Her wolf yipped happily the closer she got to his bedroom, distracting Victoria from her need to stay angry with him. He didn’t get to disappear, again, and expect everything to just be all hunky dory when he got back. The last thing she wanted to show him was how much his absence affected her. Victoria didn’t bother to knock and walked right into his room. He was there, of course, standing in his closet, this filthy shirt thrown off onto the floor. Her wolf howl in delight at the sight of his toned back, and when he turned, again for his chest. Victoria refused to entertain her as she shut the door.

Baekhyun smiled at her, causing her heart to skip and her stomach to flip, and began walking over to her. “Look, I know you’re mad, but hear me out, okay?” He started. His smile didn’t fall, as he was clearly happy with himself for whatever he had done.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Victoria resisted smiling back at him, “Alright.”

Stopping only a foot away from her, he reached into his back pocket, all still grinning at her. She could feel excitement bubbling in her chest at whatever has gotten him so giddy, and could already feel her anger trying to melt away. She watched him as he pulled a wad of newspaper from his pocket and began unwrapping it. Victoria watched his hands as he did this, his muddy hands that were caked in dirt, the dirt clearly stuck beneath his nails as he usually coffee colored skin looked as though wet mud had met his skin, dried, and been reapplied multiple times over. Once he had unwrapped the ball of paper, he picked out a ring that looked very similar to engagement rings she had seen in movies.

“Baekhyun…. What is that?” She asked slowly. He was not proposing right now, he couldn’t be! They had a deal! He couldn’t give her this ring! It looked so strange for an engagement ring.. The colors were off, with red stones and a black band.

“It’s a blood ring,” he explained, holding it up in the light. “It’s like a tradition. Mates give them to each other so they always have a piece of the other one. They are a pain to make though. I had to go up to Oregan to get it made.”

“A blood ring?” she repeated slowly, staring at the piece of jewelry. Victoria as relieved he wasn’t proposing, but if he meant what she thought he did… “This is blood?”

He nodded, his smile had fallen some as he searched her face and held the ring out to her. “Well, yeah,” he said, “Kind of in the name, V.”

“Your blood?” She looked up at him in horror, taking a step away from him. His quickly fell back into the cold expression he wore almost any time he looked at her. “You put your blood on a ring?! And you want me to wear it?!”

Baekhyun chuckled dryly, dropping the ring back into the newspaper and setting it on his dresser. He turned his back to her and went back to his closet. “No, I ran eight hundred miles so you can throw it away,” his voice was cold and clear, all of his previous excitement completely gone. Victoria looked from the ring to him, she felt bad for not wanting it, but it was covered in blood for crying out loud. “Look, I’m exhausted,” he continued, “You can yell at me tomorrow.”

“Baekhyun….”

She watched him pulled a t-shirt down from the hanger and go to the dresser, not looking at her. “It’s fine, Victoria. It was dad’s idea anyway. I don’t care if you like it or want it or if you don’t. I do care that you are still here when I asked you to leave. You have your own room, you don’t need to be here all the time anymore.”

Staring at him, his words like a knife through her chest that she tried hard to ignore. “Fine,” she said, thankful her voice didn’t crack or break like she expected it too. Victoria turned to leave, but stopped at the door. Turning back to him, she stomped over to him and snatched the ring off the dresser. “Then I guess you won’t care what I do with it either,” she snapped at him before she stomped out of his room.

Thirty-four hours of running, Baekhyun huffed and shifted back, the clothes he had been carrying in his mouth dropping to the ground next to him. Tired as hell, he pulled the clothes over his muddy body and leaned back against a tree. He knew the witches house was close by, he could smell her, but his wolf was just as tired as he was. His legs felt like jello and begged for rest, but Baekhyun refused it, marching through the trees and following his nose. Rest meant being away from her even longer. He made a deal with himself the second he decided to come get the rings, he would be home in three days. He would run all night every night if he had too.

As the house came into view, so did the witch sitting on her porch in a sweater with a mug clasped in her hands. “You must be Baekhyun,” she called to him and smiled.

Baekhyun knew his father called ahead, but he was still surprised by the woman’s looks. She appeared about his age, but he knew she was much older. His grandfather knew this woman, and her magic was powerful. “Yeah, uh, Cecelia?”

“I go by Carter now, dear,” the woman stood and smiled at him as he walked up the steps. “Cecelia sounds so…. Stone age to me now.” He wasn’t sure what to say, but thankfully she seemed perfectly capable of having the conversation without him. “Your daddy tells me you need a blood diamond? I’ve got just about everything I need here, but you look tired, dear, maybe we should start with tea?”

He nodded slowly, “Yeah, tea sounds good.”

Carter led him into her house, that appeared to be nothing more than a log cabin on the outside. On the inside, there was a simple living room and small kitchen. She led him to the kitchen table and set down her mug and one for him. “So, where’s your mate? This is usually done as a pair, you know.”

“She doesn’t know I’m here,” he responded, immediately frowning at himself for telling the witch that.

She chuckled at him, “Don’t worry, it’s natural,” she told him, “I have an aura around my house. Some of you pups call it a truth spell or what have you. Completely harmless, as am I, or your father would not have sent you alone.”

That was true, his father was very willing to let him make this trip alone. Usually traveling out of state was a group thing, not something a wolf did alone. “It does ensure I am honest as well,” Carter continued, “Tell me, pup, why the surprise?”

Baekhyun tried to hold his tongue, and was becoming frustrated when he found he couldn’t. He wanted to get out of here fast. “She only shifted once and is newly turned. Victoria couldn’t make the run.”

“Victoria,” Carter poured the tea from her kettle into the ug she had set in front of him, then refilled her own. “What a pretty name. So common too, a pack was here not two days ago asking about a Victoria. What kind men, the Summer’s pack, I believe it was.”

Narrowing his eyes, Baekhyun nodded slowly. He hadn’t heard of the Summer’s pack, but that could just be someone’s last name. Victoria was a common name anyway, it could easily be someone else. “What were they asking about?”

“Hm? Oh, the girl had run away,” Carter shrugged it off and sipped her tea. “Pity, really, but I’m sure my tracking spell will lead them right to her. Dangerous out there lately what with the rogues and hunters.” Baekhyun muttered a ‘tell me about it’ under his breath and sipped his tea. As the warm liquid spilled down his throat, he already began to feel better. “Well, you wait here, finish your tea, and I’ll get the diamonds.”

The witch stood from the table and walked away, leaving Baekhyun to sip the drink and look around. By the time she returned a minute later, his tea was gone, and he felt fit to run another few miles. Carter chuckled at his new alertness and set down at small jewelry box on the table. “Ah, lovely, you drink it all,” the witch laughed. Baekhyun felt a chill go down his spine, the sudden panic of being drugged or cursed, but she was quick to calm him. “Oh don’t look at me like that! Just a little energy booster, you looked like you needed it, call it a free be. Now, what would you like the gem to be set in? I have rings, pendants, bracelets-”

“A ring, I guess,” he shrugged, peeking down into the box as well. Baekhyun had never seen Victoria wear much of any jewelry, besides the class ring she had worn for most of the year. Carter stepped aside allowing him to pick from the rings she had with clear white gems stuck through them. Not really sure what to pick, he settled on one similar to Susan’s. “This one,” he claimed, plucking the ring from the box and holding it out to her.

“Beautiful,” Carter smiled at him, “And yours?”

“I’m just getting hers,” Baekhyun said.

“Only sold in pairs, darling,” the witch gestured to the box again, and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

Peeking into the box again, she saw a simple band that matched hers in color with a thin clear strip through the center of it. “Fine, these two.”

“Excellent,” Carter clasped the box closed and plucked the first ring from his fingers. “Now, all you need to do it make a small cut on your palm and squeeze the ring in your hand. The ring will do the rest for you.” Baekhyun set the second ring on the table and took the small blade she extended out to him. “You know, pup, I am wondering,” she began as Baekhyun slid the  blade across his palm. It stung, but only a little. She dropped the ring into his palm and he squeezed his hand around it. “This is quite the trip to make alone. Why not wait until she can join you?”

Baekhyun shrugged at the question, his eyes still on his closed fist. “I wanted to get her something special. We’ve haven’t really had an easy thing, mostly because of me, and I wanted to do something for her.”

“You can open your hand now,” Carter told him, tapping her finger against his knuckles. Baekhyun opened his hand, the wound gone, the ring now glowing red, and only a small remence of blood remaining on his palm. Somehow, the ring had shrunk slightly, and he hoped it would still fight alright. “It’s sweet of you, you know,” she told him, “Coming all the way out here like this. I hope she likes it.”

Nodding his head, Baekhyun looking from the band of a ring meant from him, to the glowing ring in his other hand. A wide smile crept across his face at the image of it on her finger. “Yeah, me too.”

Stepping back into his room from the shower, Baekhyun stared at the second ring on his nightstand. He felt like an idiot, wasting all that time running out there so get them, and she had likely already smashed hers. Now he was stuck with the empty shell of a blood diamond ring. He should have asked if she wanted it first, instead of just going to get it. Shaking his head, Baekhyun laid out on his bed, exhausted from the nearly seventy hours of straight running with only a few rests here and there. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with his mate and sleep for ten years, but that wasn’t an option. His mate had her own room, which was not what mates did. Mates didn’t sleep in separate beds in separate buildings, they were supposed to be together at the beginning and end of every day, at least. Some mates spent all day together, like the Docs. They were together all the time, but he could barely be in a room with his for five minutes without fighting.

Still, her scent lingered on his pillow, faint and barely recognizable at all, but it was something. Curling up on his side, Baekhyun hugged the pillow to his chest and drifted off into sleep.

A few buildings away, Victoria sat up in her bed, staring at the ring on her nightstand. The red diamonds stared back at her, she could see her reflection in them. It was disgusting, his blood on this ring he was supposed to be giving her, but he was clearly upset she didn’t like it. Was she supposed to be excited like he was? Why would she want something he had bled on? He had mentioned it was a tradition, did that mean Julia had one? She must, if Tanner is the one who told Baekhyun to do it. Julia just wore her mates blood as jewelry? She would talk to Julia about it tomorrow.

I do care that you are still here when I asked you to leave. You have your own room, you don’t need to be here all the time anymore.

His words ran through her head again, causing a frown to fall across her face. She couldn’t tell if he meant that or just said it out of anger. Either way, the so called deal was not going well. Maybe she was right, this was just a useless attempt to do what he was supposed to.

The next morning, Victoria wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She hadn’t exactly enjoyed dealing with the food, and Baekhyun’s words still rang in her head. Was he bothered by her being around his family so much? She didn’t have much time to debate it as her door opened. Still in her pajamas, Victoria glared at the door she knew she had locked the night before as Baekhyun walked in and closed it behind him. His eyes found hers instantly, his glare meeting her own.

“How did you…” She trailed up as Baekhyun held up a small silver key. “Why do you-”

“You really think they wouldn’t give your mate a key?” He snapped at her.

Victoria frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “They didn’t even give me a key.”

He chuckled at that, tossing the key onto the nightstand. Victoria’s eyes followed the key to her nightstand as she twisted the ring on her finger, hidden by her hand. “Get dressed. You start training today.”

“Kris said I couldn’t start till the doctor cleared me,” She said slowly. Victoria wasn’t against training, she felt fine enough. But she would agree with anyone if it meant getting under Baekhyun’s skin right now.

Baekhyun made himself comfortable on her bed, folding his hands behind his head and resting it against the headboard. “Yeah? Well, I said you can, so you will.”

“Actually, he outranks you.” Victoria felt his eyes snap to her, but she innocently played with her fingers, making sure he noticed the red diamond on her finger. Maybe he’d stop being an if he knew she was wearing it. “So we should probably ask him first. Since he’s the alpha and all.”

Looking up at him, he looked even more pissed off than when he walked in. “Are you kidding me?” he hissed at her. Victoria returned his glare as he sat up straight again. “You want to bother Kris with that, do it yourself. You want to eat breakfast, I’ll be in the kitchen. Who knows, maybe Jessica will eat with me.”

Sliding off her bed, Baekhyun made his way to the door again. “You promised,” Victoria glared at the back of his head. “If you go near her, I leave, Baekhyun.”

He stopped in front of the door, his hand on the knob, and she watched his shoulder sigh. “I know, Victoria. Get dressed, and leave the ring here.” Baekhyun didn’t wait for her response before leaving the room. Once he was gone, Victoria brought her hands up to her head and growled to herself, pulling on her hair. A string of curses left her lips as she stomped into the bathroom.

Showering quickly, Victoria grabbed her work out clothes from the closet and pulled them on. The sports bra was tight, but it would work, as well as the pants. Glaring at her reflection, Victoria grinned, leaving the t-shirt on the counter, ring on her finger, and heading out of her room. Walking back the only way she knew, Victoria didn’t miss the looks she got from the men she passed. Her hair hung down, purposefully covering his mark on her neck. She stopped a man near the door, and asked him where the kitchen was. The man openly eyeballed her, and she let him as he told her the way to the kitchen.

Thanking him, she walked away. Her wolf growled in her chest, not happy with the way other men where looking at her, but Victoria didn’t care. She wanted them to look. She wanted to piss off Baekhyun. Walking in the kitchen, she saw Baekhyun facing away from her speaking to a man she didn’t know. Walking up behind him, she caught the other man’s attention, his eyes widening as he took her in. She tapped Baekhyun on the shoulder. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said.

Baekhyun spun around, but his eyes didn’t leave her face. She smiled sweetly at him as his eyes narrowed at her. “Perfect,” he said, reaching up, he brushed her hair from her shoulder, revealing the mark he left there. “Victoria, this is Zeke. Zeke, my mate, Victoria.”

“Nice to meet you,” Victoria smiled at him, and he nodded in return.

“Ah, of course,” he laughed lightly. “I’ll leave you to breakfast than. See you on the field.” He gave a small salute to them, chuckling to himself and taking a sip from his mug as he walked away. From the look he gave the two of them, they could tell he knew exactly what was going on there.

“We having breakfast here?” Victoria asked, pulling her hair around again to hang over his mark. She heard a light growl leave his throat, causing her smirk to grow. “What? You said get dressed and come down.”

“Do you really have to be this way?” he growled at her. Reaching out again, he pushed her hair back from her shoulder, sparks erupted where he touched her, but she ignored it.

Rolling her eyes at him, Victoria turned to walk away. “I’m not being anyway. I got dressed for training, what did you expect?” She could hear him following behind her as she headed out of the pack house. Before she could step out the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Let me go.”

“Go put a ing shirt on,” Baekhyun growled down at her. “You are not leaving this building like that.”

“Why not?” she snapped back at him. “What difference does it make?”

She yanked her arm from his hold, but didn’t move, instead staring him down. “I don’t want to fight every not mated male in the pack, Victoria. Go put a shirt on.”

Scoffing at him, Victoria crossed her arms over her chest and began marching back to her room. “I don’t see how you fighting has anything to do with how I dress.”

“It wouldn’t be an issue if you were dressed,” he snapped back at her, following her to her room and slamming the door behind him. “Now go change.” Rolling her eyes at him, she began walking back to the closet when she heard him call, “And take that ring off!”

“Shut the hell up..” she groaned and stomped into the closet. Grinning to herself again, she dug around until she found the shortest shorts she had. Stripping off the tights she wore, she replaced them with the tiny pajama shorts that barely covered anything and pulling on a large t-shirt that completely swallowed her. Smirking at her reflection, Victoria spun the ring around on her finger and waltz back out into her bedroom. Her smile grew as Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed at her. “Let’s go.”

She watched Baekhyun looked her up and down, his eyes slowly moving down her body, mentally undressing her. Heat rose to her face, and she looked away from him, tugging on the hem of the t-shirt. “What? You don’t like that?” he asked her. “So I’m not allowed to look at you like that, but everyone other male in the pack is?” When Victoria didn’t respond, he scoffed and stood, walking over to her. Snatching up her hand, Victoria’s eyes shot to meet his as he pulled the ring from her finger. “You’re training to fight today, and it will break if you are wearing it,” he told her. Walking past her, he set the ring down on the bathroom counter and snatched her pants up off the floor.

Catching them as they were thrown towards her, Victoria frowned at him. “If you want to wear like that, fine. You aren’t training today, but if you are going to take this seriously, get dressed.”

“I can wear whatever I want, Baekhyun,” she stated forcing as much anger as she could into her words. “You don’t get to dictate that just because I’m your mate.”

He shrugged, “You’re right. I can’t make you wear anything.” Walking past her, he took a seat on the edge of her unmade bed. “But I can decide who sees you in it. If that means locking you in the bathroom, I will.”