Uncertain of what the boys were up to, Stella and Rhae tried their best to stay composed as they were practically escorted to an unfamiliar room to meet the man who supposedly raised them.
They'd been told it was the "father's" apartment, but they were starting to wonder if they'd trusted these guys a little too quickly.
They kept their eyes on their surroundings, stealing glances at each other now and then, as they walked hand in hand toward whatever fate had in store.
Thankfully, they noticed it was right next to the building's exit, which helped ease the tension since they could make a quick escape if necessary.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!"
The knot in both girls' chests tightened as their anticipation grew while they waited for whoever was on the other side of the door to greet them.
"No need to be scared. It's not what you think, that I can promise you," Raphael whispered.
That didn't do anything but make them worry just a bit more.
Raphael, Rhae, Phoenix, and Stella waited nervously, their patience wearing thin as they anticipated Dominic answering the door.
It felt like it was taking forever, but the old wolf was recovering from an attack, so they should have expected it.
As they stood there, they noticed it was dark outside, except for the large full moon casting its brilliant rays over everything in sight.
Apparently, the day had passed faster than they realized.
Fortunately, after the past twenty-four hours, the whole team agreed to take a night off from the club, realizing that rest would be better than trying to work while only half-focused.
Luck had been scarce lately inside the walls of Scarlet Fever, so Julius decided to make the call to keep the wolves out of the club that night.
As they stood there, gazing at the moon through the glass that kept them hidden from the town, they spotted a figure slowly approaching the building.
Phoenix quickly took hold of the girls by their shoulders and pressed them back against the wall.
"Step back and stay against the wall until I tell you it's okay to move."
Stella was stirred in more than one way by the sudden commands and the complete dominance he displayed.
Unsure of what was going on, they followed instructions, staying exactly where he had put them, protected by the men in front of them.
That's when they spotted the shadowy figure of someone making their way toward the outside door.
They weren't sure why the two men seemed to be so concerned about a person going home.
It just seemed to be a man who was carrying several bags to his apartment.
Rhae was the first to speak after the two girls exchanged glances.
"Are you afraid he'll steal us away from you two with his good looks when he walks in?"
She giggled softly, unaware of what Phoenix and Raphael had been through or the kind of life they led.
The two men, realizing they might have been overreacting, cast a brief glance at the girls before turning their attention back to the man, still unrecognizable behind the glass, and then back to the woman.
"Just stay back until we say it's okay, please," Raphael said sincerely.
Rhae knew deep down he wouldn't say that without a reason, so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt this time and trust him while they were in the situation.
"Fine, but I want an explanation," she said to the men.
His ears felt like they sank a little at her words.
Phoenix nodded his head, "Okay."
He stayed silent afterward; his attention was completely locked on the front door.
They all held their breath as the man rested his hand on the door, waiting to see who might walk in.
Before they realized it, Alexander was strolling in.
"Hey, guys. Want to introduce me? I think I've seen them a few times before, right?"
Both men exhaled in relief, reassured that everything was okay.
Phoenix raised a hand and pointed. "This is Stella, and that's Rhae. Holy hell, I forgot you left. Dude, can we move him off the first floor? I don't like people being able to see us in here."
Stella and Rhae watched the scene unfold, clearly puzzled about what was happening, their expressions making it obvious they were judging them harshly.
The first thing that came to mind was that they were meeting the building manager or someone similar.
Alexander chuckled at what Phoenix said.
"With everything you've seen in this building, do you really think anyone can see inside? Think about it. Ask the girls what they notice when they walk up. With that, I'll leave you with a good night," he said with a wink.
Leaving that thought to ruminate with Phoenix and Raphael, Alexander made his exit to the elevator to find Ayla.
He had full faith that the amazing Ayla had exhausted herself and knew exactly where to find her.
Ayla was completely worn out, and just as Alexander had guessed, she went to their room to get some sleep.
She wasn't one to sleep for long stretches, though.
A quick catnap now and then was more her style.
The way she had been living for so long only let her grab quick, refreshing naps along the way.
Her body was used to it, so it didn't take long for her to start stirring.
Alexander walked into the room, still carrying the same bags he'd brought with him when he first entered the building, just as Ayla was heading toward the door.
"What are you doing? What is that?" she asked.
Surprised by her approach and her question, he took a step back but only briefly.
"I don't know what you mean. I thought we did things without telling each other."
Ayla stepped back, as if she could already tell what he was planning.
"I thought we already went over this once. Didn't you learn from it the first time?"
Even more confused, he looked down at the bags in his hands.
"Ayla, what do you think I bought?"
As she answered him, there was a look in her eyes he had never seen before.
"What did you buy?" she asked, trying to sound confident, though her voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
He was on the verge of feeling amused, but he didn't want her to notice.
Then it hit me, she was backing away, standing by the bed, rubbing her wrist.
Alexander's smirk faded, and for a moment, he nearly felt sorry for her.
"Handcuffs? Seriously, in these bags?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, the earlier emotions fading away, replaced by a flicker of anger.
"Are you seriously trying to keep from laughing at me?"
As he spoke, his face slowly started to reflect the sincerity of his words.
"No, not at all. I'm sorry that I did it the first time. I mean, I'm not really, but I'm sorry that I traumatized you. Obviously, it didn't work because you still keep running away to do whatever you want. Maybe I should keep you handcuffed to me," he said.
"Funny, not happening."
"Sorry. I won't do it again. Unless you ask."
He walked toward her, bags left on the ground, hands outstretched, palms facing her.
"What's in the bags then. Something else you want to use to hold me captive when you can't keep your eyes on me. Are you really that mad that I went out alone today?"
Her own guilt was showing, and he didn't even have to lift a finger to make it happen.
As much as he wanted to laugh, he held it in, knowing her guilt could easily flip to anger.
"No. Tempting, but no. No matter how much I want to tie you up to keep you safe, and for other reasons, it isn't fair to you. You are a capable woman who knows what she is doing. When we interfere, someone gets hurt. I will follow your lead."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
It had to be some kind of trick.
Was he submitting to her, and to who she was as a person, finally?
Listening to him finish, she was curious what was left to say.
"That being said, I went back to the boutique. Your dress is paid for, as well as some other clothes, shoes, and jewelry that the owner picked for you."
Ayla was looking at him as if he were a completely new person standing before her.
"Why did you do that?"
Alexander was shocked at her reaction.
He thought she would be grateful.
"Because you deserve it. What do you really have besides the old things you've held onto for a while? Someone like you should have the best of everything. This was just what I could pull together on short notice, and I didn't want to overwhelm you or guess at what you might like."
She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything.
For the first time, she was actually speechless.
Instantly, she leaned in and kissed him to thank him.
"Thank you. No one has ever done anything nice for me before, not without a reason."
What she didn't realize was that he had his reasons.
He didn't want her to go out to look for things like new clothes or to work to pay for them; in essence, he was trying to control her, and she didn't even realize it.
Ayla kissed him again.
The bond between them didn't feel any different, but she did.
She felt more open and available to him, even grateful for his help and protection.
As she embraced him more passionately with her kisses, her arms found themselves around his neck.
Once her arms were wrapped around him, he knew she was calm, ready.
They were in a place of passion and desire, lost together.
With slow, graceful movements, he lifted her to his waist, her legs rising as her ankles crossed behind his back.
Her body was doing everything on instinct.
There wasn't a thought present for either of them, as their bodies, their wolves, knew what they wanted.
Moving in slow motion, he placed her gently on the bed, never once breaking the flow of kisses.
After gently placing her safely on the bed, he let one hand wander, brushing her skin with the lightest pressure so she could just barely sense his touch.
Down her arm, then around the skin of her breasts, teasing her nipples, making them rise to the occasion, just like he was already doing.
Once he finished there, his feather-light touch drifted down the side of her stomach, leading her to believe he was heading toward the center between her legs.
She was wrong, dead wrong, and let out a little whimper of a moan into his mouth when he detoured out and continued down her thigh.
"Sounds like someone wants something," he whispered into her ear as he broke free from her lush, full lips, "Tell me what you want."
Seeming like they had all the time in the world, he moved directly to her neck, grazing her ear with his lips along the way.
"You, all of you, now," she moaned, unable to contain herself any longer.
He knew he had her where he wanted her, as he kissed and lightly nibbled his way down her arms, to her breast, making sure he paid them extra attention, then went down her abdomen, until he was finally down to where her legs split.
She was warm and wet as his thumb rubbed on her clit just right, his fingers rubbing her moist folds.
Then slowly, teasingly, he let two fingers enter her, never stopping his tongue from missing a single stroke, making sure to suck a little extra on her nub when she tried to move.
When he felt like she was adjusting too well, he added another finger inside of her, now dripping himself from the head of his shaft.
He was barely able to maintain control when she grabbed the top of his head and tried to pull his head back, moaning.
That was when he knew she was close, in addition to the arching of her back, the flow of juices, and pulsating around his fingers.
"Just let go, let me taste your cum," he thought toward her, wishing for her to hear him.
It was almost as if he commanded her, because she moaned again, as her orgasm came full force, and he drank it up like his favorite drink.
He never stopped the motion of his tongue, thumb, or fingers, which drove her crazy with desire, passion, and want.
Ayla wanted him then, not anything else but his large, hard cock.
"Fuck me, now," she demanded.
"That's not it. That's not how you beg. If you want it, beg for it."
"Please, I need it. I need it now. I'll be good," she said as she grabbed his shoulders with her claws drawn, digging them in, pulling him up toward her.
"Now that's how you beg," he smiled, going straight in to kiss her.
"Damn, I taste amazing, don't I?" she thought to where he could hear her.
It was like he could read her thoughts, because he pulled back and licked his lips, as he adjusted himself and started sliding himself in, gently, but not too gently.
"Goddess, you feel too good."
Once he felt he was all the way in, Alexander grabbed her hips and gave an extra thrust just to make sure that made her moan.
Alexander was determined to let her know how much he wanted her, but he needed to know for sure that she wanted him.
Something in his wolf needed to know that she wanted him.
He wanted it to last forever, and he wanted her to know how he felt about her as he continued pleasing her, stroke after deep, perfectly placed, and paced stroke.
Just a few floors below, on the first floor, the tone was slightly different for all involved.