Picture of Naní above.

Rules to surviving supernatural bounty hunters. Rule number one, hope to god you were born a supernatural, it'll really give you a boost in your survival skills. Rule number two, surround yourself with supernatural friends for bodyguards. And lastly, rule number three, hope to the heavens above that you don't end up being the mate to an alpha. You're instantly a target.

That's pretty much what I took from the conversation I had with Cora. After Caleb dragged me back into the house he made Cora watch over me along with Naní. With a single kiss to my forehead, he rushed out of the mansion leaving me in the confines of the living room with his mother.

It was nearing eight at night as the last bits of the setting sun's rays disappeared completely over the horizon. I couldn't help the worried glances I took every so often out the living room windows. My eyes scanned the tree line for Caleb or any remnants of his golden blonde wolf. There was none. The only movement I could see was the few wolves that were walking circles on the outside of the estate gate.

Cora had explained they were ordered to protect the perimeter of the estate. Though she didn't give me much to go off of in term of why Caleb had hurried me inside and everyone had rushed to be somewhere, I knew it could only mean there was a threat. Why else hide me away inside and set up a perimeter? I didn't admit that to anyone as is seemed they were trying to play it off as if it was none of my concern. Or that they didn't want to scare me off.

At this point I wasn't sure there was much else to terrify me with.

"He's okay darling." Cora told me patting the back of my hand. I turned to her giving her an appreciative smile for her attempt to soothe my worried thoughts. But to no avail it changed nothing.

"I'm sure he is." I glanced back out to the window hoping again to see that golden fur.

"Would you like some cake? I've heard make baking is to die for." Cora asked. She was trying to draw my attention away from the piling negative scenarios that were growing to knew heights in my head. I couldn't help it I was an over thinker.

Cora was already by pantry pushing a code in the door to unlock the pantry doors. They really did lock away the food.

"I have chocolate fudge cake, lemon cake, strawberry short cake, and red velvet." The sound of red velvet made me think back to the mini birthday party Caleb did for me. To think he was trying to win me over when I was completely terrified of him, made my smile. It's crazy to see how far we've come.

"Red velvet sounds great."

"What about you Naní?" Cora pulled out the cake and placed it on the counter turning around to pull out a knife from the stand.

"That's alright Luna Cora, I'm okay." Naní raised her glass of water from the coffee table.

Cora rolled her eyes exasperated with her decline. "I swear woman you don't like my cooking."

"What?! No not at all I've just been-" She put her glass down looking fidgety for the first time ever. I've never seen her so beside herself. Naní was always cool and collected. A level headed person with a stoic attitude. Seeing her look so nervous was worrisome. "-I don't even know."

"Don't tell me you've finally considered giving that boy a chance?" Cora was basically cheesing with a glowing smile as she cut the cake, looking up ever so often to look at Naní.

"I don't think you understand Luna." Naní picked at her nails not daring to look up from her hands.

"You've fallen in love again. What's not to understand my dear?" She pulled out plastic wrap to over the cake as she spoke.

"It feels wrong." She admitted. My eyebrows furrowed at the confusing conversation. The guilt that Naní was displaying looked like it cut deep inside her. "I feel like I'm betraying Leo." She gazed over to Cora who had made her way over to us carrying three plates with cake on them now. She had ignored Nani's decline for a slice and for some reason I'm not surprised. Cora didn't look like a person you just say no to.

"I know dear, I would know better than anyone. The loss of a mate is irreversibly damaging." Cora looked saddened as she felt for Naní. I had almost forgotten Caleb telling me his father had been killed.

She slide a plate to each of us as I absorbed much of their conversation.

"You lost your mate?" I blurted out cringing at my insensitive question. Thankfully Naní didn't seem to be angered by my question. She looked broken.

"Yes, about three years ago." She pursed her lips staring back out the window. "He was perfect, and loving, and caring and-". She sighed turning to me. She was trying her hardest not to crack under the weight of her own words. "I got him killed." Naní bit her lip painfully hard making it turn white from the pressure.

I reached my hand out to place it on her own shaking hands. They were ice cold and trembling terribly making me reflect on my own anxiety issues and shaking.

"I'm sure it not your fault Na-" I was cut off as she shoved my hands away from her.

"You don't even know what happened Eve. If you did you'd blame me too." There were tears itching to be released but knowing how stubborn Naní was I knew we'd never see them. I doubt she'd even let herself see her own tears.

"Now Naní you know that no one blames you. What happened to Leo was not your fault in any way. What Seren did was unprecedented and completely wrong. He lost his beta over it." Cora scuffed as she cut a piece of cake from her slice. "If you ask me the bastard Seren should have been killed not Tristian. An alpha should always take responsibility for his actions good or bad. Seren is a pitiful excuse."

Naní growled standing up so suddenly I flinched back. Cora narrowed her eyes at her giving her a warning to calm down.

"No one is attacking you Naní, we are trying to comfort you. Losing a mate is hard. It's probably the hardest things someone can go through." Coras harsh tone switched to soothing as she put her plate down standing up to move to Naní. Naní was standing tall with her shoulders tense and her fist clenched at her side. Her jaw flexed with ever breath, no doubt trying to control her temper and emotions. I've never seen her this emotional. "What I want you to understand is pushing people away that truly care about you won't do you any good. I've done it before and it led me no where but further heartbreak. There's no shame in finding comfort in the people who want to support you."

"But it's more than just that." Naní told her a guilty tone in her words. "Feeling love all over again... like this... like-" She shook her head like she was trying to tell herself not to say what she so desperately wanted to admit.

My heart felt for her. I never lost someone I was meant to be with for the rest of my life but I did lose my parents. And I was heart broken when my mother past way. I couldn't even begin to imagine what turmoil Naní was going through and had already been through.

"I hate myself for being happy with him. For confiding in him like he's my mate and he's not." She squeezed her eyes shut holding back the tears that dared to trickle down her cocoa skin. "I'm scared to lose someone all over again." This time Naní's voice cracked as she opened her eyes to look at Cora. Her brown eyes were watery with the pooled tears that she desperately held back.

Cora pulled her into a comforting hug. The motherly hug had Naní melting into her as Cora rubbed on her back telling her she was safe breakdown if she needed to.

After a moment they broke apart with a small smile. I took a bite of my cake savoring the sweet taste finally once the tension dissipated.

"You feel a little less guilty falling for Alex?"

Naní didn't even get a chance to answer as I chocked on the cake making a horrible noise as I gasped for air. One pound to the middle of my back forced the cake to slip down my throat. Coughing still I looked up at a worried Cora and an unimpressed Naní. Rubbing my neck and blinking the pained tears from my eyes as I gathered myself enough to talk.

"You and Alex... are like dating?" I asked my eyes wide with surprise. They were so... so... different.

"No.. yes?" She groaned sitting back down on the sofa. "See this is what I'm talking about! I shouldn't feel contradicted at all. It should be clear as day, black and white, but no it's a mushy pile of ups and downs."

I chuckled to myself realizing for the first time ever that werewolves had no clue how to fall in love. Finding your mate is like instantly being in love, they never truely learn how to grow attached and fall for someone head of heels. And from the looks of Naní, she was uncomfortable with the teeter totter of emotions.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but, have you ever gotten to know someone first before having love for them?" I wondered trying my best to look curious and passive. I didn't want Naní to get the wrong impression as I was truly curious.

"No... that's not really a thing in the werewolf community." She retorted in a duh manner. Cora gave her a low growl at her tone towards me. There eyes fogging for a brief second.

"Okay, what is that?" I couldn't help it anymore the more often I say the fogginess the more I wanted to know why it was there. Obviously they can control it but I couldn't understand what it was exactly.

Cora and Naní blinked their eyes a few times before they changed back to their normal vivid eye color.

"What is what?" Naní asked trying to play it off like my question was rhetorical.

"You're eyes. Why do they do that? Why do they change from normal to hazy?"

"I think you're seeing stuff my dear. The overwhelming supernatural world will do that to you." Cora spoke up flashing her pearly white smile in my direction. Though her smile was warming I knew they were lying and for some reason that irked me. At least the fact that Naní was lying to me. I thought we had grown some sort of trust by now.

I narrowed my eyes at her failed attempt of making me sound foolish. Crossing my arms and standing up I looked them up and down pursing my lips as I searched for my next words.

"I'm past overwhelmed by this side of the world. I know what I saw. I've see it happen with several different people... Weres... including Caleb." I explained thinking back to when Alex's eyes changed and Lawerence's the first time I was here. I can clearly see Caleb's eyes changing from cloudy to his clear ocean blue eyes. I wasn't stupid. "If I'm going to be apart of this community, this pack, and his mate don't you think my questions and concerns should be answered?" A flicker of anger and frustration seeped into my words.

Naní's eyes dropped to the floor unable to look at me any longer. Was that... shame that I saw on her face? No, it couldn't be. Why would it be?

When I looked to Cora her smile had grown tenfold gawking at me with such admiration it almost but Caleb's longing stares to shame. I was perplexed at the fact that Naní was so timid now with me that she couldn't even glance in my direction. All the while Cora was staring at me like I was a prize she had won.

"I agree with you Evelyn, you should know these things but I have to disagree on telling you. I think it's best that Caleb explain to you more of our werewolf abilities." My eye brows knotted together. So the fogginess was an ability? Like what? Seeing into the future or something? Looking through walls? The possibilities were endless.

I opened my mouth to speak up but the front door to the mansion was swung open and in walked heaven on legs.

Caleb was a masterpiece as it was but it never failed to impress me how powerful and chiseled his appearance was. It didn't help either that he was only wearing baggy sweatpants. Where the hell did his shirt go? I mean I wasn't really complaining but it was honestly making it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

Cora's face lit up. "Caleb! Is everything-"

"Not now mom." He walked past her as he headed straight for me. The menacing look on his face was terrifying and alluring. Since when was I into the tough and scary men... never. Before I could object to his next motive he bent down abruptly wrapping his arm around the back of my legs and bending me over his shoulder. "I need to speak with Eve."

Without another word he ascended the staircase on a mission for his bedroom I presumed. I didn't fidget or wiggle in his grasp letting him carry me wherever he wanted. Before he rounded the corner of the hallway I could see Alex and Lawerence standing by the door. Alex was smiling profusely in Nani's direction all the while Lawerence looked like his steady, composed self.

Whatever had happened while they were gone had Lawerence unamused, Alex cheesing like a Cheshire Cat, and Caleb a blank void of unreadable body language.

It didn't matter that I was trying to figure out them all and why they were acting so peculiar, because Caleb tossed me onto his bed like a rag doll.

With a huff I leaned up on my elbows about to make a remark on how ungraceful he put me down. It was the fact that Caleb was staring down at me with swirling black and blue eyes that told me whatever had happened in the woods was bothering him. Or was it his wolf? Or both? Were they the same thing? Or separate?

The silence in the room was thick as I leaned up further to sit keeping eye contact with him as I moved.

"Are you alright?" I asked my voice low to keep from agitating him or whatever had him this distraught.

He wasn't as distraught as I thought though as he leaned down and quickly pressed his lips to mine. A soft surprising sound came from me as I wasn't ready for the kiss but I openly invited it as I wrapped my arms around his neck to draw him closer.

Leaning back I pulled him down with me separating my legs for him to settle in between them. His forearms rested on either side of my head as we deepened the kiss to a depth unimaginable. Welcoming the feeling of getting lost in each other he tangled his fingers in my hair moving his hand to the back of my head, pressing me further into him.

Caleb gently and slowly peppered seductive kisses across my jaw bone to the base of my ear and down the length of my neck. He found a spot in the crook of my neck and pampered that sweet spot with more kisses. The hand that was at the back of my neck unclasped my necklace as I felt it slide off of my skin. Too indulged with the passion between us I didn't focus on what he was doing trusting him as he continued his assault on my delicate skin. I was sure all of the kissing and sucking on my neck was going to leave a mark.

A mark.

THE MARK.

And just like that, as if I was struck by lightning I felt the piercing puncturing of his teeth. They sunk in deeper than I thought possible crying out in pain as I tried to push him off of me. He used his weight to hold me in place as a wave of bliss hit me like a ten ton of bricks. He didn't remove his teeth right away letting me come down for the high. Once I began to regain my senses again he pulled away tenderly lapping his tongue over the bite he just created.

My vision was blurring and my thoughts felt fuzzy. Why didn't he ask me first? Why did he just... do it?

My eyes wanted to close but I fought it off. Whatever the bite did it was causing me to feel light headed and dizzy.

"I'm sorry, I had to." He whispered in my ear my eyes feeling heavier.

They were just slits with a sliver of an opening that I could see out of. Just before I couldn't hold them open any longer I could see the hazy silhouette of him, hovering over me.

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