Finally, after running for an hour and half through the woods, they caught their flight to London. Althea and her pack reached home. All the new pack members were introduced into the pack the day after. Just after the introduction, Ron made his way to Althea.
"I thought I would never see you again. Let alone here." Althea said raising an eyebrow, arms crossed.
"Can I talk with you? Alone?" he asked. "Please."
Althea looked at him, telling him to follow her as she made her way deeper into the forest away from the pack house. And soon they reached a clearing far away from the crowd.
"What do you want to talk about?" Althea questioned turning around to face him.
"I felt a connection with you the day I saw you. And even more so when I knew who you were." Ron said looking at Althea in the eye.
Althea didn't know how he knew her as she hasn't said anything about Hela Silvermoon being her mother. But Ron somehow seemed to know.
"How?" Althea asked.
"I told you the goddess forgave me. S-she gave me an unspoken job to do when she did so. She wanted me to protect you." He somehow managed to say.
"Look I'm not stupid. I will not be sharing my life story in the middle of a war with anyone that would get me killed." He sighed.
"I knew I had to tell you everything I knew. It was like this connection I feel towards you-" he stopped.
Althea just gave him a look. Her eyebrows scrunched. Ron took deep breath before reaching for the knife in his boot. Althea kept looking at him as she was unaware of what he was doing. He took out the knife and slowly held the sharp edged of the knife against the palm of his other hand. Then he pulled the knife out cutting his palm in the process and the blood kept oozing out.
"I, Ron Hardy, swear on my blood, to be your protector, Althea Garcia Hela Silvermoon." He gave her a small smile as he knelt on one knee, holding his bleeding palm out. "I promise to protect you in the name of my goddess, in the name of Hela Silvermoon." Then he waited for Althea.
Althea was shocked. Alex knew Althea when he swore to be her warrior. But Ron hardly knew her. Yes, he had met her mother but years ago. He didn't even know her. But she could not ignore the connection even she herself felt.
She didn't even know him but somewhere in her heart she knew that she could trust him. His eyes told her that he would indeed protect her as she could clearly see the regret in his face for not being able to save his goddess. Everybody deserves a chance, Althea thought, this is his.
She then sighed and took the knife from Ron. She held the knife on her palm and swiftly cut her palm and placed it on top of Ron's bleeding palm.
"With this blood, I, Althea Garcia Hela Silvermoon, bond you to me." She replied to him and returned his smile.
Ron brought their hand to his heart, to both his eyes and finally kissed the back of her hand before he let it go.
"Come on now. Get up. I need to introduce you to the rest of the pack and we also need to have a meeting." She said to Ron as he started getting up.