Alexander said, "No news is good news," but Ayla couldn't make herself believe it.
Silence didn't mean safe; it meant she didn't know what was happening.
Her mind kept supplying worst-case scenes: Julius cornered behind the club, Julius smiling while someone waited to strike, Julius stepping outside alone.
The guilt was worse.
He'd protected her, and she'd left him there.
At some point, Julius had to leave Scarlett Fever.
"I'm going back to the club," she blurted.
Alexander was shocked by her sudden outburst.
"What are you talking about? You are insane if you think that is even remotely a good idea. Absolutely not."
He reached for her as she threw off the covers, but Ayla slipped past him.
"What are you doing?" he hissed. "Going back will get you caught."
Ayla's eyes flashed.
"I'm not insane. I'm not selfish, either. Julius could be in trouble because of me, because of us. I'm not lying here while he's out there alone."
Alexander was tired and didn't manage to filter his words as well as he normally would.
Jealousy was also lying just under the surface as he tried to coax her back into bed and stop focusing on his best friend.
Alexander rubbed a hand over his face, trying to figure out when she had started caring about him so much.
"Listen to me. If going there put him in danger, don't you think going back doubles it? And if we show up and he's not there, then what? We wander the town, guessing where he went. We come back and miss him again? Then what?"
He held her gaze, "The safest move is staying put until we know more."
Ayla stopped moving, chest heaving.
He was right, and she hated it.
Dominic's help could've been a trap.
The men at the bar could've been buying time.
And Julius… Julius still wasn't home.
Her anxiety was eating her alive, and Alexander knew it.
He reached over and grabbed for her hand, pulling her to him.
In the end, she knew what she needed to do because Julius was smart, and she needed to keep herself safe.
They knew that the Dominic character had helped her get out of the bar, but she still worried that it was just a ploy to follow her.
Ayla couldn't shake the feeling that the three men at the bar had been working too hard to earn Julius's trust.
Her chest was heavy, as if an elephant had crawled on top of her and had a seat, due to the weight of their missing roommate, and Alexander knew it.
Alexander took her hands and held them still.
"Hey," he said quietly, "Breathe with me."
He pressed his forehead to hers, grounding, steady, until her pulse stopped sprinting.
It helped, but it didn't fix the problem.
Julius still wasn't home.
"None of this changes that Julius isn't here," Ayla said. "And I'm worried."
Alexander nodded.
"We give him a little more time. If he's not back soon, I'll go look, but you stay here. Promise me."
Ayla forced a nod, knowing she had no intention of staying behind if it came to that.
They put on a movie they barely watched.
Minutes dragged.
Every sound from the hallway made Ayla sit up.
It was obvious that her brain was running in overdrive when Alexander decided to help her slow the train that was running full force.
He grabbed her face using both hands, pulled her forehead to his lips, and planted a forceful kiss square in the middle.
Alexander didn't slow the train.
He brought it to an abrupt halt.
"What the hell, Alex"?
That was the first time she used a nickname, and it felt awkward.
"Did I do something?" he asked.
He was still holding her head in the same position and repeated the same kiss.
"Have you lost your mind?" she squealed, trying to break free.
In her mind, she expected a sweet, gentle kiss from the doting man beside her.
That was not going to work to make her snap out of whatever she was thinking about too intently, and he knew it.
No smile present on his face, he answered her.
"Again, I have no clue what you are talking about. However, I seem to have a problem. I can't find your lips," he smiled.
Unsure what he was really up to, she began to try to lift her head so their lips could meet.
To her frustration, he gave the same kiss again.
"Really," she started to say, but he quickly stopped her, placing his finger over her lips.
Her hands flying up in an attempt to grab his.
Before she could go any further, her hands had been captured, bound together, and contained with only one of his hands.
He was pushing her onto her back with just enough force that she couldn't resist, pinning her hands to the bed as she landed.
"Not those lips".
That was all he said before pulling her oversized shirt up, then moving down her body with kisses as he went.
"What about?" and a hand landed over her mouth.
"NO"!
It was clear he didn't want her to think or worry about anything, especially Julius.
Alexander worked his way slowly down her body until his face was between her legs.
"Uuuhhhmmmm. You smell so good," he said in a low, seductive tone.
Ayla was excited, but nervous with anticipation as she impatiently waited for him to keep going.
Her hips jolted as he let her bound hands free so he could grab them to hold them in place.
"NO"!
It was clear he didn't want her to move.
For a few seconds, she didn't even realize her hands were no longer prisoners to his forceful grasp.
The moment his lips met the lips he desired, her body was more than aware they were touching.
Chills seemed to roam freely through her skin in a wave, as his tongue gave a few flicks to tease her first, then push itself deep into her folds to slide up and down before entering her.
She let out a little gasp as he gave a little suck, pulling her into his mouth, giving a hum as he indulged himself.
Once he knew she was enjoying the motions of his tongue within the folds, his motions intensified.
She couldn't contain the moans that started to seep out of her mouth as he began to devour her.
Pleasure was evident by the increase of heat radiating from her moist slice of heaven, the warm juices leaking from her.
Realizing now that her hands were free, as one of them made its way down to grab his hair, pulling him closer to her core, nearly smothering him, as if to make him go deeper.
He proceeded to remove a hand from one of her hips and allow his fingers to join in and add to her pleasure.
A louder moan escaped her mouth as he inserted his fingers, two at first, turning them up to hit her spot of release.
It was obvious that her body was immersed in pleasure as puddles of liquid came pouring out of her more than once as he continued relentlessly.
When he felt her body trembling, he knew she was on the verge of being finished for good, so he stopped what he was doing and climbed on top of her.
"Do you want me?" he whispered into her ear.
"Yes. Yes, I do," she nearly begged.
"How do you want me?" he continued whispering.
"Inside of me. I need you inside of me, NOW," she demanded.
Just as she wished, he began to insert himself, then he paused.
Ayla was not willing to play whatever game he was playing in that moment.
She was flush with the heat of desire, and she needed him to be deep inside of her.
She had had enough as she grabbed onto him.
As she simultaneously dug her heels in, she grabbed his ass, forcing him downward and forward until he was all the way in her.
He was really turned on by her need to have him in her as he began rocking his hips and then thrusting through the warm, tight embrace that he was enjoying.
Each thrust hit the perfect spot over and over as she started to pulsate around him, and he slowed down.
This drove all kinds of sensations through her as he prevented her from reaching her climax, and she started rocking her hips against him more intently.
She began digging her nails into his back and dragging them down.
"AAHHHH," he let out.
It wasn't long now, as he started pounding into her before both of them could feel the pulsating that she couldn't control surrounding him as she finished.
The pulsating sensation it caused around him, deep inside her, forced him to explode inside her seconds later.
She had given him a taste of painful pleasure, and he liked it, too much.
Alexander was now lying nearly on top of her, still inside of her, without a care in the world.
"You know this isn't going to work right," she said in a way that told him she knew what he was doing.
His euphoric bubble was popped.
"Oh, so you don't think sex can be a way to win at anything," he smiled while raising an eyebrow.
Even though his face bore a smile, he was worried that her mind was still on Julius.
Suddenly, she felt guilt rising to the surface.
He kissed her and lay his head back down.
"Whether you blew me away with sex or not, I would have indulged your idea about wanting to experience the club," he assured her.
"None of that changes the fact that Julius isn't home yet," she said.
"It's new for you to worry about other people, I get that. Just a little more time."
Alexander was secretly hoping that Ayla would fall asleep because he knew that she was not going to sit this one out.
While Ayla fought sleep in the apartment, Julius was miles away, deep in the woods with Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael.
Julius had expected pain.
He hadn't expected panic, hot, crawling, unstoppable, as the woods closed in around them.
Doubt didn't last.
Dominic had shifted right in front of him, and out here, Phoenix and Raphael did it too.
Bone and fur rippling into place like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Julius could only stare and try to remember how to breathe.
"Dominic, why are you so sure I'm one of you?" Julius demanded.
Dominic didn't hesitate. "Your eyes. Look at them."
He didn't get it because he had never seen anything special about his eyes.
They were just the typical, run-of-the-mill light brown eyes.
The river murmured somewhere ahead.
Julius pushed through the brush until moonlight spilled onto moving water, then crouched and stared into the dark mirror.
For a second, he didn't recognize himself.
He could see the same muscular tone, manly features, and dark brown hair, just a little lighter than Dominic's, but his eyes, his eyes were wrong.
Amber, almost gold, like fire trapped behind glass, pulsing at the edges with a thin streak of red.
Something inside him answered the sight, an answering pull, fierce and certain.
His skin prickled.
The world sharpened.
And without understanding how, Julius knew his body was about to do something it had never done before.
Was it the awakening that the guys had referred to in his office when one learned that the wolf lived inside of them?
All Julius knew was that he couldn't look away, not at that moment.
Almost as if by instinct, he suddenly felt like he knew exactly what to do.
He sprang, and midair, everything snapped.
Bones reknit.
Fur tore through skin.
His center of gravity shifted like a slammed door.
Julius landed on the far bank on four paws, skidding in wet dirt as a wolf's breath ripped out of him.
Phoenix was in awe.
Dominic went still.
The wolf on the bank was unmistakably his son, built from the same line, the same power.
A beat later, Phoenix and Raphael shifted and dropped their clothes by the water without taking their eyes off Julius.
Raphael wondered if the young man was able to see how cool he looked in the reflection as he went over the river.
Julius and Dominic had very similar wolves, not just in color, but in size too.
Since it was his first run, they followed him through the forest, keeping a respectful distance, close enough to catch him if he broke the boundaries, far enough to let him feel it for himself.
Dominic was proud that he was able to witness this for his son.
When he started getting too far from the town and too close to the pack territory, he heard a voice in his head.
Dominic's voice hit Julius's mind like a hand on his chest: Turn back, son. Not yet. Stay close—
It was too late, though.
From deeper in the tree line, other wolves watched, silent, eager, already tasting what this could mean.
The pack of running wolves turned and set their sights on the town.
When Julius's pack turned toward town, the watchers moved too.
On the way back, Julius caught the trail without trying, salt and fir needles.
Like a Christmas tree dragged through ocean air.
The scent hung in the dark like a glowing thread, and his body knew how to follow it.
Then it hit him like a punch: his clothes were back by the river.
And he had no idea how to become human again.
A spike of panic rose in his throat.
What if I'm stuck like this?
His paws hit the riverbank, and the world lurched.
One heartbeat later, he was tumbling forward on two feet, human skin slamming into cold dirt.
Julius pushed up on shaking arms and shot Dominic a look.
"Let me guess, if I just think about it hard enough, I change back. That's it?"
Dominic shifted back as he spoke, clothes waiting where he'd left them.
Dominic nodded.
"Yes. You decide, then you mean it."
Julius got to his feet, wiping river water and dirt from his hands.
"I know where you stand with me. I appreciate what you did tonight, but Ayla is not your decision."
He leveled his gaze at Dominic.
"We'll go to the city together. When we get close, I split off with her. When it's safe, I'll meet you again. That's the deal."
Dominic nodded once. Phoenix and Raphael looked to their leader, then followed suit.
Julius hesitated, then asked the thing that wouldn't let go.
"How did you know I had anything to do with Ayla?"
Dominic wasn't sure what he was asking.
"That first night, how did you know it was me"?
Dominic's eyes narrowed like he was tasting the memory.
"I smelled her on you. Well, not on you, but it led me to the club. It was strong at first, then suddenly gone. That didn't happen by accident."
Julius's stomach tightened.
He didn't want them asking the next question, who else had been with her.
"I changed clothes," he said quickly, "Must've thrown you off."
Dominic didn't look convinced, but he let it drop.
Phoenix knew he was lying.
He just wasn't sure what he was hiding yet.
No more questions.
No more chances to slip.
If Julius was aware of what awaited him, he would have probably stuck with the three guards.
They split up at the edge of town, Dominic with his men, Julius alone with his thoughts and the lingering taste of river water in his throat.
Once they were in their room, Phoenix had one question that was burning at the tip of his tongue.
"General, are we really not going to pursue Ayla now? She is right there within our grasp. Never have we been so close. Your plan is working perfectly. Alpha Theo would reward you with anything you could dream of."
Dominic took a deep breath, "No. I can't do that to my son. Not at the moment. He cares about her."
There was a twinge of pain that hit deep in both Phoenix and Raphael for a brief moment.
They had been loyal, serving him without question for years and he had chosen a stranger without having any details.
Both men knew the consequences of following Dominic down this path, but knew he had his reasons.
He started heading to his room, and his men did the same.
By the time Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael made it back to their suite, exhaustion hit like a wall.
Raphael managed, "I'm glad you found him," before the words turned into a yawn.
Phoenix remained silent.
Dominic's answer was quiet. "No, thank you. Get some sleep. Tomorrow gets harder."
If anything, he always tried to make sure to give his boys praise when he could.
They didn't undress so much as collapse.
It took no time at all for the three men to become nearly unconscious in their beds.
Meanwhile, Julius walked home with his head full of wolves and bloodlines, barely noticing the streets.
Thankfully, he had his newly awakened knowledge that he was a werewolf to protect him, because he was easy prey for anyone lurking in the shadows.
Finally, he was headed toward the elevator that led to his front door.
They did have a little extra security for their building because they owned the biggest club in town.
Hell, it was the only one in the surrounding four towns if that mattered.
It didn't seem like they were big and powerful because neither of them advertised it, nor did any of their business ventures.
The majority of the citizens had no clue who owned the club, actually, so it worked in their favor.
Keypad.
Lock.
Elevator.
Familiar steps automatic.
He made it through the building's security on muscle memory alone, but the whole time his new senses kept tugging at him, as if the night had left claws under his skin.
He opened the apartment door.
Shutting the door behind him, he quickly wanted to retreat to the freedom of the forest.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Ayla yelled at him.
Julius nearly crawled out of his skin.
He was completely shocked at the outburst.
"Sorry, man, she was worried about you" is all Alexander could say in her defense.
She looked at Alexander, furious.
"Don't apologize for me".
Her attention was now back on Julius.
"Of course, I was. That man came saying all those crazy things. Then he told us to run because we were in danger. Obviously, we did".
Julius interrupted, "I'm glad you did..."
She raised an eyebrow, and he knew she wasn't finished.
"We ran because he agreed with him. It took you way too long to come home. Way too long. Don't you have a phone?" she scolded as she started patting down his pockets.
"Doesn't Alexander? He could have messaged that you guys made it safely home".
Ayla didn't like his reply, but he was right.
What if he had been out looking for them?
Either way, she still wanted to know where he had been.
As she continued to pat him down, she asked again.
"Well, where have you been?"
Alexander was getting a kick out of the show that was happening before his eyes, but all Julius wanted to do was take his own advice and run.
He knew she was just yelling at him because somewhere inside, she cared about him.
Julius was about to make a mistake, though.
"Ayla, calm down, I'm..."
"Did you just tell me to calm down, after you disappeared for hours?" she asked.
"Wait a minute. Is this coming from the same person who kidnapped my roommate for like two days?" he threw back at her.
Her face lost its fire, "Well, it was more like a day and a night. Really, did you even know he was gone?"
"Actually, I did. He can't say he's going to grab some dinner and never come back. That sounds off alarms."
"Whatever, we were about to come look for you."
Alexander's head snapped toward Ayla, and he was quickly getting to his feet.
"We what?" he said, "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't leave while I looked."
Julius couldn't hide the smirk that slid on his face.
"I had my fingers crossed. Do you really think I would let another one of you go out there all alone and leave me here? ALONE? Be for real. I thought you were smart," she laughed.
Delivering her thoughts out loud was something she really needed to work on.
"I knew you had something planned, but fingers crossed. You didn't plan to sneak out; you were just going to walk out the door with me," he said in defeat.
'She really is going to be the death of me. Why do I even try' he thought to himself.
Julius was feeling guilty now, because he left like he caused their first fight.
"I'm glad that you wanted to come and find me. It warms my heart that you wanted to make sure I was safe, but don't."
Ayla was confused, and Alexander wanted to smile.
He had a hard time telling her no, but it didn't seem like Julius did.
"You weren't there for the conversation between the newcomer and Dominic. For at least a few days, I need you both to promise me to stay in this apartment. Do not leave it. Rooftop and in here, that's it," he demanded.
"Why?" they both asked.
He was looking at Alexander as if he were only talking to him.
"Just know, you both need to stay in this apartment for now. A few days minimum. I don't think that should be hard for the two of you."
Julius's senses were heightened more than usual, and he knew what they had been up to.
"Well, how can we move forward with our plan to find that man's son if we are stuck here?" Ayla said.
Julius looked at her.
"What plan? What are you talking about"?
Ayla pulled her lips to the side before releasing them and then speaking.
"I told Alexander that maybe if we find the big guy's son, then maybe he will quit chasing me. We can't do that from here."
"I don't think that will be a problem. Let's come up with a better plan tomorrow."
Julius needed time to think of a plan because he wasn't ready to lose Ayla.