It was obvious that Ayla and Alexander were enjoying an incredible night, after all the tension that had led up to it.
The same couldn't be said for Phoenix and Raphael, who stood with the girls, waiting for Dominic to answer the door.
They could easily have spent the night in their apartment, easing their tension with Rhae and Stella, but something in their wolves told them these girls were different.
The first thing they thought of was to take them straight to Dominic for help in finding the answers they were looking for, since he knew everything.
After last night, hell, the past few days, they weren't taking any more chances.
All they needed was to get tangled up with some witches, vampires, or fairies, or Moon Goddess knows what, and make the whole situation even worse.
They knew they weren't wolves; they couldn't be, but they had to figure out what they were, and fast, because now they were starting to suspect they weren't human either.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK," Raphael banged on the door again.
Dominic had finally drifted off to sleep, and after everything he'd been through, it felt well-deserved and needed.
At first, he didn't even notice the four young wolves knocking at his door.
He woke up the instant he sensed the sudden wave of fear from Phoenix and Raphael just outside his door.
It was like his instincts had never left, his body stronger than ever as he moved with effortless agility and control.
Without a second thought, he jumped out of bed, as if his muscles still held the vigor of youth, and hurried to the panel he knew was next to the door.
If his apartment had one, then that one definitely did too.
Like magic, the wall slid upward at his push, revealing the camera screens before him.
Dominic's head dipped in relief as he let out a soft chuckle, then gave it a small shake, resting a hand on his throat to soothe it.
The two guarding the women told him a few things, but they had to work it out on their own, especially the way Raphael was hovering over the woman nearest to him.
Then his attention shifted to what had driven them to act as they did, filling him with satisfaction at the thought that Alexander was finally back home.
The moment he spotted the bags in the young man's hand, he immediately understood what had happened.
Alexander's protective instinct was strong, proof that his wolf was powerful, and he knew he had to belong to an Alpha; he just wasn't sure which one.
None of the packs ever told the truth about which child, or children, were taken from them.
From the bags in Alexander's hand, Dominic could tell there was no way he'd let Ayla head to that boutique to work off the cost of that dress.
That said, he also knew exactly what was in those bags.
His respect was growing for the hopeless romantic, with emphasis on the hopeless part.
The fact that it was Ayla he was pursuing only meant that he had a long road in front of him.
Dominic decided to give them some space and see how things played out before getting involved.
After seeing Alexander step into the elevator, he decided to open the door to check on what his partners were doing.
He didn't get a chance to grab the handle before, "KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK."
They were banging on his door again.
As he turned the handle and swung the door open wide, Phoenix spoke up first, as usual.
Apparently, he wanted to avoid making things awkward for Raphael.
At the same time, he wanted to fill Dominic in on what was happening as best he could.
"Hey, pops, it's great to see you feeling a bit better and back on your feet. Do you feel like having some company?"
Dominic eyed them with his brows furrowed.
"I guess. I've never been one to turn away beautiful ladies. But you two knuckleheads," he said, narrowing his eyes as he tried to read the group.
He was still trying to figure out what was going on as they walked up to him.
Phoenix smiled.
"Great! They agreed to meet our dad, so I'm glad you're feeling up to it. I'd like you to meet the one and only Ms. Stella Lycaon, and Raphael's partner, the lovely Rhae Moon," he said as they walked in to take their seats.
Dominic was thoroughly puzzled as he trailed after them, absentmindedly scratching his temple.
"Something's off," Dominic heard Phoenix say, realizing he wasn't speaking out loud.
Dominic glanced at the four of them lounging on the couch and gave a nod with a warm smile.
"Tea, snack, or anything?"
That was all he said, and they all just shook their heads.
"Off how?" he wondered openly, making sure both men could hear.
Raphael thought, "They seem a lot like us, but if we just keep quiet and stay in our own heads, they'll end up leaving and thinking we are strange."
Raphael decided to speak up.
"He's not saying much at the moment—still recovering from a major injury. Usually, we can't get him to shut up," he said with a teasing grin toward the grumpy wolf across from them.
The girls glanced at his neck, their eyes filled with intrigue.
With concern in her voice, Stella asked, "What happened? That seemed serious."
Phoenix spoke up for him.
"Yeah, a wild wolf attacked. He was lucky to make it through, honestly, it was a close call for a while."
Dominic wasn't happy with how he was dealing with the situation.
"Don't scare the girls, or they'll think wolves are roaming all over town."
Stella and Rhae looked at each other and then back to the group before Rhae hesitantly spoke.
"Don't they, though? I've spotted a few recently. Over the years, I've seen them here and there, sure, but lately, it feels like they're around a lot more. Don't get me wrong, I love wolves, but some of them just don't seem to belong here."
Phoenix was starting to worry, but he had company.
Her words didn't sit well with him, especially since he was one of those so-called "wolves" she was referring to.
"What does that mean?" Phoenix blurted out before he could stop himself, never one for self-control.
Rhae's eyes widened, and a hint of color drained from her face, as though she'd just said something she shouldn't have.
"I mean... we live right next to the forest... There are thousands of wolves in there. That's where they live, right?"
Stella jumped in to help her friend, who was clearly in distress.
"That's all she meant, wolves live in the forest, and sometimes they wander into town. Looks like your dad crossed paths with one somewhere, and I'm sorry he did. Anyway, we just remembered we have somewhere to be, so can we catch up with you another time?"
Stella's sudden urge to leave the party was puzzling, as fear seemed to be seeping out of them, literally.
Both girls began to rise, while all three men took deep, deliberate sniffs of the air around them.
"You were right, it's strange," Dominic said, though he wasn't entirely certain.
After spending so much time thinking about chasing Ayla, he came up with a theory and knew he had to scare them.
Rhae and Stella were suddenly frightened, and though their scent wasn't distinct to him, it lingered in the air.
Not a full scent, more like a faint baby smell trying to give them away.
Once it became obvious, Raphael and Phoenix shared a quick glance before looking back at Dominic.
Phoenix had a single question for his old General.
"How did you know that was going to work?"
"I didn't. The working theory, which seems to be gaining traction, is that those who were taken are hidden, but the concealment fails when their emotions become too intense, any emotion should do as long as it's intense, I'd assume. Do you know their story?"
Phoenix couldn't resist making his usual type of remark, "Is that why she smells so irresistible when she's at the peak of arousal?"
Dominic gave him a sharp look to make him quiet.
Stella listened closely, and she wasn't happy with what she heard.
"Tell me what's going on right now, or we're out of here."
Phoenix glanced at her and reached for her hands, but she quickly pulled them back.
"Just give me a few minutes, and we'll explain everything. It'll all make sense, but you've got to trust me. Please."
She scoffed at his words and his plea.
"Trust you? I don't know you or anything about you, so why should I trust you?"
She wasn't wrong.
But how could he show her he was worth trusting?
"Ayla, we need you down here, now," Phoenix said, starting to panic.
Dominic gave his head a quick shake.
"No. After everything that's just happened, leave her out of it. If you can't earn that girl's trust on your own, then you don't deserve her. You're not going to ruin Alexander's night just because you can't figure out how to talk to her."
Phoenix glanced at Stella, then at Raphael.
They exchanged nods before both turned their attention back to the woman with them.
"Together," they thought simultaneously.
"Together," they thought to each other.
Suddenly, they shut their eyes and then opened them again, revealing the striking glow of their amber wolf eyes.
They thought the girl would either jump and run or at least let out a scream.
They sat for a moment, glancing at each other with a hint of fear, unsure whether to trust the men standing before them.
They gazed at each other, searching for answers in each other's eyes, as a single word echoed in both of their minds.
'Together?'
'Together.'
Stella and Rhae glanced back at the men holding their hands as they made their way down to the apartment, and without so much as a blink, their vibrant amber eyes began to glow.
"I knew it," Raphael said with a grin, looking as though he had just hit the jackpot.
Phoenix squinted slightly and cocked his head while gazing at Stella.
"So, you both know, but were you aware of us?"
They seemed guilty as Stella glanced at Rhae, who kept her head lowered, refusing to make eye contact any longer.
"We noticed all of you, yes. That's why we kept our distance. We weren't sure if you could figure anything out about us. We were scared, if I'm being honest."
Phoenix's eyes were opened wide, as a fake laugh left his chest.
"You knew about us and didn't say a word! No, we had no idea about you until that comment about sensing each other in the apartment upstairs. Even then, it was just a hunch. How can you be like us and still live completely under the radar? There are so many of you, it's just not fair."
Rhae gave him a look that said she had no idea why he was reacting like that.
"Really? You grew up with a pack, a family. We grew up with no one, just an orphanage, no documentation, no family. There's nothing on us. We found each other as toddlers, and that's how we became sisters. Otherwise, I'd have nothing. It was pure chance we discovered we were wolves at all. We saw some running a few weeks ago, wished we could do the same, and suddenly we could. Do you know how terrifying yet liberating that felt?"
Phoenix instantly realized how stupid his comment sounded, and it showed on his face as he lowered his head.
"I just meant to say I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking. Just so you know, growing up in a pack isn't exactly what you might imagine. Some struggles come with it, too."
He kept his head down when he finished speaking.
Stella laughed.
"You've got a dad by your side, real or not, and you had someone to show you who you are and what you're all about."
Raphael interrupted her.
"About that. Do you want to know why he's my dad?"
"Raphael, don't. It's not worth it," Dominic chimed in.
"No, they need to know what pack life is like. My given dad died fighting for an alpha he hated, feared when I was a baby, in a war he didn't even believe in. Phoenix's dad chose to leave him at four, not wanting to follow the alpha anymore. Having a toddler was just an inconvenience, so he left him behind. Does pack life still sound glamorous to you?"
Both girls realized that neither of them really had a better life, with the exception that the boys had Dominic to help them.
It was time to change the mood.
Rhae decided to try.
"Sorry, we shouldn't have spoken without knowing the facts. Help me understand. So, we saw you three running alongside three of the other orphans. How did that come about? Why do they trust you?"
Dominic was curious about her statement for several reasons, especially after hearing they'd seen them running.
"What do you mean"?
Stella looked at him as if he already knew.
"You know the girl, and the two guys she's recently started hanging out with are orphans too, right? I mean, there are several orphanages in the nearby towns, but they were in them here; she was in all of them. Most of the orphans know each other or at least know of each other. That said, Ayla was never really part of the social side or networking part of being an orphan. She doesn't trust anyone."
Phoenix looked at her with questions.
"So, you know her?"
Stella shook her head, curling one side of her lip upward just like she had before she replied.
"Ayla? No, I know of her. I used to see her sneaking around town, running from you three. I was curious when I saw the four of you meet up with those two other men, but it wasn't really my business."
Dominic looked at her interestedly.
"You saw all that and didn't say anything? Why? It went on for years. You know what, never mind, it's all water under the bridge now. Did you see her take off earlier today, or at any point today?"
The girls exchanged glances, uncertain if they should speak up or stay quiet.
Raphael knew he had to speak up, to let them know it was safe to say whatever was on their mind and that they were firmly in Ayla's corner.
"We're trying to help Ayla, and now you as well. You're welcome to stay with us as long as you like, and if that doesn't work out, we can help you find your own place here. Wolves are pack animals, and you can be part of our pack while we help you look for your family. We'll tell you everything, promise. She met with two men today, and we're curious if they went anywhere afterward. Apparently, the orphan network in this town is pretty solid. Who would've guessed?"
Rhae met his gaze, her eyes searching his as she took in what he'd said.
She glanced at Stella, and after receiving a nod, turned her gaze back to the three men.
"I'll tell you everything, and trust me, you'll want to hear it, but only if you agree to one condition."