Before I could go in and find whoever had dared to enter my house, Callum walked up to the door with his bag. Rafe and Aiden were still by the car, discussing something.

"Everything fine, Riley?" He said as he finally reached me.

"There's someone inside. The door was open." I whispered, trying to keep quiet in order not to spook the intruder.

I didn't even have a chance to blink after I said that when I saw Callum drop his bag and enter the house. What was it with men and thinking that I needed them to protect me- I was perfectly fine taking care of this myself! Next thing I know though, I heard a loud female scream and the unmistakable noise of glass shattering.

I ran inside as quickly as I could but I did not expect to see the sight in front of me. In the middle of my living room, I saw pieces of what could only be my favourite crystal vase and next to them stood Callum, with a petite redhead in his arms. Oh god, what happened to Scarlett?

I rushed over to them and was relieved to see that she had a pulse.

"Jesus, Callum, what did you do to her?" I asked him, as I swept a strand of hair off her face.

"I didn't do anything. She came at me with a vase."

"So you decided to scare her to death?" I was scolding him now but mainly because I was worried about Scar. Yet, I noticed how tightly he was holding her in his arms. Callum was a very protective and caring guy, a typical bear feature and even more true for the bear Alpha, but for a second I wondered if there was something else to how he was keeping her so close to his chest.

I couldn't really think about it too much, however, as Rafe and Aiden also rushed inside.

"What happened? We heard a scream." Aiden asked while Rafe looked unimpressed as usual.

"Oh, nothing, just my nutty best friend deciding to have a face-off with a bear." I shrugged as I went to get Scar a glass of water. "Callum, can you please put her on the sofa and check that her pulse is getting back to normal?"

I opened the faucet and filled up a glass.

"Holy fuck! Am I heaven?" I heard Scar's excited voice say. Yeah, she was definitely fine. "Have I been such a good girl that you are now my reward or are you just my guardian angel?"

I entered the living room just in time to see my friend running her hands up Callum's muscly arms until she reached his biceps right where the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. She was really enjoying this, biting her lower lip and fluttering her eyelids at him. Callum smiled warmly at her before he helped her sit up. I must admit that I thought I might feel weird about what I was seeing, given Callum and mine's recent encounters, but I really didn't. It was as if what I had towards him, which admittedly was mainly lust, had just evaporated. Sure, he was still ridiculously hot but I just didn't feel the same attraction anymore. We still had a connection, that I knew, but it was a connection between two people who understood each other and had each other's support.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Miss....?" Callum spoke up softly.

"Scarlett. Scarlett Miller."

"Callum Andrews. Pleasure to meet you, Scarlett." While the two of them were exchanging pleasantries, I heard Aiden chuckle which made Scarlett turn around and finally see me.

"Ahhhhhh. You are here!" She ran and jumped to hug me. "I had missed you, Riley! Although I see that you come with gifts so I might forgive you after all."

"I missed you too, Scar, but what are you doing inside the house?"

"You asked me to look after it, remember? I come every week to check that everything is okay. And either way, I should be asking you the same thing. Shouldn't you be in Scotland? How could you possibly come back and not let me know?! And who are your friends?"

"Well, you met Callum already and broke my favourite vase in the process."

"Details!" Scarlett piped up.

"Aiden Hayes and Rafe Macalister." I pointed at each of the boys to introduce them to Scarlett. "Anyway, we are only here for a short while as we have something to do tomorrow before we head back to Scotland."

"So you are staying here tonight?" Scarlett asked but I knew that her head was already coming up with all sorts of ideas.

"Yes. Although there is nothing in the fridge, so I should probably go grab some pizzas from Tony's".

"I'll go." My redhead friend volunteered eagerly. That was weird- she rarely volunteered for anything, let alone needing to go out and get something. "But I would need some help. Would you mind coming along with me, Callum?" Oh lord, she had her puppy dog eyes on. If only she knew that she was dealing with a bear!

"I would love to." Callum agreed rather eagerly.

The two were in such a rush to head out that they didn't even bother to ask what any of us wanted to order. Oh well, any pizza would be welcome I guess.

"Fan-fucking-tastic, yet another human! Why don't you just go and announce our presence in the news, Moreau?" Rafe said mockingly, his voice full of annoyance.

I turned around to Aiden with pleading eyes. "I know he is your best friend, but are you SURE that I can't punch him?"

"Yes, Riley, I'm sure." Damn dragon, why couldn't he let me have at least this pleasure!

"What if I just break his nose just a little?" I continued. They say that perseverance is everything, no?. "A tiny little bit. Please?"

"You two know I am right here and that I can hear you, right? Also, remember that I am a shifter, a wolf shifter, and you are just human." Rafe interrupted as if we could forget that he was also in the room.

How could he be so attractive and yet so infuriating? "I love how you say the obvious with such a sense of discovery. How long did it take you to come up with that, Macalister?"

Rafe growled and his eyes flashed with yellow which was strange. "MMMMMmmmmm......." I heard him say but it sounded like he was struggling to say whatever he wanted to. Or maybe rather struggling not to say it! Like he was fighting himself for control right now. Finally, he took a deep breath as his eyes got back to his usual colour and he spoke. "You make a lot of noise for someone who says nothing useful."

Aiden was meanwhile enjoying the show from the side, just like he had when I first met them at the Macalister party. He laughed before he spoke. "I was expecting a battle of the wits but it would be kind of wrong to cheer this on when one of you is unarmed and absolutely unprepared for this. Sorry, Rafe, she is a badass."

"She is super pain in the ass too," Rafe interjected, giving me a tough look.

"Bite me, you prick!" I, in turn, gave him an equally mean look.

Rafe made a step towards and I instinctively made a step backwards. "Tell me where, princess."

"When this is over, I want my sanity back," I said as I looked at Aiden. Then something weird happened as his eyes also flashed yellow. A low growl escaped him as well. What the hell was going on with these two? It was like their animals were taking over.

"Mine!" His?! What was he on about? And why was Macalister looking weird at him?

I looked at Aiden, then at Rafe, before I finally saw it- then possessiveness and fire in their eyes, and it was directed right at me. As if they owned me, as if I was theirs.

Wait, theirs? Suddenly the last few minutes played again in my head. Their eyes flashing yellow, the growling, Rafe's struggle. "You make a lot of noise for someone who says nothing useful."..... "She is a badass"

I gasped and my hand immediately reached for the words imprinted on my skin. Even through my top, I could feel that burning sensation of that particular spot.

No, no, no, no! This can't be happening. It's all just in my imagination.

"You didn't seriously...?" I said as I looked at both of them but I couldn't bring myself to finish my sentence.

"Yes." Just one simple word that rolled off Aiden's lips and yet it confirmed my worst fears.

"You just...?" I was too shocked to have any sort of conversation right now.

Rafe growled. "Yep."

"Does that mean...?" The shock was now mixing in with confusion.

"Looks like it," Aiden said, giving me a gentle smile, as if he was trying to calm me down and tell me that it would all be fine.

"Shit!" I exclaimed and went to my room, slamming the door shut behind me.