Chapter 4

Somewhere between the restaurant and the next meeting Lyrik had, I fell asleep in the vehicle.

Do you ever have those moments where you don't even know when you fell asleep? Like you don't remember closing your eyes? That's what happened to me, because the last thing I remember is laughing at something Adam had said.

But, I guess that's what a two hour drive will do to you. In hour one.

I woke up curled on my side in the backseat, alone. The vehicle was still on, the AC keeping it cool and soft music coming out of the radio. I slowly sat up, pushing hair out of my face and realizing my hair clip wasn't in my hair. With the dark blonde strands out of my eyes, I could see that no one sat in the car with me either.

Frowning, I leaned forward, looking out the untinted windshield. I didn't recognize any of the surroundings, but noted that we were in a town. The vehicle was parked in front of a building with huge glass windows, but there wasn't any signage to tell what the building was being used for. There was also no sign of another living soul.

Left alone. By myself. In the middle of God knows where. I snarled, upset I fell asleep and didn't know where I was. How could all three of the guys just take off too? Wasn't Lyrik the one saying I needed to take protection with me? What the hell was this?!

Snapping my purse up off the floor, I grabbed the spare hair tie I kept in there to quickly yank my hair into a ponytail. I then tucked my purse under the seat after grabbing my phone. Sitting forward again, I frowned as I realized there were no keys in the ignition. How had they managed that?

I could literally pull my hair out at this nonsense. I thought about it as I slid to the closest door, deciding to just open the door and hop out. Thankfully the guys hadn't put the child safety lock on.

Closing the door, I turned to survey what I could see of the town. Despite no one being in or around the building the vehicle was parked in front of, everywhere else was busy. People hustled down the sidewalks, laughing or talking. There were some hurrying, possibly to a meeting, and others to the next shop. The town had three shops right in front of me along with a restaurant. It looked like the one clothing shop on the farthest corner had a lot of nice products, especially as it was full of people going in and out. There was also a gas station, across from the clothing shop, the other busy hub as people ran inside for cigarettes or stopped to fill up their tanks. The store closest to where I stood was a grocery store, with a parking lot filled with people going in and out. Across from me was what looked like another simple, closed building.

Laughter by the store had my head turning to see a little girl holding hands with who I assumed was her mother. The mom was saying something that made the little girl laugh.

"Ah, sleeping beauty awakens!"

John's voice spoke from behind me. I turned to find him coming around the hood of the suburban with a plastic bag in hand. I smiled, shrugging as I decided not to verbally acknowledge his words.

John just grinned then held up the sack. "I have water in case you're thirsty."

I walked closer to him, murmuring thank you as he handed me a bottle of water. Gulping down about half in one go, I studied John as he tapped away on his phone. "So, where are we? Where are the other two?"

He barely glanced up from his phone. "In the meeting with Roy. We're waiting out here for Serina since she should be bringing us our bags any time now."

Oh. I'd forgotten they hadn't brought anything but themselves, not planning on staying. I drank the rest of my water, listening to the sounds of the town as cars passed by and people walked down the sidewalks. The day was quite beautiful too. The sun was shining brightly and there was a soft breeze that helped keep it moderately cool. It hadn't gotten overly hot yet, though we were nearing the end of May. I was sure within the next couple of weeks, especially in June, that we would get a really hot day.

A red sports car suddenly cruised into the spot next to us, scaring me shitless as I jumped back into the suburban to avoid being run over, hitting my back against the door handle. John snapped to his full height, a scowl on his face as he stepped up to the passenger side window. It slowly rolled down.

"Serina," John snapped, baring his teeth. "I'm pretty sure Lyrik said to take something other than his."

I could get whiffs of Lyrik's scent from the car, but otherwise a sickly sweet smell was oozing out of the window.

The car shut off and the driver's side door was swung open carelessly. I winced when it bounced on the hinges. A tall, thin brunette emerged from the interior, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She slammed the door shut and walked up to the sidewalk, letting everyone who had stopped to stare at the car now stare at her.

Serina wore what I suppose she would call a mini dress in the brightest shade of pink possible. The ones where it just barely covered all her little bits and secrets. It was a cute outfit, but super daring in the middle of the afternoon. It looked like it belonged to a girl in a nightclub, dancing with a drink in her hand. I raised an eyebrow as I studied her, a sick feeling settling in my stomach. Was she with Lyrik?

"Oh, John. You must know by now. I do what I want," she smiled, pushing her sunglasses up her nose before turning her attention to me. "And who do we have here?"

I gave her a polite smile. "Raveena Cemche, daughter of the Shadow Pack beta. I'm here to help escort Alpha Gray and his companions around the area."

Her cheeks paled as her smile turned a little more predatorial. "Oh, how sweet of the Shadow Pack to send you with them. Now, John, darling, where is Lyrik?"

Irritation flashed through me as she decided I was beneath her notice and turned to John. I watched the same kind of irritation flash over his face, though I'm sure it was more for other things. I personally wanted to hit her for being a rash, stupid driver who almost ran over me! But, it wasn't the time or place and I was representing my pack so I had to be on my best behavior.

As John spoke to Serina, I started to walk around the back end of the red, flashy vehicle to throw my empty water bottle away. Passing the open window on the driver's side, my stomach twisted in knots as Serina's and Lyrik's scents mixed together. A snarl would have left my lips if I didn't bite the bottom one. The two scents together left me in a bad mood as I threw the bottle away. I wanted to get back into the suburban, but to do so I would have to pass Serina, and I wasn't sure if I had the ability to hold myself back from asking why she was in my mate's car.

Fuming as silently as I could, I stood with my arms crossed by the trash can. It stunk, but it covered up the smell of Serina at least. I pulled my phone out as I stood there, seeing the messages from Jenna, my dad, and then one from my mom.

Jenna<3 : if u cant get a pic, maybe security cameras will get him?

this seems like an ultimate spy mission! mission - picture of Lyrik Gray

Veena? is everything okay?

GIRL. I have so many questions about everything... u better let me know when you can dish out all the tea :/

Her second message had me giggling, rolling my eyes at her antics. The freaking weirdo. The last was from after we had left the restaurant. I knew she was curious about what was going on, but without the permission of Rowan and Lyrik, the news of the rogues would need to be kept under wraps. They didn't need a panicking pack to deal with on top of the problem.

Dad : Wanna do lunch?

Reading my dad's text from before everything had gone down had me smiling a bit. Being able to have lunch with him whenever we wanted was definitely a bonus to working in the same building. It just sucked that it wasn't able to happen today.

Mama : Your father told me. Congratulations! I know it seems like bad timing, but I'm sure fate has something planned for you both. I'm here if you need me.

Reading my mom's text, I almost let emotions overwhelm me. I hadn't been able to sit back and think about anything, no time to really process what was happening. Her message helped me feel a little less lost about the situation.

I sent quick, simple messages to them both, letting them know I was okay and I would definitely let them know if I needed to talk to them. I sighed after sending them, looking back up to people-watch. The sun was lowering in the sky, though still above the treetops, and more people were getting off of work. Cars from the day shoppers disappeared as the night shoppers pulled in. Which made me realize that we had been in the town far longer than I had been awake.

Turning, I was about to voice my concern to John when Serina suddenly shrieked.

"Lyrik!"

Snapping my eyes towards where she was looking, I saw a stoney face Lyrik and Adam walking out of the building. Serina bounced towards them, almost dropping her butt out the bottom of her dress, and flung her arms around Lyrik. I tensed, eyes narrowing on them as a quiet rage rose. She had arms around his shoulders, pulling him down towards her. I watched as he put his hands on her arms, saying something to her quietly, when she suddenly kissed him.

A low, angry growl left my throat, tears filling my eyes. The man hadn't claimed me, but decided to take me everywhere around my territory and hold my hand or touch me whenever he wanted. He had called his stupid side bimbo to bring him clothes. Now, he was letting said bimbo kiss him while I was standing right there witnessing it all. My growl had the two pulling away from each other, but it hadn't stopped the nasty grin that was on Serina's face. Lyrik still had a hand on one of her arms. The sharp cut of my claws into my hands made me realize I had started to shift.

Gritting my teeth, I spun on my heel and ran in the opposite direction, towards a park that had clusters of trees. Not all humans were mentally capable of handling a reality that had werewolves in it, so we were taught never to let yourself change where you're surrounded by anyone but your pack. However, I needed to run some steam off so I was going to go shift.

The park was gloriously empty, and it didn't take me long to get into the trees. Tears spilled over as I let my emotions out of the bottle I had been keeping them in. I whimpered as I shifted, falling to all fours as my bones contorted and reshaped themselves. My clothes tore, sounding loud in the quiet, and I briefly grieved the loss of my new Old Navy flats.

Fully shifted, I shook my fur out and stretched, stretching my toes out. The wind sifted through my reddish-brown fur, feeling like a soothing hand comforting me. For just a moment, I stood, letting it continue as tears kept falling. Huffing a breath out, I broke out in a full on sprint out of the town.

Running, with the way I knew the territory, I could let myself think of the events that had happened over the course of the day. I had known the minute I locked eyes with Lyrik that he was my mate. Scratch that, I had known the moment I caught a whiff of his scent. Surely he would have felt the same way as well? Fate couldn't have been so cruel to put me with someone who wouldn't care for how I felt or treated me poorly. Right? Lyrik didn't seem like he would be like that, not with the way he cared for his pack. The treaties were air-tight before the changes, so now they were iron-clad, binding the Shadow Pack to help the Moonstone Pack. I had seen the pain in his eyes at the news of his lost members, and the way he had immediately wanted to get back. It was obvious that the only reason he had stayed was because of me.

The thought was comforting, helping ease some of the anger and pain that was gnawing on my mind like it was a bone. It still hurt to think of Lyrik with Serina, but maybe there could be an explanation. I knew some people had to go through hell to get their exes to leave them alone. Maybe this was something like that.

Slowing to a walk, I softly padded towards a natural pool I knew was nearby. I had already run about thirty miles, and would need to go back. Despite not wanting to be around Serina, it was currently my duty to help the three men from the Moonstone Pack.

I cautiously stepped into the clearing the pool was, sniffing the air for any unusual scents. Smelling only local animals and pack members, I walked to the pool and lapped up some of the cool water.

The sun was starting to set, giving the sky beautiful hues of oranges and purples. The clearing was open to the sky, so I sat back and breathed in the cooling air as the sounds of crickets filled the air.

Raveena.

I jumped to my feet, ears twitching, until I realized my father was simply tele-communicating with me. It was times like this when I wished my father couldn't just message me. It would have been nice to continue enjoying the late evening almost night time air.

Dad...

Where are you? Lyrik had Adam call Rowan. I know you know the area, however, Lyrik doesn't and he followed you.

I groaned, flicking my tail in agitation as I started to pace back and forth. Dammit Lyrik. I will see if I can find him on my way back. I'm sorry for the trouble.

He sent me a wave of reassurance before cutting the link. It was actually quite amazing that we had been able to talk. Long distance between pack members didn't usually work out with mind-talking. I'm glad it did this time though, because even though Lyrik was an alpha, he could still get in trouble if he didn't know where the territory lines were and he went into the neighboring pack's land without permission.

Lapping up one last drink of the natural water, I leapt back into the forest. I figured if I went back the way I came I should be able to at least catch his scent and find him. He wouldn't have gone too far off of my scent, unless he got distracted by the scent of the patrol members. I had been on patrol two weeks ago, so my scent shouldn't be strong along those paths, but it may still be possible since I patrolled at least once a month, but usually more.

Time passed and I was soon only ten minutes from where I had taken off. I hadn't smelled Lyrik's scent, and it worried me the most now as I searched for it along the path I had taken. There was nothing though, like he hadn't followed my scent into the forest. It had me worried, letting out a small whine as I continued towards the park.

Voices alerted me that someone was walking my way without making a lot of noise. I quickly lowered my body to the ground, curling into myself as much as I could in case it was a human. Ears perked, I tried to catch the voices again, wondering if it could be someone I knew.

"Alpha Rowan said that his beta was able to link with her. So hopefully she'll be back here soon. The only problem is how unique his scent is."

It was John! Probably walking with Adam or Serina. The thought of the woman made me want to growl, but at least I was okay to stand back up and walk out of the bushes I had been behind. The two men jumped, turning around from where they'd been standing to look at me. I grunted at them and sat, tilting my head in inquiry. Or at least I hoped that I looked like I was asking where to go cause otherwise I would be looking like a weird wolf.

Adam took a deep breath, relaxing. "It's Raveena. Girl, you almost scared the literal crap out of me."

John nodded in agreement, his pale face gaining color back. I couldn't help the smile that stretched my lips, teeth showing slightly. I always was super proud of being able to sneak up on other wolves, especially as their hearing was more acute and they had been trained to stay alert in all surroundings.

"Okay," Adam pushed a hand through his hair, looking around the forest. "Well, if you didn't smell him, maybe he went a different way. Do you want us to show you where he entered the forest? It may help you track him. Or we can get you clothes and I'll go after him?"

I bared my teeth in answer to him going, making Adam lift his hands, a small smile on his face. We took off towards the treeline where Lyrik had shifted as they filled me in.

Apparently, as soon as I had started running, Lyrik had tried to come after me. But Serina had held him up, almost hanging herself off his arm to prevent him from moving. From there, Lyrik had hauled Serina a couple feet away, and talked to her in such a low voice that neither of them had heard what he had said. The only difference when Lyrik left was that Serina stayed exactly where she was, staring at the spot where he had been. John and Adam had thought maybe one of them should stay with her and one should go after Lyrik, but as they were bickering - "diplomatically debating" John argued - Serina snapped out of whatever it was. The raging brunette had screeched, stomped to the car, dumped the suitcases out of the back seat onto the sidewalk, and pulled out from the parking spot like she was being chased. John had put the suitcases in the suburban as Adam started after Lyrik, catching up with him in the trees as he was stripping down. They had also found my phone, Adam tucking it into his pocket so that it wouldn't get lost in the woods.

At least he still has his clothes, I thought to myself, feeling stupid for just shifting without thought of what I was going to wear back home. I was happy to hear that the dumb bimbo had left on her own violition, though. If she was still hanging onto Lyrik when I had gotten back, I probably would have football kicked her into the next century.

Ahead of us, there was a soft rustling and a loud snap of twigs. I froze for a second, then leapt forward instinctively, knowing exactly who was there by the slightest breeze that rose a second beforehand.

The soft grunt and human body told me I probably should have had one of the guys come over this way to see Lyrik first, but I had been moving the instant I had caught just the whiff of his smell. Now I stood over him, front paws on the ground right above his shoulders, back paws on either side of his thighs. His black hair was mussed, looking like he'd taken a blown dryer to it, and his amber eyes stared back up at me. I knew his chest was bare and I let myself take a quick peek, traveling my eyes slowly over the lightly haired chest and shaped stomach. I spotted the edge of what looked like boxers sitting on his hips and felt a slight disappointment.

"It's good to see you've returned."

His deep voice sent my eyes back to his face, tilting my head as I watched him. He seemed to be keeping his facial expression blank, and I wanted him to be open with me. That was definitely a lot to ask before you know anything about one another besides your names and pack ranking. That definitely was not a lot to go off of.

I tried a smile, my tail wagging. His smile said he got what I was trying to do though.

"Oh, I guess you found him."

I stepped away from Lyrik, shaking my fur out as I turned my back on the guys. I could at least be respectful now.

John had been the one who had spoken and Adam now forced his way through the rest of the bushes to stand next to John.

"I see you were able to get ahold of the pack and have them mind link with her," Lyrik murmured behind me. It was so tempting to turn around and look! "I actually came back cause I found a trail of her scent coming back this way. I figured if she was on her way back, there was no need to keep looking for her."

He wasn't wrong about that. I'm glad I hadn't stayed on my exact trail though. If Lyrik and I had met in our wolf forms, we probably wouldn't be back for a week. I knew the bond of soulmates often made it beyond difficult to keep your hands off one another in human form. Being in wolf form, where the connection was the strongest, it was impossible to control the wild instinct that rose.

"Raveena." I turned my head to Lyrik, finding him right behind me, shirtless. I stared at the contoured chest, wishing I could lick him. There was a flash in his eyes as he looked at me, then he took a deep breath and held up his shirt. "If you'd like to get back to your home to redress, you'll have to change back. I don't think we'll get away with having you follow us to the suburban as a wolf."

Again, the man was right. I chuffed softly, gently taking the shirt from his hands. His smell filled my nose, making me shiver a little. The subtle chocolate and amber scent that came off of him was now imbued with the scent of the forest. I hesitated a moment, looking at him and fighting the urge to rub my body against him. Turning, I trotted off behind a tree with what I now considered my prize, and quickly shifted. It felt awkward to stand on two feet for a bit, but I quickly readjusted. I couldn't help but pull his shirt to my nose and inhale, closing my eyes as a sense of home and safety filled me. Mate.

Hearing Lyrik speaking to John and Adam, something about Serina, I quickly slipped the shirt on. It hung to about mid-thigh in the front, meaning it hung to just below my butt in the back. I groaned softly at not having a slimmer figure, hating my slightly wider hips, waist, and shoulders. Walking in just the t-shirt was going to be very daring since it wasn't tight enough to not be lifted up by the wind.

Holding the back of the shirt to make sure it didn't lift, I stepped out from behind the tree.

"...was she doing with it? I just asked..." Lyrik trailed off as his eyes landed on me, darkening to a molasses color. When John and Adam looked, Lyrik let out a low growl that had both men turning away in a blink of an eye. I bit my lip, looking down at myself before looking back at him.

"Uhm... I don't think I should walk very far looking like this," I said it softly, knowing my cheeks were turning bright red as Lyrik kept staring.

I unfortunately didn't get the same privilege of staring at him though. It looked like Adam had worn an undershirt under his button down and gave the button down to Lyrik. It was a little tight, but it still covered everything. Again, unfortunate. For me.

Lyrik growled again, softer and in a more playful manner. He walked to me, his eyes on mine instead of my legs. I couldn't help but stare back at him, breathing a little faster as he closed in. When he was right in front of me, he slowly looked me up and down, eyes lingering on my legs and over the swells of my breasts. He met my eyes again, lifting a hand to tuck a strand of my runaway hair behind my ear. I smiled, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Lyrik smiled back, lifting his suit jacket and carefully tucking it around me. The back of it hit a little lower than the shirt, making me feel slightly better about my lack of clothing.

He wrapped his hand around mine and turned, walking past John and Adam. "Let's get back."

The two scurried to walk in front of him, probably not wanting to chance his wrath by walking behind me. I almost giggled, refraining as I used my other hand to hold the top of the jacket closed. We quickly walked back to the vehicle, the street lights coming on as night descended. Thankfully there weren't too many people about either, so no one was thinking what the heck about me walking around in a button down long-sleeve shirt, suit jacket, no pants, and no shoes.

But then the problem of getting into the vehicle without flashing my butt at Lyrik came up.

He had opened the door and now stood, waiting for me to get in. I chewed on my bottom lip, turning so I could hop backwards into the car. I almost didn't make the first jump, Lyrik quickly stepping forward to catch and help me move back more. My face was definitely red as a lobster, holding my legs tightly together as I thought about how easily I could have shown the world what I have.

As we set off, Lyrik brought up what they had been talking about before I distracted them.

"So, again, why did Serina have my car?"

Adam leaned towards me with my phone in his hand, looking over at Lyrik. "You know her. John asked and she said something about doing whatever she wanted to do."

Lyrik muttered something under his breath, glancing at me before looking back at Adam. "At least she didn't try to stay. What's on the schedule for tomorrow?"

I tuned out as they talked, figuring I didn't really need to know what they would be doing. I needed to be back at my desk. I watched the scenery as we drove, loving the trees and open spaces. Many people didn't think of South Carolina with lots of trees. But we did. There was plenty of space for the three packs that took up the state, though there were no packs on Hilton Head Island. Partly because of the island's popularity with the humans, but also because there were quite a few witches there. Witches and werewolves did not get along.

As we got on the short bridge to pass over the Broad River, I realized that the smaller town we had been in was probably Newberry. It shocked me that I hadn't recognized it, though it had been over ten years since I'd been there. We also had another hour before we got home. I sometimes hated that it felt like it took forever to get to the pack, but I understood why our community had been set up in the middle of a forest, about twenty to thirty minutes north-east from Fort Lawn. We needed the security and safety of the trees to help cover the wolves that ran about. Thankfully, children couldn't shift until they were twelve, though some shifted earlier and some later. By ten, they had gotten the concept of control, for the most part, and could be trusted to go outside of the community and not shift around humans.

The car fell silent as the men finished their conversation and I looked over to find Lyrik reading something on his phone. Adam was trying to find a good radio station, not liking any of the ones he kept landing on. John, of course, was focused on driving. I slid to the middle of the seat and leaned forward, moving Adam out of the way so I could twist the radio to a local station, music coming through the speakers at last.

"Aha! Thank you," Adam grinned at me as I sat back. "I have never had the touch to stop the dial on the right station. I honestly listen to CDs in my truck because I don't have the patience."

I laughed softly, shaking my head. I turned to ask Lyrik what kind of music he liked and found his eyes on me, dark and swirling. Thinking about it, I may have leaned far enough forward to get to the tuning knob that my butt had been uncovered, but I hadn't felt anything cool on it. I cleared my throat, smiled, and carefully moved back to my spot, looking out the window again.

I would have given anything to have even a spark of Jenna's confidence in that moment. Instead, we just went back in silence, listening to the radio. I pointed them to my house first, as Rowan's home was next to ours. I hastily promised Lyrik to return his jacket before carefully sliding out and quickly walking to the front door. I waved to them one last time then slid inside, pressing my back against the door.

Well, what a great way to start the week!