Struck by lightning is what it felt like when I saw Taylor at the front door, and a distinct growl emanated. Her big brown eyes looked threatening as her glare was sharp enough to cut through Caleb. Did they know each other?

I wanted to ask them but Caleb had a death grip on her neck pulling her into the apartment and slamming her body against the now closed door of the apartment. A small scream escaped my lips petrified of what Caleb would do next.

"Why are you here?" Caleb growled his face so close to Taylor's I was sure she could feel his breath on her face.

Taylor kicked her legs out trying to break out of his hold. It was no use as he pulled her away from the door only to slam her hard against the door again. A deafening crack was heard and I was sure she was left now with a concussion.

I couldn't even bring myself to do anything I was completely stunned.

"Fuck!" Taylor shouted digging her nails, no wait her claws into Caleb's forearms. Her once brown eyes glistened with a hint of ember.

"I'm not gonna ask you again what are you doing here?" His voice was serious leaving no room to dodge the question. He banged her head again and this time Taylor growled getting angry by the second.

"Fuck off! All you alphas are the fucking same!" She seethed with such despise, opening her eyes once again.

"And all you rogues seem not to care for your lives. I'll snap your neck if you don't give me an answer. Now!" Caleb's grip on her throat tightened as he swung her around pushing her down on the floor, where he then put his knee on her chest. Taylor let out a gasping groan as her head yet again hit the hardwood floor. If she didn't have a concussion before she definitely did now. "Last chance." His eyes glowed sapphire blue.

"No! Stop!" I yelled over them.

Still stuck where I was by the counter in the kitchen I caught both their attention with my voice.

Taylor turned to look at me her claws still digging into Caleb's arms. The blood now trickled down his arms and was bathing her neck with the scarlet red. Her canines were on display as she faced me. She was a monster just like him.

On the other hand, Caleb hadn't really acknowledged my plea. If it weren't for his sudden stiffness from my voice I would have thought he didn't hear me at all. He was unfazed by the gashes Taylor was leaving on his arms. Does he not feel pain?

Looking at the wound on his side that was once a gaping hole, the skin that was separated before was now more intact. They do heal faster than humans.

"She's here to hurt you, Eve." He said his voice this time wasn't as loud when he spoke to me. Maybe he was trying not to scare me anymore but the grip he was holding Taylor by and the animalistic look she was giving me was already enough to scare me. I was past the point of scared I was downright petrified.

"No... I'm not... you fucking... idiot." She grunted, between hard breaths, beneath him trying once more to get out of his hold.

"Stop trying to break free." He warned her, Taylor ignored his warning growling loudly in his face growing irritated and impatient.

Caleb rose her up from the ground but only to slam her head again on the hardwood floor. Taylor closed her eyes groaning in pain this time finally feeling something from the impact.

"Caleb stop... she's my friend." I told him tears brimming my eyes scared that I was about to witness a murder.

Watching them both as noticed how Caleb gained some restraint and the muscles in his arms started to relax. Was he honestly about to listen to me now? I was stunned as he loosens his grip enough for Taylor to quickly stand up with inhuman speed.

Her neck was littered with streaks of blood. Her own dirty blonde hair was dazzled with splotches of blood that had trailed to the floor.

"We are friends you brain-dead alpha." Taylor retorted rubbing her neck that was no doubt sore and raw from the tight hold Caleb had on it.

Caleb growled louder than I had ever heard him growl before, stalking over to her.

I'm not sure what possessed me to move finally but I lunged between them putting Taylor behind me. Caleb came to a standstill looking both furious and dumbfounded that I had blocked his assault on Taylor.

"Move out of my way Evelyn." The voice he used was so harsh as he demanded me to move.

I did not. This was a dangerous game I was playing now. I was openly disobeying him in a way I hadn't before. Before it was just little things that weren't really putting me in harm's way, but this time it was a different story. If he wanted to he could grab me next and snap my neck caring little about the bond he once spoke to me about.

I tried to suppress those thoughts as they wouldn't do me any good.

"She doesn't have to listen to you." Taylor voiced behind me sounding more and more fed up with Caleb's presence. Caleb glared at her looking as if he was on his last nerve with her.

"No, Caleb you need to relax." My voice I hoped sounded soothing, trying to defuse the hostile situation. I placed my hands on his chest to push him back. As I did a faint tingle was felt, Caleb slightly shivered at my touch. I must have shocked us both from static, I thought.

Under my touch, I could feel his muscles' ease. The once tense and ready muscles were eased but they were still taut prepared for anything.

"Holy shit... no... freak'n... way" I heard Taylor say her voice only a whisper as she sounded in disbelief.

Before I could ask her what she was talking about Caleb had pulled me to his body. His one hand pressed at the bottom of my back gently as the other was resting at his side. I looked at his free hand to see long and dark claws still extending from them. He was still enraged, but somehow I was keeping that at bay for him.

There was a chuckle heard and it made me jump. I pushed away from Caleb, he was reluctant to let me go, but it just felt weird how close we were. It was oddly satisfying and the feeling I felt was serenity. These sudden feelings of peace or calm or security that he was giving off were compelling to me, and that frightened me. I was truly beginning to think I was developing Stockholm syndrome.

Taylor had been the one that was chuckling and when I had removed myself from Caleb I turned to face her.

"Taylor... you're one of them?" My voice came out a whole lot weaker than I wanted it to be. I was slightly offended at the fact that I was hanging around with a werewolf this whole time and I was made to think that she was just a normal human.

"I didn't think I would have ever had to tell you, Evie." She sounded sincere when she told me. "I never wanted to expose you to this side of the world." She admitted her voice was soft and caring leaving no doubt that she meant what she said. "You shouldn't have been exposed to this world like this." Growling towards the end of her sentence she looked past me to Caleb.

"I am her mate you know I couldn't have just lied to her." Caleb snapped back scowling at her remark. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to a rogue anyways."

"Was Roy really the one that made a mess in your apartment Evie?" The mention of Roy's name made me uncomfortable and I was sure that they all could see it on my face. "Or was it this dipshit?"

"I'm warning you rogue." Caleb threatened his voice low and domineering.

Taylor rolled her eyes. How was she not fearing for her life right now? I was pretty sure if I wasn't still in the way Caleb would have killed her by now. Honestly, I was surprised that I was even able to stop him at all. I expected him to throw me out of the way by now to get a hold of her.

"Oh please, you and I both know I'm untouchable right now." She taunted flipping him the bird and sitting on the sofa. What did she mean she was untouchable? I'm pretty sure Caleb could walk right up to her and break her neck. Was she stupid or plain dumb?

Growling again he started to shake with anger. I looked between Taylor and Caleb as they were both having a staring contest. Caleb fisted his claws in his hands surely making deep wounds in his palms. Was he trying to distract himself with the pain to keep from lashing out?

"Enough," I said becoming anxious every word they both shared between each other. "Taylor, what are you doing?" The question was meant to be about her taunting but Taylor took it a different way as she looked at me offended.

"What am I doing? What am I doing?!" She started to shout her eyes glowing ember again. I gulped at her outrage. "What I am doing is checking up on you since you told me that Roy just about killed you last time you were home. What I am doing is being a good friend.... because I care about you!" I flinched at her tone never hearing her talk to me with such disdain.

I immediately regretted asking my question not ready for her to expose Roy like that. I didn't want Caleb to know. He was unpredictable and I was scared he'd go after him. Plus, it wasn't a conversation I wanted to have and I knew he would try and bring it up now that he knew.

"Don't talk to her like that." Caleb scolded her.

"Don't take to her like that." She mocked him in her own forced male voice. "We were friends long before you were in the picture. Sorry, Mr.Alpha but I have seniority over you right now."

I wanted to tell her to stop but I was abruptly stopped when Caleb grabbed my hand to grab my attention. He pulled me towards the front door. I wasn't sure what he was about to do but I wasn't about to leave with him and go back to his estate. He promised me I could come home and I was meaning to stay. I had classes.

"Caleb-" I protested as he continued to pull me with him. There was no use in trying to get out of his grasp as I knew his hold was ten times stronger than my own. Once we were in the hallway he closed the door and turned to me.

I was temporarily distracted by Mrs. Evans, the lady who spoke to the wall in the hallway that was her husband.

"Now Philip you can't say stuff like that. Let the girl be. I use to be just as bad with taste in men." She told the wall.

Caleb didn't notice what she said and I was grateful. I didn't want him to threaten the old lady with dementia and give her a heart attack.

"Did she threaten you?" He asked referring to Taylor. His one hand was pressed against the door next to my head. His larger body dwarfed my own as I tried to sink into the door feeling intimidated by him. His torso was still very naked and it was growing harder to concentrate as his chiseled abs were so close to my face. It didn't leave much room for me to look at anything else. I didn't want to look up at him either as that would just make my wrecked nerves worse.

"What- no." The answer was meek and quiet.

"Eve, I'm saying this cause I care for you," He paused letting out a sigh. It was difficult for me to understand how and why he cared so much that I was friends with Taylor. I was still trying to understand why they hated each other. It's obvious they don't know each other, so why do they despise each other existence. "You can't be friends with her anymore."

His demand made me snap out of my thoughts. The comment made me look up at him. Trying not to push my luck I had to slow my mind down to come up with the right words to answer with. I wasn't about to not be friends with the only person I knew in town.

"No, she's my friend," I told him finding a little more strength to voice my opinion suddenly as a group of teens walked by us in the hallway. "You aren't going to control everything that I do." I stated, making it clear I wasn't budging. Although I regretted my words as soon as I spoke them.

He started to shake a little, his fury increasing each time I disobeyed. It made me worry he was going to just snatch me up and drag me the rest of the way down to his car. The fear of that made me grab the doorknob behind my back.

Caleb noticed and grabbed my wrist stopping me. He raised his hand and I closed my eyes flinching waiting for him to hit me or grab my hair just as Roy use to do whenever I didn't listen.

There was no contact though and my wrist was let go. The sudden lack of contact drew my attention and I dared to look up through my lashes at him.

He looked concerned watching me flinch from his hand. If he didn't have an idea why I was so scared of Roy he did now from Taylor's loud mouth and my flinch.

Slowly he lowered his hand to brush gently against my cheek and another tingle shock was felt. I need to stop sliding on the hardwood floor in my socks I thought to myself. This time however the feeling travel along with his touch as he trailed his finger from my cheek to my jaw. He followed the curve of my jaw until he rested his index finger under my chin.

That same overwhelming feeling flooded my senses and it was becoming intoxicating.

I cleared my throat grabbing his hand now and pulling it away from my face. I didn't want the soothing feeling I felt that radiated off of him to be normal. It wasn't and should never be. I was dead set on making sure I didn't allow the feeling to cloud my judgment. This man is still a monster of the night I reminded myself.

"I wasn't going to hurt you, Eve. I am not like whoever you are comparing me to." Caleb reassured me. Nodding my head I acknowledged his comment.

"Sadly, it's a reflex." I blurted out. Again, I regretted my answer as I said it. Stop elaborating about your life to your kidnapper Eve. None of this is normal keep that in your mind.

Caleb didn't say anything to my comment he just pursed his lips. His face showed guilt for a split second but it was gone before I could really be sure I saw it.

"Fine, you can be friends with the rouge." He changed the topic probably noticing my discomfort with my revelation earlier. "I wasn't originally going to stay here with you but I am until I know she's not a threat."

"But she-"

He cut me off-putting his finger to my lips.

"End of story," Caleb warned leaving me unable to convince him otherwise. He removed his fingers from my lips and beckoned me to follow him down the hallway towards the elevator. "Come with me to grab my bag." I didn't move too anxious at the thought he could really just be leading me to his car to take me back to the estate. "Relax Eve, I can hear your heart beating. Just trust me. Have I lied to you yet?" A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

I looked between the now open elevator he was holding for me and my apartment. For some unexplained reason, his words were tempting as it was the truth. He hadn't lied to me yet. I'll probably regret this later I thought as I caught up to him and stood in the elevator with him.

Being sure to distance myself as much as I could from him in the tiny elevator, I leaned against the railing.

The elevator tinged as we went down and I noticed that I was openly staring at him with curiosity. This man, werewolf, was captivating and I couldn't understand it. I wanted to but that would mean I would have to get closer to him. What would that in tale? Was I ready to risk my life and sanity to spark up a conversation about who and what he was?

The elevator opened with a final ding.

"What is a rogue?"