Ayla and Alexander slipped into town, unaware that the three men shadowed them from a distance.
No scent.
No tracks.
Just one reliable guess: Ayla always circled back to the town on the forest's edge.
Scarlet Crest.
Old stone and new light, the town pulsed with life—shops glowing, voices spilling into the street.
Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael had passed through plenty of times, but always like ghosts—quick in, quick out.
They'd never even bothered to learn its name.
Tonight, they walked straight into the middle of it—exposed, out of their element, and pretending they weren't hunting.
When they followed Ayla previously, it was on the outskirts, never to the belly they were entering at that time.
They needed a place to lie low, fast.
This was different- everything about their mission had changed and was different that time.
It wasn't at all what they expected, but at the same time, they didn't know what to expect.
Not really.
On the way in, broken twigs and scuffed dirt told them someone had used the trail recently.
Close enough.
Now that they had arrived, it was time to find sanctuary.
Downtown, grand buildings displayed large golden shields stamped with the same words: Scarlet Crest.
It still didn't click.
A few blocks in, the place opened up—restaurants, hotels, apartments, even a school and church.
Too big to be an "edge-of-the-woods" stop.
Scarlet Crest branded on them all, but it still didn't occur to them that it was the town's name.
They stared, quietly rattled by how solid—and civilized—it all looked.
The town seemed mixed with all kinds of building materials, sparking curiosity silently among the men about what this town could offer them, but they tried not to think that way.
Then they found it: a hotel bright enough to hide in plain sight.
They didn't have to go too much farther to find out just what luxuries were awaiting them.
Just a few blocks in, they found the perfect hotel.
Inside, the rooms were clean, open, and soft in all the ways their pack territory never was.
The beds were absurdly comfortable—and absurdly overdone.
"Who needs all this crap. Beds are for two things: sleep and sex. What the hell?" Raphael blurted, his expression absolutely priceless.
Phoenix was laughing at him, but he tried not to.
"If it bothers you that much, just take it off," Phoenix said.
Dominic joined in, and soon they were all laughing.
They stripped the beds down to what mattered—soft pillows, soft blankets—and left the rest in a heap.
Well, for the time being anyway.
It was certain that if they got hot, those would go too because none of them could even stand the thought of being hot.
When they discovered each room had its own temperature controls, they cranked them to the coldest settings without hesitation—and smiled like thieves.
Those men felt like they held the key to a luxury that they never thought they would have before.
Phoenix stared out at the lights, thinking, Everything is different… and I like it.
Raphael's thoughts ran darker: how were they supposed to drag a girl back to pack life after she'd tasted this? No girl would willingly do that, ever.
Sure, they had homes that were nice and cozy.
This was all on another level.
Dominic cut through it.
"Enjoy it for five minutes," he said, eyes on the moon. "Then we hunt. We're out of time."
The three of them felt fancy in this upscale hotel with the three bedrooms they had acquired, even Dominic and his tough exterior were enjoying scoping out a place.
At home, there would never be a hotel of any kind that had its bedrooms joined together like this.
They were blissfully unaware that they had secured a three-bedroom villa suite, which most common people could only dream of.
It wasn't their wealth that earned them such treatment, but the woman at the front desk, thinking Dominic looked incredibly handsome with his two young sons, and she didn't see a ring on his finger.
She wanted them to enjoy themselves, so that maybe they would stay longer, and she could approach him.
His scent was intoxicating to her, and she wanted to follow him up to his room on the spot.
They had more than comfy beds and cool air- there was a personal fridge and full kitchen, mini bar, individual TVs, a living room with a TV, personal bathrooms with walk-in showers, and stunning views.
Dominic even had a private balcony overlooking the forest.
He appreciated being on the second floor, not too high but safe, with an easy escape route if needed.
It felt like having a temporary apartment, and if they didn't love their home so much, a move to the city would be tempting.
The idea was definitely there.
Even better than all of that was the nightlife that was coming alive all around them, at least for the younger two.
The allure of the night was calling to them; it was when they were at their best, most alive under the moon's glow, no matter its phase, feeling its pull grow as it neared full.
They never felt more alive than when the beams grazed their skin.
In a way, Ayla felt it too, because she was always outside in one way or another at night.
She would find a rooftop, alleyway, abandoned car roof, or a field to linger in.
It really didn't matter to her as long as she found a way to soak up some moon rays.
With the guards settling into their new place, they decided to watch a few shows to acclimate to their new surroundings before heading out.
Day one of their mission, they figured, would mostly be recon.
What would be the odds of bumping into the feisty young lady twice so soon?
Their viewing included bounty hunter shows and party life series, trying to get into the mindset of humans.
Whether it was actually useful or not, that was unclear, but they enjoyed it, nonetheless.
Not too far from them, Ayla was putting on a brave face.
It was time for her to embrace her own new surroundings.
She decided to have faith and continue as planned, following Alexander to his home.
Before they made it there, they stopped and picked up the few things she had stashed around the city.
Clothes here, and odds and ends there to go with it.
Alexander took a mental note of everything as he watched.
All the places she stashed things were clearly places she had stayed for a minimum of a night.
The thought made his heart ache as he gathered her things into his left arm, noticing that most of which blended into a camouflage of dark dresses, greens, browns, and jeans paired with dark tops.
The only exception she had was her white shoes.
That actually made him smirk a little, 'white shoes,' he thought, 'why white shoes?'
She didn't have much, but it wasn't nothing.
In fact, it was more than she'd thought, which actually gave her a mental boost, one that she needed.
After combing the town to ensure everything was collected, they finally headed to Alexander's home.
As they reached the door to his apartment, her nerves refused to settle.
Alexander, ever perceptive- perhaps from training- could tell she needed something to help.
Without saying a word, he lifted the hand he was holding and pressed a gentle kiss to it.
She gave a small smile and let out a faint puff of air, a tiny little release.
He did it again, drawing her gaze toward him, which was exactly what he wanted.
Once her eyes met his, finally, he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss over her lips.
Her eyes closed, and she finally felt like she could breathe.
Her anxiety had eased just enough.
His hands were full, one holding her clothes, the other holding her hand.
Alexander didn't want to add pressure with instructions, so he trusted his instincts and hoped she'd follow.
"I'm okay. Really, I am. I want to do this," she said, as she stood before the door, though it sounded more like she was reassuring herself.
He hesitated, looking at her, unsure what to say.
"Okay."
She looked at him, and then he continued.
"Whenever you're ready, we'll go in. No rush. I know it's a big change for you. Everything's different. I'll stand out here as long as you need. I'm here to protect you".
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze- encouragement.
That was all she needed in that moment, his subtle encouragement.
Looking down, she felt something hard to name as she spoke.
"It's not what you think. I'm ready to be here. I want to stay. I can't remember the last time I had a real home with someone who actually wanted me. It's just..."
There it was- the but.
She was about to tell him why she couldn't do it.
The reason she couldn't go through those doors and be with him was...
"Well, if I'm being honest, I didn't get all the facts before agreeing to this".
His face became flat.
Unable to show any emotion as the words met his ears.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean. I'm going to need a bit more information. In my mind, I feel like I am fairly certain I gave you all the information," he explained.
Alexander was making his best attempt to stay neutral in his feelings.
Ayla knew that he was upset, so she had to explain.
"No, you misunderstood me. Yes, you told me everything from your side, but I don't have all the facts. I know nothing about your roommate except that he'll hit on me. I don't know if I should be concerned. Is he a threat to me? What does he look like? WHO is he? How can I feel safe somewhere when I don't have all the details?" she asked.
That's when it clicked for him.
Her world is completely different.
She lived in constant fear of being kidnapped and was about to walk into an apartment with two men she didn't really know.
He never had to think about things that way.
"My roommate's home now. If you would like to meet him, I can be there with you. I won't let anything happen to you. He's a good guy and would protect you, too. He's a bodyguard as well. I was joking about him hitting on you. Again, whenever you are ready, you can go in. If you changed your mind, I could take you wherever you decide to go instead".
His reassurance meant little now; he knew it.
Men vouch for their friends all the time.
Trust would have to grow between her and his friend.
She knew she didn't want to leave.
Standing outside the door made her feel foolish.
She took in a deep breath and reached for the doorknob.
"I was supposed to do that for you, ma'am".
He quickly let go of the hand he was holding and stopped her from opening the door.
"Together instead?" he smiled.
"Can we just get inside before anyone sees me? People are chasing me."
Alexander was doing his best to subdue her anxiety, and it was working in a way.
Finally, he got her to open the door.
After what felt like forever, he got her inside.
That was a major step.
If it were anyone else, maybe it wouldn't be, but this was the lone girl who had survived for so long, without anyone.
Ayla let him take her into his home and allowed him to protect her.
Now it was time to show her that he was worthy.
Alexander didn't expect this to be easy, but he was willing to work for it, because somewhere deep inside, he knew she was worth it.
The girl standing in front of him was special; he could feel it.
Just as the door closed, he could hear his roommate coming around the corner.
"Julius, we have a guest. Please be respectful," he shouted.
Ayla looked over at Alexander, confused as to why he would shout that instantly.
"I thought you said he was a good guy. Why would you have to remind him to be respectful and tell him you have a guest?"
"You will understand in three...two...one...SLAM".
She could hear feet running away from them and a door slamming shut almost as soon as he finished saying one.
"He was naked, wasn't he"?
Alexander couldn't help but laugh as he nodded.
"He wouldn't have run off if he wasn't," he added.
"Thank you for saving me from being scarred. I don't know how I would have handled that," she smiled.
"Simple, the same way you always handle everything. You don't have to do it alone anymore, though."
He bent his head down to kiss her forehead.
It didn't take long for Julius to re-emerge from his room with shorts and a t-shirt this time.
The mysterious roommate was curious to see just who Alexander had brought home with him.
More so, he wanted to know where he had been.
There was no sense of privacy as Julius hollered down the hall.
"So, is this who you disappeared with for all this time"?
It wasn't hard to get that answer when he rounded the corner.
"Yep," Julius answered for himself.
He was in a chipper mood to see Alexander back and with a girl, so he felt like toying with him.
"She is gorgeous. How did you get your hands on her"?
There was nothing secretive or private about this roommate of his.
Alexander didn't know how exactly to answer that.
"It just happened".
Julius's face had a smile plastered on it.
"Does she know it happened?" he chuckled.
Alexander rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Of course she does. That's why she has decided to come stay with us".
Julius about choked on the orange juice he had just started downing.
"I'm sorry. You guys met how long ago? Like last night. Had to be, because you never mentioned her before. You went out to get dinner and never came back. It's been like a day. Is she, like, a witch or something? Blink twice if you need my help, either of you".
Alexander started laughing and shaking his head.
"Speaking of dinner, I'm starved, want to order in with us," Alexander asked his roommate.
It was clear that he was avoiding the topic and didn't want to discuss it.
Something was clearly up, but Julius didn't feel like it was his friend was in a spilling mood.
He decided to wave the white flag for the time being.
"Is she staying, staying, or just staying?" he asked to clarify.
"I don't really see the difference. Just know that she isn't going anywhere. She is with me, and I am protecting her," he said with a tone of finality in his voice.
That made more sense to Julius.
Dame in distress, what man could resist that?
Julius nodded in agreement at the last statement his friend made.
"Then, I will protect her, too. If she is with you, then she is important," he said, as any true best friend would say and mean.
There were no questions, no sense of hesitation from the roommate, just dedication to his friend and the girl he brought home.
Alexander licked his lips.
"Now that everything is settled, let's order some food. I know the two of us are hungry. After that, maybe we can think about hitting up the town".
Ayla looked at the two of them, confused.
"You don't have any questions, you trust him, and you want to take me out there"?
Suddenly, there were questions.
The two men looked at each other, then back at Ayla.