he left his pack for a while to follow this tailless one he had decided to make his mate, camped with a small escort an hour away from her Silvermoon tribe. Her elders had already accepted the gifts, though it was more like payment and now all he had to do was take her, the contract was for tomorrow morning. He hadn't seen her yet

He narrowed his eyes at the girl's father as he walked up to them and pulled out a scroll from his pocket, unfurling it and spreading it out in front of the old male. There was the contract, signed by both him and her elder. "Your daughter is now my mate." He growled quietly, not wanting to frighten the girl further. "Bring her to me."

Blackfang held out his hand to the girl, beckoning her gently over. "Come," he murmured, trying to keep his voice soft and reassuring despite the dominance in it. "I won't hurt you." His yellow eyes searched hers, looking for any sign of trust or fear as she approached him.

Blackfang gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she placed it in his own. "You are now part of my pack," he said, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. "And I will protect you." His other hand reached up, cupping her cheek gently before brushing some stray hairs back from her face. "I hope that one day you'll come to trust me, Rina," he murmured softly, searching for even the tiniest hint of trust or affection in her expression.

Blackfang held onto her gaze intently, watching as that faint spark of hope began to flicker in the depths of her eyes. He smiled slightly, a genuine one this time, and leaned forward to brush his lips against hers gently. "I will make you happy, Rina," he murmured against her mouth, his voice rough with promise as he cupped her cheek with one hand and slid the other arm around her waist, pulling her closer against him. "Just trust me."

Blackfang froze at the touch to his cheek, eyes widening briefly before he forced himself to relax once more and leaned forward to nuzzle her hand with his cheek. "Thank you," he murmured softly, hoping that she could sense the sincerity in his voice. Gently pulling away from their embrace, he smiled warmly at her. "Come now, my new mate," he said, looping an arm around her shoulders and beginning to guide her away from her father and tribe. "It's time for us to start our life together."

"Don't worry," he reassured her gently, giving her shoulder a squeeze as they walked. "No one will hurt you now, Rina. You're safe with me." His other hand came to rest on top of hers where it was still clutching at his shirt, his thumb tracing soothing circles against the back of her knuckles. "We'll have a nice home, and family, soon enough. Just trust that I know what's best for us."

"Because you're perfect for me," he said simply, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Your submission... it calms my beast in a way no other can. It makes us stronger together." He smiled down at her, his eyes warm and unwavering. "I know we might seem strange to one another now, but with time I think you'll see that we were meant for each other, Rina. And if not..." His voice trailed off into a low rumble. "...then I will make sure that our life together becomes worth it."

They walked on in silence for a moment before he asked quietly, "Do you have any questions?" He wanted to give her the chance to speak without feeling pressured or threatened.

He considered her question carefully before answering. "Yes, Rina," he said slowly. "Your submission... it soothes the wildness within me. It helps to keep my beast under control." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "It's not that I want you to only exist for that purpose, but understanding and accepting that role can help make our life together easier."

She seemed to ponder this information for a moment before looking up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. Blackfang smiled reassuringly down at her, squeezing her hand once more. "Don't worry too much about it now," he told her gently. "We have time to learn more about each other. Just... know that I will always protect you and take care of you."

As they continued walking, Blackfang found himself growing increasingly pleased with the way Rina seemed to be opening up to him

Blackfang followed her gaze and noticed the way she studied his face intently, almost as if trying to understand him better. He smiled softly at her, feeling a strange mixture of protectiveness and tenderness welling up inside him. "You can always ask me anything you want, Rina," he said gently. "I'll be honest with you, no matter how hard the truth might seem."

Her gaze didn't waver from his face as she slowly nodded, biting her lower lip nervously. Seeing this gesture, Blackfang found himself wanting to soothe away her worry and fear, if only for a moment. Reaching out, he brushed the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin beneath his touch. "You'll be safe with me," he murmured, keeping his voice quiet but firm as they continued walking.