Lucas knew he wouldn't make it through the evening without facing the tough conversation that lay ahead.
Dominic's words echoed in his mind, 'How you knew about his place... Julius, the team, the orphans, and Ayla.'
In just a few seconds that felt like an eternity, it seemed to happen fifty times, though in reality only a handful, as his breathing sped up and sweat began to gather on his forehead.
"What do you mean we need to talk about Julius, the team, the orphans, Ayla, and how I knew where to find you? If that's what has to happen, then let's go. What are you waiting for?"
Dominic's expression turned serious.
"I need to know I can trust you. That you're not here to spy for the pack, or worse, the witches. So, how am I supposed to figure that out?"
"That's a good question, isn't it? I tried to kill you, you survived, and now I'm back. Maybe I'm here to finish the job. Be serious, Dom, or should I call you Nic, like that angel did?" he said with a mocking tone toward his former General.
"You've always been like a father to me, if you'd ever stopped doting on thing one and thing two long enough to notice. All I've ever wanted was to be good enough for you. Now that they're away, it's the perfect time for me to prove it. Dive into my wolf's mind anytime you want, link with him. And yes, the witches told me where Alexander and Julius had been staying before they left, so they know."
Dominic gave it some thought.
Trusting Lucas was an option, but a risky one if he wasn't careful.
He had always been able to trust Lucas, until the moment he attacked him.
But that attack had been driven by anger, and Lucas had been remorseful afterward.
If anything, the old wolf could easily pick up on the remorse without effort, and he even tossed in some useful information that gave him a heads-up he hadn't had before.
The witches must have had spies in town, because they knew at the very least that his son lived in the building, which meant they might not have been as safe as they once believed.
Raphael and Ayla might not be as safe as they once thought.
This was Lucas's opportunity to make things right with him.
Ayla would be furious that he made such a big decision without them, but he could really use the help.
"I trust you, but don't betray that trust. When you attacked me, I understood and never held it against you. I can't and won't speak for the others, though. You didn't have the full picture of what was going on here. I can tell you everything that's happened here from then up to now. Then, you decide."
He hoped that, with the full picture and the loyalty he was showing, Lucas was determined to stay no matter what.
That's exactly what he did.
He told him everything while they watched the monitors for any suspicious activity, fully aware of just how much of a risk he was taking.
Lucas hung on every word, relishing them as much as the pineapple concoction Deva had brought for the old wolf to taste.
Dominic knew there was no chance it was going anywhere near his mouth, so he was relieved that Lucas was eating it instead.
Even though Dominic was nervous about telling him everything, it felt almost like a relief when he finally did.
"So, a lot has gone down, and you're happy now, except you've lost your son again. I could stick around as your main guy for a bit, though, that's what you're saying."
Dominic knew that while he listened and absorbed everything, it was being needed that he truly valued and centered his attention on.
"Yep, you could be my lead wolf while the others are off on a mission. Maybe even after they get back, depending on how things play out. You'd have to stay in the shadows, basically like I do. Ever since your attack, I've let it be known that you killed me, at least for now. One day soon, I'll come back from the dead when it works best for the rest of the group and me."
He tilted his face toward the floor, then looked up with the left side of his mouth curling into a high grin.
"Then, I'm not sorry I killed you. Plus, that's a badass scar. You're welcome."
Dominic arched his eyebrow, "I could have lived without the scar."
Lucas's grin faded as he bit his upper lip.
"Well, I honestly don't have anywhere to stay. Do you know of a place to sleep that's not a cave? If I'm being honest with you, I'd love a nice, comfortable bed."
Dominic chuckled, "Have you been staying in the… never mind. I can get you an apartment, but this building is only for those whom Alexander, Julius, or I approve."
Lucas shrugged his shoulders.
"If it means I'm sleeping in a bed, in an apartment, I can live with that rule. So, where are we headed?"
Dominic reached out a hand and led him into his apartment.
"Right here. You'll be staying with me. As for being my ghost spy, whenever you feel like wandering around town, dropping by the club, or grabbing a bite to eat, just keep your eyes and ears open for anything worth reporting. You'll be my most important spy because you can recognize other wolf scents and know how to spot witches."
"Easiest job ever. Honestly, I could go for a drink and a bit of mingling right now, if you don't mind me getting started," he said with a knowing grin.
Dominic shot him a judgmental glance.
"Is this because you spotted Deva heading to the club while we were in the middle of our conversation?"
Lucas gave a casual shrug as he made his way toward the doors.
"How do I get back in when I come back?"
Dominic handed him a key fob.
"Here you go, this should get you in without any problem. If not, I'll be awake when you get home."
"Home. I like the sound of that," he said, a calm ease spreading across his face for a moment.
Dominic gave him a wave.
"Go on, see if you've got what it takes to win her over. Good luck, roommate!"
Lucas's lips twisted into a slight smirk at his remark before he turned on his heel and almost sprinted out the building's door toward the club.
The wolf was on a mission, with only one goal in mind: to find Deva.
With Lucas settled and Dominic back at the monitors keeping an eye on all three of his spies, it was time to turn attention to the other wolves on their mission.
...
The group of four, paired off into twos, was closing in on Alexander and chasing after Ayla.
Even though the group was exhausted, Alexander refused to stop searching for her, but it was becoming clear it wouldn't happen that night.
They had been on the move since before sunrise, facing enemies, breaking through enchantments and spells, and braving the forces of nature, and now the sun was nearly setting.
None of them had eaten, and it was beginning to feel like Ayla's trail was going colder and colder.
Alexander began to slow down, and the two couples were right behind him.
He knew she must still be ahead of him.
Alexander could feel her presence, and it seemed they were both heading toward the Moonlight Shifters Mountains.
But she was doing what she did best: disappearing a ghost.
Just as they began to notice how long it had been since their last meal, the smell of a deer reached their nose.
All five of them suddenly lifted their noses to the air, and their wolf's ears perked up.
Wolves loved nothing more than the thrill of the hunt, and now they had one.
If they were lucky, they might get to have dinner as well.
Their first meal as a pack, hunted together, would hold special meaning for them.
The moment the scent reached them, their focus snapped to the full-grown buck that had become their target.
It didn't take them long to catch the scent and follow the trail through the trees, locking onto it before launching the attack, letting the ladies take the lead.
Within minutes, Rhae and Stella leapt toward the large deer, plunging from their vantage point above to bring him down instantly, striking from both sides at his neck.
Finally, the five wolves were buried fang-deep in their meal, tearing into the hearty, well-nourished venison.
They devoured their meal, picking the bones clean and filling their bellies.
Afterwards, they savored the thrill of giving in to their wolf side for the hunt.
Feeling fully rewarded, they lounged around the carcass, blood staining the fur around their muzzles and paws.
For the first time in hours, they felt at peace and finally rested, exactly what they had been longing for.
After a moment, Alexander broke the silence.
"We can't stay here forever. Who knows how far ahead she's gotten by now? Ayla's a pro at going it alone. We don't know if she'll stop to eat or sleep. Should we even be resting? She's still under that stupid spell."
Phoenix glanced at Raphael, who spoke up.
"Bro, we're no help to her if we can't take care of ourselves. We need to eat, rest, and keep our strength up. Without that, we won't be sharp enough to spot trouble or have the energy to keep up with her. You said she's used to being on her own. She knows where she's going and how to handle herself. We'll keep our stops short and stick close. We'll find her. Trust me, Phoenix and I trained for this and have spent years preparing. The girls need to rest, though. They can't keep going right now."
The two men chuckled at the irony of once more pursuing Ayla, yet here they were again, chasing the cursed werewolf.
Little did they realize that Ayla was being pursued by someone else who had already noticed her.
The stunning white wolf dashed gracefully through the forest, but it wasn't as ghostly as she had imagined.
After a while, she could feel it too; someone was nearby.
As she ran, she used her tail to sweep the path, erasing her paw prints just like she always had, making sure no one could follow her.
That's why it was impossible for her friends to track her. There simply wasn't a trail to follow.
She didn't track wolves the usual way, but she knew how to move fast without leaving a trace of her presence.
Ayla knew it was another wolf because she had already learned how to sniff them out by then.
If nothing else, she picked things up quickly.
The citrus notes caught her attention first, and then the faint scent of hidden snow in the fur, barely detectable, drifted through.
Whoever was nearby belonged to a pack she hadn't come across before, at least as far as she knew.
The smell was warm and inviting, reminding her of home in some ways, yet it filled her with an even deeper sense of fear, but she refused to be scared.
All she knew was that danger prowled in the woods and was chasing her, so she found a safe spot and shifted.
When she did, it felt like a fog had lifted, and she suddenly remembered that something had happened earlier that day.
She figured the witches had pulled some sort of trick on her, but at the moment, she didn't have many options.
Danger was nipping at her tail.
She couldn't do much, stuck away from the rest of the group, and now some random stranger was getting closer to her.
A quick, hopeful idea suddenly zipped through her mind.
Maybe it was one of the group members who managed to catch up to her.
It had to be Alexander, which was exactly why the scent was so irresistible.
With the steps so close, she gathered her courage and stepped out of the shrubbery where she'd been hiding so well, only to be seized by large, strong, warm hands.
They shoved her hard, slamming her back against the tree behind her.
She barely had a moment to grasp what was going on before her back pressed into the rough bark.
His voice was rich and deep, sending a low, stirring sensation through her belly as he spoke.
"Who are you?"
Ayla was caught off guard, her words faltering before she could speak, as the perfectly built man with bronze skin, tousled curls of brown hair, and hazel eyes fixed his gaze on hers.
The strange man shifted his left hand from her right arm to her throat, gripping it tightly as he lifted her slightly against the tree, causing the bark to scratch the surface.
As he did, he made sure she couldn't slip out of his grasp.
Ayla tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but she couldn't stop her nostrils from flaring as the bark pierced her skin.
"I won't ask a third time, who are you?"
She tried to answer, her voice strained and broken under the pressure of his grip on her throat.
"I could...probably answer...if you...let...go..."
The strange man looked amused, offering a half smirk as he loosened his grip on her throat and moved his hand to her arm to steady her, before pressing himself against her naked body to restrain her with his naked body.
"Go on, you should be able to answer now. Although I'm sure saying your name the first time would have taken far less effort than what you said."
"Why do you want to know my name. Seems to me you just want to show your dominance and toy with me. Typical wolf from what I've seen."
She spoke, lifting a hand as best she could to gently rub her throat for a moment, never breaking eye contact, before letting it drop back to her side.
Her stubbornness in defying him seemed to get on his nerves.
"Do you not know who I am. Probably not. Most she-wolves would throw themselves at me for a chance to have my pup. Where are you from?"
She merely laughed at him, stoking the fire.
"Cocky, aren't you? I'd never be with someone like you. How many wolves have you been with, one hundred, two hundred, more? It doesn't matter where I'm from. What matters is that I'm not going where you're headed."
The muscular man tilted his head slightly, his curiosity piqued by her.
"You are judgmental, aren't you. Who says I've slept with any of them? Will you answer any of my questions?"
He leaned in, his nose gliding softly up her neck toward her ear, just lightly grazing her skin.
All he wanted was a whiff of her scent to guess where she came from, just a drop of sweat, anything at all.
He got more than he bargained for, realizing it wasn't her scent he'd picked up on.
What he did sent shivers down every inch of her skin.
"What question could you possibly ask that I'd actually want to answer?" she said, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
He squinted, his hazel eyes locking onto hers.
"Where are you headed? Are you alone? Why can't I catch your scent? Are you officially mated? Of course, wolves will be wolves. Why are you so beautiful? If you're alone, can I help you travel safely? A wolf like you shouldn't be on the road by yourself, not with all the big bad wolves out here."
The tip of his nose traced softly down her neck, sending unfamiliar sensations through her that she struggled to keep in check.
He smirked as she tried to pull her legs together, but his leg was between them, blocking her.
He took a deep breath with his eyes closed, and when he opened them, a brief flash lit his wolf-like gaze.
Ayla definitely had his full attention then, but he had hers, and he knew it.
Before she knew it, her head rested against the tree, eyes drifting shut, and a few words escaped in a faint whisper.
"Moonlight Shifters, I have to get to Moonlight Shifters. That's where my friends are meeting me. Why did you think I knew who you were?"
There was a hint of surprise in his voice.
"You really don't know who I am? Doesn't Titan ring a bell? At all? I'm the famous Beta's son, the one who survived the curse. The only higher-up pup who wasn't taken. A true-born pup, anyway. Others claim they are, but there are whispers they were stolen when the others were cursed and swapped with those pups. Makes sense, steal babies while other babies are being stolen to save face."
"No, that doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, I've never heard of you," she whispered in his ear.
She was poking at his ego, and though he couldn't quite figure out her game, he knew he had her right where he wanted, firmly in the palm of his hand.
"You never told me your name. beautiful."
He leaned in toward her cheek and softly pressed his lips against it.
As he stepped back and met her gaze once more, her leg shot up with incredible force, striking squarely between his thighs with all the power she could muster, right in his most sensitive spot.
'And Alexander said that sex can't get me what I want!' she thought to herself as she nailed him.
Just as she successfully landed the blow, his hands released her arms, and he stepped backwards just enough for her to escape his hold.
"My name isn't beautiful, I can promise you that."
Once more, the chase began as Titan raced after the elusive white wolf, watching her slip away after she transitioned into the thick foliage.
Pushing himself up from the forest floor, he shifted into the massive wolf, his dark fur blazing in the wind as he sprinted after her.