Minzy arose early wanting to take Amethyst for a run. It was the best remedy she could think of as she shifted into her wolf form. Rushing out into the dessert planes, she passed the field of remembrance and raced towards the cliffs. The way her paws hit the ground with each step gave her more strength to push forward until she reached the top. Moving towards the ledge, she over looked the Forbidden City and grinned before gazing over towards the Crimson Crawlers. She wondered if Alpha Jiyong was awake. Was it too early? Taking in her surroundings, it was still dark with no hint of sun light. Closing her eyes, she searched out for him. Her senses led her to the garden. Standing from a distance, she grinned seeing him sitting by the fountain. He looked deep in thought and wondered what was troubling him. Wanting to reveal herself to him, she walked from the flower bushes and started to walk towards him when a woman appeared. Stopping in her tracks, she was curious as to who this woman was. She had never seen her before as this stranger walked to kneel before Alpha Jiyong. Gazing up at him, they seemed to have known each other. 

"You know that I love you right," she breathed softly. Alpha Jiyong looked away as if he was wordlessly answering her. Curiously, Minzy stood as the woman moved forward and gently turned his face back to her. Cupping his face, she moved to press her lips to his. "Jiyong I love you," she breathed into their shared kiss. 

Minzy felt her heart drop as she turned to leave, not wanting to invade such an intimate moment. Coming to, she felt the tears fall as the sun began to peek through the dessert skies. Slowly moving back down the cliffs, not even Amethyst had the words to sooth what was left of her heart that was breaking. Taking slow strides, she exhaled as she made her way back to the mansion. Hopping back into her bed, she buried herself in the covers and quietly cried herself back to sleep. 

Forcing herself to get up for the day, she was grateful for the impeccable timing of being able to visit another pack land. Focusing her efforts on getting packed as well as having everything settled for Beta Teddy and Commander Tablo to take over, she felt a sense of relief seeing the private plane that had arrived. As she neared the plane, she was surprised to see Commander Dara approaching. Confused, she greeted the Moon Shine lycans all the while keeping an eye on Commander Dara who stopped before Beta Teddy and Commander Tablo. Excusing herself, she moved over to where the group stood and motioned for both Beta Teddy and Commander Tablo to give her a moment with Commander Dara. "Commander Dara what brings you here? I'm about to leave..." 

"Don't leave," Commander Dara breathed. "You can't!" 

"I have to, I've already committed a couple days to the Moon Shine pack. What is the matter," Minzy asked curiously. 

"You must return back to our packlands. There is going to be a fight for consideration of Alpha Jiyong. The pack has decided his consideration will be the one that opens up mating season. You must come and fight," Commander Dara breathed. 

Minzy pressed her lips tightly together as the vivid image of the stranger kissing Alpha Jiyong came rushing to the front of her mind. "Let me ask you this, did he send for me? Did Alpha Jiyong ask you to tell me this?" 

Commander Dara was quiet for a moment before shaking her head, "No, but he didn't have to..." 

Raising her hand to stop the Commander she had heard enough, "Thank you Commander Dara for taking such a journey to inform me of Alpha Jiyong's situation. But I must decline returning at this moment. I have committed myself to the Moon Shine pack lands..."

"Cut the Minzy," Commander Dara hissed. "Why are you being this way?" 

"Who is the unfamiliar woman he was with last night," Minzy countered. 

Commander Dara's voice was caught in , "Wait...how...no, you don't understand she is someone from his past." 

"She seemed like his present when they kissed," Minzy sadly smiled to which Commander Dara stared at her wide eyed unknowing of how to answer. "Again, thank you for travelling all this way, but I must go." Turning to take her leave, she noticed Beta Teddy eyeing her but she held her head high as she moved to board the plane. Taking her seat, she kept her gaze down at her hands as her tears began to spill over. 

"Healer," Beta Teddy called to her but she kept her gaze down as she continue to cry. "Healer," he repeated himself. Gazing up at Beta Teddy through tear filled eyes, she wondered what he wanted. "C'mon let's go." 

"Go where? I must go to the Moon Shine packlands," she said through her tears. 

He shook his head as he sat across from her, "Can you honestly help others when you can't even help yourself at this moment?"

His words made her cry harder as she shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Just let me go." 

"If it didn't matter you wouldn't be wasting your precious tears," he said softly as he reached out to wipe her cheeks. "Now come, let us make things right," he said as he stood on his feet with his hand extended out to her. 

"Beta leave it alone," she mumbled through her tears. "We shouldn't waste the Moon Shine pack's time or efforts." 

Beta Teddy looked over at the foreign lycans, who stood along side Beta Teddy, "Queen and Healer like Beta Teddy said we need your help and as it seems you are in no condition to do so. We will reschedule a better time." 

"I'm sorry," she shook her head ashamed as she moved to take her leave. Stepping off of the plane she walked past both Commanders as she was heading back to the Forbidden City. 

"Where are you going," Beta Teddy asked. 

She shrugged, hating the fact that she couldn't stop the tears from falling, "I'm going back to the mansion since I'm not being helpful." 

"," Beta Teddy breathed as he rushed to pull her back. "Don't be weak! You need to be strong!" 

Pulling away from Beta Teddy, she couldn't care less that she was starting to cause a scene, "I am weak! Don't ask me to be what I'm not. You're wasting your time." Gazing at Commander Dara she shrugged, "I'm truly sorry you wasted your time. Please send my best regaurds..." She screetched as she was effortlessly lifted up into the air and slung over Beta Teddy's shoulders. "What are you doing," Minzy screamed. 

"Being the strength you need to do what is best for you," Beta Teddy grunted as he started to walk into the direction of the Crimson Crawler packlands. 

"Put me down," Minzy demanded as she began to struggle against his hold. 

"Once you come to your senses we'll think about it," Commander Dara added as she walked along side Beta Teddy and starting their own conversation. "How has the recovery of the dessert planes been?"

"It's been great. Healer here did a great job doing an ascension for the lycans that had passed on," Beta Teddy played along as they both ignored Minzy who kept trying to buck herself lose and failing miserably. 

After hours of trying to break free and not being able to do so, she lay limp over Beta Teddy's shoulders. Feeling the hot sun beating down on them, she knew this journey would be so much easier in their lycan form. But she wasn't looking for an easier way of getting to the Crimson Crawler packlands. In fact she was wanting to do the complete opposite. Quietly plotting her escape in her mind, she was impressed with how well Beta Teddy and Commander Dara got along. As she lay quietly listening to the two talk about the various changes among their respective lands, she found herself becoming sleepy after all the crying and child like fit she threw. Closing her eyes, she let sleep take her over. 

Slowly awaking to the soft flickering of flames, she slowly opened her eyes to stare at the fire burning before her. Unmoving, she stared hypnotized by the flames that the dried wood. Thinking back to her day, she sighed deeply knowing she could have handled things far better than she had done so. Taking in her surroundings, she noticed that Commander Dara was fast asleep on the other side of the fire while Beta Teddy sat wide awake staring quietly at the fire. "Beta Teddy," Minzy croaked through her dried throat to get his attention. "You may return back to the city, I will go back with Commander Dara from here." 

He chuckled lightly as he gazed down at her, "And only hear about how you'll sabotage your fight for consideration? I think not." 

Minzy whined like a child inside, but knew better than to actually react in such a way, "I will do what I must and so shall you." 

"Healer why the sudden change of heart? It has to be more than what your gift had allowed you to see," Beta Teddy said calmly. 

Minzy thought on his words as she knew that he could see right through her, "I...I wasn't lying when I said I was weak." She went quiet as she took in the night before as well as today, "Remember what I told you that I said to Alpha Jiyong?" 

"Yes, you said you think you love him," he responded. 

She slightly nodded, "Exactly, I told him that I think I love him. But that woman that I saw him with. She...she knew. She knew without a doubt in her mind that she loves him. She proclaimed her love for him without a second thought as she captured his lips. She kissed him with everything she had in her." Sitting up, she stared at the flames as her insecurities spilled from her lips, "How can I compare? I can't honestly say such words with the doubts that run in the back of my mind. Not of him, but of myself. How inadequate I feel to love a man like him. I'm incapable of loving someone like that as well as being loved like that in return." 

It saddened Beta Teddy just how deep her insecurities ran, but they were very understandable just knowing what little he knew of her and her complicated life. "Now I can't speak for Alpha Jiyong and what actions you've seen him caught up in. But I do know this, if you don't do this fight for consideration you'll never know the truth for yourself. You'll never be able to break through from those doubts and fears you have of yourself if you don't face them. So I'm here not to see you succeed in winning the consideration, but to help you defeat your demons." 

Minzy couldn't help the tears of emotions that threatened to leave her eyes. "I have many demons to face," she chuckled. 

"Then we will fight them one by one together," Beta Teddy said confidently. 

"Okay," she said wiping at the stray tears that fell. 

Minzy had stayed up until the flames had fizzled out to smoke. Seeing both Beta Teddy and Commander Dara fast asleep, she looked out to the sky to see the sun rising. Taking that as a sign, she got up and shifted into Amethyst and started to make her way back to the the Crimson Crawler pack lands. Running to her heart's content, she didn't stop until she hit the borders. Coming to a slow stop, she couldn't believe the person that was there to greet her. 

"Good morning Minzy," Beta Seunghyun smiled brightly at her. 

"Good morning Beta Seunghyun, what are you doing here," she asked as she nodded to the guards and walked onto the pack land. 

"What do you think, I've come to welcome you home," he smiled as he knelt down and wrapped his strong arms securely around her. "Welcome back dear friend." Nuzzling further into his embrace, she couldn't help the infectious smile spreading across her own face.