Go Home

I ran down the deserted sidewalk, darting in and out of the shadows. We lived in one of those middle-income sections of Lupin City. Yup, you guessed it. It was named after the wolves that call this place home.

Most humans had assumed it was named for the flower, but the shifters knew better. It was to remind us all who really controlled the city.

A dog barked nearby, causing me to jump a good foot in the air. Taking in a deep breath, I continued to run, letting out all the energy I had. Hopefully I would be able to sleep more than 45 minutes the next time I took a nap.

Turning toward a small bungalow, I ran through the grass and under the wooden fence that separated the front from the back. Scurrying up the patio steps and up the wall, I squeezed under the small crack I had left in the window just for this reason.

Honestly, I could get through anything 1 cm or bigger. Not much could keep out a determined mouse. Paul had made sure that there was a big enough crack between the back door and the door jam to make sure that I could always get inside, but I preferred it this way.

At least when I shifted back, I was already in my bedroom. I still remember the time I was 10 and used the back door to get in. Not thinking at all, both Paul and I were surprised when I shifted back in the middle of the kitchen, completely naked.

He now kept a big blanket beside the door just in case that ever happened again. So far, eight years later, and I have not made the same mistake twice.

I pulled out my warm fleece pajamas and opened the door to my bedroom. Walking quietly down the stairs, I put on the kettle and started getting things ready for our nightly hot chocolate.

---

"What the fuck are those pups doing out here?" growled Damien as he stared out of the window of the SUV.

"What are you talking about?" asked Raphael from the back seat. He looked up from where he was reading the pack reports and looked at Damien.

The other man grunted and tipped his chin toward the old dinner where ten cubs were hiding in the darkness.

"Not one of ours," grunted Dominik, briefly glancing over the place before turning his attention back to whatever had caught his attention on his phone.

"But the pups are," countered Lucien. "And the last thing we need is for them to destroy the place and out us."

Dominik scoffed at that idea, clearly not caring about the repercussions at all. But that was why he was the second in command. His focus was on the pack and their needs, while Raphael had to look at the much bigger picture.

"Pull over," said Raphael, closing the laptop he was using and gently placing it beside him. He was much too tired to be dealing with a bunch of horny shits right now, but Lucien was right. They couldn't just drive away.

Damien grunted and did as he was told, slowly coming to a stop at the curb outside of the restaurant. It wasn't until they pulled right up to the group that the men in the car realized that there was a clearly human man in the middle of the pups.

The man didn't seem sacred, but he probably thought he was just dealing with a bunch of punks, not wolves that could rip out his throat.

"Tell us where she is!" shouted an aggravated voice that Raphael knew only too well.

"Not here," replied the human with a long sigh. "She left at least an hour ago, if not more."

"Impossible," sneered the guy doing all the talking. "We've been waiting out here for hours now. There is no way she got past us."

Lucien cocked his head to the side at the slight smirk on the human's face as if he knew a secret that the rest of them didn't. It was so quick, though, that no one else seemed to have noticed it. Or at least they didn't comment on it.

"You are more than welcome to go inside and check for yourself," replied the human. "But it is late, and I want to get home."

The one doing all the talking lunged at the defenseless human, only to be held back by one of the other males in the group.

"Jamie," growled Raphael, causing all the pups to freeze for an instant. They took a step back and hung their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he continued as he walked toward the human, his pack surrounding him. "They are, unfortunately, at that hot-headed stage of life."

The man scoffed and looked at Raphael. "Sure," he said, as if not believing what the other man was saying. But you can let them know that they and their girlfriends are no longer welcome inside my establishment. Or at least not until they have grown out of the hot-headed stage."

Raphael stiffened at his words and took the time to study the human. He had initially written him off, not thinking much of him. But now his instinct was telling him that something wasn't right.

And as the Alpha of the largest pack in America, he always listened to his instincts.

The man, the human in front of him, didn't once look upset or uneasy. That was frankly unheard of. Even humans were smart enough to know when they were surrounded by predators. They might not know the exact cause of what put them on edge, but they were on edge.

He was not.

"Were you a soldier?" mused Raphael, coming almost toe to toe with the older man. He looked into his eyes and delicately sniffed the air.

"Or something," replied the man, his smile never leaving his face. "Oh, and sorry if I smell bad. Long day in the kitchen and all."

He knew Raphael was scenting him.

"Go home, Jamie, and take your friends with you. You and I will be having a talk when I get home," growled Raphael, never taking his eyes away from the man in front of him. He might be older and shorter, but there was something about him that made Raphael uneasy.