To Dominic's surprise, the suite was quiet when he stepped inside.
He'd expected noise after Scarlet Fever—Phoenix and Raphael had brought women back.
Instead, he heard nothing.
A flicker of unease hit him—what if they hadn't made it back?
'Maybe humans don't last all night as long as werewolves do,' he thought to himself, as he started puffing his chest.
He started smirking to himself when he suddenly heard laughter coming from Phoenix's room, followed by a moan.
Then laughter leaked from Phoenix's room, and after that, a sound Dominic didn't want to hear.
Relief and irritation mixed in his chest.
He filled a glass with ice and whiskey, downed a mouthful straight from the bottle, and headed for his room.
Apparently, they had taken a reprieve of sorts, as he grabbed his glass and headed to his room.
The realization set in that he was experiencing a moment of rest from the two couples as a sigh of relief left his lips.
Unwilling to hear what he was sure would be a long night.
Sleep was the only escape he wanted.
At least they were back.
Dominic dropped ice into a glass, poured his whiskey, then took a hard swallow straight from the bottle.
If he could drown the noise, he would.
Across town, not far from the hotel suite, Julius slipped into the apartment and found Alexander and Ayla exactly as he'd left them.
His best friend was asleep on the couch.
Ayla curled into his chest as if she'd finally found someplace safe to land.
Julius didn't move, didn't breathe too loudly.
He stood there a moment longer, admiring her beauty, unsettled by how easily she fit there, and how quickly that safety could vanish.
Whatever he almost walked into that night, he'd barely dodged it.
Now, he understood the hold she had on him.
Ayla was special.
There was something about her.
It made Julius wonder how many times Ayla had been in situations like that.
He retreated to his room after a few more moments of watching her and shut the door, alone in his thoughts and wishing it wasn't so.
Morning would come whether he was ready for it or not.
It came too soon, bright and unforgiving.
For Phoenix and Raphael, who'd stayed up far too late, daylight arrived with consequences.
They barely slept after enjoying the flesh of their women, penetrating their bodies deep, into their warm, moist pits of seduction.
Neither of them wanted to move as the rays of the sun reached into their rooms and welcomed them.
The women who kept them company were still lying beside them, sharing the same sentiment.
Both women were grabbing on as if to ensure that the men lying with them, whom they had captured the night before, didn't move.
In one room, the mesmerized redhead started wrapping her leg around Phoenix, in an effort to indicate that her pleasure center was waking up.
The heat in her core was only rising, as the sun did the same.
She was ready to show him just how aroused she was first thing in the morning.
Phoenix felt like she was looking into his soul when her emerald eyes found his oceanic appearing ones, as she ran her fingers through his clean-cut, dirty blonde hair.
It was obvious she wasn't done as her right hand moved from his hair down his impeccably smooth face toward his chest.
Her perfectly pink and perky nipples stood at attention as she started sliding on top of him to give him a proper good morning.
His mind was racing with thoughts of desire as she brushed again the length of his cock with her warm lips.
He thought only his kind was so sex driven, but man, was he starting to really reconsider everything he thought he knew.
All he could do was sit there as the morning light crept into the room.
The morning rays were showing him every inch of the incredible woman who straddled him, and he began to have a new respect for the daylight hours.
Every thought he had disappeared as she slid her hand down his torso, then wrapped it around him, firmly.
Slowly, the hungry redhead straddling him started moving her hand up and down, making sure he was ready for her.
Feeling his size and the large vein that was running up his member, she knew he was ready.
Positioning herself over top of him, she placed him at her entrance and slowly lowered herself until he was all the way inside of her.
Instantly, her head fell back, and a pleased moan fell out of her mouth.
He felt more than amazing when he was all the way inside of her, and it was a feeling that went both ways.
As she continued her motions picked up speed, moving faster and faster with each rise and fall of her hips, until he threw his hands on her hips with an intense grip, and was picking her up and down to move at the pace he wished.
They both let out moans of pleasure until the two hit their moment of final pleasure simultaneously, but he didn't stop the thrusts just yet.
He made her ride them out until both of their orgasms had completed, maximizing the effects for both of them.
Just across the hall, there was a similar situation, but it was Raphael who was the instigator.
The beauty had ebony hair, like a night with no moon, a darkness that refused to give way.
This goddess of a woman was being woken up to kisses down her neck as she spread her legs, grabbing his hand and pulling it into position to wake her up anyway he felt.
This was better than he could have dreamt, as he slid his hand between her thighs and found the warmth of their meeting place.
As he indulged her, he rubbed sensually and effectively on her clit and was reminded of just how warm and inviting she really was.
With just a few small motions, her eyes opened, and he could recall just how captivating they were.
Grey, but so grey that they almost seemed to be violet.
He couldn't ever remember seeing eyes like that before.
She was so wet that he knew he didn't have to do much before he could climb on top of her and have his way with her.
That's just what he did, as he climbed on and slid right in, feeling the warmth, moist, tight pleasure-filled center she held, with a smile of pleasure on his face.
If this was what heaven felt like, he no longer feared dying in battle or on any mission he was sent on.
On the other side of the suite, their General wasn't waking up as happy as they were.
Scarlett Crest was really turning him into a grumpy person.
Last night kept replaying in Dominic's head as he stepped onto the balcony, chasing fresh air to drown out the sounds leaking through the suite walls.
Beyond the railing, the forest spread dark and endless, quiet enough to promise peace.
It didn't seem to be working.
When the noise rose again, Dominic stalked to his bedroom door and barked into the hall, "SHUT UP ALREADY," nearly growling afterwards.
For a moment, silence.
Amused despite himself, he returned to the balcony and let the sun warm his skin.
It was strange how steady daylight could feel, how the trees could calm him when the moon usually did.
He felt an unusual sense of calm and belonging for a wolf staying in a human town.
Inside, Phoenix and Raphael went instantly still at the sound of their General's voice.
Whatever had Dominic on edge, neither planned to test it as they covered the girls' mouths without hesitation, or missing a single thrust.
Neither of them planned on stopping either, because what could possibly change between then and an hour from then?
The quiet didn't last, though.
They were too busy pleasing each other to keep their hands anywhere other than their ladies' hips, breasts, or anywhere that they felt the need to travel.
Over in the apartment, Ayla was starting to stir when she realized that Julius was already up and waiting on the couch for them to wake up and talk to him.
In her mind, that automatically signaled trouble.
She already knew that he was watching her 'sleep' last night.
When he came in the door, she felt it.
Not wanting him to realize he woke her, she pretended to be asleep and watched him as he checked on her and Alexander.
The fact that he stood there, fixed on her, didn't miss her.
She was told he would hit on her.
Maybe that wasn't it, maybe he didn't want her to stay there, and he didn't know how to say it then.
Fear tried to fill the blanks the way it always had.
She forced herself to sit and wait for the fact, just this once.
"Are you waiting for us to wake up," she asked, "or just me?"
Ayla felt like she already knew the answer as the pounding in her chest started picking up speed.
"Both," Julius said.
"I didn't want to wake either of you. Can I get you anything while we wait for him?"
His tenderness toward her was not expected.
With Alexander, Julius was blunt.
When it came to Ayla, he sounded careful, almost sweet, and protective.
Like he knew something.
The fact that he was waiting for both of them made her somewhat more settled.
Ayla was still caught by surprise by his gentle manner with her, though.
What was he hiding?
She tried not to, but on instinct, she looked over to the sleeping Alexander, who was holding her.
"He didn't tell me anything," Julius added, as if he'd caught the thought.
"I asked, I figured you'd be the one to fill me in".
Julius had a cocky, flirtatious smile facing her.
"Maybe."
"It's up to you. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."
Julius answered her as if he could read her mind.
Just then, a voice emerged from beside her.
He hadn't even opened his eyes yet.
"Oh, don't tell me after all this time, you finally learned how to be a caring human being with manners," Alexander muttered, a sleepy chuckle in his chest.
Julius rolled his eyes.
"You are the one who told me we had a guest and to be respectful," he said, shaking his head playfully at Ayla.
Alexander couldn't argue with him, yet something felt off.
He sat up a little.
"Why are you waiting for us to wake up? What's wrong?"
Julius's expression hardened.
"I need the story, at least some of it. I need to know about you, Ayla," he spoke very sternly and matter-of-factly, which caught both of their attention.
Ayla pushed herself upright.
"Did something happen?"
Julius didn't give an indication either way before speaking, prior to Alexander waking up.
Was he trying to sweet-talk her into telling him?
"I'm not sure," Julius said.
"So, I need you to tell me what happened. That is the only way I can be certain."
So she told him—running, hiding, never staying long, and the men who kept finding her anyway.
Enough to explain the fear without burying them in it.
When she finished, the room sat quiet.
The poor girl felt awful as Julius went through a gamut of emotions, knowing what she had to feel living the life she had.
Yet, the resilient girl was sitting in front of him.
A survivor, even though she was cursed.
Julius cleared his throat, trying to lighten it before it crushed them.
"And speaking of your little death jump, your vest was rancid. I took it in to be cleaned. Waterfall, then a cave… man."
Alexander drew his eyebrows together.
"What am I supposed to wear to work?" Alexander asked.
Julius looked irritated again.
"You could say Thank you"!
Julius sat, refusing to speak until he heard the words of gratitude.
"Thank you…" Alexander said, rolling his eyes afterward for being forced to say it.
Then, Julius was smiling again.
"Now that you said thank you, I checked a new one out for you," he pointed at the rack by the door.
Alexander nodded, embarrassed, and Julius continued.
"You would have never known if I hadn't told you I swapped them. Now tell me about these men who keep trying to kidnap you. What do you know about them? What all do you know?" Julius asked.
Ayla sighed.
"I haven't ever paid attention, I've always...," but she was cut off before she could finish, with a hand on her shoulder.
Alexander was now sitting up next to her.
He knew those weren't random questions.
"Those questions seem oddly specific, J. What happened last night? I need the whole picture here."
Alexander's intensity thickened as he finished speaking.
His roommate looked nervously between the man and woman on the couch.
He desperately wanted to say everything that happened, but he didn't want to spook the young woman.
If he said something wrong and she ran off, he would never forgive himself.
He had to say something, though, in case they were after her.
"I'm not sure, but I have a strong feeling that who I ran into last night was related to the men at the waterfall, and our Ayla," he said, and then paused.
The young man was waiting for some kind of sign to keep going, but there was nothing.
Just silence.
"Okay, I didn't think anything about it at first. We had these two beasts of men dancing on the bar. Typical men getting drunk and carried away. No big deal. It was the third one that caught my interest the most," he was interrupted.
Ayla looked to Alexander, who grabbed his hand, and then back to Julius.
"What do you mean?" Ayla asked, looking worried.
He just told them that three random men walked into the club.
Julius thought for a second and then answered.
"The one that seemed to command the other two was sitting all alone in the dark. I couldn't find the others".
"Do you think they were just out of sight watching you?" she asked.
"I still don't know, but he seemed to be waiting for me. As soon as I was close enough, he stood up and approached me. Said they had been on a mission for a long time. It set alarms off in my head. Of all the places to be, why here? What if their mission isn't over? I had the feeling he was interested in me, so I didn't come straight home," and he was interrupted again.
Alexander was thankful for his friend's instincts at that moment.
"It was probably a good thing you didn't come straight here. You did amazing. You're probably right. Were you able to get anything else?" Alexander asked.
"If you let me talk, I will tell you," he said, frustrated.
Alexander chimed in again.
"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about Ayla".
"Clearly. I am too. So, I felt like he might follow me. So, I darted off into one of my secret paths and waited for him to pass. Sure enough, he walked right by. I could see him looking around for me. I don't know why he was following me. I followed him until he was in a hotel. He isn't local. That tells me that he IS still on his mission," he finished.
Alexander squeezed Ayla's hand, as he knew she was anxious to speak.
"How would he know that I have anything to do with you?" Ayla asked, "You've never been seen with me. I just got here".
Julius shrugged his shoulders as he answered.
"That's a good question. I'm going to try hard to figure it out".
Alexander was sitting quietly on the couch next to Ayla, thinking about it all.
"It's because of me. He was wearing the same outfit I was at the waterfall, and my vest was in his hands".
Ayla and Julius were looking at him with their eyebrows scrunched, as they tried to listen to him.
"Don't you get it. They targeted the club. I work at the club. I had the uniform on. They know I'm with you. If they could follow him, then they could maybe get to you," he said as if he had just solved world hunger.
All Julius could do was shake his head.
"Do you think they are smart enough to figure all that out?" Julius asked.
"Maybe," he said, "I mean, I did".
Ayla looked at him oddly.
"Are you saying you aren't smart"?
Alexander's eyes got wide.
"No".
Julius added his thoughts.
"Yeah, you have all the facts. They don't. I will give them some credit. They might be probing in the right direction, but I don't think they have it yet. He had no clue who I was or how I connected to it. I can promise you that," Julius proclaimed proudly.
Alexander looked at Ayla and then Julius as he thought for a second.
"Let's wait and see what happens tonight. I am not on the schedule," Alexander said, "So I can stay in with Ayla. You are. That means, tonight, you can see if they show up again."
Ayla liked having help and even basking in the sun with two hunky men protecting her, but that didn't mean she didn't have an opinion.
"Agreed," she said, suddenly.
Alexander and Julius suddenly looked at her, confused.
The two men had forgotten to ask her input before planning her safety.
She didn't mind that they had forgotten about her or her opinion, but she was going to remind them she had one.
It wasn't on purpose, and she knew it.
They were just used to strategizing the two of them, so it was new to have a third person in to agree on it.
"I'm sorry, we had no intention of making plans for you," Alexander said.
"It's fine, I just wanted you both to know that I agree to the plan involving me," she smiled.
For once, she was able to enjoy the daylight just as much as she enjoyed the rays of the moon on her skin, so she was quite content.
Ayla couldn't wait to see what the day held in store for her.
For once, she was allowing the two men before her to keep her safe.
At least she was letting them believe she was.
Was it possible that the Alpha's guards were potentially closing in on her?
Could they be the only ones, or were others closing in too?
Maybe.
Ayla had a feeling that she should savor the daylight while she could.