I followed Rook towards the kitchen. I was secretly glad that he was leading the way, because my legs still felt like spaghetti after our encounter. I had to be absolutely mad to be going anywhere alone with him after what just happened.

I bit my lip recalling how he pressed his rock solid body against mine and ran his scruffy cheek against my skin. I thought he was going to kiss me and if I admitted it, I was disappointed when he had not.

I was an adrenaline junky, or so I convinced my mind that was the reason for accepting his dinner invitation. In reality, I was hoping to learn a little more about the conversation that he and Yvonne had when they left my in my room.

Yvonne had been cooking up some kind of scheme all day long and by the looks of it, she accomplished her goal and I wanted to know what was going on.

Rook surprised me by walking through the kitchen and out the side door. I followed him cautiously out into the night air. The side door lead to a nice patio with a grill, a fire pit and comfortable looking hammic chairs.

Rook bent down and started a fire in the pit and fired up the grill.

"I hope it isn't too cold out here for you." His eyes danced as the roaring fire reflected in his irises.

"No, I love the outdoors." I said and sat down in one of the chairs.

It swayed gently in the night breeze, soothing my soul. But the calmness didn't last as I watched Rook from behind as he cooked our dinner. Now this was the kind of life I could get used to. A comfy chair on a cool, crisp night and a sexy man cooking my dinner while I sat back and watched.

"Do you want me to help you do something?" I asked as he turned his attention to making a garden salad.

"No, you just sit back and relax."

That was the right answer. I leaned further back into the chair. It was so peaceful I could have drifted off to sleep, but my mind refused to let me miss a second of Rook cooking.

It didn't take him long before he was setting the steaks down on the patio table and motioning for me to join him. I sat down and took a bite of the steak. Damn, he could cook too. It was probably the most juicy and tender steak I had ever had.

Rook smiled at me when he looked at me and I blushed. I was sure my eyes rolled into the back of my head when I took the first bite. I was acting more like a wolf than he was the way I cleaned my plate. After we ate, we both leaned back into our chairs and enjoyed the stillness of the night.

"I want to know more about you." He finally said breaking the silence.

"Then we should play truth or dare. It's the only fair way, because no one lies at truth or dare, it's unethical." I said with a smile.

Rook laughed and nodded his head. He disappeared inside and returned with steaming cup of coffee and handed it to me.

"Truth or dare." He asked me, his voice a deep, sensual rumble.

"Truth." I answered quickly based on the tone of his voice, if I had said dare there was no telling what he would ask me to do.

Rook paused for a moment. I could tell he was reluctant to ask me something.

"Why do you hate lycans?" He asked as he watched my every movement.

Right to the jugular.

"Lycans killed my mother when I was just a little girl, so I made a solemn promise over her grave to not rest until I put an end to the ones responsible for her death."

There I had said it. Rook looked to the ground like he was ashamed and I sat up straighter in my chair. So help me God, if said he had anything to do with her death, no matter how much I was starting to kinda, sorta like him, I would leap out of this chair and tare him in two.

My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for him to say something, anything to put an end to the thoughts jumbling in my mind.

"I know what you're thinking and no, I didn't have anything to do with her death. I can proudly say that I have never killed a human before in my life, but I'm sure you can't say the same about my kind."

There was an anger to his last words, but I refused to give up any information for free.

"I already answered my truth. It's my turn to ask the questions. Truth or dare?"

He seemed to be stirring with anger and anticipation, but he played it cool and eased back into his chair.

"Truth." He answered cooly.

"Did you have anything to do with those boys being turned into werewolves?"

I was pretty sure I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it from him.

"No and here's a freebie for you. I don't know who is doing it either, but I plan to find out and put a stop to it."

"At least we agree on that."

"Truth or dare." He didn't miss a beat.

"Truth." I said even though I already knew his question.

"Have you ever killed a lycan?"

"No." I answered honestly.

"Have you ever been present with someone who has?" His eyes bore into mine and my heart skipped a beat.

"That's more than one question."

"Give this one to me, Eve, please. I need to know."

He leaned in closer to me and his scent enticed me. That was the first time he had called me Eve and it was so sweet, like honey on my tongue.

"No, my father and brother have killed many, but until the other day in the woods, I hadn't even seen a lycan since the ones that killed my mother."

Rook closed his eyes and I leaned in closer until we were a few inches apart. Rook opened his eyes and stared deep into mine.

"Why is that so important to you?" I breathed as the air between us was growing thick.

"You didn't say truth or dare." He smiled a crooked, sexy grin and my stomach flipped.

I sat up so I could breath and think clearer.

"Fine, truth or dare."

"Dare." He said with a smile that showed his perfectly white teeth.

I was somewhat disappointed that our session of truth had ended without me finding out why he needed to know that I wasn't responsible for the death of any lycans. I sat back in my chair and took a sip of my coffee, letting him stew for a minute while I came up with a dare.

"I dare you to change into your wolf."

Part of me was still terrified of a lycan, so I decided that the best way to get over that fear was to see one up close and personal and besides, I didn't have anything to worry about with Rook or did I?

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Rook stood up and turned his back towards me.

"Why not?" I asked as I stood up behind him.

I heard Rook exhale before he answered me.

"Because my wolf likes you. When my eyes glow and I act all he-man and nuzzle up against you, that's my wolf."

I didn't know how that information sat with me. Did that mean that his wolf liked me, but not the man? That thought honestly crushed my heart a little. Was I petty enough to ask him that? Yes, yes I was.

"Does that mean that your wolf likes me, but you don't?"

There I said it like a silly school girl, I wore my heart on my sleeve. He turned to me with another one of his devastating smiles.

"I said dare, not truth."

Anger coursed through my veins at his smart ass answer. He was refusing to answer my question, probably because it was true and he was trying not to hurt my feelings, which enraged me more.

"I already issued you a dare." I crossed my arms in a defiant way.

"As you wish, just don't say I didn't warn you."

Rook walked off the patio, shedding clothes as he went. My cheeks heated with embarrassment. Maybe I hadn't thought this whole thing through. I just invited an alpha lycan to disrobe and change in front of me. What the hell was I thinking?

I was about to yell at him and tell him never mind, but he changed before I got the words out of my mouth.

I stood there slack jawed as he came out of the shadows and towards the patio. He was so tall that I could reach out and touch him from the railing around the patio.

And that's exactly what I did. After my mind absorbed his form fully, I reached my hand out to touch his muzzle. My mind and heart were arguing with each other. One was telling me to run for my life, but the other was edging me to trust him.

He stood there patiently, never so much as flinching as an uncertain war raged within me. I finally breathed deep and placed my hand on his soft midnight colored fur. It was soft, but coarse.

"Thank you." I murmured to him. "I needed this."

I turned my back to him and waited for him to join me back on the patio. It didn't take long for him to return. I didn't turn around, but I could feel the heat of his body against my back, he was so close.

"Truth or dare." He leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"Dare." I stated as I held my breath.

"I dare you to kiss me."

My hair stood on ends the way his deep husky voice whispered those words. I could just dip him in butter. I composed myself and turn around to face him. He was literally a breath away.

"Is that the wolf asking or you?" I wasn't going to let that go.

"Me." He whispered and pulled me into his arms.

I slowly slid my arms up and around his neck. He bent his head down to meet mine and pressed him lips to mine. He was gentle and caressing at first, but the longer we stayed locked together, the more passionate he became.

An electrical shock jolted down my spine and I actually went weak in the knees. Rook had to tighten his grip on me to keep me from sliding to the floor. What the heck was wrong with me, it wasn't like I had never been kissed before. This was something else, something deep and meaningful and it scared the hell out of me.