I'm seated on the bed, still wrapped in my towel. I need some time to process what happened in this shower. How the moment I was supposed to scream at Alec and make him pay for hurting me ended in me having the most incredible orgasm I could have ever imagined: that is definitely completely nuts.

I'm looking at Alec carefully: he takes some clothes in his travel bag. He had these blue jeans, perfectly fitting his body: not showing too much and letting me imagine how his perfect body is under the jeans. My mind starts to imagine more lusty scenes as he puts his black t-shirt on. Damn, why does he look so sexy while dressing? When he is done, he looks at me and smiles seductively.

"Already missing this body, little wolf?" Even his voice is so sexy right now. Nothing in common with the cold Prince I met last night. He comes closer and leans over me, his mouth near my ear. "You'll have plenty of time to enjoy it as much as you want, Liv. I'm all yours." His exciting voice makes me blush: I bite my lips not to moan as my core is already getting wet.

How can I be mated to such an exquisite lycan, me, Olivia Evans, who does not even have a small wolf in her? He looks like a living god, a masterpiece of sculpture the Moon Goddess designed.

As he goes into the bathroom, I take one shirt he left on the couch and put it on my naked body. I am so small compared to him. His shirt ends right below my curvy bottom.

Next, I go out of Alec's room and cross the corridor to reach my room. I can't walk through the packhouse wearing only his shirt. I'm not fond of the idea of people imagining I almost fucked with the future King less than twenty-four hours after I met him - mate, or not.

As I'm about to open my door, I catch Eli's eyes on me. He is up the stairs, watching me. I suppose he is here to see me, check how I am, and take me down for lunch, as it is already late. He is tense: worry can be read on his face.

I smile at him to tell him I'm fine.

You can relax, Eli. I am fine. Promise. We cleared everything: it's totally okay now.

I mind-link him with the most comforting voice I can make. He smiles back.

Okay, sis. Go put some clothes on: I don't want the entire pack to see you half-naked. I will have to break some legs. I'll see you later. I laugh as he says that and nod.

Then I open my door and turn to him again before entering my bedroom.

I go straight to my walk-in closet. I take some lingerie - the red lace ones I must have worn once when Kate made me buy them two years ago - and a summer red dress as the weather is so hot today.

Another explanation is that I am hot only because of the very intense moment with my Prince.

Anyway, the weather is still lovely, and I can only stay with my dress to get all this heat out of my body more efficiently. I must control myself in front of people, and sweating in pants and a t-shirt will not help.

I guess I begin to understand what Eli went through when he met Julie. Maybe I don't live things as intensely as if I was a wolf, but yet our bond is extraordinarily solid and intense already.

So I'm wondering: how do you know that you've reached the ultimate bond thing? Do you ever really know? Can you ever really know? Do you ever get it?

I already miss his touch, and we've been apart for less than ten minutes. So how are we supposed to stand more needs, more intensity, more...us?

I leave the closet and go to my bed. I take Alec's shirt off and put on my bra and panties. I slip into my dress, and as I arrange the straps of my dress correctly, I sense one soft hand on my right shoulder.

Sweet, hot lips kiss my neck.

The shivers make my whole body tense, then crave for more of it. But he suddenly stops, letting me hope for more of his touch.

"Wanted to escape Miss Evans?" Alec murmurs in my ear.

I sigh as I feel his warm breath on my neck. It seems like I'm not going to get rid of that heat right now.

Focus and self-control: that's all I need to do. I'm not a hormonal teenager; I can do it.

"Just wanted to look fine for you. And I can not wander into the house with nothing but your shirt on. That would be a little inappropriate," I say with a suave voice as I turn around to kiss him.

End of self-control.

His lips answer mine, and his tongue visits my mouth as I open mine for a second: how can a tongue taste so good? How can a tongue excite me so quickly?

My hands are already tightening his back as his hands are on my face. It feels like we could keep discovering ourselves more deeply during the whole day... Even maybe the entire week or a full year.

You have to stop now. Control yourself, Olivia.

I think to myself.

Nevertheless, a part of my body doesn't want me to focus: Alec is the only idea this lusty part focuses on, and doesn't want to let go of him.

Fuck you, pervert mind: I'm the reasonable boss here.

I stop kissing him and turn so he can see my back.

"Can you zip my dress, please?" I ask in a low, timid voice.

"Of course. You look gorgeous in this dress." He puts my hair on one side and zips my dress, his fingers fondling my back. He lets my long, curly hair fall on my back and kisses my collarbone.

He looks into my eyes, and I can see he gets the point I want things to go slow. Then he grabs my hand and busses it.

"Let's go eat something. You must be starving with this morning's training. I heard you were brilliant: what a shame I missed it. You are interestingly full of surprise, little wolf. Moon Goddess blessed me with an amazing person."

How can such a warm and sexy voice exist? We leave the room to join the dining room for lunch. The fastest we get here, the slightest chance we risk getting back and succumbing to our bestial instincts.

My parents are already eating their lunch, a nice salad bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, fresh corn, olives, and some tuna in it. I blush a bit as I join them, hand in hand with the Prince.

Who would have expected that? Alec's grip on me tightens: if I can notice a bit of possessiveness, I mostly discern love and amenity.

We sit with them, and a waiter brings us our plates. We are barely seated, and everything seems to come as if we were expected to arrive at that precise time. Maybe Alec warned the staff? Or Jackson?

As my eyes meet his face, I can read a 'Jackson' form silently on his lips. I smile, and he kisses my cheek.

"Thank you very much," I say with a warm smile to the waiter, who goes back to the kitchen.

"Mr. Evans, I hope you are okay. Mrs. Evans, you're almost as gorgeous as your daughter," Alec speaks with my parents in such a respectful tone.

He does not act arrogant when he addresses people. But above all, he talks to them as if he had been there for a long time: he seems so comfortable. I can't take my eyes away from him. He looks so... natural. Decades of meetings and greetings must be helpful, I suppose. I wonder if I could act that at ease if I were in his shoes.

Thus, I realize I will meet the King and Queen one day when they visit to meet their son's mate. Crap.

"We are good, your Highness. However, it feels a bit strange not to have all responsibilities over our shoulders, and I can't believe we will travel for our own amusement in some hours," my father answers.

He looks far less exhausted than this morning already. Of course, I can't read my parents' minds, but I know for sure that they are relieved I look good.

"Where are you going first?" Alec asks with envy. He seems really interested in what my parents have to say.

"We will go to Los Angeles to see some of our friends, and then we will go to Europe. That's been our dream for years, so it's the perfect time to go," my mother answers in a light tone.

"And when do you leave?" Eli's crisp voice just breaks the relaxed atmosphere.

As I feel his mood, I quickly understand he does not address my parents but Alec.

Shit, if Alec goes, it means I have to go too, right? I did not think of it.

How could I be stupid enough to not get to the point I would be the one quitting her life? Of course, the Prince cannot leave the Capitale: I'm the one going.

I simply forgot that after his morning attitude - the bad part and the orgasmic one.

So that explains Eli's feelings.

"I thought we could leave tonight, but I think Liv needs some more days to pack her stuff and get used to the idea." Alec seems a little irritated, but he holds my hand in a more possessive way that seems to comfort him.

I tauten my grasp on him too. I surely want to reassure him, but I also want to comfort myself. Strangely, even if I clearly don't want to be away from my family - and above anyone else, Eli - the sentiment of being apart from Alec is more alarming than anything.

I can't imagine how distressing it must feel if I had a wolf and a real mate-bond, as I'm already hurting at the thought.

The whole room is filled with the tensions between Alec and Eli.

Eli should naturally be quiet about facing Alec and should not sound aggressive. But it seems that our twin link creates a new balance. And this situation seems to surprise and worry Alec.

Does he think I could choose where I want to be and with who I want to be? Can he be nervous at the idea that I could choose my family, my twin, over my mate?

I can read the pain in Eli's eyes. But soon, he seems better as Julie puts her hand on his back. Julie and I look at each other.

If only they could learn to know each other, I'm sure it would help. They just need to take some time together: Eli could explain how he feels about us being apart as it never happened for more than a few days before, and Alec could tell him about what will happen when I'm with him, that it will probably not be a bad life.

I think you're right, Liv. This could help.

I don't know why, as I was just thinking quickly, but Julie apparently understands what I was thinking.

"Maybe the two of you could go out and have a walk or check on our teams. And you could speak together. You're both important to me, and I would be the happiest woman if my twin and my mate could be fine together." I smile at Alec and Eli with an insistent look.

"Yeah, I guess I can do it..." Eli answers with no actual envy in his voice. By the Moon... men... I roll my eyes up to the sky.

Alec gets up and points to the door to show Eli that he is open to the idea. Well, at least he accepts the idea without trying to play the Prince's card.

They are not even out of the room when terrifying screams resonate right from the woods. Wolves are growling in anger, screaming in pain, howling for help, barking.

Something is not right: wolves run out of the woods to the packhouse. Alec pushes Julie and me behind him, claws and fangs growing.

Elijah shifts and catches a wolf, biting his side with such force that we can hear the ribs breaking under his jaws, which close on them. The wolf shifts back to his human form: he is not one of our pack members.

"We'll get the Luna." Those are the only words he has the chance to pronounce before Eli catches his head with his wolf's mouth, pressing on it.

The wolf's skull explodes under the pressure of Eli's jaws, spreading blood everywhere.

I scream and jump. What the hell just happened?