Father."
***
It was a quiet day the following day. John stared at the sky and let out a sigh. "Mate bond? Where can I find you, my mate? Is it real or just a myth?"
John strolled until he finally reached the Highland Forest. The forest was the border between the Ferocious Pack, the Moon Band Pack, and the Blood-Thirsty Wolf Pack, their enemy's pack.
He remembered his father's reminder not to break the rule of stepping on others areas. However, it was a bad luck as some hunters from The Blood-Thirsty Wolf Pack spotted John.
"It's John Matthew! Catch him!" they shouted.
John changed himself into a wolf. A big black wolf was his wolf's shape, and it was ready to fight. He jumped, bit those three werewolves, kicked, and defeated them in no time. More hunters came when John took a deep breath as he thought it was over. It was over twenty werewolves.
He ran away and hid under a giant pine tree as he knew he couldn't beat them all. When he looked around, John spotted a little pup, Sophia, picking berries near him. John immediately grabbed Sophia and closed her mouth with his massive hand since he was worried she would scream and inform their location to his enemies.
Sophia struggled to release herself, but what could a weak eight-year-old pup do against a strong eighteen-year-old Beta?
"Stop struggling; otherwise, I must kill you," John said.
Sophia's round eyes were bigger as fear engulfed her. Her tiny body started trembling.
Seeing the innocent round eyes, John realized Sophia was not a threat to him. He didn't want to intimidate her further. So, he whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. As long as you keep silent, I won't hurt you."