Baekhyun stayed in the locker room when Chanyeol walked out to wait on Victoria. Although Chanyeol didn’t like the idea of his brother following him around and avoiding his mate, he agreed not to out him. Victoria didn’t make then wait long. Listened as they spoke.

“That’ll work,” Chanyeol stated, and he heard them begin walking away.

As quiet as he could, Baekhyun opened the door and peeked out. They had walked ahead to the trail, and Baekhyun ducked into the treeline a few yards behind them. “Training field,” Chanyeol told her. “Mostly only the patrol and generals use it, but everyone is encouraged too. I come here when I have nothing better to do.”

He watched her looked around the field before turning to his brother. He ducked behind a bush so she wouldn’t see him. “So what do you do here? Where do you start?”

“Usually Baekhyun or sometimes Andrew come with me, and we’ll spare,” Chanyeol emphasized his name, and Baekhyun rolled his eyes. His brother draped an arm over her shoulders, and he felt his wolf growl. Shaking his head, he mindlinked his brother. Now you’re just being a . He heard Chanyeol chuckle, and he began leading her towards the weights. “But I’m not going to try that with you.”

Victoria pushed his arm away and glared at him; Baekhyun’s wolf yipped at her actions. As much as he hated getting yelled at by her, his wolf enjoyed watching her get worked up. “I know how to fight,” she argued with his brother. “What is it with everyone assuming I can’t defend myself?” Something told Baekhyun that she mostly meant him.

Chanyeol grinned at her. “Oh yeah? You want to take on me?” Victoria crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose up at him. Baekhyun didn’t like where this was going. He mindlinked his brother, Chanyeol, don’t you dare.

“Alright, hot ,” Chanyeol laughed and began leading them over to an empty sparring mat. “Just don’t tell mom.” He stopped walking and faced her with a frown. “Or Baekhyun. Mostly Baekhyun.” Through the mindlink, his brother laughed. Hah! Don’t tell Baekhyun!

I’ll kill you, he threatened his brother. As quiet as he could, he moved through the foliage, trying to stay close enough to hear them over the other people. He watched as they both began stretching. Glancing around, he noticed Gamma Carmen down by some other members of the pack and rolled his eyes. He balanced being a great fighter with being an complete womanizer, and then wondered why he couldn’t find his mate.

Sure enough, Chanyeol waved him down and introduced him to Victoria. “What a shame, I was hoping you were my mate.” Carmen shamelessly flirted with her, and Baekhyun gagged. He winked at her, and his wolf growled when a light pink hue took her cheeks. ‘What the hell?’ Baekhyun thought. ‘She never blushes at me.’ Glaring at Carmen, Baekhyun mindlinked him. Watch it, er.

Carmen laughed and turned to Chanyeol to continue their conversation, completely ignoring Baekhyun. Chanyeol shook his head. “I’d pity her if she was,” he grinned. Carmen jokingly shoved him away.

“Well I’m assuming you didn’t call me over here to meet the beauty,” Carmen grinned. Baekhyun rolled his eyes again, worried he only made it worse by commenting.

“No, you’re gonna be our ref,” Chanyeol nodded to Victoria who simply watched them interact.

“You two are going to spare? Baekhyun will kill you,” Carmen laughed, and for a second, Baekhyun swore he gestured Chanyeol towards him in the trees.

Chanyeol opened his mouth, but was cut off by Victoria. “Not if you keep your mouth shut.” Baekhyun grinned at her and shook his head.

Carmen raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh you’re feisty too? Woman after my own heart.” Chanyeol’s rolled his eyes, and mindlinked his brother, He doesn’t quit, does he? Carmen clapped his hands together, and explained the rules to Victoria. Once both of them agreed to the rules, Carmen called the fight. Baekhyun took slow breaths as he watched. It didn’t last long, but his wolf spent the whole two seconds barking away in his head.

Once the fight was called, Victoria had obviously lost, Camen began giving her pointers on what she did. Chanyeol mindlinked his brother, That actually ing hurt, he growled with a hand on his stomach.

Baekhyun grinned as he replied. Good. I told you not to fight her.

“I’ve been trained too,” she argued and crossed her arms. “Reese taught be how to fight and use his weapons.”

He head shot up at the mention of Reese, and Chanyeol’s shot to him. Carmen spoke up, and Baekhyun waved at his brother to look away from him. “Reese? Reese Morris? The hunter?”

Victoria brought her eyebrows together and frowned. “What’s a hunter? He’s my bodyguard.” Carmen turned to Chanyeol, who was now staring at some people sparring instead of his brother.

Get her out of there, Baekhyun hissed through the link.

Carmen turn back to her. “You said it was Victoria, yeah? Victoria Drake?”

“Yeah?”

“The daughter of Jacob Drake, the hunter?”

Baekhyun felt a growl rising in his throat. Chanyeol! Get her away from him!

His brother glanced his way and shrugged his shoulders. How?

I don’t care! Baekhyun shouted. Just do it!

Victoria shrugged. “Well he goes hunting for duck sometimes,” she said. “I don’t see what it has to do with this.”

Carmen turn on Chanyeol, whose eyes looked ready to pop from his head. “This is a joke right? Chanyeol you’re ing with me, right?”

“Uh…” Chanyeol awkwardly laughed and his lips. “Well you see… it’s actually a funny story.”

“How do you know my father?” Victoria glared up at Carmen, who glared back at her. “And Reese? How do you know them?”

“Vic, I think we should go,” Chanyeol grabbed her arm and began pulling her away, but she struggled against him. Baekhyun rushed his way back to the cabin, ready to head them off and shut her up. He knew it was a bad idea to bring her here, and worse, she could ask to go home.

Baekhyun stepped out of the brush while Chanyeol was trying to pulled her around the other side of the cabin. “Okay, but not here, dammit,” he hissed at her and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her with him. “I’ll explain, just not here.”

Quickly catching up to them, Baekhyun fell into step on her other side. Victoria jump away from him, then realizing who it was, glaring at him. “Where did you come from?!”

“The woods,” he snapped down at her. “Come on lets-”

“And where the have you been?!” She yanked her arm from Chanyeol again and crossed them over her chest. Victoria stopped by the cabin entrance and glared at the twins. “You ing bite me and then just take off?! What the hell is wrong with you!?”

Where Baekhyun glared at her, his wolf yipped in excitement at his angry mate. He pulled at Baekhyun’s chest, begging to come out and play with her. Baekhyun tried to swallow him down, but he persisted.

Victoria’s anger burned in the pit of her stomach, furious at the sight of him, but something bubbled in her chest. Mate? A soft voice whispered in the back of her head. “Not now,” she hissed.

“The hell do you mean ‘not now’?” Baekhyun gave her a confused look.

Chanyeol shook his head. “I don’t think she was talking to you.”

Mate! The voice shouted in the back of her head. Even more frustrated, Victoria brought her hand up to her hand. “No!” she argued. “We are mad at him!”

Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol, who shrugged. “Her wolf has been making demands,” he explained to his brother. “You might want to stand back.”

“What? Why?”

MATE! The voice shouted in the back of her mind, and Victoria felt like a hot iron was being forced through her skull. Grabbing her head with both hands, she took a step back as the voice shouts over and over MATE! MATE! Suddenly, Victoria felt herself be pushed back, only her body didn’t move.

“Hey, are you okay?” Chanyeol took a step between Baekhyun and her. Victoria felt her hands leave her head, but she didn’t move them.

Move, please, her voice spoke, but they weren’t her words. “What’s going on?” She called out, but her voice sounded like a whisper. It’s my turn with mate. Her voice said.

“Baek, you should run,” Chanyeol reached back and tried to push his brother away, but Baekhyun brushed him off.

“I’m not going to run from her, Chanyeol. It’s just Victoria.” Baekhyun stepped around his brother and glared at her. “What’s going on with you?” he demanded.

“Baekhyun, it’s not me!” Victoria shouted at the top of her lungs, but it only came out as a whisper. Victoria wouldn’t let me play with you. Her voice answered him, but it wasn’t her voice. Victoria new the voice, though. It was her wolf’s. Without her control, Victoria’s arms reached for Baekhyun. He battered her away. Come here.

Baekhyun grabbed her arms and pinned them to her side. “Hey, stop it.” He glared at her a second, looking back and forth at her eyes. “You can’t just take over like that,” he scolded her. “You aren’t strong enough yet, and you’ll hurt her.”

She’s okay. “No, I am not!” She said she’s fine. Victoria rolled her eyes. Her wolf was being incredibly stubborn when it came to Baekhyun. “You know what? Fine. Take over for a while. He’s just going to hurt your feelings.” No he won’t, he’s mate. Victoria mentally threw her hands into the air. “Fine. You deal with him.”