"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes." -Marcel Proust

When I open my eyes, all I see is dark hair. It's all over my face and there's even some in my mouth.

What the fuck?

My memory slowly starts functioning again and I remember that I have a mate who sleeps in my bed now, and she has a lot of hair. I find it everywhere. It's always on the bathroom counter, when I sweep the kitchen there's always a hairball or two, and there's always some left behind in my car after we go out to eat.

The culprit for this mess is currently passed out on my chest. I take a deep breath and the usual vanilla smell I'm greeted with every morning is even more potent now that her hair is covering my face. I move my hand from my side and move the hair off my face.

After another round last night, Alessandra passed out. I carried her up to our room and got her cleaned up before falling asleep.

My eyes flick over to the nightstand and I see that it's already 10:00. Before Alessandra, I would wake up at 6:00 to get a headstart on everything but it seems like my mate is making me lazy. Since she's been here, it's always been hard to get out of bed, but it's even harder when she's sleeping on my chest so peacefully.

I decide to mind link one of my captains about the current patrols so I can spend a few more moments with Alessandra.

The Nightshades are beginning to become more worrisome. We need another sighting in order to track down their master but since the one that attacked our house, there have not been anymore.

I let out a sigh and come up with a plan to get Alessandra off my chest in a way that will not wake her up. I bring both of my hands to her back and press her against me. Slowly, and with as much finesse as I can muster, I roll us so her back is against the mattress. She moves and I still, waiting for her to awaken but she doesn't. By going into a push-up position, I'm able to get off the bed and keep her asleep.

I tiptoe out of our room and breathe out in relief. Never thought I would have to sneak out of my room but here I am.

"Well, that's weird."

I whip my head to the side and see Hiro standing there with a smug grin on his face.

"Goin' somewhere Alpha?"

"What are you doing here?"

I kept a straight face but I was shaken up inside. No one has been able to get into my house without me noticing, ever. Having Alessandra around was causing me to let my guard down.

"Thought we could go for a run, you know like we used to before you became a one-pussy man," Hiro says jokingly.

I'm tempted to roll my eyes at him. He's one of my closest friends and I trust him with everything, but Hiro has slowly morphed into someone who no longer makes the best decisions for himself.

Once upon a time, he was the one pushing me towards Alessia, but now he has a membership to the I Hate Women Club.

Two words. Jacqueline Freeman.

I'm about to tell him that I'm willing to go for a run since it will give me a chance to see the pack perimeters for myself when the door behind me creaks open.

I watch Hiro's eyes widen as they begin a slow perusal of the woman behind me. I don't have to look behind me to know that Alessandra looks sexy as hell, so I go with my first instinct and punch him in the jaw.

My punch sends him flying back and I hear Alessandra reprimand me. I turn to face her and anything I was planning to say dies in my throat.

Sometimes I think the goddess is punishing me because there is no way I will be able to go our whole lives without killing someone for looking at her the wrong way. I pride myself on being rational. Being methodical has been ingrained in me by my father. Yet, every time I see this woman it's as if my brain wipes away everything else and all that's left is there.

"Stop staring at me like that! You just punched your friend for no reason. Tu sei matto!"

She angrily walks back into our room and I definitely take my time watching her go.

"Speak more Italian to me Ally! It really gets me going!" I shout back at her.

Seriously? She's calling me crazy when I'm just doing my job.

Hiro laughs and throws one of the million decorative pillows Alessandra has laying around the house at me. I catch it with ease.

"Let's go."

We run around the pack's perimeters. I check in with all of the guards and all of them inform me that no suspicious activity has occurred. Their words should calm me but I can't help but feel as if things are about to go south.

"Things have been too quiet," Hiro whispers as we take a sharp turn towards the lake.

Lake Tahoe is a tourist attraction and the Blood Moon Pack owns most of the businesses here. However, my father made sure that one piece of the lake remains off-limits for outsiders. It's one of my favorite spots, not just because there are no humans around to bug me, but because it has the best view of the mountains.

My steps slow down as we reach the rocks. Hiro and I remain quiet, simply soaking in the peace around us.

"I'm happy for you, "Hiro says. His voice is laced with genuinity which seems to be a rarity with him these days.

"How come?"

He smiles wistfully.

"You love her. I never thought I would see the day you fell in love but I can tell how much it affects you."

I raise my brow and my mouth opens to protest but he continues to speak before I get the chance.

"Not all of us are as lucky," he whispers.

"She'll come around, Hiro."

My mood sours with the reminder of his current heartbreak. I'm tempted to tell him that there's no point in pining after a girl who is not his mate, but it's not what he needs to hear right now.

"I should head home," he tells me. I nod and he shifts into his brown wolf before running away.

I decide to do the same thing but on the way home, I see my dad outside. He's wearing a straw hat while trying to tame the jungle in his yard.

"You need some help with that?" I say, leaning over the wooden fence.

"You don't know nothing about gardening, boy," he responds.

"Sure I do. You plant some seeds then pull some weeds. Easy enough."

He gives me a blank stare before continuing his work.

"Your mate is much more helpful than you are."

"She just pities you old man."

"Who you callin' old? I'm barely 80."

For an 80-year-old he looked 40. He'd probably look younger if my mom was still around.

"How did you visit with the Romanos go?"

"Good, I guess. Antonio was glaring at me and Isabel was acting like something crawled up her ass and died," I tell him.

"She's always been like that Wish you would've seen it back then, it sure would have saved you the trouble now."

Anger courses through me, mostly because he's right. Nonetheless, I do not need a reminder of all the ways I've fucked up from my father.

"You've never liked her."

"Damn right. I still can't believe you chose the wrong twin, it was so obvious."

His words puzzle me. I stand up straighter and wait for him to elaborate.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He drops his gardening tools and chucks off his hat.

"Tell me, son. How many times did you bring Isabel over to our house?"

"Twice," I answer, unsure of where he's going with this.

"And why was that?"

"I-uh," I try to put together a response but I honestly don't know the answer. It would have made more sense to be at my house more now that I think about it. My dad was rarely home so we wouldn't be disturbed but I always insisted to go to hers.

"You want to know why? Maybe it had to do with someone else who was there."

No.

"Maybe your wolf was unconsciously leading you to your mate and you were too blind to see it."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It doesn't? Then how about the time you demanded I command Alessandra and Jaden to break up for no reason?"

I do remember that. The sight of them together just irked me. Sue me for wanting to spare my eyes from that visual assault.

"I didn't-"

"You were four years old when you first saw the twins and you begged your mother and me to take her home. You didn't ask for Isabel but you damn near threw a fit for Alessia."

I was not aware of this.

"So do you understand it now, Zane? I just wanted what was best for you and Isabel was not it."

I never get the chance to reply to him because a screeching scream pierces the air. It rattles me to the bone and I don't even think about my actions. I run, shifting into my wolf as I go, and pray to the goddess that I'm not too late.