Evander Kane and Mylo flank Yade while Jasper runs behind her, with Blaze and Tarja flanking him. Theron, Alexia, and Axel are in front of us, and Yonatan, Boris, Callan, and Armand are right behind all of us. Boris was instructed to keep an eye on Yade, just in case Umayza would get memories the moment we crossed the border. Umayza reassured us that it wouldn't affect Yade, but she couldn't explain to us why it only affected her, and I know Armand asked Council-member Armas to look into it. Armand had explained to Umayza and Orion that our experience was that a gift also affected the Wolf or Lycan form. Maybe it is just her kind of ability that doesn't affect the Wolf or Lycan form, but she agreed with Theron when he had said it might not have affected Yade because so far it had been small or happy memories. Mylo doesn't like his Mate to walk into the unknown, and he has made it perfectly clear he will stay close to her. Kane will return control to Conri when we get across the border, but Mylo told Umayza he would not give control back, and she thanked him for caring so much. Mylo had growled at her words, and she had turned every shade of red when he had said, "I don't care about you; I love you, and I would lay down my life for you." Conri Kane and Mylo had talked about the best way to protect Umayza, and Kane had thought of the best way they could protect her. There was nothing Evander or I could say to change their minds, and I actually like the fact that I am the one that will be able to hold her when it is necessary. Besides that, Mylo is also the more vicious one, and I am glad he will be there if Calliope decides to show up. I am watching Yade run alongside Kane and Mylo, and I am impressed that she can keep up with us, but then again, she has been training hard for years.From time to time, one of us moves closer to Yade, and every time she playfully bumps into us. It doesn't seem to me that she is nervous or anxious about her assignment, but Umayza told us it only looks that way. She is nervous because this is the first time she has to investigate a massacre. Her anxiousness comes from not knowing if Calliope will show up today or what Calliope might have planned for us, but we have the element of surprise on our side, as she probably believes it is just the six of us. Calliope is unaware of the fact that there are six extra Wolves with us. We all just hope that it will be enough to have the upper hand in this situation. Orion hasn't heard anything from Malik yet, and that has Kane a little on edge. None of us like going into a situation blind, but in this case, we don't have a choice. The Council needs answers to know what to charge former Alpha Talon with; they want to know if former Alpha Roger was in on it, and they want to know what happened after Ayden showed up at the scene. The latter question is one Princess Taliyah wants to know the answer to as well. The Council also wants justice for the members of White Horn Pack; they didn't deserve what happened to them, and I truly hope that Umayza can get some answers as to what happened that day. Kane just hopes that finding those answers will not result in Umayza collapsing. As we approach the border, three Warriors step out of the tree line, and Captain Armand shifts back from his Lycan form. He grabs a backpack from Callan to put some clothes on, and in the meantime, he introduces himself. He asks the Warriors if they have seen anything unusual. The Warriors tell him they have been running patrol as always, but we are the first outsiders they have seen. "We will stay out of your way. We know why you are here, and our Alpha has told us to just run our patrol. He did ask to warn you if something comes up, and it will be one of us that will report to you, Captain Armand," one of the Warriors says. Umayza disappears behind a tree with Alexia while Blaze and Tarja stand guard in their Wolf form. The others shift right where they stand, and they put on the clothes we brought along. Umayza didn't like our request to shift back behind a tree at first; that was until Kane pushed forward and told her he didn't want anyone to see what is his. She had stared at him with big eyes and slowly lifted her hand to touch his cheek before she told him that for this once, she was going to do as he asked. "Don't make a habit out of this, Kane. My team has seen me naked quite a few times, and so have Wolves and Lycans I didn't know. How would you feel if I asked you to shift behind a tree?" she had asked, and he was about to answer her that that was different when I pointed out to him that it wasn't different. I had asked him how often someone had seen us naked after shifting, and that is when it sank in. Mylo had buried his face in her neck while Kane told her he understood her question, and he asked her to just humor him until they were able to mark her. "I am not sure if I can handle someone looking at your naked body as long as you are not wearing our mark, Little One," was his response to her. Umayza had giggled at his admission, and she had put her arms around his neck to nuzzle him, making the damn idiot purr out loud, which had made her giggle even more. She had whispered in his ear that she liked that she could make him purr. Mylo reacted the same way when she nuzzled him, and Kane had chuckled at the sight of his Brother and Umayza. We all had been waiting for this for a long time, and I am glad we finally have our Mate. I am glad Axel confronted me in the SUV. I just wish we had known this a year or two ago, but then again, Orion is right. Where would she be today if she had accepted one of our invitations? What would Calliope have done once the news reached her that Umayza was marked by her fated Mates? Questions we will probably never get answers to; answers I probably don't want to know. A hand on my arm pulls me from my thoughts, and as I look down at my Mate, she asks if I am ready. I see everyone is ready to enter the territory and wrap my arm around her shoulder as I nod my head. Let's get this over with, I think to myself.