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I swung around and punched Billy in the face knocking him to the ground. “I’ll be

leaving tomorrow and you’ll never see me again. So just shut up.” I turned to Jeff. “And do something useful with your life. Football is useless.”

Victor frowned. “I like football.”

I sighed. “Not now Victor.”

We walked the rest of the way to my house and I stared up at the porch steps. This had

been my strange, but cold home. The house used to be a place of fun, but now it only brought me sadness. I walked into the house and straight to the cupboard under the sink. I pulled out Darren’s hidden bottle of whiskey and took three giant gulps before Ares jerked it away from me. The burning of the liquor distracted me as I wiped my mouth. “What?”

Ares snarled. “What are you doing?”

I shrugged. “It’s not like I can get drunk easily.”

Koda laughed. “No. Wait, how do you know that?”

I smiled. “I drank with Billy and Jess and J.D. one night, but nothing happened. They

were smashed, but I wasn’t.”

Ares snarled. “Did he do anything?”

I rolled my eyes. “No.”

Victor opened the fridge and I watched in astonishment as he flipped a switch and a

hidden compartment slid forward. Victor grabbed two bags of blood and closed the compartment again. Victor smiled at me. “It’s customary for werewolves to keep blood on hand in case a vampire comes to visit.”

I turned to Ares and asked, “So, now what?”

He smiled. “We rest here tonight.”

The desire to touch him started intensifying and I remembered Victor’s words that it hurt Ares more. I walked forward slowly and leaned my head against his shoulder. The pain receded and Ares sighed. I walked into the living room and sat down. “So, when you told Jess we were engaged you weren’t just being possessive were you?”

Ares shook his head. “How many times do I have to tell you this? You and I are the

perfect couple.”

“I’m an eighteen year old girl tied to a man I barely know who likes to kill people.” I said irritably.

Ares frowned. “I don’t
like
to kill people. It’s just necessary.”

Koda snorted. “Unless it’s a sidhe, then you like it.”

Ares snarled at him and I asked, “What’s a sidhe?”

Ares sighed. “Another preternatural I do not want to discuss with you until necessary.”

I frowned. “Why not?”

He spoke in clipped words. “Because I refuse to. I refuse to acknowledge their existence.

Now moving on, when we get to Victor’s place there are going to be other werewolves there.

Don’t look at the alphas or betas in the eyes and you have to act submissive to them. The females are very aggressive towards each other, so for now, try not to make any contact with other females. You’re especially going to be a target.”

I frowned. “Why me?”

Koda smiled. “Because Ares was the hottest bachelor when we left. They’ve been

drooling for him to come back and now you’ve taken him. So, they’ll try to kill you so that he’ll want them more.”

I felt my jaw drop open and looked at Ares. He was gorgeous, but worth killing someone

over? I tried to imagine him with another woman and a large growl ripped through my chest. My wolf stretched in my body and I pleaded for her to go to sleep. Ares stared at me in shock and I giggled in embarrassment. “Sorry, just testing a theory.” I sighed.
Dammit I can’t be willing to
even think about killing someone over a man. It’s so…true. Dammit. I barely know him and the
thought of him with another woman makes me want to rip her head off!

Ares smiled. “You have any questions?”

I nodded my head. “Do you have alpha females?”

Ares nodded his head. “We have ranks like the vampires. King, queen, prince, etcetera.

To get to a place of high rank for werewolves we have to defeat the current person in that rank in a battle. Vampires are all about bloodlines and crap, but our method is that the strongest and most powerful are the rulers. Survival of the fittest at its best.”

I asked, “Are werewolves like vampires, where they get stronger or more powerful the

older they are?”

Victor looked at me curiously. “I never told you that.”

I smiled, “You can learn a lot from movies.”

Ares nodded his head. “To a certain extent. Darren is very old, but not very powerful. It depends on your aura and abilities.”

“But as a new werewolf, I’ll be pretty much helpless against older ones?” I concluded.

Ares nodded his head and smiled. “That’s why you have me. No one will be able to

defeat me to get to you.”

“If I am ever going to gain the respect of anyone in the pack I have to fight my own

battles!” I said angrily. Ares was frowning at me and I could tell he wanted to order me not to get into battles ever. I rubbed my eyes. “I think we’ve talked enough tonight. I have a lot to think about and I’m tired.” I started walking down the hallway to my room when I felt him behind me.

“What Ares?”

He laughed softly. “How’d you know it was me?”

I shrugged and turned around to face him. “I can smell you. Plus you have a weird feeling about you, like I want to bow to you.” I groaned realizing I had said the last part out loud. “I didn’t mean that.”

Ares smiled. “It’s normal for all wolves. As beta I have a lot of authority and it gives me a powerful aura.”

I frowned remembering Darren discussing auras with me when I was younger. “Do you

have an aggressive aura?”

Ares frowned. “What do you mean?”

I shrugged. “Darren said that people with aggressive auras are more likely to go on a

rampage.”

Ares shrugged back at me. “You can’t see your own aura so you’d have to ask someone

else.”

“Well I can’t see anyone’s aura.” I said. Ares smiled at me and put his hand against my

face. I instantly started to lean into his hand and jerked back. “I don’t like that I’m like this.”

Ares smiled. “What? That all you can think about is me touching you? I told you that

you’re my
passt genau
. We are destined to be together, forever.”

I frowned. “What if I don’t want to be with you forever?”

His smile slipped away into a look so filled with rejection, that I instantly regretted my words. He asked softly, “Am I not pleasing you? Is there something you would like me to

change?”

I looked at his sculpted body and his handsome face and knew nothing needed to be

changed. The girls I knew would do almost anything to be with a man like him. And here I was trying to throw it away before I even gave him a chance. I spoke softly. “It’s not that Ares. I’m just really overwhelmed by my feelings for you and the fact that I don’t know you. Maybe you could tone down on reminding me that I’m stuck…I mean that I’m supposed to be with you

forever. I’ve never even had a boyfriend and to be told I’m destined to be with you seems like a sentence, not a blessing.”

Ares nodded his head and smiled a little. “I’ll try. Just know that I’ll do anything for you.

No matter the cost.”

I smiled and nodded my head. My hands ached to touch him and I gave in, letting my

body rush forward and hug him quickly. I pulled away before I kissed him and darted into my bedroom and on to my bed. I listened to all of the new sounds I could hear with my heightened senses and smiled as the sound of the creek at the other end of our property gurgled. I drifted in and out of consciousness, but couldn’t get the feeling that someone was going to attack me out of my head. I decided I needed sleep and even if I looked like a child, I would ask one of them to sleep in the room with me. I opened my door and screamed. Victor, Koda and Matt ran down the hallway then sighed in relief when they saw Ares sitting on the floor outside my door.

Ares frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just didn’t want to be too far away.”

I finally regained my composure. “It’s okay, you just startled me.” He looked at me as if waiting for me to continue and I looked at the ground. “Could you sleep in here tonight. I’m just…”

Ares jumped up and smiled. “Of course. I would prefer it actually, but I didn’t want you

to get the wrong idea.”

I smiled at him and nodded my head. Victor winked at me making me blush. I walked to

my bed and heard him close the door quietly. I quickly took my shoes off and climbed into bed closing my eyes. Ares climbed in behind me and I tensed.
Not exactly what I had meant about
sleeping in here.
He put his arm around my stomach, but kept space between our bodies. As much as I wanted to object, it was comforting to have him with me. I pulled the blanket around me tighter then realized I was sweating.

Ares whispered, “Having two werewolves in a bed at once usually makes blankets

obsolete.” I nodded my head and kicked the blankets off. We settled in once again and my brain shut off. The sound of arguing woke me up. I opened my eyes and was instantly lost in Ares’ sky blue eyes. He smiled at me. “Good morning.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat at the realization that I had just technically slept with a man. Okay, okay, I know it’s not the same thing, but he was in my bed because I asked him to sleep with me. “Morning. Who’s fighting?”

“They’re discussing politics. Nothing important.” He rubbed my back slowly with his

hand. “Did you sleep well?” He rolled on to his back and I scooted over laying my head on his warm bare chest. I inhaled his now familiar smell and nodded my head. “Very well.”

He asked, “Are you feeling better?”

I sighed. “I’m realizing that being a werewolf isn’t as scary as I first thought. I’m still worried I could go on a killing spree…”

Ares stroked my back with long even movements. “I won’t let you do that.”

I smiled and looked up at his face. I had expected him to be smiling, but he was serious.

He stared into my eyes with a desire I had never seen before and then I felt it. I reached up slowly, fearful of his reaction and ran my hand down his face. A small smiled played at the corners of his lips and I couldn’t hold myself back. I moved up on the bed and kissed him on the lips. The instant our lips connected fire shot through me and I moaned. Ares’ responding moan let me know that he was feeling the same thing. He kissed me back with a need of his own and wrapped his arms around me.

I ran my hands over his chest as we kissed and felt my lower body tighten. I gasped and

tried to pull away, but Ares had repositioned us so that he was lying on top of me. I ran my hands through his thick black hair and kissed him harder, grabbing a chunk of his hair in my hands and pulling him to me. He moaned again and thrust his tongue into my mouth. He kissed my lips once more than moved down my jaw to my neck. My breathing sped up and he smiled at me.

The smile was perfect. Admiration, desire and happiness all in one. He kissed my lips one more time then jumped off me.

I frowned. “Where are you going?”

He smiled at me from the bedroom door. “I want you for your heart, not your body, but if

I stay any longer with you kissing me like that, I don’t know if I can hold myself back.” He walked out of the room and my face erupted into a blush. I grumbled to myself as I changed clothes and went through my morning routine.

I walked out into the living room and stared at the pile of dishes in the sink. I opened the fridge and growled. “What happened to all of the food?”

Koda laughed. “You have three male werewolves in your house and you wonder where

your food went? It’s in our stomachs!”

I glared at him. “And you didn’t think to leave some for me!” Koda’s smile faded and I

sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m just hungry.” I tapped my foot then sighed. “Well I guess we’ll just have to go to the pub.”

Ares asked, “Do you have money for the pub?”

I laughed. “You don’t know Darren very well do you? I told you I had to go hunting.” I

walked to the bottom middle kitchen cabinet and pulled all of the canned food out on to the floor.

A piece of tape held down a tiny white string and I pulled on it opening the small compartment Darren built into the cabinets. He always hated banks and being a couple hundred years old explained it better. I reached into the compartment and pulled out the long slender bag hidden inside. I shut the compartment and put the canned food away then tossed the bag to Ares. I walked quickly into Darren’s room and tried to move the bed, but it was too heavy. I turned to see Koda in the doorway smiling at me. “Can you move this?”

He shrugged and walked over to the bed. He put his foot against the base and with a

slight movement sent the bed flying across the room and into the wall. Ares ran in the room and sighed. “Koda.”

Koda smiled. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”

I rolled my eyes at him and walked to where the center of the bed used to be and sat

down. I traced my fingertip along the edge of the two boards and smiled when I felt the air coming up on the edge of one. I pressed against the very end of the board and it popped up. The boards were only three inches wide so I had to turn my hand sideways to get it in and down.

When my hand was in down to my wrist I had an evil idea. I hid my smile and then screamed as if in pain and acting like I was trying to pull my arm out. Koda rushed over to me and started trying to pull my arm out. He looked at my face and I smiled. “Sorry couldn’t help myself.”

Koda sighed. “Shit.”

Ares laughed. “Looks like she’ll be a handful for you too, Koda.

Koda groaned. “Damn, a prankster and a smart aleck like me. Wonderful.”

I finished reaching in the hold and pulled the bag up. Darren must have added more while

it was in the hole because it wouldn’t come out. I stared at the small space and didn’t want to ask for Koda’s help again. I am a werewolf so shouldn’t I be able to break it apart? I made a fist and punched the board next to the open one and smiled as it broke apart. I punched the board on the other side of the hole and it broke open, too. Koda watched me with a small smile on his face. I cleared the piece of the board and grabbed the bag. I gasped when I realized how heavy it was.