Blissfully unaware of any problems they might be facing, Ayla and Alexander spent the night lost in each other's company.
Their hands never parted as they embraced with unrestrained passion.
They had no idea a black wolf had overheard them the night before, allowing them to hold onto their euphoric ignorance.
Maybe that was for the best.
Ayla couldn't take on anything more at the moment.
Still, a lone black wolf was hard to identify; there were rumors of many in the area, including one the locals called Midnight.
Out of the hundreds, only a handful could have been around in their area that night?
Morning light crept into the cave entrance too soon that morning.
Granted, Ayla and Alexander, while lying at the bottom of the cave, managed more sleep than usual; they were not ready to welcome morning as it graced them.
Maybe they were meant to live in the wilderness like wolves, rather than in the city like humans, where sleepless nights seemed to find them.
The cave felt like home.
Not sleeping while in the city should have been a sign.
But the moon had vanished, the sun was up, and it was time to face whatever lay outside their haven.
Realizing this together, they hesitated; they wouldn't be leaving on two feet, and that was another problem entirely.
How could they possibly slip into town or the apartment without being spotted as wolves or completely naked?
"Maybe we should just stay in the cave forever," Ayla sighed, sprawled out on the ground.
Part of her meant it.
"We both know that you're infamous for sneaking around. Don't tell me you can't get us into the apartment without being seen after all that bragging," he teased with a smirk.
She caught on to his goading, but this was no small risk.
It wasn't just her moving through town.
Alexander would be right behind her, and both of them would be either animals or naked.
That would turn heads.
He could tell that she was hesitating.
"Oh, come on, how is this any riskier than the last few years of your life?" he said, like he'd read her mind.
A sense of determination sprang across her face, lighting it up, as she decided it was time to prove she knew her way around stealth in their town.
"Let's go," she nearly shouted.
"We really need to work on our communication skills," he laughed.
"Right," she said, raising her eyebrows sarcastically, "I'll jump right on that."
Her transformation was flawless, her body surging forward before giving way to her majestic wolf form.
He wondered if he matched her grace, but he doubted it.
Ayla watched as he shifted almost as smoothly, though she still seemed otherworldly.
Once they were ready, he followed her as she tore through the woods, faster than he expected.
He knew she was fast, but not that fast.
Alexander could barely keep up with her.
He nearly asked her to slow down, but he didn't want to seem weak.
Somehow, she eased her pace anyway.
He hadn't realized that she heard his thoughts, and she was going to keep it her little secret, for now at least.
Finally, they reached the edge of town.
With the cave behind them, the silence gave way to new possibilities.
Unknown to them, the black wolf had lingered, watching, listening.
Seizing his moment, he padded into the empty cave and sniffed around.
Something felt off; there had been no traces of any wolves being there, no remnants of any wolf scents.
Other scents lingered, but none belonged to them.
No hint of a pack or familial ties.
Unsure of what to think, he noticed that it couldn't have been the first time they were there.
The worn bed made that clear.
Had he stumbled upon where the elusive wolf was living with her mate?
Maybe there was more than just the two, a potential pack.
Then he remembered the conversation he had heard and knew there were at least three.
How many wolves had she assembled under his alpha's nose?
He was definitely going to get a promotion after this.
For once, he felt like he'd outsmarted the great General Mace, because there was no way he knew any of this.
He would have caught her and brought her in if he had, unless he lied.
Fury filled Lucas as he kicked the bed at his feet.
Back at the outskirts of town, the couple worked out where to enter safely.
Ayla knew roughly where the apartment was, so she took them in that direction.
She relished finding perfect, undetected paths, something she hadn't realized before was thanks to her wolf instincts.
Now aware of her of the reason behind her skills, she enjoyed the process a little more.
Tilting her head left, then right as they reached certain spots, she finally figured it out.
To guide them, she gave a sharp toss of her head, a natural human gesture, but in wolf form, it looked like a spasm.
She made a note to skip that next time.
It didn't matter, as Alexander was following her lead without signals.
She found semi-covered paths, almost like tunnels, that led right up to their building.
Once they arrived, the question was who would dash to the building to let them in, and whether they'd do it in wolf form or naked.
That's when Alexander realized, no matter what, it had to be him because Ayla couldn't get in.
Sitting there, not sure how to talk about their dilemma, two things occurred: from the corner of her eye, Ayla noticed an animal patrol truck slowly rolling by, and second, she heard Alexander reacting when she mentally blurted, "Oh shit."
In his head, he was spiraling, unable to tell what she'd seen, questioning why they'd come back.
He wasn't responding to her, just panicking, and she hadn't realized how anxious he was until she tuned in to his thoughts.
He was a wreck in his head.
"Hey, it's fine. Just stop for a minute and calm down. One of us needs to shift and open the door," she thought, knowing he could hear her.
His head tilted toward her, suspicious.
"You can hear my thoughts?" he asked, worried.
"No," popped into his mind instantly, but it was her voice, not his.
Trying to ease his concern, she added, "Not all the time anyway. I just wished I could talk to you. We needed a plan, and there you were."
She wasn't entirely honest because she'd heard him early about slowing down, but he didn't need to know that.
"We'll figure this out later," he thought, taking a deep breath and shaking his head, as if to shake her free from his thoughts.
Moments later, he stood before Ayla, stark naked, sprinting toward the front of the apartments.
Ayla found herself amused, watching him dash for the door with nothing left to the imagination.
It might have been the highlight of her day.
Then it dawned on her that she would have to do the same thing.
She wouldn't.
There was no way in hell she was running that stretch naked with everyone around to see her.
Something told her that he knew that, too.
Alexander briefly disappeared inside the building, returning in shorts and carrying a large t-shirt.
If her wolf form could smile, it would have.
Instead, her sharp teeth were all on display.
Waiting until he was a few steps away from her, she started to shift, but suddenly stopped.
Her instincts told her to wait, and when her wolf talked to her, she listened.
Backing up just enough to say hidden, she watched from the cover and shadows to see what her instincts warned her of.
Just then, Mason came walking around the corner.
As far as they knew, he didn't know who Alexander was, but they weren't sure who knew what anymore.
But the more pressing question was why was Mason even near the apartment building?
Mason had no reason to be there last they knew.
Alexander pretended to fuss with some old items to justify his presence while keeping Ayla concealed.
With just shorts on, he almost resembled a homeless man rummaging for goods and was dirty enough after sleeping in the cave the night before.
Their shock came when Mason buzzed their apartment and went inside.
"What the hell?" Alexander muttered.
Something was off.
Knowing they couldn't communicate while they were in two different forms, one of them had to shift.
Ayla was aware of it, too.
Even though she was nervous about being seen, she steadied herself, sliding into her female form before his eyes.
The pain that raged through her bones from shifting in place made her understand why they shifted while moving, as she clenched her jaw tight, refusing to show an ounce of the pain that she felt from her decision.
She looked up at a bewildered Alexander.
She knelt naked, sitting on her feet, her knees on the ground, with her hands flatly grasping the gravel, appearing to hold herself together.
It was like it took no effort at all, but he knew Ayla mastered anything she set her mind to.
He handed her the t-shirt, feigning disinterest, though she knew he was looking and appreciated the gesture.
She was unsure what to do next because going to the apartment felt risky, and there was no telling who might be inside at that point.
Was it safe to assume he actually went to their apartment?
Alexander had an idea, but he couldn't have been there for anyone else.
He looked at her with those honest eyes of his.
"Do you trust me?"
"I'm not sure you want me to answer that," she replied.
"Then will you at least follow me and trust my plan?" he corrected his words.
She weighed out the options she had.
"Sure, what do I have to lose?"
He knew how hard this was for her, and it made him proud.
Baby steps.
She was following him into the building, not knowing who or what waited, torn between feeling safe and wary.
Maybe it was a setup, maybe not.
All she knew was that Alexander wanted her to trust him, and for once, she was willing to give it a chance, mistake or not.
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was starting to trust him.
Once they were inside the building, she wasn't sure what to expect.
Instead of turning straight to the elevator like usual, they headed down the hallway, passing a few doors she'd never noticed before until they were at the end of the hall.
She was sure they were just taking another route to the apartment, but that wasn't his plan.
A surveillance room was the last thing she thought she'd see, but as they approached the final apartment on the left, that's exactly what she found.
The apartment was nearly empty, smaller, with only one bedroom, clearly set up for surveillance.
Ayla was surprised and impressed.
"Does nobody own this apartment?" she asked.
"Someone owns it. They just turned it into this security center," he said with a smile.
Her instincts buzzed.
"I feel like there are a lot of things about yourself you haven't told me."
Alexander smiled, "Like what?"
Ayla gave him a curious glare.
"Don't think I'm a love-struck fool. I have a brain. I'm going to ask you two questions, and you can't lie. No... three."
"Okay."
"Who owns this apartment we are standing in?"
"Me." he replied, then rolled his eyes playfully, "Well, Julius too, next."
"Where did the clothes come from, the ones you just brought out?"
His eyes darted toward the first apartment by the door.
"The apartment that is across from the elevators when you first come in. Next," he smiled.
"Who owns that apartment, the one by the door?"
"My answer is the same, me. Obviously, everything I own is at fifty percent, though," he chuckled.
"Do you own the whole building?"
"Oh, Ayla, you said three questions," he laughed as he went back to the computer screens.
It was like he already knew how her mind worked.
Her questions were lined up, ready to go, and he knew it.
He knew only the best ones would come too late.
"Yes," he muttered a few moments later.
It was out of place, so she was confused.
They had been quiet for a few minutes, looking at the cameras.
Ayla clearly didn't have anything on her mind other than trying to figure out how many people had entered the apartment.
The sudden "yes" caught her off guard.
"Yes, what?"
Alexander laughed.
"The answer to your last question is yes."
Ayla rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Why couldn't he have just said that when I asked? He was such a man-child," she thought, as her hand raised to meet her face.
She pressed her thumb to her temple and her forefinger just at the bridge of her nose, a stress release for her, as it seemed to hit pressure points and always brought a wave of calm.
After what seemed like an eternity of combing through video footage, they had their answer.
It seemed like the whole team of wolves that were in town was in their apartment.
What was Julius thinking?
They'd seen Dominic, Phoenix, Raphael, and Mason walk through the door.
Now that Ayla thought about it, why didn't they ask the other two, who just showed up on the tail end of the pop-ups, to join the team, Shaw and Orion?
They could just have a full-blown party in her absence.
Then, as far as she knew, all the werewolves in town would be in one place.
Their apartment.
Ayla was fuming at the possibility of Julius betraying them.
Not her, they hadn't known each other that long.
How could he betray his best friend like that?
Was finding his father really that important to him?
"I have an idea," Alexander said, trying to cut through her murderous glare.
"It's not a great one, but it'll get us information."
Her rage was softening slightly, as she was willing to listen.
"Let me go and see what they're talking about. You can stay here, watching and listening, or, knowing you, go. I really hope you don't pick option three, though. I know you said it's your fight, but I really don't feel like fighting right now," he added, his last words carrying a hint of a whine.
He tried to lighten her mood with exaggerated puppy dog eyes and a pout.
It wasn't a total failure, as she rolled her eyes and smirked.
"I won't go in with you," she said.
Alexander immediately sensed she had something up her sleeve.
Her wording was too deliberate.
"I'm glad you don't plan on going WITH me," he replied.
She only smiled knowingly.
Ayla was always particular with her words, so he knew this time was no different.
At least he knew he had a few minutes to assess the situation before she would make her move.
"Thank you for the head start," he chuckled.
But the creeping sense of danger returned.
"I'm sorry, I was kidding. Can I get a kiss before I throw myself to the wolves?" he asked, making his eyebrows dance.
"Man-child, I swear," she muttered, fighting back a small smile before giving him a quick peck on his lips.
Alexander was disappointed with the peck, but he accepted it graciously as he made his way to the apartment, trying to project confidence.
Unsure of what Ayla was planning, he knew he had to be quick and efficient.
Ayla was watching the screen intently until Alexander was out of sight.
Although he knew that several people inhabited his home currently, he had to pretend he was unaware.
Opening the door, he was surprised to see there was no one in his living room.
His stomach tightened, as it felt like it was rising in his throat.
Looking around, he realized, they weren't anywhere visible in the apartment.
That left only one possible hiding place.
How long had they been up there?
What had they seen?
Coming up with a plan, he quickly grabbed a drink, a sandwich, and a snack, heading for the elevator.
It would look like he was planning to enjoy the sun with a bite to eat, something completely normal for him.
How well could he fake a shocked expression?
He was about to find out.
The elevator door opened, and his face showed pure, unfeigned shock.
There was no faking needed.
No people were in front of him.
Confusion clouded his mind as he walked over to the side of the roof to look at the city, frustration creeping in as he failed to piece things together.
Realizing, maybe he didn't have such a bad plan, him grabbing food, because as he reflected on the wall, he realized he was starving.
He started eating the sandwich and chips as he watched the people running around below.
Lost in his own world, he was completely oblivious to the five men standing behind him.
They silently wondered how long it would take for him to notice them, but it seemed he wouldn't.
Julius knew it was a risk to bring them there, so he was scared to say anything.
Once he was finished with his food, he planned to go and sit in the hammock for a bit, waiting for Ayla to make her way to him.
It was only a matter of time before she followed him.
Turning to make his way to his favorite hammock, he nearly jumped off the roof.
"What the hell..." he yelled.
There was no faking that face.
It was all natural.
"What are you thinking, Julius? Why are they here?" he asked honestly.
Curious eyes studied him, intrigued at the fact that he seemed to know who they were without a second glance.
Julius didn't pay it any attention while he addressed his friend.
"I know you're worried, but you disappeared again. I started to think maybe you were kidnapped. It made me realize that we alone can't protect Ayla on our own. These are seasoned, professional werewolves who used to hunt her. We've known what we are for, what, a second?"
Alexander couldn't believe what his best friend had done.
"That's not your call to make. It's hers. It's her fight."
"Clearly, you found her," Dominic said with a grin.
Alexander studied the stranger in front of him.
"You don't know her. What makes you say that?"
Dominic smirked, curious if she'd told him anything.
"Those are her words. She told me that just yesterday," he said, smiling.
He couldn't help but claw at him a little; it was in his nature.
Mason, who had been just listening up to that point, finally spoke up.
"So, you both protect her, as baby werewolves. You," he said, pointing to Dominic, "recently managed to talk to her. Yet nobody is really saying anything. Why am I really here?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow at his friend, as if he was asking him the same damn question.
Julius stepped into the middle of everyone.
"It's clear to me that you all don't intend on chasing her anymore. For whatever reason, you don't think it's right. I agree, but I'm biased. Why don't you join the team that helps protect her? I think you'll enjoy the life of saving her far more than the one you've had of hunting her."
Ayla vaulted over the ledge at his words.
"What are you thinking? Do you really think you can trust these men to protect me? Why wouldn't you ask me first? They've spent the last three years trying to drag me to whoever's pulling their strings, 'their Alpha,' right?" she said, mocking with air quotes, "and now you expect me to let them pretend to protect me?"
The men, still baffled by her sudden appearance, moved toward the spot where she'd emerged.
Peering over the ledge, they saw no steps, doors, or any visible way she could have climbed up to the roof.
Mason was stunned and amazed.
"How did you...?"
A look of irritation crept on her face.
"Is that important?" she asked, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes at him.
"Kind of. That was incredible. I've never seen anything like it," Mason said, awe in his voice.
He was looking at her in an all-new light.
"Does she even need our protection? She seems to be the team," Mason remarked.
Alexander added, "She might not need us, but unfortunately, scum like you keep being thrown at her, and she's stubborn. You're welcome to leave anytime."
Ayla's irritation was growing, and it showed, sparking the men's curiosity.
"No, I think I like the sound of change," Mason said, his gaze fixed on Ayla.