"Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ethan immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him so we were standing side by side; a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by me. Instead of pulling me behind him, he made me stand right next to him, as an equal.

The twigs crunched under our intruder’s feet as he took a step closer towards us. Even though the moon hung quietly in the distance, casting a honeyed sheen over the trees; our intruder was submerged within the darkness, melted into the shadows as if he was born into them.

But still, there was no mistaking that voice of his.

“When I said I will see you soon, I didn’t expect it to be this soon… quite a show you both put on.” He stepped out from within the shadows and I gazed up at the dark shape of the man in front of me. “I knew there was something off about this entire celebration; there was no way you still hadn’t found your mate.”

“Well now you do, so why don’t you go and tell it to your master like a good little pup,” Ethan growled at him.

“What makes you think I’ll do that?” His lips bared the semblance of a smile; just enough to show that he was enjoying this.

Ethan’s eyes were now two, black abysses. There were faint lines of dark veins visible around it, marring his beautiful skin. The beast that I had calmed down not so long ago was once again making a return. He didn’t grace our intruder with an answer so he took that as an opportunity to continue talking.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell your dirty, little secret to anyone.”

To rile Ethan up even further, he winked. Ethan’s lips slightly parted in a snarl as he bared his sharp teeth and canines at him but before this ended up in a physical show of masculinity, I spoke up.

“What do you want, Braden?”

Braden’s dark eyes slowly slid to mine, the corner of his mouth curving up, “At present?” His dark gaze drank in my appearance, lingering for a while at my bare legs with interest until Ethan took a step forward, positioning his body towards me in a possessive manner. “I want nothing… but soon you’ll get a chance to pay the price for my silence.”

“We don’t want to be in your debt. You can go and tell whoever you want!” Ethan hurled back, his jaw tightly clenched. I could judge from his tense body language that he was slowly losing control to his other side, something which could lead to devastating consequences.

“Calm down, Ethan! What are you trying to do?”

He turned back to look at me, “Do you seriously want to do this, Vivian?” My gaze fell on the throbbing vein in his neck, then towards his dangerous, onyx eyes. His power radiated of him like an invisible aura, looming like a dark cloud, “We don’t even know him; what are the chances he goes behind our back? You know what kind of a man he is.”

“Oh pray tell, what kind of a man am I?” Braden prompted. He had now seated himself on a nearby boulder, lazily running his thumb across his lips.

“The kind of a man you don’t want to make deals with because sooner or later you’ll regret it.”

Braden’s laugh came out in a short grunt, as if he was mocking him, “And you got all that from tonight’s event?”

I slowly inhaled and exhaled through my nose, “Ethan, do you have another option? If not, then we have to take the risk. We can’t throw away all the hard work after coming so far.”

He tried to calm his wolf by closing his eyes and breathing deeply. I had already deduced from our conversation before we were interrupted that Ethan wasn’t a fan of Braden, especially because he was the first one to dance with me. The green-eyed monster had already clawed his way in and was going to stay there for a while.

To aid him in easing down the anger, I firmly grabbed his right hand with both of my hands; my hands dwarfing in comparison to his. My heart fluttered wildly in my chest as something electric began to build within me, coursing through my veins with small vibrations, igniting my entire body.

Ethan titled his head to the side and stared at our linked hands, as if contemplating whether to walk away and tear off Braden’s head or not. A second later, his eyes softened at the corners and his breathing became slower, and a little calmer.

“I know we don’t know him well enough, but I trust him.”

In the midnight moonlight, his dark eyes met mine without blinking even once. There was an immediate change in his features which were tightly structured and absolutely perfect. The storm in his grey eyes had calmed down; his gaze was now perfectly cool, and steady. One side of his face was gleamed in a silver of moonlight, which highlighted his angular face. His strong and defined face knocked the breath out of my body.

He looked so deadly. So powerful.

His glorious beauty stunned me; the vision causing heat to rise inside of me.

He was devastatingly beautiful.

“Control yourself, human. We have company right now.” My wolf managed to bring me back to my senses.

Ethan was silent for a moment, staring at me from beneath his heavy lashes. The silence said more than a thousand words could ever have. His eyes fell down to my lips, his pupils dilating. His pink tongue darted out to lick his upper lip, making it hard for me to forget the strange warmth I felt when we kissed earlier.

“Alright Braden,” he eventually said through gritted teeth, his eyes still fixated on my lips, “you’ll get your wish.”

Braden, who was watching us both with an amused face, smirked, “Splendid...,” He stood up and ran a hand through his wavy hair, “Let’s get going, shall we? Or do you wish to osculate some more? I am quite good at not making any noise, so you won’t even know I am there.”

Ethan’s face hardened once again, “Say one more thing and I’ll make sure you never make any noise for the rest of your life.”

Brandon laughed in response, and turned around to go back in the shadows to shift. A minute later, we all had transformed into our wolves and were headed in the direction of the castle. We only stopped once we were near the grounds of the castle in order to shift back.

Once I got out from behind the tree after changing back into human form, I found Ethan standing in front of my tree, his back towards me in a guarding position.

“I am done, thank you.” I announced my arrival, giving him a grateful smile in return.

“Don’t mention it.”

We began to walk towards Braden who was standing a few feet away from us, his face tilted up as he stared at the moon.

“I hope you didn’t sneak a peek back there,” I broke the silence.

Ethan glanced at me, his head inclining slightly to the left, “I’ll have you know that I am a gentleman, Miss.”

I let out a small chuckle, “Of course, you are.”

Our conversation came to an end once we reached Braden.

“So what’s the plan? How are we supposed to go inside the castle?” I questioned, praying secretly that they had a better route than mine. There was no way I was going to climb up those damn trees again.

Braden narrowed his eyes at me, “What do you mean?”

“Come on,” I rolled my eyes, “you both didn’t just walk out of the main door which is lined with the guards, now did you?”

For the first time ever, Ethan and Braden shared a look with each other and then turned to look at me with equally confused faces.

“However did you get out?” This time, it was Ethan who inquired.

My gaze fell on the trees near us but I quickly averted it before they caught my route of escape.

“Don’t remind me. The cuts from the time you channeled your inner Tarzan is still very fresh in my mind.”

It takes two to Tarzan, wolfie.

“So we're just going to walk in? Together?”

“Yes… we are?” Braden started, supporting an incredulous look, “It is not as if the guards are at the liberty to ask us any questions.” He finished, looking at me like I was the dumbest person he had ever met.

“You probably are,” My wolf assured.

“Uh-huh…” I nodded my head at Braden.

The three of us began to casually walk inside the castle, and were not even given a second glance by the guards near the door as we passed them.

“If only you were clever enough to walk out of the door, we wouldn’t have to reenact that scene from Jungle Book.”

Oh, so now along with Tarzan, I am also Mowgli?

She completely ignored me, “I think I’m the only wolf who got stuck with a stupid human.”

If you’re so clever, why didn’t you advise me to walk out of the door?

“What can I say? Living with you has had its side effects on me; your stupidity has successfully rubbed off on me.”

But you seriously cannot believe that it can be this easy to walk in and out of the castle, at least not without being noticed by someone or raising alarm?

As soon as I thought of the words, our paths coincidentally crossed with Lukas.

“Alphas,” he bowed his head, his calculating eyes immediately scanning us. “Is everything okay?”

See? My words were not without merit. We’ve been caught.

“Yes, Lukas.” Braden took charge of the conversation and we let him. He was more experienced in dealing with these people than the two of us combined. “I wanted to show them the famous creek.”

He raised an eyebrow, “At this time?”

Lukas’ shrewd glance fell on Ethan and then paused at mine. He then looked back and forth at the three of us, and I could feel the wheels in his mind turning, connecting the dots.

We are so screwed.

“Take your negative energy somewhere else, Vivian the Pessimist," my wolf answered.

Before I could retort back, Braden confidently answered Lukas, “They don’t call me the ‘Shadow Wolf’ for nothing, Lukas. Everything just seems better when it’s the night.”

He was using the same tone he used with me during dinner; the one which left no room for questions. It was quite a handy conversation skill to acquire. He could easily shut up the other party by giving out icy cold, abrupt replies.

“I must learn it from him the next time we meet so I can shut you up and get some peace of mind,” My wolf joked.

Haha, very funny.

Ethan looked over at me and mouthed, “'Shadow Wolf'?’”

I pressed my lips together in order to restrain myself from laughing out loud; Ethan’s eyes also crinkled from the sides and his lips twitched.

“If that’s all, Lukas, we’ll be on our way.”

Lukas bowed once again and stepped to the side to let us three pass. Braden sauntered past him and we followed, eager to leave Lukas’ prying eyes.

After reaching the end of the corridor, Braden bid us farewell and headed his way, but not turning back one last time and giving me a strange, lingering glance.

Ethan and I couldn’t properly bid good bye in fear of getting caught by the cameras situated around us so we did it in a professional, Alpha-like way.

At least I did.

“Good night, Alpha Ethan.”

“Sweet dreams,” he gently kissed the back of my hand, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake, “Alpha Vivian.”

---

Ashlee was still sound asleep once I returned to the room. It was in the exact state I left it, meaning Ashlee never woke up while I was gone. This was good because it meant fewer questions by her.

After using the bathroom to freshen up, I was ready to jump into the bed when my eyes fell upon a hardback book sitting near the fireplace. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’. I didn’t recall reading any books or placing any next to the fireplace, and Ashlee was already sleeping so there was no way she could’ve placed it there.

Maybe I was being paranoid but nonetheless, I checked every corner of the room for clues which could lead to suspicious activity or any trap doors but found nothing. After that, I checked all the windows and double-checked the locks before crashing on the bed.

Braden’s dark, lingering look was the last thing I remembered before I gave myself to darkness.

---

All the packs were already waiting at the driveway by the time my pack reached downstairs. My eyes scanned the area and connected automatically with Ethan’s. Our mate’s pull was getting stronger by each passing day. I could now sense his scent before actually seeing him; something which I couldn’t do before. There was now a different kind of intensity in the air we shared, something which pulled us towards each other.

I smiled at him. He acknowledged it by nodding once and sending a beautiful smile my way as well.

I glanced to the left and found Tyler’s gaze circulating the area, most probably in search of Leia. My heart ached for him; he didn’t deserve to feel this way. I still had no idea if Josh got the time to tell him about the whole mate issue.

After the mandatory greetings, all the pack members went about to place their luggage in the trunk of the cars, ready to leave the place as soon as possible.

“Morning Alphas, I hope you all had a good night sleep?” Randy announced his arrival, two kings guard at his sides. He was dressed in an extravagant, white robe which was lined with gold embroidery and sapphires.

The robe was probably heavier than his body weight.

“I’d give my right ear to see that twat trip down the stairs,” My wolf jested.

The crown sitting firmly on his wavy, brown hair reflected the sun rays, forcing everyone to notice the majestic piece. A second later, Leia and Natasha also came out the doors, dressed in immaculate gowns. Natasha politely greeted everyone and Leia, who was oblivious to the attention a certain someone was giving him, warmly smiled at everyone.

Tyler’s gaze was whole-heartedly fixated on her. He stood next to his father, mouth slightly ajar, completely and utterly stunned by her beauty.

“Yes, very peaceful indeed.” Alpha Lennon answered for all of us.

Randy’s dark brows sloped downwards as he surveyed the surroundings and looked fixedly at the cars behind us which were being loaded with our luggage, “So judging by the situation,” His eyes scanned the crowd and caught mine, “I take it you’re not staying for breakfast?”

Even though the question was for everyone, I knew that his intention was to ask me.

“The offer was very generous, but we must leave now. We have already overstayed our welcome,” I replied, “And we cannot forget that we are still investigating my brother's murder case. I wish to get my hands on the culprit as soon as possible.”

Something sparkled in his cold eyes, “I’m sure you do, Alpha Vivian. I wish you all the luck with your search.”

We had no idea when we would meet the Lycans next time; hopefully never, but I couldn’t wish such unfortunate circumstances for Tyler. Leia had to find out that he was her mate because starting from now; his suffering would increase tenfold as they’ll be apart. I had to do something for Tyler.

Giving Randy a nod, I looked towards Leia, “You have to come visit my pack one day, Leia. I would love to show you around.”

Leia’s entire body tensed up when I regarded her. All the colour left her face as she realized she had now become the center of attention. Her face turned hesitantly towards Randy, in search of affirmation. He, much to our surprise, nodded at her.

Leia’s entire face lit up like a Christmas tree, “I would love too, Alpha Vivian.”

From the corner of my eyes, I could feel everyone’s shocked eyes trained on me. They were probably thinking I’ve lost my brain by inviting a Lycan over.

"To lose a brain, you need to have one," My wolf added.

You never stop, do you?

A gush of chilly air tousled my hair as I felt something dark move in my peripheral vision. My head turned and saw Braden who had magically popped next to me.

He cast me a cool sideway glance and bowed his head slightly, “Alpha Vivian.”

“You’re leaving as well?” Randy inquired, playing with the black ring on his middle finger.

Braden’s stared at the ring for a second but then nonchalantly glanced back up at his face, “Since the guest of honor is leaving, I decided it is time to take my leave as well.”

He was wearing an all-black outfit, similar to the attendants around us. The only difference was that he had a long cape on top which had a hood attached to it.

My wolf assessed the outfit, “The Shadow Wolf is channeling his Angel of Death aesthetic today.”

“I’m letting you go this time but next time you have to bring Brianna along.”

Brianna? I thought he didn’t have a mate so who was this Brianna?

As if he magically read my mind, Braden answered, “She’s my younger sister.”

“Really? I didn’t know you had a sister. I would love to meet her one day.”

My eyes noticed Ethan from over his shoulder who was giving me an I-told-you-he-couldn’t-be-trusted look.

“Don’t worry, you will meet her soon.” Braden answered, his brown eyes holding a promise in them.

The conversation ceased after that. After bidding farewell, we all made our way back in the cars and sat in the same way as before to avoid suspicion.

Feeling eager to know about the Tyler-Leia situation, I texted Josh as soon as I sat in the car.

Nope. I went to his room but he said he didn’t want to talk to anyone. I went again after a while but he never responded.

How about I text him right now?

I looked up and gave Josh a look.

Yep, you got a point. He’ll probably activate his hulk-mode and tear down the car in order to kidnap Rapunzel.

Jonathan, Ella and Josh began to converse about nominal pack issues to make sure the driver didn’t feel something was out of place. When their conversation ended, a strange silence surrounded the car. Everyone had run out of topics to talk about. Ron and Ashlee were busy scrolling through their phones whereas Jonathan and Ella were staring blankly in the distance, probably mind-linking each other. As the silence grew even colder, Josh decided it was time to lighten up the mood.

“Hey Ashlee,” Josh called and she looked up, “What do you get when you jingle Santa's balls?”

Ashlee’s eyes widened in response, a faint blush spread on her cheeks at the bluntness of his question. She looked at me in search of support but I just shrugged. She was on her own because once Josh began, there was no stopping him.

“A white Christmas!”

Beta Jonathan, who was busy drinking water, choked when he heard Josh’s answer causing all of us to erupt with laughter.

“I’ve got another one, I’ve got another one!” Josh eagerly said, his face supporting a boyish grin, “What did one butt cheek say to the other?”