When Julius finally made it back to his apartment, it was obvious Ayla wasn't in the dark about what she was any longer.
Apparently, Dominic wasn't the only one to return home to any unpleasant surprise that night.
The place was a mess, like hurricane Ayla had blown through, scattering everything that once sat neatly on tables, bookcases, and shelves across the floor.
Luckily, they weren't the kind of guys to keep fragile vases or potted plants, or it would have been a real disaster.
This time, he wasn't cleaning up her mess.
Dealing with random men chasing her was one thing, but this, this was a whole different ballgame.
If she didn't know she was a werewolf, then someone had broken in.
The thought made him check on her.
That, and he wanted to see her, just a glimpse of her face.
What if someone had found them while he was away?
After all, the town was crawling with wolves, and it seemed like every time he turned around, Ayla was drawing in another one.
All he needed was a quick peek into their room, just enough to see two bodies lying on the bed, breathing, and he would be fine.
Sure enough, through the sliver he made when he opened the door, his wolf eyes confirmed it.
He lingered a little longer than he intended, looking over her delicate face, washed over with a gentle peace.
Secretly, he wished it were him lying next to her, not because he wanted Ayla specifically, but because something inside of him craved her intimacy, closeness.
With no knowledge of his family or himself, he'd chosen to live a certain way, resisting his inner urges, because living without family was hard.
Even though he put on a certain persona, he refused to pursue anyone unless he knew it was forever.
He wouldn't leave a child in the position he'd been in, which is a sentiment he thought Alexander shared until Ayla came along.
Maybe she would be his forever.
Regardless, he was happy, so Julius was happy for him.
He hadn't realized how long he'd been standing at the door until a soft, sweet voice asked.
"Is everything okay?"
She knew he was there; she always knew he was there.
"Yeah," he whispered, "go back to sleep."
Ayla couldn't, though.
She needed to know why he was there, watching her, watching them.
Quietly, she wormed her way out of Alexander's arms and tiptoed through the door, moving more like a fox instead of a wolf.
If he hadn't seen it for himself, he wouldn't have believed she could move without a sound, even getting out of bed without waking the man beside her.
"Something clearly made you come check on us," she corrected herself, "or me."
It didn't take long for him to deflect and respond.
"Well, yeah. Do you see the apartment?" he raised his hands.
Ayla looked around at their surroundings, realizing that she and Alexander had crashed the place, but that wasn't reason enough for him to come check on them.
He was dodging the real reason, and she could tell.
"You were worried about me," she said, not bothering to hide that she knew it.
Julius tried to make it seem like it was no big deal, but he couldn't fool himself.
It mattered.
"There are an unknown number of men coming after you. Who wouldn't be concerned after seeing all of this?" he said.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean by unknown? Last I checked, it was..." she paused to count her fingers, "Seven. I think seven had been seen in some capacity."
His expression told her that more had shown up.
"How many did you see this time?" she asked.
Julius didn't want to answer.
He hesitated, but he knew that she wasn't stupid.
"Two more. But it's not all bad... some of the other ones seem to have left."
She leaned against the wall, the oversized t-shirt she'd grown fond of draping over her just right.
Julius did his best not to stare, but his eyes kept finding her anyway.
"How is that not bad?"
"We can talk in the morning, maybe after you and Alex clean the apartment," he said, glancing around to distract himself.
"I won't be able to sleep now," she admitted.
Trying to reassure her, he searched for the right words.
"Sure you will, because I'm here, Alexander is in bed with you, and you're a badass werewolf."
He smirked, then walked away.
She didn't realize then that he was reminding her that she wasn't weak or alone.
He was right.
"But what about..."
He interrupted her.
"Nothing to worry about tonight. Everyone is sleeping. You need to get some rest, too. You can't be your badass self without sleep," he said before disappearing into his room.
'Sleep, right! Like I could possibly do that now. Why are all of the men popping up now?'
Since sleep wasn't coming anytime soon, she started cleaning up some of the mess from earlier, hoping the work would tire her out enough to shut her eyes again.
Maybe then, when everyone woke up, she'd finally get her answers.
Julius wasn't exactly right when he said everyone was sleeping, though.
The night before, when he and Dominic's group had been spotted in the woods, that was far from good news.
Mason was the least of their troubles, compared to the others.
That night, a pair of light brown wolves had seen them from a cliff, hidden from view unless the strongest of winds gave them away.
They preferred to laze around, using their vantage point to cheat while hunting.
Never in their wildest dreams did they think that they would catch their General and his men in their trap.
The last update they'd heard was that the group was supposed to be days away, at the least, that was the tip all the other generals and squads heard and were following.
So, why were these men running around just below them, so close to home, accompanied by an unfamiliar wolf?
They recognized the dark brown, midnight black, and dirty blonde wolf.
The one they couldn't recognize was the one that seemed just a shade lighter than their General, and was just about the same size as him, and was leading the pack.
Geri and Hunter were thrilled at the opportunity presented to them.
They'd always felt slighted by not only General Dominic but their Alpha, too.
Alpha Theo showed a soft spot for the long-time reigning General of the pack for his loyalty and his dedication to his son's cause.
Since he was favored, his stand-in son, Raphael, was too.
With Raphael came his best friend, Phoenix, which didn't leave much room for Geri or Hunter to snag one of the top three spots.
In an attempt to squash favoritism rumors, Dominic made Phoenix his Lieutenant and right-hand, with Raphael serving as a major under him, but it didn't change much.
Even though they earned the positions fairly, by training hard with Dominic, pushing themselves harder than any other pack members, they were still stigmatized by the relations they shared with him.
Geri and Hunter still held the dual positions as Colonels, biding their time for a chance to rise.
That night, they felt their luck had turned.
General Mace had lied about his whereabouts to the Alpha, and the two Colonels couldn't get back to their territory fast enough to report it.
Once they finally reached their destination, they rushed to the pack house and demanded an audience with Alpha Theo.
Since they weren't the usual wolves to report to him, he took his time to entertain them.
After several more demands to meet with him, he finally allowed them to enter his office.
"If you are interrupting me, it better be good," Alpha Theo snarled.
The two men stood trembling, their builds no match for the higher-ranked men, looking puny in comparison.
Alpha Theo wasn't known for his sunny disposition.
A growl began to emerge from his throat.
"We have news," Geri finally said, bowing his head, unable to move his beady eyes up to meet his leaders.
"Out with it then," Theo urged with his dominant hand in unison, from behind his desk.
Geri and Hunter had begun to second-guess their decision to run to him on a brief sighting, as they glanced at one another for reassurance.
"I know General Dominic claimed he saw the girl days away and was trailing her. That's not possible," Geri muttered, flinching at his Alpha's growl.
Leaning forward, Theo gritted out, "How is it not possible?"
Hunter stepped in, his grey eyes looking up just enough to meet his Alpha's gaze.
He only hoped his friend's suspicions were right because he was going to back him up.
"Because we think he was running with her in the woods, only a half-day's run from here, sir."
Alpha Theo slammed his hands on his desk as he stood.
"I need more detail, NOW."
"We know that it was General Mace, Phoenix, and Raphael running in wolf form through the woods where we hunt. The thing is, there was another wolf with them. It looked like they were coming this way, and they turned around." Hunter was interrupted.
With narrowing eyes, the Alpha asked one question.
"What color was the wolf?"
"A darker color, almost the same color as General Dominic but not quite as dark".
Alpha Theo's eyes got wide.
"That can't be the girl, you fools. Wrong color fur. You wonder why you've never been promoted any further," he said, leaning back in his chair, "You're dismissed."
"Alpha," Geri interjected.
"Even if it's not her, that isn't where he is supposed to be," Geri pushed.
He was desperate for his alpha's approval.
"How would you know that? You're not privy to his mission. Only I and the three involved know the details. Clearly, for good reason. I appreciate you bringing this to me so quickly, but don't speak about it to anyone else."
The two wolves lowered their heads and left the Alpha's office in shame and confusion.
For once, they hoped to dethrone the men above them.
Now, they only feared they might be demoted.
They were sure they had rock-solid information that would be the downfall of the three people holding them back.
Instead, they'd just proven how incompetent they were, directly to their Alpha.
Something was wrong with the whole situation in Scarlet Crest, and they knew it, because it was Dominic who had given them the tip to spread about the girl being days away, which they leaked to all the other packs.
They were going to find a way to figure out what it was.
It was exactly what Dominic knew they would do, since they had done it, unknowingly, several times before.
Since they sat at the edge of the border, they were easy targets for spies and had loose lips for the passing friends that "hunted" with them.
Mason and his men, Shaw, and Orion had all seen Geri and Hunter around the time the tip came from him and had been given the false lead.
They were deep in their thoughts, putting the puzzle pieces together when they left the office, heads down, so deep in thought that they didn't notice anything.
So deep in thought and upset that they didn't notice two other Colonels passing them on their way into the Alpha's office.
Once inside, it didn't take long for the Alpha to speak.
"I'll make this short and sweet, General Dominic trusts you, yes?"
"Yes, sir. He left us in charge," one stated.
The Alpha nodded.
"Good. I need you to do something important," he said with a sly, almost sinister smile.
"Yes, sir," they answered in unison.
Alpha was pleased, hands meeting in front of him, dancing together slightly at the tips.
The two Colonels were eager to prove themselves on their first official assignment.
Then the Alpha thought about it.
"You, he pointed to the one on his right, need to stay here and make sure that the others stay in line, particularly the two that just left this office," and he waved him out of the room.
He held his face as his alpha gave the command, but disappointment fell on it once he passed the closed door.
Once it was down to a single Colonel and the Alpha, he began talking again.
"Lucas, I have a heavy task," he continued.
Suddenly, Lucas wondered if he wanted the mission anymore.
"I need you to find General Dominic. I fear he has abandoned his mission. If that's the case, bring him home by any means necessary. There's some leverage, you see, he has a wolf with him, either a lost male or his son. He should suffice. If he's still on task, come back and tell no one. Understood?"
With understanding, he nodded.
"Yes, sir," he answered, missing the usual force.
"How will I know if he's on task or not?" Lucas asked before leaving.
Alpha Theo gave a small smile.
"You're smart. He's supposed to be trying to find a girl. That's all you need to know," with that, he dipped his chin once to let Lucas know the conversation was over.
'A girl. How was he supposed to know if the General was on task and truly searching for one?' he thought to himself.
Without a second thought, he shifted into his wolf form, trusting his instincts to lead him in the right direction.
Normally, pack members can get a general idea of whether another was nearby.
Being in the same tactical unit meant Dominic and Lucas could instinctively pick up on each other's presence, especially if one were in danger.
Lucas hoped that the link would help in the current situation.
Technically, Dominic was in danger.
As Lucas moved toward where he hoped Dominic would be, the first light of morning was beginning to find the whole town.
"Where did you go last night, General?" Raphael asked Dominic.
"Isn't that what I should be asking you?" he said, reentering his room and slamming his door.
Neither of the young men even thought about bothering him again just yet.
Clearly, the grumpy old wolf wasn't a fan of mornings.
On the other side of town, at the apartment with Ayla, the conversation was going in a slightly different direction.
Ayla was putting the final touches on everything when the two men emerged from their rooms.
"Have you been up all night?" Julius asked.
"Couldn't sleep. Told you I wouldn't be able to," she said, as she raised her shoulders.
"Plus, everything is cleaned up now," she added with a splash of sarcasm and a face to match.
"You literally stayed up all night?" Alexander asked.
"Is that a problem? I feel fine. Actually, I'm ready for that one," she pointed a finger at Julius, "to tell us why he was creeping into our room so late," she said.
All she really wanted was the attention off of her.
"What is she talking about? Were you creeping in my room? I feel like I missed something here," Alexander said, starting to scratch his head.
Julius took a minute to have a little fun.
"You say it's your room, she said it belongs to both of you. I wonder if you should talk about that," he said as he went to grab food.
"Nice try, but yes, our room," Alexander said, making a face at him like a child.
After the room stayed silent for a minute, he piped up again.
"Oh, yeah, Ayla knows she is a werewolf," and he was showing a bright smile.
Julius made a knowing and irritated face.
"I noticed. That was the reason, well, partly, that I was peeking into your room. The place was trashed. After everything happening lately, I wanted to make sure you weren't snatched. Duh."
He felt like he was done with all of it.
Drained of all energy, Julius plopped his head into his waiting hand that was held up by his elbow while looking at the pile of food in front of him.
Ayla felt the need to comfort him.
"I'm sorry," a soft, sweet voice met his ears, and just as the sound greeted him, a warm hug wrapped him.
Ayla knew that her life was a lot to handle.
She was on the verge of tears because she knew it was her fault he was dealing with everything.
Guilt washed over Julius.
"It's not your fault all these Alphas are looking for you," he said as he returned the hug.
"Alpha's. What do you mean by all these alphas?" she asked.
He had to give her an answer, but her hanging on his shoulders felt nice.
"That is who is sending all the men. Different alphas."
Deep down, he knew that his words were true, but he didn't want to scare her.
He also knew that she would never intentionally do anything to harm either of them.
Was it her fault that just breathing put people in danger?
That's when he realized what it truly meant to be cursed, because she was.
There were times he might have thought he was, but it didn't have a candle to what she faced.
Ayla pressed her sad cheeks on his shoulder, wishing she could do something to help.
A warm flush started bubbling in Alexander's chest.
"What are you two doing?"
"Nothing," she scowled, "He has been through a lot because of me, and we are all that he has."
Julius raised a hand, holding his pointer finger up.
"Actually, that isn't true," Julius chimed in.
Ayla put her hand over Julius's to lower it.
"That doesn't matter. Alexander, do you really think that little of me?" she asked.
Alexander didn't know what to say.
"No, I wasn't thinking," and he started shaking his head.
Ayla had the look of a girl who had a smart-ass answer on the tip of her tongue, ready to go.
"You were thinking. It was just with the wrong head," and the words spilled out as she pursed her lips.
He expressed how sorry he was, but he knew he was going to pay for it later.
Ayla was ready to move on.
Without hesitation, she was ready to hear what made Julius so concerned.
Just as he said the night before, he delivered, and it was everything.
Ayla now knew every detail.
Whether both of the home-bound partners knew it all before or not, it was all on the table now.
"No secrets between friends, right?" Julius said.
That had been the motto for the two guys' whole lives, and it wasn't changing now.
Well, it changed a tincy bit, because Ayla was now a member.
There was one tiny exception.
She didn't understand the rules very well.
"How are you handling finding your dad?" she asked.
"It's been okay mostly. We went for a shift run a few nights ago, and it was amazing. Other than that, he doesn't ask about you. I think it's in respect for me."
She was suspicious still.
"He knows that it was Alex in the woods, though. Which means he knows that Alex and I have been staying together since then. Now, he also knows that we all three live together, and where you stay. Right?"
After that, she was quiet.
The three of them spent the rest of the morning munching on food, and Ayla napped.
Once she fell asleep, the two men snuck off to the roof so they could talk.
"Ayla is unusually quiet. Normally, she has a lot more to say when major information comes her way," Julius said, voicing his concern.
Alexander seemed to brush it off as her taking it all in.
"It wasn't that much information. Most of it I'd already told her. We talked about the things you told me in your room, so it was just putting it all together in one big story with a bow," he said, patting Julius's shoulder.
Julius wasn't convinced; something felt off with her.
"If you say so. It's still a lot to take in. After being on the run for so long, her alarms should be sounding off, but she is calm," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Alexander was sure she was fine.
"Maybe that is how she processes everything. She has been quiet before after being told information".
Across town, in their suite, Phoenix and Raphael had retreated to their rooms.
Dominic was in no mood for companionship that early, so without a sound, he leaped from the second-story balcony into the forest, shifting midway down.
There was no second thought, nor a worry about onlookers seeing him.
Plus, they would probably think they had imagined seeing an oversized wolf flying past from a building if they had seen him.
Like a flash, he was lost in the trees.
Dominic needed it.
He needed to feel the wind in his fur as he ran at full speed.
The trees were calling to him, but suddenly he knew he wasn't alone.
Dust flew up behind him as he came to a stop.
Whoever it was had a familiarity about them.
"Why are you here?" he yelled through his wolf's mind.
"Alpha."
That was all he needed to hear.
Instantly, he shifted forms, and so did the other wolf with black fur.
"What do you mean, Alpha? I told you to guard the others."
Lucas was nervous, shaking his head like something was messing with him.
"SPEAK!"
"Sir, Alpha sent me. He... someone knew you were here. He wants to know where the girl is. I'm supposed to take both of you and her back, unless..."
"Try again," Dominic ordered.
"Geri and Hunter left his office before me. They saw you. I think there was another wolf with you. I'm supposed to use that wolf to get you home. Alpha thinks you failed or quit. He doesn't think you are after the girl anymore," Lucas said with a clear voice.
Just then, what looked like a white wolf darted across their path and disappeared.
"A word of this, and you won't make it back to the pack, understood," Dominic said sternly.
"Understood, sir."
Not quite sure what he was not speaking of because it was clear he was chasing a female wolf.
The only thing Lucas knew was that the light-colored wolf was gorgeous.
He wanted to chase her to meet her, something serious.