Fidda had a point.
Where could they possibly find a rogue wolf at that time, let alone one destined to be paired with their fated mate before the crescent moon blessing ceremony?
If they couldn't manage that, they might have to step forward and tell the whole pack it was them.
That would place her right in front of the witches and in serious danger.
Besides, Titan's mother would never allow him to leave with the witches gathering around the pack for the blessing.
"I don't see how any of this concerns me. This is your pack, not mine," Ayla said, the words slipping out before she could stop herself.
Titan tightened his grip on her hand.
"The last thing you should do right now is run. It'll just make you an even bigger target. Let us take care of one problem at a time."
He looked over at Fidda and her partner.
"Ladies, how can I be sure you'll keep what you've learned between the four of us? This is as much for your protection as it is for ours and the whole pack's. So, we need to keep it under wraps for now."
That was the only way he felt like he could keep them from talking, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.
If anyone discovered Ayla's presence, it would attract more wolves than he wanted to imagine, and witches would come to try and take her as well.
Ayla wasn't sure she could trust them to keep the secret, so she came up with a plan B.
"Where can we keep them until this is all over? I want to be certain they can't tell anyone. How can we know they haven't already?"
Titan hadn't thought of them calling out to anyone.
Before she could say anything else, he walked over and pulled out a large steel case from beside his bed.
"I've never had to use these before. I was hoping I wouldn't have to," he said, pulling out two necklaces with black stones and placing one around each girl's neck.
"Be straight with me, did you contact anyone, including my mom?"
Fidda shook her head, and the girl beside her did the same.
"No, she hasn't heard from us since earlier. I have to admit, she knows everything else, though. That's the whole truth."
"What do you mean?" he asked, feeling an unexpected urge to go along with Ayla's plan.
"She knows about all your guests, as much as we do anyway. How you brought the packless wolves into our homes. That's why she wants to have lunch with them. To figure out what made you bring them here and what their plan with you might be."
"That's enough, Fidda. Stop it with the attitude toward A...Raya. She is my trusted guest."
"Titan, you know just as well as I do that she can't be trusted to keep a secret this big. You'll have to keep her somewhere until this is over, friend or not."
Titan lowered his head, knowing she was right, yet Fidda's words kept echoing in his mind.
"You're right, but I've got a plan that's just crazy enough to work. Grab Ariel and come with me."
They moved quietly and swiftly to the room where Ayla was supposed to be, planning to grab her some clothes.
She chose a dress with more coverage, rising to her neck and draping over her shoulders before extending halfway down her arms.
It still looked like the one Titan had chosen in style, but with a more toned-down, conservative design, capable of hiding her mark.
Once she was finally dressed for the first time that day, the couple followed Titan's lead to a part of the pack house that no one ever ventured into.
His old quarters that were once home to his birth family.
There were in the beta's keep.
Titan led them further inside, to a large bath area that had the most beautiful dark black stone walls in the bathroom.
"Ladies, I know this isn't the most ideal place to spend a few days, but it's not exactly the dungeons. At least you have some comfort. The two couches over there are soft and clean, and there's fresh water available. I'll make sure to bring you food regularly. I'm truly sorry about this."
Afterward, he quickly shut the doors and locked them, sliding two crossbars into place at different heights to make sure they stayed secure.
"That is a stunning and massive bathroom. What material are the walls made from? I thought it was all just carved from the mountain."
He sighed before explaining, "The pack house is mostly carved from the mountain itself. Some of the outer rooms can have unique features, like this bathroom. It's cut right into the mountain wall and built from Lapis Lazuli. That's why the doors and surrounding walls are made of steel. The stone interferes with our wolves' abilities."
"How do you know they won't be found here?"
"This area is off-limits. The Luna arranged it for me as a favor when my father passed, a way to preserve his memory and my childhood. Even the staff don't come in to clean the rooms. No one will ever find them."
Ayla pulled him close in comfort, the familiar ache of sorrow returning as he thought back to memories of his birth father.
She knew it was the bond driving her to ease his discomfort, but deep down, she genuinely wanted to as well.
Titan was one of the few people who genuinely seemed to understand her.
"So, what is this ingenious plan of yours to keep me away from the witches?"
He leaned back just a bit, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
"Oh, as long as the others play along, it'll be magical for everyone," he said, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.
"First, we need to get to the group. We have to get them up to date."
They hurried to meet the others and agreed to gather in Raphael and Rhae's room.
It felt like the safest choice at the time.
With time running out before the upcoming lunch with the Luna, Titan quickly filled everyone in on the highlights, while Rhae sat wide-eyed, hanging on every word.
"Holy shit, Ayla, I mean Raya. Does it feel any different?"
"We don't have time for girl talk right now, ladies. What is the plan, then, Titan? You said you thought you might have a way to hide it, the two of you."
For the first time since joining the merry band of misfits, Titan looked uneasy.
"Technically, we need a rogue fated mating. I was thinking...well...Phoenix..."
"Say no more. So, where are all the ladies?" Phoenix asked without a moment's hesitation.
"No, that's not what I meant. You and Raphael are technically rogues now, having lost your pack scent. My maid made a good point.
You're all packless. If any of you mated, it might go unnoticed by the witches, right? So, what if Raphael and Rhae tested to see if they were mates?"
Ayla brought a hand to her chin, processing his words.
"So they could mate, undetected, and pretend they were the ones who set off the torches. Wouldn't the witches realize it wasn't actually them?"
"Maybe, maybe not. No one really knows. Still, it's worth a shot, right? But only if they're willing, and if they haven't already tried and discovered they're not a match."
Raphael noticed that Rhae was feeling increasingly uneasy with the conversation and asked everyone to excuse them until lunchtime.
They would talk over the plan and let them know what they decided to do afterward.
Ayla respected their choice and reminded the group that from then on, her name would be Raya as they left the room.
All they needed was to deceive the pack just long enough to get the witches through the blessing, and then they could decide what to do next.
Ayla wasn't a stranger to a little deceit, though.
First, they had to make it through lunch.
Titan decided it would be nice to give the group a quick tour of the pack house as they leisurely made their way to the garden dining area, his mother had set up for him and his guests.
They took their time because he wanted them to see that his pack was different, more modern, laid-back, and a calmer, more peaceful group.
His pack thrived and moved forward as a human subset rather than full-on wolves as their savage counterparts.
Accepting every part of themselves.
Phoenix could easily picture himself enjoying life as part of the pack, while Julius kept picking up great ideas about what he could learn from them.
He knew this would never truly be his home, but he had developed a deep respect for them as he observed everything.
Ayla finally picked up on the uneasy vibe seeping into her mate as they approached the gardens where his mother sat waiting patiently for her guests.
"Titan, you three go on ahead. I just need to use the restroom. I won't be long, and I'll catch up right after. Make sure to keep your neck covered."
She leaned in for a long, passionate kiss, then dashed away, glancing back once to see if he was following.
With just a curious glance back at her, she noticed him moving ahead with Phoenix and Julius toward his mother.
'Don't take too long. I would hate to have to come looking for you.' she heard pop into her head.
'If you feel like taking on that challenge, good luck!' she dared him.
Titan wasn't sure if she was actually challenging him or if she would really show up soon.
His anxiety was growing as he walked alongside the two men to greet his mother before they all took their seats.
"The rest of the group will be here soon. This is Phoenix and Julius. To be upfront, neither of them belongs to a pack. They helped me when I needed it most, and I'm indebted to them."
Phoenix couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows.
"In that case, thank you for helping him. He's the future of this pack. Why aren't you part of a pack?"
None of them had expected that question.
"Well, we don't want to be part of our pack anymore. Our alpha wanted things from us that we didn't agree with, so we left," Phoenix said before Julius could speak.
"I see. Loyalty is a strong quality to not have. Was it worth it to betray it?"
"Yes, ma'am. A wolf's life is always worth it. I can see you value both sides of who we are. He didn't. They wanted us to be savage and nothing else. He lied and broke wolf law more times than I care to admit, and I just couldn't go along with it."
"Will you tell me what pack you were born to?"
"With all due respect, I'd prefer not to right now. I'm not sure I can trust you yet. If I ever decide to pledge my loyalty, I'll tell you everything. Until then, my loyalty remains with the one I follow."
"I can't share that right now. It could put his life in danger. He's also without a pack currently."
"Dear Phoenix, you may be rogue currently, but you are not packless."
He couldn't follow what she was saying, but she was clearly steering the conversation in a different direction.
"So, I heard you were all at Moonlight Shifters before coming here. Which one of you ended up getting captured by them?"
Every trace of expression vanished from their faces.
"Oh, Titan, did you really think you could keep secrets from me. Haven't you learned by now? Don't worry. They'll figure out soon enough not to cross my border without permission. Now, answer my question."
Julius slowly lifted his hand to her, telling her that it was him.
He went on to explain how they had lured him into their territory just to imprison him, though he said it was actually an attempt to recruit him into their pack once they found out he was packless.
He did everything he could to keep them from finding out Ayla was the reason they took him.
Julius didn't need another pack, knowing they could use him to reach her.
"I swear, wolves have no sense of decorum these days. It's like the laws don't mean a thing to them. Now you see why we never let anyone come here, ever. The less they know about us, the better. They can't hurt us that way."
"You remind me of someone," Phoenix said with a half-smile, "You'll be meeting her shortly."
The luna simply nodded.
The four of them chatted casually as Ayla slipped quietly through the hallways, making sure to keep her mind calm and free of any thoughts.
As she walked past each window, she mentally mapped every path she spotted, sketching out escape routes leading to the mountain passage she was certain Titan had guided them through.
It was only a matter of time, so she had to figure out how to vanish quickly.
Just then, before she realized what was happening, a firm hand grabbed her shoulder.
She didn't scream or fight; she just stood there, frozen.
"Why would you do that to us? After everything we've done for you, you just slip away without a word, leaving us in another pack's territory, just like that."
Ayla closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"Would you believe I was just coming to check on you, Rhae? I won't pretend I wasn't looking for a way out, but I swear I wasn't leaving."
"Not yet," Rhae said, her voice edged with a trace of anger.
"I'm marked for life, all because you're terrified..."
"Wait, you actually did it? Already? And it worked. You're fated mates?"
Ayla turned to find Rhae tucked snugly under Raphael's arm, pressed close against him as if he were shielding her from the world, bold marks visible on both their necks.
It was the most beautiful sight Ayla had ever laid eyes on, and she couldn't look away.
Their marks stood out from hers, featuring what seemed to be blue waves of water with a large red crescent moon over the waves.
"Rhae, it's beautiful. How do you feel?"
"Amazing. More than amazing," she said, raising her shoulders in excitement.
"Let's get this lunch over with, shall we? I have to convince Luna that we lit the torches, right?"
The three of them linked arms and strolled down the hallway toward the gardens, eager to see if they could actually pull one over on a Luna, of all people.