"This is the last bag, right?" I heard Caleb ask from downstairs.

I was finishing up the last bag of stuff that I would need for the summer months I would be staying with Caleb. It hasn't really sunk in yet that I would really be leaving my apartment behind to live with him.

If someone were to tell me that I would be mates with a werewolf and living with them hundreds of miles away from where I am now I would tell them they were crazy. Here I am though, happily packing my bags as if I'm going to a slumber party.

"Eve?" His voice was closer this time as I tried to zip up the overstuffed backpack I just crammed the last bit of clothes in. "Give it here." He said shaking his head at my weak attempt and closing the bag. With ease, he zipped it up raising an eyebrow at me comically.

"We don't all have werewolf strength dingus." Rolling my eyes as I reached out to take the bag from him. He pulled it just out of my reach making a tsk sound.

"The dingus is caring it to the car."

Crossing my arms annoyed, only made him release a breathy chuckle.

"I'm not that weak Caleb, sheesh." I retorted walking down the stairs. He was close behind.

"Just last night you asked me if I could open the salsa jar." He cocked his head.

"Okay, and? It was stuck." I explained trying to keep some dignity to my name. He laughed louder this time as I grew more annoyed. My laugh came out as well as his charming laugh made it hard for me to keep my act.

My laughter died out though as a light bulb went off in my head as I almost forgot something very important. It was something that could very well tip the balance between sanity and insanity.

Caleb watched as I walked across him, pushing the bathroom door open. I pulled the mirror open revealing my medicine cabinet. My new prescription of anxiety meds had remained there since the day I picked them up, never finding a reason to have to use them.

Picking up the small bottle I read the label.

Would I really need them? Will I find myself using any of them? You haven't used them in a while, why bring them Eve?

"Will you have enough?" I looked over a Caleb who had been watching me the entire time in my internal struggle.

Facing him I noticed his face had dropped looking somber at the pill bottle. He knew exactly what they were. He had heard me talking about them weeks ago when I called for a refill, that was before I knew he could hear through walls.

Closing the mirror I looked back at the bottle rattling it a little as if it would tell me if I had enough or not.

"Yea, I'll just bring them along just in case." Pushing the bottle in my jacket pocket I exited the bathroom. Caleb was still watching me with guilt on his face. "I probably won't even use them." I assured him.

He nodded his head in understanding but I could tell he still felt guilty.

"We ready then?" He asked forcing a cheeriness to his voice.

Replying with a "Yup." I scooped Bastet up in my arms following behind Caleb as he closed up and locked the loft.

That was it. It was finally happening, I thought to myself as the elevator doors closed. There was no changing my mind, it was final. I was moving to the middle of no where, far from the city.

The way Caleb was shifting from side to side I could tell he was more than ecstatic. But that excitement became vaporized the moment the elevator doors opened revealing Taylor leaning impatiently against his car.

"About damn time you guys came down." She said as she stood up from where he was leaning. "I was beginning to think you both were having a quickie."

"Shut up Taylor! Why do you always think I'm doing the nasty." I frowned feeling the embarrassment coming on. I stopped in front of her, handing Bastet over.

She was smirk as she cradled my cat. "You act like you're so innocent."

"Taylor!"

"What?" She shrugged. "It's not like you're the Virgin Mary." She plopped herself in the car but not before shooting me a wicked grin.

"Just get in the car." I slammed the door behind her glaring daggers at her through the window. I was about to flip her off but a subdued growl was heard behind me causing me to halt my actions.

In the reflection of the window I could see the dominating alpha behind me. He looked like he was trying hard to restraint himself, but describing him like that alone didn't do it justice.

His left eye was twitching like someone squeezed lemon juice in his eye. His fists clenched and unclenched as he cracked his fingers. It was the strained breathing that caught my attention though as it quickened after Taylor's mischievous comments. All in all Caleb looked like a crackhead that need his next fix.

Turning around slowly I asked. "You... okay?"

He cleared his throat trying hard to control his body that was itching for some sort or release. The way he was concentrating made me think it was he wolf that was itching for the most release.

"Yea, I'm fine." There was a slight lisp to his speech which proved my assumption to be right as I caught a glimpse of his canines. Trying his best to cover up what ever just caused him to look crazy he popped the trunk to put the backpack away. "Get in the car a while."

Listening I got in and buckled myself in, curiosity begging me to ask him what was the matter. But there was a certain someone that reminded me why it wasn't a good idea to have that conversation now.

"Take your pussy," Taylor said from the back seat. There was cat growl coming from the back and I could have sworn Bastet smacked her a good ten times. "Like now!" Taylor practically threw Bastet in my lap.

I was about to yell at her for throwing her but when I turned to look at her face there were several scratch marks. Giggling I tried to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Taylor glared at me annoyed. She never liked my cat, but neither did Bastet like Taylor. So I guess their feelings were mutual.

Caleb got in the car back to his normal self, that was until he took a glance in the rear view mirror. I thought he was going to growl out something rude to Taylor but he just bursted into laughter. Hearing his laugh made me burst out the laugh I was desperately trying to hold back.

"Great, I'm glad you all think this if fucking funny." She groaned sinking into the back seat. "This is going to be one shitty ass car ride." Pushing in her Bluetooth earphones she crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

I looked back to Caleb shaking my head and giving him an apologetic smile on my friend's behalf.

While Caleb pulled the car out of the parking lot I looked in the side mirror one last time at the apartment building I would be saying goodbye to for the summer. I was hoping the estate would give me more memories, better memories than those that I had of Roy.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

The ride wasn't as bad as I thought it would be beside the part that Taylor woke up half way there, car sick. Caleb refused to pull over stating that he didn't want to delay the ride longer than it already was. I was pretty sure that Caleb was lying, just trying to make her suffer. Taylor just about throttled him from the back seat nearly making him crash the car on one of the back roads.

Caleb did pull over but she had already thrown herself out of the car before it even came to a complete stop throwing up everything.

The rest of the car ride to the estate was me sitting in the car with Caleb and Taylor arguing about why pack life was better or why living as a rogue was better. Honestly, I could care less. I just wanted to get there already before I had an aneurysm from all the yelling.

When we finally pulled up to the estate Taylor grew quieter almost anxiously quiet.

"What happened rogue? Getting a little nervous?" Caleb question making her glare at him in the rearview mirror.

Quickly I jumped out wanting to remove myself from their hatred of each other. I hoped one day they would learn to be friends, or at the very least civil.

"You wish!" I heard Taylor spat closing the car door. She gawked at the estate taking it in, in all its massive glory. I had to admit, looking at the massive thing now in the daylight made it all the larger.

"Great you guys made it!" A familiar voice caught my attention. Alex came out the front door of the mansion his hair freshly wet as if he had just gotten out of the shower.

"Alex do you mind getting the bags out of the car and taking them in awhile?" Caleb asked him but we all knew it was more of an order then an option. Alex nodded his head grabbing a few bags from the car. I couldn't help but see Taylor sniff the air so intently, her eyes growing dark all of a sudden.

"What about the rogue?" He asked tilting his head to Taylor who was still standing by the car.

Her eyes were flickering around the area. She even did a 360 trying to look for the source of whatever she was sniffing. When I looked closer I noticed her frantic appearance.

"Have Lawerence escort her to the guest house." Caleb answered him. Alex mumbled a reply but I was still so confused by Taylor's movements that I approached her.

"Taylor are you alright?" I asked. Her eyes snapped to mine flashing ember for a brief second before going back to a dark.

Caleb gripped my arm stopping my movement growling in disapproval.

"Caleb stop! She like panicking or something." I felt bad now for bringing her along. The way she was looking around like someone was going to jump her made me feel guilty. I shouldn't have dragged her along like I had.

Caleb pushed me behind him a little as he looked at her. Trying to figure out what she was so nervous about. Did she pick up a smell they hadn't. Both Alex and Caleb lifted their noses up, looking at each other briefly. When Alex shrugged confused he put the bags on the ground to walk over to her.

Her nose went up even higher as he approached her. Taylor aggressively pulled his shirt to her nose.

"Hey! Don't rip my shirt. What is wrong with you?" He exclaimed prying her hands off his shirt. She growled reaching for his shirt again. "Hello earth to-"

"Mine." Her voice was low and menacing as if Alex pushing her away from his shirt wasn't allowed.

"What?! I am not your mate. You have a loss screw or something." When she tried to grab him again he restrained her wrists causing her to growl once more. Louder this time. "Someone has been doing too much crack lately." He looked alarmed at her outburst looking to Caleb for some guidance. Caleb was still stood in front of me but I could tell he was trying to figure something out. Trying to figure out her bizarre behavior.

"Who were you around Alex. She smells someone on your shirt." Caleb asked.

Ask if a lightbulb went off, Alex's eye grew wide. "No... you don't think?" He looked away from Caleb and back to Taylor who was digging her claws now into his wrists.

"Who was it, Alex?" Caleb asked again. I was stunned trying to piece together what the hell was going on right now. Holding Bastet to my chest darting my eyes to each one of them I hoped that I would pick up on something. I could not. It didn't help either that someone else joined in the conversation.

"She's mine." I swiveled my head to someone walking out of the mansion behind me. It was Lawrence and he looked terrifyingly possessive. His eyes were pitch black and primal. The way he stalked over to Alex and Taylor, radiated power and dominance, was very similar to Caleb's.

"She is all yours." Alex said eager to put distance between him and Taylor. He pushed Taylor away from him as she scurried into Lawrence's arms.

Did they know each other? Was this like her ex or something?

He nuzzled his face into her neck inhaling deeply seeming to calm himself down and her.

I pulled on Caleb's arms asking for clarification. He didn't look at me at first still zoned in on the spontaneous embrace in front of him.

"What is happening?" I whispered looking up at him.

He finally tore his eyes away to look at me. His face was stone cold for some reason. Looking bothered by something. Had I bothered him by asking a question?

"Your friend is my beta's mate. Loz's mate."He grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the mansion leaving behind whatever had just unfolded.

"Wait what? I'm still confused though. How?" What I just saw was so perplexing and odd to me. They never knew each other, never met each other, but when they saw one another they hugged like they were the most loved person in the world. Is that what it's like when two werewolves find their mates? Do they instantly fall in love? "Will she be okay?"

Alex scuffed half amused following behind us into the mansion, bags in hand. "They'll be more than okay."

Caleb on the other hand ignored my question having me follow him up to his room. Our room.

I couldn't help thinking about what I just saw. A sense of guilt came over me as I thought about the relationship that Caleb and I had. We weren't in love like that. We didn't embrace each other like we were the most important thing in the world. Then again I was to blame for that.

I was human. I don't feel what they feel at least not at the same level that they feel. I was slightly jealous of that. I wondered if I was a werewolf how different Caleb would treat me. How different I would treat him. He had held back trying to freak me out all this time when really I'm sure he wanted nothing more than to do what Lawrence and Taylor did outside. Not have to hold back in fear of scaring their mate away.

"What are you thinking about?" Lost in my own guilty thoughts I looked up to see Caleb closing the bedroom door. His eyes were focused on me.

I shook my head as if that would help dissipate the guilty thoughts. They didn't. The way he was looking at me had my stomach fluttering with butterflies.

"Just..." I stopped myself feeling embarrassment blush across my face. "I feel bad."

He walked over to me stopping just shy of a couple inches in front of me. "You feel bad, about what?" He looked puzzled and I could tell he was trying to figure out why I felt the way I did.

"Because you've been holding yourself back for me. It must be hard when so many other mates just accept each other so quickly." I paused. "Did you think it would be just as easy... with us?"

I sat on the bed letting Bastet down in the process. Caleb didn't say anything for some time before finding his words. Sitting down next to me he rested his hand on my thigh.

"Eve from the moment I first saw you I knew you were human. I knew things would have to play out differently then normal mates."

"But I don't understand why you took your time. You could have kept me here," I gestured to the bedroom, looking around it as I spoke. "And forced me to see what you were and what we were to each other."

"Stop Eve." He cupped my cheek moving my head to look at him. His eyes were soft telling me he was being genuine. "Forcing someone to love you, isn't love. I didn't want you to be scared of me, or hate me, of feel like you had to feel something for me that wasn't there. I wanted you to be you, and I wanted you to see me as me. If that meant taking things very slowly then so be it." He paused sneaking a glance at my lips for a quick moment. "As long as I can still see you, still love you, I don't care how long it takes for you to love me back."

My heart did backflips as I listened to my mate confess his love for me. He loved... me?

He loved me.

I've been told I was loved by past lovers but it never felt like I was on top of the world. With him, it felt like I was in a fairytale, like I was just handed the world. Apart of me felt ashamed I didn't feel love towards him back. Not yet anyway. I wanted him to be mine, yes, but I didn't love him. I wanted to.

I put my hand on his, which rested on my cheek, leaning into his touch more. As I looked into those blue eyes they looked more blue, a deeper blue, a captivating blue that threatened to consume me. And I would gladly let it if it meant he was mine.

Soon I found myself leaning towards him finding his lips luscious and alluring. I wanted them on mine. Ever since the club that's all I could think of. How much I wanted his hands on me, to feel those addictive sparks and tingles. I wanted to kiss him he was a drug I couldn't get enough of.

Caleb pulled my face towards his but it didn't stop there as he pulled my hips to lean towards him as he brought me down on the bed with him. We laid side by side getting lost in each others touch.

My fingers getting tangling in his dark hair pulling him impossibly closer to me. He lightly bit my lower lip asking for entrance. The moment I did his tongue danced with mine in a neverending competition for control.

The hand that wasn't gripping my curls traveled entrancingly down the side of my torse to my hip, trailing a little lower to my thigh. He traced patterns up my thigh to the base of my shirt tantalizing me further.

He skimmed his fingers on the bare skin of my stomach overwhelming me with the pleasuring sparks of our bond. As if the sparks weren't enough he gently pulled my hair back exposing my neck. Before I could even process what he was doing he pressed his lips to my neck dazzling loving kisses along my exposed skin.

I lowered my hand to his shoulder digging my nails into his muscles. A shaky breath came out from the back of my throat and I had to close my eyes to keep from moaning. I didn't know how thin the walls were. It didn't matter though because I'm pretty sure this man had a plan to make it as hard as possible to contain myself.

He gently nipped the tender skin at the base of my neck and I couldn't keep myself from moaning. The mesmerizing feeling that washed over my body from the nip brought a sense of euphoria. I tug my nails deeper into his shoulder trying to release some of the bliss that I felt.

In turn, this caused him to pull me on top of him to straddle him on the bed. He let go of my hair letting it fall around our faces in a curtain of curls.

When I looked down at him his eyes were charcoal black taking me by surprised for a moment. Noticing, Caleb closed his eyes. When he reopened them they were sapphire blue again.

"Sorry." He whispered as if trying not to spook me.

He may have mistaken my surprise as scared but I was more in wonder at why his eyes changed to black. I've seen them change on a couple of occasions, it intrigued me now.

I was about to ask him about them changing but there was a sudden knock on the door that had me jumping off his body. He took a deep breath trying to concentrate on something. I wasn't sure on what but when my eyes drifted down his body I soon realized the exact reason and I blushed.

There was another knock on the door and Caleb finally sat up with an angry growl.

Whoever was on the other side of the door was about to have hell break lose.