Werewolf Coven

Chapter 7

Hey all, Thank you so much to everyone who supports my story. If you enjoy, then please VOTE! COMMENT! FAN! And PROMOTE! I apologise for spelling and grammatical errors, I haven’t edited my chapters as I just simply haven’t had the time. Dedicated to lilromeo1 for no reason in particuar. Love you all,

KaraaKinetiic.

Werewolf Coven Chapter 7

Rhylee POV.

Time seemed to go far too quickly. I was having more fun than I had ever thought to be humanly possible. There were moments where I wished I could have a video recorder and just tape the entire scene. I had been in Glenville for a year and had completed several successful missions. My name was well known in the werewolf community. Not my real name, just my codename.  Of course there were wolves in my pack who knew who I was but it never spread beyond the pack.

I had managed to evade my old pack for a year. A whole year but I knew they were looking for me. I don’t know if they were sorry and wanted to apologise, or if they hated that I was finally happy, all I knew was that Kaleb had been searching for me since the day I left. A part of me; the impulsive side, felt glad that he had put so much time into looking for me but the more logical side felt sort of annoyed and angry.

I hated that it had taken so long for him to realise that he had made a mistake and I hated that leaving had to teach him his lesson. Worst of all, for all I knew, he could still be the same person that he was before and I wouldn’t know. I knew my time away was coming to an end but I tried my hardest to prolong the inevitable.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be leaving me to go to university,” I complained to Emily as I hugged her for one last time. She had finished senior year and was going to University to study business. Matt was going with her seeing as they were both together.

“I know, but I will text and email you and I promise to call as often as I can,” she promised sincerely.

“I know,” I said wiping a fake tear from my eye, she chuckled.

“I will see you the first chance I get and you can always come to the city and visit me on weekends,” she suggested.

“I will.”

She left shortly after, pulling away in her car to meet with Matt. I had become fast friends with Emily, we had become best friends; aside from Tyler. She was the sister that I never had and although I would miss her immensely, she had to follow her own dreams. Zach was staying back to take over from the pack and learn the ropes for when dad passed the title of Alpha down. Kyron was already obliged to stay because he had already been handled the position of Beta.

The twins were in their senior year at high school, as was Heather, and Sarah would be staying around to work in town. She was training to become a pack fighter and she wanted to stay around her family. Finally, there was Tyler who would probably always stay around Glenville, he loved the place more than words could describe. Tyler had made me his co-owner in Club 6 and had opened a bar in the city also. He had various other investments but they were never of much interest to me. I was more than happy with Club 6.

I walked back into the house searching for someone to speak to. I found Tyler and Zach in the office and walked in, ignoring the way that their voices turned to a soft hush as I walked in. I raised my eyebrows but sat quietly in an armchair, waiting for either one of them to speak.

“We’ve had some news Rhylee,” Zach spoke in a soft voice.

“Yeah,” I urged feeling nerves settle in my stomach.

“The rogue activity is becoming increasingly more organised and it seems as if they’re building an army,” he said, his voice a little shaky.

“Alright, who do I need to take out?” I asked already planning the kill in my head.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” he spoke hesitantly. I looked at him with a blank face, my eyes quickly darting to Tyler to see him with a blank face.

“Okay, go on then,” I encouraged.

“The rogues have a little extra help,” Zach began. I raised an eyebrow, not sure where the conversation was headed. “They have been collecting people with gifts.”

I blinked; then I blinked again and tried to form a coherent sentence. I wasn’t sure what it all meant for werewolves and vampires alike but it didn’t sound good. In fact, it sounded downright dangerous. “What sort of gifts?” I asked.

“We’re not completely sure but we do know that the leader of the group has the ability to make people do what he wants,” he explained.

“Wow,” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes; massaging my temples. It was a big deal and one that was going to be difficult to keep under control. “How do you know all of this?” I asked curiously.

“We have someone on the inside,” he explained.

My mouth formed an ‘o’. It seemed that since I had left Trinity, my life had become more and more interesting. I never would have thought that I would be fighting the bad guys and kicking some serious ass but there I was; mentally preparing myself for a battle.

“So what do we do now?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Tyler said, speaking for the first time. My mouth fell agape and I stared at him in disbelief. He looked slightly unnerved.

“What do you mean nothing?” I half-shouted at him. He must have been crazy.

“We can’t do anything,” Tyler shouted back.

“So what, you’re just going to let the bad guys win? I thought you were better than that Tyler,” I glared at him angrily.

“We can’t do anything,” he sighed exasperated. “They have a psychic.”

“A psychic?” I stated, posing it more of as a question. “What sort of psychic?”

“A future seeing psychic,” he said putting his head in his hands.

“Oh. Well what does that mean for our operation?” I asked.

“It means that we can’t just go in with our guns blazing. We lack the element of surprise and they will see us coming.”

“Well how are we supposed to deal with the problem?”

“We have to wait it out for a little while. Wait till we know what the leader wants and then we figure out a plan.”

I nodded my head and sat down in a soft armchair in the room. The door opened and closed, signifying that somebody had left the room. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the soft plush headrest in the arm chair. My mind was reeling with possibilities. Whatever it meant for my kind; it didn’t look good.

“It will be okay you know,” a soft voice spoke. It was Zach, obviously it was him. He was always the calm one, the one that had the best advice and the one seemed to be around if ever you needed a friend or just somebody to talk to.

I sighed deeply my mind reeling, thinking over everything that had happened the past year. I had moved on in so many ways but my life was still a mess and I had so many unresolved issues. Things that I had been running away from that I would have to face sooner or later. I kept running, trying to focus on my job at the time, trying to find the latest bad guy but maybe I was really running from myself.

“I know Zach,” I replied automatically, not sure if I really believed the words that were coming out of my own mouth.

“You’re not okay Rhylee,” he said seriously looking deep into my eyes.

“I know,” I sighed again, feeling like I had been doing a lot of that lately; sighing and feeling slightly dejected.

“You can always talk to me,” he soothed.

“It’s just,” I began before pausing to deliberate the words that I wanted to say. “I feel like everything has been piling on top of me lately and no matter how much we do, there is always a new threat, someone bigger and harder to face. It’s like the more rogues we take out, the more keep popping up out of the woodwork and I just wonder if it’s all really worth it in the end.”

“It’s worth it,” he spoke instantaneously with more conviction than I had ever heard. “I know you well Rhylee, I want you to tell me what’s really bothering you.”

“I know. Lately I’ve just been thinking far too much about Trinity and everything that is back there. I know I have to face my past sooner or later but I just don’t think I’m ready. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever be ready to face Kaleb again.”

“This is about him looking for you, isn’t it?” He asked in a soft voice. His fingers reached out to smooth a strand of hair down the side of my face in a soft caress.

“I guess,” I replied shrugging.

“You don’t have to worry about him Rhylee,” he promised. “I will never let him hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid of him hurting me, I can handle him all on my own, I’m just afraid of our connection. I can’t get rid of it and I can never make it go away. I just don’t know if I can handle being connected to him for the rest of my life like this.”

He slid his right thumb across my cheek from the corner of my lip to my ear and then traced the pattern back tracing my lower lip as he did. His lips were soft and supple looking and his eyes were shining brightly like they always did when we were together.

“I’ve got you Rhy; I will always have your back. You are strong enough to handle anything, don’t ever doubt your abilities. I believe in you.” He smiled softly before standing up and moving to sit behind the desk. I followed his lead and stood too, facing him with a soft smile.

“Thank you Zach.” With that being said, I walked away from the office and into my bedroom.

--

“It’s a busy night Miss,” Darryl spoke from next to me.

I sat on a comfortable suede lounge chair on a balcony at the top of Club 6. Darryl was a bouncer and usually kept me company when I wanted to watch over the club. He was right; it was a busy night. I’d hired Darryl to be my main man when neither Tyler nor I were at the club. He was good at his job and kept everybody in line. He had black hair, brown eyes and a build that was like a body builder. Undoubtedly he was attractive but the large muscly build didn’t really do it for me. As my bouncer on the other hand; he was perfect.

“That it is,” I confirmed eyeing the crowd of writhing bodies below.

The dance floor was an array of possibly every colour under the sun and was made up of hyped adults that were looking to be in the hottest club in the city. Club 6 was definitely the hottest club in the city, we had the best music, the cheapest alcohol and we still turned a profit.

“How is the crowd?” I asked curiously.

“How are they usually?” He chuckled in response.

“I see your point. Want to dance?” I asked teasingly.

“You know me boss, I’m always up for it.”

Darryl wasn’t the best dancer though he certainly did draw a lot of female attention. We made our way to the dance floor and danced together moderately to the music. I danced lightly against Darryl but kept my senses sharp, scanning the crowd for any unknown threat or danger. I knew Darryl was doing the same.

We didn’t dance for long and made our way to the edge of the dance floor towards the bar. A shot glass was immediately placed in front of me and I thanked the bartender with a flirty smile. Darryl stood off to the edge of the dance floor scanning the room; ignoring the lustful looks that women threw his way. He was always very professional at work which was beneficial to me. We were really careful about having underage people in the club, not wanting to be shut down. The only underage people that had a chance of getting in the club would have to be with either myself or Tyler and that just simply wasn’t happening.

I felt it in the air when something changed. It felt like the air around me stilled. I knew that the meeting would have to come sooner or later but I had anticipated the latter. I had pictured the moment in my head a thousand times since I had first discovered that Kaleb was looking for me but I had never really known what to expect.

I scented him the moment he stepped into the club. I was surprised that the bouncers hadn’t stopped him, they all knew who he was and what he looked like, he had been to the club on several occasions; all of which I had not been there for.

He smelled like the woods, intoxicating and desirable. I willed myself not to look at him, not to seek him out in the crowd. I closed my eyes and downed my drink waving at the bartender to get another. When that one was placed in front of me I downed it and requested another. I felt the air shift around me and knew that he was behind me. He didn’t have to make a noise, didn’t have to breathe and I didn’t have to face him; I just knew. I lifted the last shot glass and gulped down the liquid courage, took a deep breath and pretended to be oblivious to his presence.

“You shouldn’t drink so much at once,” he chastised teasingly from behind me. His voice was soft and velvety to my ears but it was bitter-sweet. He was everything that was supposed to have been made for me; everything that would arouse my senses but yet he was also everything that I resented.

“And why is that?” I asked waving a hand at the bar tender for yet another drink. Alcohol was like second nature to me and wouldn’t have too much of an effect, not yet anyway. I hadn’t drunk not nearly enough to get myself drunk.

“Unless of course you plan on getting drunk,” he amended. I was half tempted to turn on my chair to face him but resisted the urge. I didn’t feel weak like I used to and that in its self, felt like an accomplishment.

“Would that be so bad?” I asked with a slight smile playing at my lips as I ordered another drink though I got bourbon and coke instead of a shot.

“I’ve missed you,” Kaleb purred his lips edging dangerously close to my ear. His words should have affected me and in a way they did though not to the degree that I had expected. The wolf part of my body purred in satisfaction at his words but it didn’t override the rational more sensible part of me.

I did the only thing that I could do. I took a sip of my drink and slowly turned to face the boy that I had spent so long running away from. He looked much the same but different in a subtle more manly way. Light stubble grew at his chin, his face was a little more mature and his muscles seemed to be a slight bit more defined than I remembered but for the most part he was the same.

His moss green eyes were as captivating as ever. I could have fallen in them had they not been a reminder of everything that my life had been before. They were beautiful and filled with thousands of emotions. His hair was mussed sexily, he was undeniably attractive. He wore a slight smile on his face that looked soft and sincere; a look that I had unconsciously pictured on him an uncountable amount of times. It was the look that belonged on his face but it was also one that I hadn’t wanted to see.

I forced a sarcastic smile to curve on my lips and willed my breathing to stay calm. I had to be strong for my own sake, mostly because if I wasn’t, I would feel the pain that came with his rejection. It was a raw wound that I had never fully recovered from and was burned into my heart. I couldn’t just forget the hurt that he had caused to me, and even though he had spent a year chasing after me, it was nothing in comparison to what I had felt for many long years of my own life.

“Well I guess that makes one of us,” I replied standing from the bar stool and dodging around him. I darted away, needing to put distance between the two of us. I should have bolted the moment I had felt his presence in the club but I couldn’t deny myself the opportunity to see the face that had haunted my dreams on countless occasions.

“Not so fast,” Kaleb whipped out and grabbed a hold of my arm leaving the most intoxicating warmth to spread throughout my body. I hated the feeling.

I spun on my heel, wrenching my arm from his grasp and shoved him backwards as hard as I could. My insides were seething with anger and I couldn’t control the pain that was brewing deep inside of me. I wasn’t going to let him affect me, not mentally at least. The mate bond might have affected my physical and emotional reaction to him but I was through with letting him affect me.

“Don’t you ever touch me again,” I spat, glaring at him menacingly. He stumbled on his feet, obviously taken off guard but I didn’t care. All that mattered was that I put distance between us.

“Rhylee,” he breathed out, seeming to be unsure.

“I don’t want to hear you say my name ever again Kaleb, as far as I’m concerned, you don’t exist. Stop looking for me, if I had of wanted to be found, I would have come back.” I made a dash for the VIP access door and shut the door with a slam behind me.

I walked along the hallways, shaken by my small run in with Kaleb. I had gone so long without him; I couldn’t afford to let him find me again. I walked out the back door into the alleyway and pulled my helmet onto my head. I slid onto my motorbike and drove, relishing the feeling of the cool night air on my skin as I drove away.

--

“What’s the latest job?” I asked Tyler as I walked into his apartment. “Oh my god, I am so sorry,” I exclaimed immediately covering my eyes.

“Shit,” Tyler swore jumping up and pulling on his shirt that had been strewn across the floor. I turned my back on the scene of Tyler making out with a girl on the couch. “I didn’t know you were coming,” he said trying to ease some of the tension out of the room.

“My fault, I should have called you or something, my bad.” I spoke staring at the wall. “Are you decent?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied breathily.

I turned around and faced Tyler. He was standing watching me like I was a creature about to explode. The girl was still on the lounge chair, straightening out her dress. She was quite lovely and had striking green eyes that stood out against her olive complexion. Her hair was pin straight black just below her shoulders. She didn’t seem like an easy type of girl, she had a more look.

“I’m sorry,” I apologised looking at the girl curiously. I walked closer and stretched out my hand. “My name is Rhylee,” I told her smiling gently. “Tyler and I are practically siblings.”

She smiled easily back at me. Her scent was shifter, I’m sure she could tell that mine was too. She reached out and took my hand shaking it lightly. Her hands seemed so soft and gentle. “Hey, I’m Donna,” she told me seeming to relax a little.

“She’s my mate,” Tyler explained. My jaw must have hit the floor judging by how quickly and far it had dropped open.

“You have a mate and you never told me,” I scolded, sending him a hard look that told him that he was in trouble.

“We only met this morning,” he explained.

“Wow, you guys move quickly,” I joked with a chuckle.

“I’m sorry Rhy, I would have told you, but things just happened so quickly.”

“That’s fine,” I reassured him plopping down onto the couch where they had been making out not even five minutes before.

“So, what brings you here at this time of night,” Tyler asked seeming a little concerned.

“I want the next assignment,” I cut to the chase wanting to get straight to the point.

“The next one is a two person job and we can’t start just yet,” he spoke hesitantly watching as my expression dropped. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled averting my eyes to look around the room, pretending to be interested in the rug.

“I know you better than that Rhylee, something is bothering you,” he said with conviction. I sighed and darted my eyes to Donna who was looking at me with concern and worry etched on her face. “You can speak in front of Donna, she won’t tell anybody,” he assured me. I nodded and looked back up at Tyler.

“I saw Kaleb tonight,” I told him. His jaw clenched and his eyes blazed with fury. I glanced over at Donna and saw only confusion on her face. “Kaleb is my mate,” I elaborated for her benefit.

“I’m assuming that is a bad thing then?” She asked softly. I nodded. “May I ask why?”

“About a year ago, I found out that Kaleb was my mate. I was overjoyed, ecstatic even; for a moment I was anyway. Kaleb hated me; in fact my entire pack loathed my very existence because they blamed me for the death of William, Kaleb’s older brother. Needless to say, Kaleb rejected me. I crept to his room that night; I couldn’t sleep and I guess I was hoping that he was just as restless as I was. I found him, in his room with another girl and when he noticed that I was there, he didn’t stop. I left after that and I hadn’t seen him since though he had been looking for me for the past year. I guess he finally found me.”

She seemed to be taking everything in and thinking over the information that I had given her. There was no sign of judgement on her face though there was definitely sympathy, of that I was sure. “He doesn’t deserve you,” she stated simply.

“I know,” I told her honestly. “But I can’t break this mate bond, no matter what I do.”

“Actually,” she interjected seeming to have some sort of internal debate.

“What?” I pushed. “What is it?” I needed to know what she was thinking.

“Well I don’t know if it’s true or just a rumour but I have heard that it’s possible to break the mate bond,” she explained hesitantly.

“Really?” I asked instantly, my mind thinking over the possibility at a million miles per hour.

“Yes,” she answered after a moment’s hesitation. “But I heard that the process is very painful and extremely difficult. I don’t know what the process is; all I heard was that if a mating bond was broken, one or both wolves face the possibility of death.”

I sighed. A part of me was set on finding out about the process but I wasn’t sure if I could risk the death of Kaleb because of it. I may have wanted to break the bond, but at what cost? I couldn’t fathom the idea that Kaleb could die. Was I willing to risk both of our lives for the sake of possibly my own happiness? I wasn’t sure.

“Do you know where I can get the information?” I enquired, rationalising that it couldn’t hurt just to find out more.

“I overheard a guy talking about the process one day when I was at a bar; I think it was called ‘Essence’. All I know is that his name was Rex and his buddy was called Hunter,” she told me.

“Thanks,” I called over my shoulder already making a dash for the door. “Oh, and next time I will knock.”

--

I spent the next week debating whether or not to go through with finding Rex and Hunter. On the one harm, being armed with the information couldn’t hurt, though on the other hand, having the information might prove to be far too tempting for me to resist.

I lay on my bed at the farm house trying to come up with a solution to my problem. I had so many things going on in my head and nothing seemed to be coming out of the situation. I would think that I had made a decision only to question it a moment later. I sighed and rolled over to bury my face in the pillow. A knock sounded at my door.

“Come in,’ I called out, scenting Kyron behind the door.

He opened the door as I sat up on my bed and faced him. We hadn’t spent too much time together because he had taken over as Beta. He looked as devilishly handsome as ever. He wore a smirk on his face with radiant green eyes.

“What can I help you with,” I asked with a soft smile.

“Well,” he began, looking around my room as if he were avoiding my gaze. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me tonight,” he asked seeming oddly shy.

My lips dropped open of their own accord. I must have sat there staring at him in shock before I registered the disappointed look on his face. It certainly was a shocking turn of events but it was no secret that I was undeniably attracted to him. He was a god, in every sense of the word.

“I’d love to,” I replied, and had the pleasure of seeing his jaw drop before he quickly righted himself. It was barely lunch time so I had all the time in the world to get ready. “Where do you plan on taking me?”

“Just a nice place in the city that someone recommended,” he replied giving me a genuine smile. “I’ll pick you up at five.”

With that being said, he left my room and wandered back downstairs. I immediately began thinking of clothes to wear. I couldn’t decide which outfit to go with. A soft knock on the door broke me free of my thoughts.

“I’m home,” Emily called out, waltzing through the door before I had gotten the chance to invite her in.

“Em,” I cried out, jumping from my bed and pulling her into a tight hug. “You came right on time,” I told her pulling her down to sit on the edge of the bed with me.

“Somebody seems happy to see me,” she teased.

“You have no idea.” I filled her in on everything from seeing Kaleb, to Tyler finding his mate and then Kyron asking me to dinner. By the time I had finished I had lost count of the amount of times her eyes and widened and her jaw had dropped.

“Well you certainly have been getting into trouble since I left,” she scolded playfully. “I can’t leave you alone for one minute,” she giggled and I nudged her playfully.

“Yeah well now that you’re here, you can help me decide what to wear to dinner tonight,” I informed her with a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes. “Is that all you love me for? My wonderful sense in fashion,” she asked.

“Pretty much, but your money comes in handy too,” I joked. I had more than enough of my own money.

“I resent that,” she cried out.

We spent the next few hours goofing around and catching up on everything. She told me about her university classes and the new friends she made while I filled her in on everything that had happened with my life. I found myself losing track of the time just enjoying the presence of my best friend.

“Crap, it’s already four o’clock,” she exclaimed. “You have to jump in the shower right now.

I ran for the shower and made it out in ten minutes with fresh smelling hair and shaved legs. Emily worked her magic on my hair and curled it loosely down my back while I applied make up to my eyes and lips. When we were finished she held up a dress.

It was midnight blue made with a tight boob tube style at the top around my bust. From the waist, it fell down loosely to mid-thigh and flowed along my skin. I slipped the dress on and was handed a cropped leather jacket which I pulled on over the top and then slipped my feet into a pair of black low wedge heels.

We managed to finish by quarter to five and I stood examining myself in the mirror. Everything looked great; I looked somewhere between dressed up and casual. I smiled softly, feeling comfortable with my appearance.

“So where are you going?” Emily asked for the first time that day.

“I have no idea,” I replied turning to face where she lay on my bed flipping through a magazine.

“Do you even like him?” She inquired.

“Of course I do, he’s kind and fun with an equal amount of mischief. What’s there not to like?” I grinned playfully.

“Of course I know that,” she smiled. “I was just making sure that you knew that.”

“I bet you didn’t know that this would be the first date that I’ve ever been on.”

She sat bolt upright. “Seriously?”

“Yes. I’m actually kind of nervous,” I admitted.

“Wow,” she breathed out. “Well just be yourself.”

“That sounds like such a cliché thing to say,” I pointed out.

She grinned. “I know, but it’s still true.”

I walked down stairs waiting for Kyron to turn up. Sue was in the kitchen cooking dinner. When I walked in, she smiled gently at me. She had always been so great to me. “You look beautiful,” she smiled proudly.

“Thank you.”

“I thought this day may never come,” she mused.

“What do you mean?” I asked; my eyebrows furrowed together.

“You just never expressed any interest in any of my boys,” she explained.

I sat down on the stool in front of her as Emily walked into the room. “I guess that I’ve just been busy with other things,” I told her honestly.

“I’m glad you’re doing something for yourself,” she said with a smile. I nodded.

There was a soft knock on the door. I could scent Kyron from the kitchen. He smelt like pine and cedar with a hint of spicy cologne. His scent was undoubtedly alluring. I found myself feeling nervous for the date, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say or do. I stood from my seat and walked to the front door to reveal a very handsome Kyron.

He wore dark wash jeans that were fitted nicely and looked designer. He had a black buttoned shirt on with a collar and sleeves which were rolled up to the elbows. The top buttons were undone showing a back wife beater underneath. His hair was mussed artfully in a way that made him look sexy without trying too hard. I noticed a shine in his eyes that had never been there before and a slight smile curving the corners of his lips.

“You look beautiful tonight,” were the first words out of his mouth. He spoke sincerely, making my heart miss a beat. I smiled up at him and nodded.

“You look quite dashing yourself.”

“Only dashing?” He asked cheekily.

“We’ll see if I change my mind after tonight,” I joked and stepped onto the porch closing the door softly behind me.

The night air was slightly cool and a slight breeze wafted across my legs. It did nothing to the heat that radiated from my body though. Kyron placed a hand on the small on my back spreading warmth from his touch. He led me to his sleek silver Porsche and opened the passenger side door for me. I gave him a soft smile before getting into his car.

The drive to the city was around an hour and a half, and was filled with conversations and meaningless chatter. I felt comfortable with Kyron, more so than I had felt with someone in a long time. There were three guys that had been there for me over the year; Tyler, Zach and Kyron.

We neared the city. I could see all of the lights shining throughout the city. The sight was as beautiful as ever and was one of my many reasons for liking to travel to the city during the night time. I turned to Kyron in the driver’s seat to study his profile as he watched the road ahead of us. His jaw was slightly chiselled; he looked rugged and manly in every sense of the word.

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me where we are going?” I asked feeling a smile at the corner of my lips.

“It’s nothing too fancy Rhylee, just an old Tavern I found a while back.”

He grinned in his seat but didn’t look away from the road. I wondered if it were really that easy for him to just ignore my staring and focus on the road ahead, or if he was only pretending to not notice. Something about Kyron felt warm and open in a way that made me trust him.

“We’re here,” he declared pulling the car into a parking space.

I looked around and noticed that we were in a small car park which would fit probably twenty cars. The area was fairly suburban, there was a Tavern with a dimly lit sign that read ‘Tavern’; very original, and across the main road there were houses upon houses. There was a small shopping complex next to the Tavern but aside from that it was fairly quiet.

I smiled gently as I reached out for the handle of the car, only to find that the door had been opened and standing before me was a smirking Kyron. My heart faltered slightly at his appearance and kindness before I stepped out of the car and placed my hand into his warm awaiting one.

His hand felt nice in mine. It felt comfortable and right. The feel of it was foreign to me but I didn’t dwell on that fact too much. Instead, I walked alongside him into the Tavern. The place was quite small and quaint with a bar that ran along one side of the room. There were two bartenders serving an array of customers buying drinks. In one corner there was an ATM and the rest of the small space was filled with tabled and chairs. There was an outside area and a smoking area off to one side. Lastly, there was a small counter and beyond that was the kitchen where I could smell grease and oil along with an array of different foods.

A smile made its permanent home on my face as I followed along behind Kyron while he led me to a small table. I sat down across from him and scanned over the menu. Kyron went up to the counter to place our order and returned with a number which he placed onto our table. Then he went to the bar to get our drinks. He sat back in his seat sliding my bourbon and coke to the empty spot in front of me.

“This place is nice,” I commented, liking the casual atmosphere.

He chuckled. “I know it’s not the fanciest place but I figured that you would like it here,” he explained. He was right though. I did enjoy the calm Tavern. It was thoughtful of him to have put so much though into where he was going to take me.

Our food arrived not long after and I eagerly began to eat my chicken parmigana with salad. The food was amazing. An involuntary moan sounded in the back of my throat. I stopped chewing abruptly and looked up to meet Kyron’s smirking face. My cheeks slightly reddened and I swallowed the mouthful.

“Sorry,” I mumbled embarrassed.

“Don’t be, that noise was sexy,” he said smirking at me.

“Well savour the moment Kyron because you won’t get the pleasure of hearing that noise again,” I teased, falling back into my usual self.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he cut in with a sly wink.

“And why is that?” I shot back with a smirk of my own.

“No one can resist my charm,” he stated cockily. I grinned.

“That was up until you met me Casanova,” I joked.

“Hey, I got you to come to dinner with me,” he grinned looking victorious.

“I find it charitable to help out the needy,” I shrugged with a cheeky smile on my face.

We spent a lot of time just talking about everything and anything. Kyron was good for that. He was easy to joke around with and goof off. He made me feel like I didn’t have to be serious all of the time which was a good break from chasing bad guys and killing rogues.

“Do you want to hit a club?” He asked when we were leaving.

I nodded and climbed into his silver Porsche, loving the feel of the leather beneath the skin on my legs. It was slightly chilly outside but it didn’t affect me like it would a human. We pulled up in front of a familiar club. It was called ‘The Dark Room’ and was my rival for being the hottest club in the city. Surprisingly enough; I was friends with the owner.

I grabbed Kyron’s hand when we were out of his car and led him to the doors of the club. It wasn’t surprising when I recognised the bouncer. He was a guy that had temped at Club 6 numerous times.

“How are you tonight Miss?” The guys named Bryce asked. I smiled.

“Great,” I exclaimed. “Is Cameron around tonight?”

“Sure is,” he informed me. “Go right on through.”

I walked into the club. The entrance was a short dark hallway that turned abruptly to the left and opened out onto a massive dance floor. The lights were always dimmed low making it difficult for a human to see through the writhing mass of bodies. For a wolf, vampire or hybrid though; seeing was as clear as if the lights had been on high.

The room was large and a bar occupied an entire side of the room. It was made completely of black glass and there was a woman and a man serving the people that surrounded the bar. The area that we were in was just the normal area though. There was a wrap-around balcony that could be counted as the second floor but was exclusive. It was the VIP area where only the most well-known or achieved of the mythical kind would congregate.

I dragged Kyron through the bodies to the foot of the winding staircase. There was a guard at the bottom of the staircase and one at the top, though that was unsurprising. Security was always tight when it came to Cameron. Music was thumping, resounding through the entire club but that only enhanced the dark atmosphere. It surrounded you everywhere you went and pulled you into its intoxicating beat.

“I’m looking for Cameron,” I called out over the loud music to the unfamiliar bouncer.

“And you are?” He asked lazily.

“Rhylee Stuart,” I told him with a smile.

His expression seemed to change from bored, to shocked, awe and confusion in a matter of seconds. I rolled my eyes. I raised my eyebrows at the man and waited impatiently for his response. He pointed to the door of ‘The Back Room’ and I was off like a shot.

I pushed through the door, being allowed to pass by the guards situated there. The room kept with the dark eerie feeling. Kyron trailed along behind. I wondered if he was uncomfortable with the sudden changes in course but he seemed to be fine so I shrugged and looked around the room.

It was a room I had been in before. The walls were black and there was a glass floor that was made of the same black glass. The room had three black suede lounge chairs, upon one was perched the infamous Cameron.

“So good to see you again Rhylee,” she purred in her feminine voice.

I grinned and ran towards her, throwing myself at her in the process. I hugged her tightly before letting go and sat down next to her on the suede lounge. They were divine; I really had to ask her where she got them.

“And who is this yummy boy toy?” She asked with curiosity.

I chuckled. “His name is Kyron and tonight he is all mine,” I announced proudly.

“Urgh, you can have him then, I don’t do leftovers,” she joked.

Kyron surprised me by sitting down on a chair and focussed on the conversation that was folding out between Cameron and me. A door opened from behind and a man walked in. He was extremely attractive.

“Ah, I’ve been waiting for you,” Cameron announced. “Come meet my guests. Hunter, this is Rhylee and Kyron,” she pointed each of us out to the raven haired man. “This is Hunter,” she smiled proudly. “He’s my brother,” she whispered to me as an afterthought. I giggled.

“It’s nice to meet you Hunter,” I smiled broadly sending a smirk at him.

“Likewise,” he replied softly.

He greeted Kyron and sat in the chair beside him. They engaged themselves in a conversation quietly as I focused my attention back onto Cameron. She nodded her head for me to follow her which I did. She led me through a door. The room we entered was small and I knew from past experience that it was also soundproof. There was a window that showed the room which Kyron and Cameron were in. Our side was a window whilst on the opposite side it was a mirror and you couldn’t see back through.

“Have you found the information that I was asking for?” I asked her in a hushed voice, even though I knew I couldn’t be heard outside of those four walls.

“Not yet,” she grimaced. “I did a little digging around but I haven’t found anything solid yet.”

“Oh,” I sighed slightly dejected. “You’re going to keep looking though?” I asked hopefully.

“Of course, this affects me just as much as it affects you. I could hardly believe my eyes the day you came to me for help but now that you’re here, I think that it’s within both of our best interests to keep an eye and an ear out for trouble. If you know what I mean,” she informed me.

“I already have been doing so this far, I just needed a little extra help. You will let me know if you find something then,” I spoke in a questioning voice.

She nodded. “Of course, promise to keep in touch with me, if not for your sake then at least for mine.”

I smiled. “Of course,” I told her nodding my head.

We walked out back into the room with Hunter and Kyron who seemed to be giving each other hard stares. The room fell silent as we entered but that much was to be expected. I had seen the same occurrence many times before when it came to macho men and their ego.

“I think we had better be leaving now Kyron,” I nodded to him meaningfully. “It was very nice to meet you Hunter,” I told him sending a polite smile in his direction as I walked towards the door that led back into the club.

Kyron followed behind slowly. The loud music invaded my ear drums when we entered the club yet again. I wasn’t quite in the mood to party anymore though. I felt a strong urge to just lay in a warm bath and relax my muscles as best I could.

Kyron drove me back to the farm. I had almost fallen asleep in the car because I was tired. I had not been getting much sleep. It seemed like no matter where I turned, there was always something new on my mind. I was finding things hard to cope with and sometimes late at night I would feel myself getting lonely. A familiar ache would spread through my body and resulted in me sobbing into my pillow until the sorrow had been washed away and I could feel normal once again.

When we pulled up at the house, I sat in the car a moment too long. I needed to thank Kyron for the lovely evening that he had planned for the both of us. It was thoughtful of him and I had enjoyed my time, more so than I had thought to be possible.

“I had a nice time,” I told him with a soft smile. There was an unreadable expression flitting across his face. He seemed to be having some sort of inner battle. Indecision was clear in his eyes.

I felt his body edging closer to mine. I knew what was coming in the back of my mind, even if the conscious part of my head didn’t want to accept nor register the fact. His soft looking lips were getting closer by the second. My mind was in turmoil. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kiss him or not.

Kissing him wouldn’t have been so bad; he was kind, generous and considerate. It was the after kissing part that I was worried about. He would want a relationship with me, surely he would but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. A part inside of me was still scarred from everything that had happened in my life up until that point.

I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. I needed to get out of the car. Suddenly it felt claustrophobic inside the small vehicle. I fumbled for a second with my seatbelt feeling trapped and needing to get it off as quick as possible. I risked a glance at Kyron to see his eyes open wide looking at me confused and hurt.

“I’m sorry,” I stammered out, my heart beating wildly in my chest. “I’m not ready for this.”

At that moment my seatbelt came off and I flung the car door open and ran wildly for the door of the house like a man possessed. Everyone was asleep so when I was in the house I darted up the stairs and into my bedroom then closed the door softly behind me.

I heard a soft rap on my door but ignored the noise, thinking that it could have been Kyron. I sniffed the air slightly and noticed someone else’s scent. He opened the door and walked into the room quietly before sitting on the edge of my bed and stroking my hair lightly.

“Rough night?” he asked in a soothing voice.

“I guess,” I replied, not feeling up to elaborating.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I told him shakily.

He reached down and pulled my covers aside and slid into my bed before pulling the covers back over the both of us. Immediately I rested my head on his chest and took deep calming breaths. His chest was bare. I lightly skimmed my fingers over the plains of his sex pack and heard him inhale deeply.

“Go to sleep Rhylee,” he murmured into my ear and lulled me into a deep sleep.

When I woke in the morning my bed felt strangely empty and cold. I was tired beyond comprehension but awake none the less. I decided to pull on some clothes and go for a run. It was still the fairly early hours in the morning. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and noted that it was seven o’clock.

The air was crisp on my skin as me feet pounded softly against the sand of the paddock. I had a destination in mind which was around ten kilometres from the house. My breathing was surprisingly steady. I had gotten more fit in the year that had passed and found that I was doing more and more things with ease.

The sun cast its warmth on me even if the wind was cold. When I got to the edge of the woods, I slowed my pace to a walk and continued on for another five hundred metres until I came across the place I had been looking for.

There was a small creek that opened out into a pool of water that was around one hundred metres in diameter and two metres deep. There were rocks that lined the bottom of the pool of water but what caught my attention was the boulder that sat on the edge. I liked to sit there sometimes and think. What surprised me even more was that Zach was sitting on the rock gazing intently into the water.

I walked slowly and carefully over to where he sat and plopped myself down next to him. He knew that I was there but we sat quietly in contented silence. I could hear the gentle sound of his soothing breath but felt no need to speak for the time being. I followed his lead and gazed into the water thinking over everything.

It had been a long and tough year. I had faced more challenges than I cared to remember and killed more rogues than could be counted on both of my hands and feet. I had been hiding from a mate that would inevitably find me and had closed myself to the possibility of having a relationship with anyone beyond that of friendship for the simple fact that I wasn’t ready for that.

I wasn’t ready to have that sort of commitment. Not when I knew that I still had a mate and being with another physically would hurt him the same way that I had been hurt the night I learnt that we were mates. Not to mention the fact that I now had to face the possibility that a rogue with the ability to control others may or may not be raising an army. I sighed.

“It’s a bit like that,” Zach spoke solemnly.

“Like what?” I asked confused.

“Tiring.”

“In what way?”

“You know?” he shrugged, “So much to think about, All this responsibility being thrust upon your shoulders and sometimes feeling like you don’t have the capability to handle all of the pressure.”

I nodded, not being able to help the way that everything he said somehow managed to describe how I felt. Even though I knew it described my feeling, I also knew that he was talking about himself. Something was troubling him though I didn’t want to push him into telling me.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I enquired, deciding that a distraction could possibly be exactly what I needed.

“It’s just all of this Alpha stuff that gets to me, you know?” he asked.

“You’re going to make a great alpha when you take over,” I tried reassuring him. He shook his head like he was trying to clear his thoughts.

“I hope se,” he murmured. “I just don’t know if I can bear the weight of the knowledge that comes with the title.”

“What do you mean” I spoke curiously and also confused.

“Being alpha means that people turn to you for advice wherever you go and it means that you’re in charge of the comfort and safety of everyone in your pack. Being alpha means that when bad things happen to pack members; when wolves are attacked or when they are murdered by rogues, a file containing all of the information is sent to each of the alphas that could have a reason to be concerned. With all of the attacks that have been happening recently….” He trailed off. “I just don’t think I can read one more file about children that have been slaughtered and packs that have been pillaged leaving merciless rogues to reign free and abuse the women.”

A tear slid down his eye. He was hurt deeply possibly even scarred from things that he had laid eyes on that nobody should have to see in their lifetime. I understood exactly what he meant though. Sometimes I hadn’t been able to save the girl. She would be dead and ravaged before I had the chance to get to her. The sight was more than I could bare and tore away at a tiny piece of my heart but I tried my best to close off my emotions to that girl, at least until I had murdered the sick bastard who had done that to her.

I reached my arms over and slid the around Zach’s waist, effectively pulling his body closer to mine. I hugged him tightly and felt the way that his shoulders were slightly slumped. I leaned my head over and rested it on his chest underneath his chin which he promptly rested on my head. His arms slid around my shoulder and he held me in the embrace not saying anything for a while.

I could tell that he needed the comfort. He seemed to be deep in thought but the heavy atmosphere that had been hanging around us had slowly dissipated and everything felt strangely calm. There was nothing left now that he had cleared the air around him. I felt oddly better also. There were people out there in the world with problems far bigger than mine. It was my job to help those innocent people and I would, even if it were the last thing I did.

“We should get back,” he murmured.

“Sure,” I agreed standing up from my position. “Race you back,” I called out, jumping from the rock and racing out of the trees towards home.

--

The day that followed was easy up until a familiar face entered the kitchen where I was perched at the counter eating a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie courtesy of Sue. My smile faltered slightly and I felt nerves settle in the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t ready for the conversation that was sure to ensue.

“Can we talk?” Kyron asked politely looking directly at me.

“Sure.” I stood from my spot and wiped the crumbs from my face before I motioned for him to follow me upstairs. When my door was safely shut behind me, I turned towards Kyron and looked at him expectantly.

“Look, about last night…”

“Don’t worry about it,” I interjected.

“Don’t worry about it?” he asked confused. “Rhylee, I was out of line. I shouldn’t have tried to kiss you; I think I was just caught up in the moment. I thought that’s what you wanted me to do.”

I did want him to, to some degree but something was holding me back. I couldn’t kiss him. Not in the state that I was in, not when I had a mate and things between us could get out of hand if I didn’t control myself.

“I’m sorry Kyron, I just don’t think I’m ready for that kind of commitment,” I told him honestly. He nodded and sighed.

“I know that,” he spoke sincerely. “I guess I was just hoping otherwise and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured him.

“Are you sure?” he asked with a hesitant smile.

“Of course I’m sure; I want us to be friends again. I don’t want this awkward tension to hang in the air between us.”

“I’ll always be your friend,” he told me though I could see that there was a disappointment in his eyes that he wasn’t quick enough to mask.

“Thanks.” I murmured.

We ended up in the games room where Ryan and Luke were playing pool and Zach was versing Emily on the PlayStation in a racing car game. I sat down next to Emily and leaned against her, watching as she struggled to get ahead of Zach. She could never quite beat him which frustrated her to no end but always led to a smug Zach. He hated versing me because I was the only one that could kick his arse.

The rest of the day went by quickly. I felt the normalcy of my life return as I played in the games room with my family and friends. Things were always changing but sometimes it just felt nice to be surrounded by people that I loved and adored, playing and doing carefree things. It felt nice, even if it were only for a mere moment.