I slid out of the house without saying another word.

It had crossed my mind to say goodbye to the others, at least let them know that I would be leaving to prevent Alexander from breaking the news. Perhaps Harmony would think it has something to do with her brother, or perhaps not.

It felt nice to be back in my leathers, the steel dagger at my side. I was so used to it being practically my only attire, it almost gave me some normalcy, even if the memories tied to it weren't so great.

I easily slid over the border, wincing slightly in pain as I did so, yet the feeling disappeared momentarily.

It seemed my wolf was more attached than I thought if crossing the border caused me pain.

I didn't waste any more time.

I quickly shifted, feeling the wind brush through my fur as I started to move. The dirt underneath my paws, the sun on my back, the feeling of nature.

This had always been my favourite bit, just being able to shift. Rarely did the leaders allow me to shift otherwise.

The mission had been as simple as it always was. A casino, strategically placed in no-mans-land was our place of infiltration. A casino, strategically owned, by the leaders. Though that part wasn't exactly common knowledge. I had a few people I needed to kill, Cora had a new investor to scout that only came out of his little hole once a year, and Ti needed to establish a range of protective and tracking spells around the perimeter and on the staff. The three of us had already planned it completely, though I wondered what changes had to be made to accommodate my replacement.

Thankfully, while Bloodlust was on the edge, taking over the entire coastline, it was certainly closer to the casino than base was, meaning a much shorter trip, practically only taking me a few hours. Besides, I had never shifted before to get where I needed to be while on these joint missions. I could shift sure, but Cora and Ti could not.

It was barely any effort at all to get from Bloodlust to the Casino, the sun turning the sky a mixture of burnt orange pale pinks when I finally shifted back into my human form. I smoothed my hair back as the tips of my fingers brushed against the plain, clear blade that I had shoved up my sleeve. I had four on me at this exact moment, quite simply, the more the better.

I would be taking no risks, especially not in this sort of situation.

The Casino laid in a practically barren city, and I knew full well if you began to travel down the road you would find a range of small, run-down houses with puffs of smoke billowing from their chimneys. Even further down from there, a black market and so on.

I realised, there was no need for my leathers, other than simple ease when it came to transporting. I dragged myself into a half-built toilet block and dug my hand sharply into the small bag I had attached. A leather handbag of sorts, a dark black colour that while suited my leathers, didn't suit my situation.

And so I got changed.

I certainly couldn't walk through one of the most well-known illegal casinos in the country in the clothes that I had worn in a million different murder situations.

No, instead, I would wear a dress.

I wiggled a strap around each of my thighs, and then quickly slid two blades on each strap, keeping them tight against my skin. Within this small leather bag that I had quickly swiped from Myra's room, was a dress.

Red velvet, a loose top and thin, spaghetti straps that held easily over my shoulders and a hidden zipper down the back that almost killed me to zip up. I pulled my hair out of the braids, running my fingers through the strands, leaving it a tousled mess. I strapped on the heels, fastened two large gems into my lobes and an even larger one around my neck.

Similarly to the handbag, neither the dress, the shoes or the jewels belonged to me.

I would deal with all those problems when I returned, perhaps the others would not even mind.

Or maybe they would, like I said, I would deal with it later.

It was rare that I was ever in a situation where I could wear such clothes, and they almost always happened in situations like this. When I needed to enter a particularly high-end establishment to conduct my business, yes, this style of the outfit was required, though it was rare.

I wasn't that sort of girl, but I couldn't lie and say I didn't enjoy it.

I walked out, fiddling with my dress as I did so. I hoped that people would be too focused on my top half rather than my bottom, as if they did, they would almost definitely notice a glint of silver.

I walked through the entrance of the casino. Flashing lights and so many people I barely knew what to do with myself.

One leg in front of the other, one step, furthering me into the centre of the building. Bright lights and laughing cheers, bouncing off the machines as coins fell against the metal trays, as dice fell amongst the spinning balls.

Had I been part of this mission, I surely would have been upstairs, the back rooms or even the private offices. Ti, of course, would be roaming the hallways and lower quarters before moving outside.

But Cora, Cora would be in this very room.

And I was moments away from finding here.

I felt a hand slide around my waist, dragging me towards his body.

"Hello there gorgeous," He whispered, turning me around so I could see his face. "I haven't seen you before,"

I swallowed a scoff. A complete and utter stranger, all pale skin and pointy teeth.

I batted my eyelashes, letting my body slump into his arms for only a moment.

"I'm new to the city," I winked, "Though I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."

I slipped myself away, hiding myself amongst the crowds of people and out of his sight.

I let a grimace of disgust come over my face.

But it didn't last. As leaning against the board of a machine next to a man at least double our ages, was Cora.

And it seemed she noticed me before I had noticed her.

I watched as Cora stilled, before smiling once more, placing the glass of amber liquid beside her before sauntering over to me. The saunter quickly turned into haste. She rushed towards me, closing her arms around me quickly.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered in my ear, "You shouldn't be here."

I broke away, "Unhappy to see me?"

Cora flustered with my hair, "Of course not, never you know better than that. There are people- it doesn't matter, why are you here?"

I faltered for a moment, "A rescue? I'm not too sure how to phrase it- look, you always said, we, always said that if we could escape we would. What would you say if that time was now?"

Her eyes darkened as she processed my words, "I would say we need to go and find Ti,"

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As we moved into the empty back-hallways, all I could hear was the sound of our heels against the marble floor.

"We ended up with that Truster boy as your replacement," Cora breathed, "You know, the one that stalked around you, mimicking your training after you had finished?"

I scrunched my nose, "You've got to be kidding me, he's the best they could do?" I shook my head, "I wonder if they even expect this mission to be a success."

Cora rolled her eyes, "Ugh, I know right I almost started laughing in the room when they told us."

"I can imagine," I snorted.

"And what about you? What's going on?" Cora insisted.

I shook my head, "Let us find Ti first, and then I'll explain everything. I promise."

It only took a few more turns before we found Ti, leaning against the wall with her hands pressed to the concrete. Her eyes were closed until Cora ran up and shook her awake.

Ti's eyes fluttered open, "Cora, what the hell do you think you're doing?" It took her a moment before her view shifted to the side.

I watched as her eyes widened, "Cas?"

"We need to go," I said harshly, carefully observing our surroundings. "Now,"

Ti leaned forward in confusion, "Why, what's going on?"

"Escape," Cora whispered, "A chance to leave the organisation, an opportunity that surely won't present itself again."

Ti looked stunned, "Escape?" Her view turned to me, "Are you serious?"

"If we can get out of this building in the next ten minutes, absolutely," I assured, bringing the band around my hair into a soft bun as if the very signal to leave.

Ti straightened her back, "Then what the hell are we still doing here?"

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Over the many years and missions of my life, the one thing I had truly adjusted to was running in heels. I remember I had once seen Cora do it, being able to move with such grace and confidence without so much as a stumble.

Nowadays, I could do it just as well.

I couldn't shift, I would leave both Cora and Ti in the dust and considering the fact that I was the only one who knew where to go, that wasn't an option. So, as she had done many times before, Ti called on her magic to help.

It was almost like a booster, taking the ease of my muscles and clearing the air, wind underneath my feet which increased my speed by tenfold.

While it was dark, I had no problem seeing through the endless bushels of trees and plants. I felt something tug inside of me, like a long tether that seemed to have no end. It bloomed inside of me as I ran, closing in on the Bloodlust borders.

The bond between Alexander and I, it had almost turned into a guide.

I spared a glance behind me to Cora and Ti. While they didn't take nearly as much physical training as me, they were holding their own, following just behind me to ensure they didn't take a wrong turn. Ti, however, was exhausted, her eyes beginning to droop and while fast, her moves had become sluggish.

The magic use was beginning to take its toll.

It didn't matter though, we were minutes away from the border, so close I could practically taste it, smell it, even.

I felt the ground beneath my feet start to crackle, and just like that, I slid over the border. Within the next second, Cora and Ti had passed over too.

I started to slow my running, holding my hand up, "Take away the magic Ti, we can walk from here, I don't want to drain you of everything."

Just like that, I felt the magic's cool embrace slip away, almost as if it was fading into nothingness.

"Thank you," Ti breathed, "Where are we?"

"Bloodlust," I said, slowly starting to creep forward.

"As in the Bloodlust pack you've been stationed in for the past month as a secret mission?" Cora asked, carefully eyeing her surroundings.

"I didn't realise there was another Bloodlust pack to be confused with," I replied. "We can't talk about the logistics of my mission later, once we sort out everything that's going on. That's not the main priority."

Ti moved forward, walking directly next to me. "So, where are we staying?"

I gulped, "The Alpha's house."

Cora's eyes almost shot out of her head, "Why in Poseidon's name are we staying at the Alpha's house? I had expected some sort of run-down cottage in the middle of the forest,"

I bit my cheek, "Because I'm staying at the Alpha's house."

"Yeah right," Cora snorted, "And where are you staying, in his personal dungeons?"

"Nope, in his bedroom."

They both stopped walking, "Cas don't tell me..." Ti started anxiously.

I sighed, "I'm mated to the Alpha. Alpha Cain, he's my mate."

"Holy shit."

I rolled my eyes, beginning to walk again, "I know right. It's like I'm living out some cliche romance."

"And why did you not mention this before?" Cora shrieked, slapping me on the arm, "Tell us everything? Is he hot? What's his shoe size-"

I cringed, "I have no clue what his shoe size is nor am I interested in finding that out. And to answer your questions," Red bloomed across my face. "He is... extremely attractive. He works out like, every day and trust me, it pays off. We met in his office I suppose, I was bleeding out on his floor."

Ti paused, "Ok, I'll ask about that later. How much does he know?"

"That you're my friends from the organisation, I'm the Nightstalker, nothing about what I've done other than what my reputation can tell him, nothing about this specific mission and a little bit more here and there. Of course, he may have found more information without my knowledge, I'm not too sure."

We were silent for a moment, "I've heard the Alpha's practically a god in bed, can you confirm or deny the rumours?"

I let out a bark of laughter, "Hell, Cora, I wouldn't even be sleeping in the same room as him if I had a choice." I paused, "But I wouldn't deny those rumours, and I certainly couldn't say I haven't thought about it."

Cora smiled wickedly, "There's my girl, now come on. Let's go meet this Alpha, and be real with me Cas, are his Beta or Gamma single?"

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After managing to get ourselves onto a pathway, it was smooth sailing from there. As we slowly began to near the house, I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach. Mostly of nerves. The lights were still on through the windows, the screams and shrieks of chatter blowing through the walls.

I straightened my back, suddenly feeling the ache settling in my feet. It hadn't even occurred to me to take my shoes off and walk barefoot, yet here I was, still in the heels with my hair a winded mess.

I walked up the stairs, should I knock? No, I pushed the door open as silently as I could, ushering Cora and Ti in as quickly as possible.

I shut the door, "There should be some spare rooms upstairs, you guys could get some sleep for the rest of the night and then we can sort out what we're going to do in the morning-"

"You know, Cassandra, you managed to make your way back much quicker than I thought," Alexander smirked, leaning against the wall. "You know, you're not very quiet. I suppose I'm lucky that I was in the kitchen, or else I may not have known of your return until I found you in my bed."

I raised an eyebrow, "What can I say, I just missed you so very much."

His eyes glazed over Cora and Ti, "If you were wondering, no one is ready to kill you for your sudden disappearance. Though, Harmony's slightly annoyed that you didn't say anything." Then, his eyes ran over me, staring at my feet, running all the way up my dress and to my face. "You look stunning in red,"

I ran my tongue over my teeth, "Almost as good as I look in leather,"

I heard Cora whisper something to Ti, "I almost feel like we should leave, the sexual tension in the room is a bit much, even for me."

As if noticing that we were finished, Cora and Ti then stepped forward. An answer to Alexander's curious glances.

"Coraline Algona," Cora nodded, lowering her back slightly into a bow.

Ti shoved her hand forward, which Alexander respectfully took. "Tatiana Dyer, a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Alexander said kindly. "And you're both from the same organisation?"

I cut in before they could reply, "Both Cora and Ti are on the same medication like me, meaning that we need to set up for that should they choose to pull away from the organisation. They provide the medication, and neither of them has any left, considering they were supposed to be back before the injection is due."

"Theoretically, would their withdrawal be the same as yours?" He asked.

I heard Cora groan, "I forgot about that."

"Yes," I nodded, "They would need to be in the same sort of area as I was, along with it taking the same amount of time."

Alexander looked to Cora and Ti, "Well, I suppose it's up to you. I'm not overly knowledgeable of your situation, but if you truly wish to leave the organisation just as Cassandra has, you're welcome to go through the process of withdrawal here, as well as staying here afterwards if you believe yourself to be in any danger."

I heard Ti let out a breath. "That would be very much appreciated, Alpha Cain."

Cora nodded earnestly, "It's never been the environment for us, especially since we had no choice, considering how the three of us ended up there. We thank you for giving our Cas this opportunity for freedom, and then extending that opportunity to us."

Alexander gave a soft smile, "I'll do anything if I think it will grant Cassandra even the smallest bit of happiness. And there is no need to be so formal, just Xander is fine."

My heart was beating in my chest, so loudly that I was surprised that no one else could hear it.

"Everyone else is in the entertainment room. The three of you are welcome to come in, especially since we're celebrating, or you can head to bed."

"Have you got any alcohol?" Cora asked quietly, almost as if it were a special secret between the two.

Alexander gave a grin, "What do you think?"

Cora shrugged, "I'm always down for a party, why not."

"Well, I am starving," Ti said, slightly embarrassed. "And quite honestly, I don't feel like sleeping just yet."

I sighed. "Sure, sure, let's go."

Alexander turned around, heading back through the kitchen. Granted, I hadn't taken my full tour of the house, so I had no idea we even had an entertainment room. As we walked, the chatter became even louder. Alexander opened up the door,

"You took your sweet time Xander, what, did you decide to bake us all a cake?" Vance shouted gleefully, his body draped over the couch, surrounded by the others.

Cora, Ti and I slipped into the room against the wall, suddenly silencing everyone.

I felt Cora stiffen beside me, "It would seem, Cas, that you're not the only person with a soulmate in this room."

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