 
## ANTICIPATIONS

By

## Isabelle Arocho

www.isabellearocho.com

Copyright 2012 Isabelle Arocho

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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### Chapter 1

We climbed up the mountain and passed miles of surrounding forest trees before reaching the secluded area. It was as peaceful as it was beautiful. The sun hung low that afternoon, soon it'd lower and the moon would be in clear view and furry animals would take solace running. I took a moment and looked at the blues and bright pinks surrounding the burning star. These days it was hard to find peace when every waking moment was spent worrying over what threat might find it's way into my life next. I turned toward my guest. "Your father could kill me if he found out about this."

Jamie turned to face me and shrugged her petite shoulders. "He's busy and after you almost died to help me I don't think he minds anymore that we're friends." She had a bitter tone to her voice that seemed to be constant lately; I assumed it had to do with teenage years and boy troubles. She was dating a vampire—a huge mistake— and now she wouldn't talk about him lately.

Part of the reason I invited her out was to try and get her to tell me what happened. The other part was to make sure the fifteen year old girl had some form of protection. I rested my bag on the floor and bent to open it. "I'm gonna ask, what happened with Ray?"

She shrugged again. "Dad got his wish, it's over between us."

I stood holding a 9mm magnum. "Why?" Her shoulders fell and her dark eyes took on a look of regret and fear. "Did something happen?" I asked, looking over her neck for any telltale signs while she glanced back at the skyline.

"He doesn't think so. I just told him my dad was a pain in the ass and it'd be better if we didn't see each other. But," Jamie took a deep breath and that look of fear worsened. "I came into town a few days early this trip and I went to surprise him." I said nothing and waited for her to continue. She took a moment to gather the words or maybe find the strength to discuss it. "He was with another girl." The teenager froze there.

"That would piss you off Jamie, not scare you. Did you catch Ray biting someone?" I asked, sympathetically, as I remembered the night I saw Michael feeding. I grew jealous and pushed him the next night into biting me instead. It went too far and he was forced into turning me or letting me die but the virus didn't fully take. I was immortal after being brought back to life with his virus but there were no other vampire traits or curses in my body.

"It was so....wrong. I heard stories that it could be something exciting but the girl looked so scared. I don't think she had a choice. I left as fast as I could and broke up with him over the phone." She was feeling cowardly about not being able to face him. I thought it was a smart choice not to anger a vampire face to face.

"Alright, you'll feel better if you shoot stuff." I've been bringing Jamie to the private shooting range and showing her how to use several small yet efficient guns she could carry with her. After she was kidnapped a few months ago I thought it was best to have her own way to help herself when no one was around. At first she wasn't too happy with the idea but it grew on her, it was cool to know how to handle a gun, she quickly realized.

Jamie held the gun with both hands and aimed at the paper body outline. "I'm trying to convince my dad to let me stay with him full time." She shot and hit her mark right in the center of the chest. "Mom agreed but he won't because he thinks it'll make me more of a target." She fired again, it was a head shot that time. After two weeks of listening she was catching on quick.

"You know his life is complicated but I think if you keep asking and use sweet talk he'll cave." Caleb was a tough alpha werewolf but with his daughter he was a big ol' softy.

"I heard him and Jared talking today," she changed guns. "about you."

I couldn't stop the grin that rushed to my face. Jared was Caleb's third in the pack and currently trying to get me to go out on a date with him. "And?"

"Dad doesn't think you and Jared would be a good idea."

"Of course not; I'm vampire bitten and no offense but Caleb can be an ass about vampiric things." I sat down on a huge mountain rock and watched her practice. We stayed there shooting and talking for the next hour before heading back to the car. It was getting pretty dark and I didn't want to encounter any trouble from a shifter with Jamie hanging around. I was glad to see she felt better by the time I turned the car down our street. I parked at my place and walked her three houses down to hers.

When I got home it was time to get ready for work. I worked as the hostess at _La Amour;_ a restaurant/hotel for the Winston vampire family. I took a shower to erase the scent of pine tress and moss. My dress tonight was a strapless black number with matching short heels. I left my hair loose around my shoulders and rushed downstairs before I was late for my shift.

I opened my front door at the same exact moment someone was going to knock. "Michael." I was shocked to see him on my doorstep of all the places we could've ran into each other. "I can't remember the last time you showed up at my place." I was usually at his and it always had something to do with work.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left for the hotel. We need to talk." I stepped aside and let him into the living room. Michael was an intense man and I was used to that except that time was different. The tension was serious and it must be important for him to show up to catch me alone, rather than waiting until we saw each other at the restaurant. "I need to ask you for a favor." The vampire began.

"Ok." I said slowly while trying to understand what the hell was going on. I knew from past experiences when Michael was like this something I didn't like was going to happen next.

"I need you to keep a close eye on Caleb and tell me what you see."

I let out a big exhale. "You want me to spy on him?" It didn't take long for me to get angry and before I could stop it the emotion slammed into me. "I can't do that." I wished I left three minutes sooner and missed our meeting. I'd normally be happy to see my ex but for something like what he wanted, he had the wrong girl. "You have an army of people willing to do whatever you want, so why ask me?"

"Because you're closer and it'd be less suspicious if you're hanging around. I was probably hoping you'd come back to my side." Michael said softly, carrying a more hurtful tone than if he would've yelled.

I winced, it hurt how quickly he could make me feel wrong for trying to do the right thing. "There are no sides and there never has been. I just can't help you with this. He saved my life, Michael." It hadn't been physical danger, it was more like he stopped me from mentally losing my mind. Although I'd never admit it to Caleb, he had helped me a lot when I had killed for the first time with the worries that followed and nearly drowned me. I still worried when I was alone in the darkness of my bedroom.

Michael's disappointment filled the room. He was a lot older than his young handsome face showed, he lived his life a certain way and expected things to happen a certain way. He expected that if I was loyal to him I'd never question what he'd ask of me. He moved toward the door which I stood in front of. "Don't say anything to him."

"I wouldn't do that but what are you trying to find out?"

Michael reached behind me and opened the door. "You're late for work."

### Chapter 2

My whole shift I was preoccupied thinking about Michael's visit. He would never tell me why he needed a spy on Caleb after I declined the job offer and for him to ask it had to be serious. It took a lot for anything to be serious for Michael; it always had something to do with family business or family threats. And family meant the vampire race.

After our break up I constantly reminded Michael he had no say in my life. That fact went both ways and no matter how curious and worried I was I couldn't question him. I prayed whatever it was no one I cared about ended up hurt.

My shift ended just before sunset. I was relieved to finally be home and in my comfortable bed. No matter how stressful the day was, or how active my mind was with questions, when I laid down it all faded away and I slept.

I woke a few hours later just before noon and noticed my answering machine was beeping. Jamie called while I had been at work, asking me to come over when I woke up. She sounded down, much like she had when I asked her about Ray. He was her first serious boyfriend and heartbreak. I couldn't tell her it'd get better or promise some fairytale when five years later I was still hung up on my first love. I could be there though, to listen and be her friend.

After I dressed in my day attire—jeans and an old t-shirt ripped at the waist—I walked over to the Nikolas household. His car wasn't in the driveway but Caleb was home, he opened the door. I didn't want to see him. "Is Jamie around?"

"She's upstairs. Come in, we need to talk." Caleb was a serious intense man himself except he scared me where as Michael didn't. Whatever he wanted to talk about wasn't going to be good for me, his tone hinted as much. Caleb walked over to the mantel. "I found this in Jamie's room." He picked up a 9mm revolver.

Jamie came running down the stairs. "My father likes to invade privacy. Well you know that." She crossed her arms tight and frowned. Her father found a gun in her room but she was the one mad. Humans were strange at times.

I should've stayed in bed late. "After what happened three months ago Jamie wanted a way to protect herself. I go to the shooting range all the time and I asked her if she wanted to come along. She's not like the rest of us Caleb; if she finds trouble she can't outrun it."

"You should've asked my permission first, she's a minor." Caleb was good at hiding his feelings and if I hadn't gotten to know him somewhat those three months ago I wouldn't notice the anger piercing his midnight blue eyes. What I wasn't sure was of was if he was angry at me and the situation or something else entirely.

"Dad, leave her alone. This is your problem, you think I'm some little kid that doesn't know about life. I asked for Evie's help and she gave it. You should try that." Jamie turned on her heel and ran back up the stairs.

I looked at her father. "What does she mean?" I started to think about Michael again and question what the hell was happening in town.

"Nothing. She's taken to eavesdropping lately and she thinks you're some sort of super woman." He ran a frustrated hand over his hair. "She always complains about how I do things but lately it's different." He looked to me for answers.

It would come out eventually and it also gave Caleb a piece of mind. "She broke up with Ray and that's hard for a girl her age. She's a teenager and like you said a lot has happened lately. Give her time to cool off and try to talk about it. I have to go." I left, walking very briskly out of the house and down the street. I realized over the last few months I wanted to avoid Caleb because I wasn't comfortable with how much I opened up to him. When I was terrified and all alone he had been there, it was one big mistake I couldn't forget when he was standing in front of me.

On the jog up the porch my cellphone started to ring. I was popular that morning. "Hello?"

"It's Kevin, I need to see you." he was a childhood friend who came back into my life months ago when I was forced to face my past and stop running from who I was. He treated me for a gunshot wound and I hadn't heard a peep from him since.

His call made me wary and so did the desperation in his voice. "Why?"

"It's important, please Evie."

I mentally cursed. "Ok, where?" a part of me felt I owed him because of the guilt I felt for leaving him behind and the fact he could've been against me when so many of our kind wished me dead. It took guts to stand up to our Elders.

He told me to meet him at the park because it was an open space and it wouldn't seem suspicious if we ran into each other there. That told me Kevin was scared he was being followed. I didn't want to run into anyone from the Coven. Before I killed one of their members I was already labeled a traitor and wanted dead for disgracing their name, now the list grew and I was wanted dead for killing a member and for escaping the Coven without punishment.

I drove to the park considering if maybe sticking around Celestin wasn't the best ideas anymore. I knew there was going to come a day I wouldn't be able to make the choice, it would be made for me.

As I neared the park I called Kevin back and got no answer. Everything in my body told me to leave. The park seemed too empty for that time of day. I tried calling him again and every time it went to voicemail I feared he was in danger. I couldn't handle it if he died because he was too stupid to turn his back on me.

I mentally put my big girl boots on and got out of the car. He should've reported seeing me at the hospital to the Elders and he didn't. Kevin acted like a friend when we saw each other last and I didn't deserve that. If Kevin was in danger I owed him enough to help him out of it.

I walked over to the picnic benches and spotted two Coven witches. One was Miranda, we had been friends as children and then fought in a bad way when she helped Nick Tobias keep Caleb from his daughter and torture him. The other witch was a male I didn't recognize. "Fancy running into you here." I greeted. I didn't want to drop Kevin's name because there was a chance they didn't know about the call.

"Stop trying so hard Evie, you never were good at being funny." Miranda said. "Let me save you the trouble of wondering. Yes, we have been watching Kevin and waiting for him to contact you. I knew it was only a matter of time considering how close you used to be. This here is Rex, Steven's brother...you know the man you killed?"

Well fuck, it wasn't going to end well. The introduction explained why he was looking at me with dark murderous eyes. "I can't say it's a pleasure." I focused on Miranda. "Where's Kevin?"

"Learning a lesson in why it's bad to cover for traitors. It won't be pleasant but it's nothing compared to what you have coming. There's been an order of retrieval placed on you." Miranda explained with a cheeky satisfied grin. She wanted to see me fry.

An order of retrieval meant the Coven wanted me dragged back home to face a trial where a punishment would be decided. Most likely I'd be sentenced to death. The Coven didn't like many other forms of punishment. Kevin was suffering because of me and I wished I could fix that but right now I had to save my own ass and get out of there. "And they sent you two? Hell, I thought I'd warrant at least a full team." I glanced all around the park, there were a few people walking through it but no one paid us any attention. Miranda probably thought I'd go easy if people were around.

Before she could try and match my witty comment I took off running through the surrounding forest of the park hoping to lose them in the trees.

"Damn you Evie Cortez!" Miranda yelled. I've been running all my life; did she really expect me to give up now without a fight?

I blocked the hits of energy they tried to use to slow me down and dished out my own magic as they got closer. They were stronger because they had trained longer than me with the Elders. I had to use every trick and all my strength to escape them.

Rex was on me quick, sending us both tumbling to the grass. I kicked him in the chest before he could touch me with any magic. "Just give up." I panted. "I'm never going back there."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. I want you dead and I could always say the fight went too far and I had no other choice." Rex didn't want to take me into custody, he planned to kill me right now and that meant he was going to give it his all.

"Great." We fought hand to hand. There was a lot of pent up anger inside of him, revenge fueling his every move and he didn't want to kill me easy, he wanted me to hurt and suffer first. I was on the ground and rolled over in time to avoid his boot crashing down into my chest. For a split second, I wondered where Miranda was, probably watching the fight with a stupid smile on her face.

Continuing to fight dirty Rex released a burst of wind that sent me flying into the nearest tree. Ugh, that wasn't going to end good. I fell and landed on my hands and knees. "No" I held my hand out, creating a barrier before he could get close enough to grab me like a rag doll.

My chest started to burn from all the power I was using to keep him at bay long enough to catch my breath and stand up. My body shook with pain from all the magic I was using. The Coven always taught us not to use too much at once because of the consequences. Your body shook, your eyes turned different colors, and a magic high settled in your body and that type of high wasn't pleasant. If I got out of the fight alive, I was in for a really bad time.

I couldn't hold the barrier much longer and Rex was growing impatience with the need to get a hold of me. I needed to run, and fast. There was only one idea that came to mind.

Using every bit of power I had left I released it and sent him flying back into his own tree. I shifted into a wolf and ran out of the park. No matter how powerful Rex and Miranda were they couldn't keep up with the speed of a wolf. I knew they wouldn't shift in broad daylight and risk exposure to the Coven. I was already dead meat and didn't care too much if someone saw me. I was going so fast if someone did see me they'd probably think a dog got spooked and was running very, very fast.

I wanted to go home and it was the only thought I had; home. I never told Kevin where I lived and if the Coven had known they would've ambushed me there and dragged me away when I was asleep. Home was the best bet.

I slowed down when I reached my street. Here I wanted to be careful of what people saw. The Charleston's were outside with their kids and would notice me by the time I ran through my backyard. I kept everything locked, to get inside the house I'd have to shift back. I couldn't use magic when I was in an animal shape. I looked for another option and saw Jamie getting home. She walked up the porch and when she opened the front door I made my move. I dashed through the opening before anyone could take notice and before Jamie could react.

"What the hell?" Jamie was more curious than anything else. She was used to seeing wolves when she visited the pack's compound. She closed the door and stared at me in the living room. I knew I'd be safe there. I shifted back, grabbed the fleece throw over the couch before letting myself take a little nap on the floor.

### Chapter 3

Jamie wouldn't let me sleep. She rushed over to my side where I laid behind the couch and shook my shoulder. "You're hurt. You might have a concussion and if you sleep you can slip into a coma."

"That's ok." I kept my eyes closed because the magic high was back and everything looked very bright to the point it burned.

Jamie sighed and then yelled, "Dad!"

"Shh! No don't call him." I really wish Caleb wasn't home but Jamie sounded sure he was there and a second later I was sure he was there too. I could feel his presence before he entered the room. For some odd reason I could always feel him when he was near, it never happened with other werewolves either. I couldn't explain it. "Let me die in peace."

"What happened?" Caleb's deep voice asked softly. "Jamie, go get me some towels and the kit." He took her place and kneeled beside me. "Open your eyes, Evangeline." He used his alpha demanding voice that I didn't have the strength to deny.

"What color are my eyes?" I could make out all his features but the brightness still burned.

"Black, but not like a vampires, there's a light behind them."

"It's the magic. A vampire has flat solid back eyes that cover the whole eyeball." I knew only my iris were black because the pupil swelled to max capacity due to the magic. I saw something like it happen before back at the village. "The Coven wants me dragged back home to face sentencing for killing that witch. I tried to go home and the coast wasn't clear."

He leaned in closer and sniffed. "You shifted didn't you?"

"Isn't that obvious?" I was lying on his floor naked. "No one will know." He didn't like me shifting because there was a chance I'd be found out and as a lone wolf I didn't have the protection of a pack. Any wolf could give me trouble without fear of retaliation from an alpha. "I don't want to involve you and Jamie. Help me get home and forget you ever saw me." I had to try and give it a shot. Caleb was as stubborn as they came and in the true alpha sense everything had to be his way.

"No." he looked at me with hard blue eyes and other than that his expression stayed masked. He never gave away his thoughts. Jamie stepped back into the room and handed her father the large box containing first aid materials.

"You're purple everywhere." Jamie said with a frown and scrunched nose.

"The fight was bad and I was thrown into a tree. I don't have open wounds." I eyed Caleb digging through his supplies. I hurt everywhere and didn't like the idea of being touched right now.

"Your cheek is busted open, your knuckles are skinned bare, and that's just what I can see." Caleb said and if I didn't know better it sounded sarcastic. "Jamie, go call Jake and tell him to get here now." He waited until his daughter was gone before looking at me again. "It's not safe here."

I held on to the knot of the blanket and used my other hand to brace my weight in order sit up. "What do you mean?"

"The Coven knows you helped me and my address isn't hard to find. At the compound you'll be safe."

"No, Caleb—"

"I'm not taking you home to die and if I leave you alone that's what's going to happen. Now isn't the time to be stubborn." He touched his finger tips to my scraped knuckles.

I stared at his hand; it was easier than facing his expression. I didn't trust my reactions because my body was on overload, everything felt intense and electrifying at the same time. "I don't want you to get in any trouble for helping me."

"I can handle it."

"Caleb....I need you to stop touching my hand." I knew he was trying to be nice and comforting but the long strokes of his fingers felt very sexual. I wasn't good at dealing with sexual things. I've only been with one man and until the damn magic high, that man was the only one to bring out these feelings.

He wasn't catching on. "I can't help you if I can't touch you."

"It's small cuts and scratches. Really, I'm fine. What I need is clothes. What would really help is if you leave....to my place and grab something from my closet." I inched back using my butt and hands.

"Are you all right?" he was really concerned and I tried not to feel like a bitch for shooing him away.

"Yes."

Thankfully Jamie stepped back into the room. "Jake's on his way. I want to go with Evie." She crossed her arms and dished out attitude, she was still pissed with her father for what happened that morning.

Caleb chose to ignore her attitude. "I was taking you anyway. I don't want to take any risks by leaving you alone." He probably wanted to ship Jamie back home with her mother fearing she might be in danger again because of his supernatural life. "Stay here while I go to Evangeline's." he always called me by my full name.

Jamie sat next to me on the floor. "With dad gone that means I'm in charge." She joked with a smile.

"That would mean your dad is in charge and he isn't. I just need a little bit of help then I'm out of here." I couldn't become dependent on Caleb and his help; I didn't belong to his pack. I was considered a vampire, I wasn't fully turned but to everyone else I was a vampire and our kind shouldn't be friendly with an alpha werewolf.

"He didn't tell you did he? Why he's extra paranoid? He's been getting threats and some property belonging to the pack was burned. I overheard him talking to Jake and Jared and they think it's the Coven coming after them for getting rid of that witch's body. They want dad to tell them where you are. They want you bad, Evie." She explained in a hush voice, rushing every word to make sure she got it out before her father showed up.

"What?" I stopped myself from cursing. "How long has this been happening?"

"I think the last month. I've been telling dad to tell you." That explained what she meant earlier when she told Caleb he should ask for my help.

That also explained why Caleb wanted to get to the compound so bad. "Shit." I pushed the pain out of my mind and stood up. "I pissed off two witches today and they aren't giving up." I rushed to the window and looked out; nothing looked out of the ordinary and that meant nothing. I opened the closet by the front door and found only a jacket inside. It must've been Caleb's because it was pretty big and fit down to my thigh. "We have to go now." I glanced at a mirror and saw my eyes were still black, my magic wouldn't be too helpful if I found another fight right now. I grabbed Caleb's keys in one hand and Jamie in the other.

Jamie was safely in the car when I felt it, the burst of air when magic was being used. I went flying to the concrete ground. I winced and started seeing white stars of pain. It was Miranda; she straddled my chest and gripped my neck with both hands.

They were Coven witches and that meant they still had to follow rules. She was here because Rex used too much magic to come after me again, he needed to recharge. They put that rule in place because like with other drugs you could become addicted to the power the magic gave you.

I didn't have to follow the rules anymore but my next move was going to make coming down awful later. I laid my hands on her shoulders and voiced the command to send her flying back. With magic a lot of the commands and spells were in Latin. You could think them but they worked faster when you actually said the words.

Next thing I knew someone was pulling me from the ground. I glanced back and found Caleb urging me to the car. "She's not that easy to get rid of." I looked behind him and saw that the Charleston's were back inside their home and the street was empty. I pushed the car keys into his hand. "Go. I'll hold her off and meet you later."

I saw the torment in his face. He didn't want to leave me to suffer but at the same time Jamie was also in danger and she came first.

"Hey." Miranda walked closer, dusting her jeans off. "I will gladly let the alpha and his daughter go, as long as I get you."

"You always were a little slow." I did get some satisfaction telling her that. "I'm not going anywhere." I looked back at Caleb. "Go. This will be a piece of cake."

The warrior inside of him wanted to stay and battle only it wasn't his fight. He had to think smart above anything else. Caleb took the keys. In seconds they were driving down the street. Miranda honored her word and waited until they were gone to start back in on me. It was going to be one _long_ day.

### Chapter 4

Miranda gave as good as she got but at the end of the fight I wasn't the one running away. I took a moment to breathe and consider my next move. I was putting Caleb and Jamie's lives at risk by involving them. I couldn't go to the compound and meet them like I had promised. The best thing for them was to forget I existed.

I took a chance and changed into some clothes from the bag Caleb had left me. I was quick and out of there before Miranda could call for backup. My body felt like jell-o and my knees threatened to give out on me a few times. The sun was almost gone but everything was so bright to me that it looked like it was noon.

For all my hang ups at least I wasn't in pain. Because of the magic high I didn't feel the bruises and cuts all over my skin; I wasn't as tired as I should be but I knew that would fade soon and I'd be a crumpled mess.

"Evie?"

I turned around sharply on my way back to my driveway and found Jake behind me. I remembered Jamie calling him on her father's order. "I don't have much time. I need to go." I started my pace back up toward my car. I didn't have much of a plan after that.

"Then let's go. Caleb called and told me to still come and find you."

"I can't go to the compound with you. It makes zero sense to put you all at risk for something I did."

"Caleb doesn't agree."

I tossed the bag into the backseat of my car and faced Jake. "I don't follow his orders. I know he wants to help but I don't need it."

"You sure look like you need something." He winced at my crazed appearance.

I chuckled. "I can handle it. I've been handling my life all by myself for years. Tell him thanks but no thanks."

"I'm getting sick and tired of stubborn women." His words were said around a sigh and hinted at someone else in his life, someone who wasn't taking his advice either.

"I'm going to try and not be offended by that. Goodbye Jake."

"I can't do that Evie. You'll thank me later."

Before I could question what he meant my whole world went dark. That didn't make much sense. I couldn't have passed out from pain because I never felt any.

When I woke up the first thing I noticed was the fluffy pillows beneath me. For nearly dying I felt pretty good, there was a distant discomfort all over my back and legs but I'd live. I opened my eyes and cursed. I knew by the dark wood cabin log walls where I was. "I hate you Caleb Nikolas." The room was dim and I couldn't see him, I only knew he was somewhere close. I looked around the rest of the room and noted the simple black furniture and bare walls.

"That's a little harsh." He stepped out of a dark hallway with his arms crossed over his wide chest. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up exposing tanned skin and defined veins. He was very beautiful in that manly way I tried not to notice. "I think a 'thank you' is more appropriate."

"I think you should give up on trying to be funny. What did Jake do to me? What did you do?" I tried not to be as embarrassed and self conscious as I felt. I was naked under the heavy blanket and I remembered vividly getting dressed after the fight.

"He drugged you and brought you back here."

"Drugged me? I guess working at the corner's office comes in handy. You said that as if it's the simplest thing. You don't see anything wrong with that." It wasn't a question. Caleb always played by his own rules and didn't give too much thought into anyone else's concern. Angry, I sat up and tightened the blanket around my chest. "I don't belong to you."

That struck a cord, his expression hardened and he stepped closer to the bed. "I was returning a favor. You saved my daughter's life."

The topic was going somewhere that I wished it wasn't. Too bad I couldn't blink myself to another planet. "You already returned that favor." I whispered the words and hated the tears that glossed my eyes because of them.

Feeling the awkward tension he turned away. "No, that was nothing."

I needed to break the silence and only one thing came to mind. "Jamie told me you're having trouble with the Coven because of what happened that day. You keep trying to protect me and I really need you to stop it. I don't want to argue about this."

Caleb sighed and kept his eyes focused on the window. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Skipping town sounds like a good start. I can leave clues for them to follow and they'll leave you alone."

"That's a temporary fix and you know it. Until you're dead and they're satisfied they won't stop." He wasn't the type to try and look on the bright side. He figured it was better to lead with the bad news first and plan for the good news.

"It's the best option I have right now."

He turned and met my eyes, his own dark and always focused. "Maybe not. Give me some time to work on it before you jump the gun and flee."

"Fine, I can do that but I can't stay here." The Grayson Compound reminded me of the home I left behind when I was fifteen, the memories were assaulting. Being near Caleb and his pack reminded me of the family I didn't have. I didn't belong in their space and we both had to remember that. "I have to find Kevin."

"Who's Kevin?"

"A fellow Coven witch. We saw each other months ago when he treated me for that gunshot wound. They used him as bait today and I know he's in trouble. He covered for me when I ran away and at the hospital. I owe him." I must've been weaker than I thought because I was explaining myself when I didn't have to. Caleb wasn't my alpha, he couldn't stop me. I moved to the edge of the bed and looked around the room. "I had clothes."

Saying nothing Caleb stepped out of the room and returned a minute later with the same bag of clothes he had packed for me. "About your friend, if you go after him you'll be making yourself an easier target. How much more before you burn out? Your eyes still aren't back to normal."

I bit my tongue to keep from talking first and thinking last. "I know that, thank you." There was nothing he could say to change my mind. I knew the risks of my magic and the Coven better than he ever could.

He took my brush off for what it was and left the room. I didn't know how long I had to myself and took advantage of it. I stood and hastily got dressed. Werewolves were used to nudity but that didn't mean I wanted everyone seeing me naked. As more time continued to pass I started to feel the pain and aches from both of my fights that day.

I sat down at the corner of the bed to catch my breath. I looked toward the door as it opened expecting to see Caleb back to chastise me some more. It was Jared. "Hey." I didn't even know he was around.

"Hey, you look like..."

"Crap?"

"But beautiful crap."

I laughed. "Real smooth."

"I'm trying to be a gentleman here." He gave me a puppy dog pout and came to sit next to me on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck. I wasn't feeling it earlier but the magic is wearing off." With Jared I didn't feel the need to lie and act like I could take on the world without a break. I knew if I told him the truth he wouldn't try to take my control and fix it for me.

"At this rate I'm never going to get that date."

"I keep telling you to give up." I said with a shrug.

"The way I hear it you're being stubborn and want out?"

"Who says I'm being stubborn?"

"No one, do you want a ride to wherever it is your going?"

I opened my mouth to tell him my answer when I realized what exactly was happening. "Did Caleb send you in here to keep an eye on me?" I was starting to get really pissed off.

"No, I came up with it all on my own." He grabbed ahold of my hand. "Wait before you start cursing me out. I know you have to make your own choices and I'm not trying to stop you. A little back up never hurt anyone and that's all I'm trying to do."

I caved, I couldn't think all that well when he looked at me like that with tender and understanding. "Fine but the second you try to tell me what to do or try something funny like Jake did, it's over and we part ways."

"Got it."

### Chapter 5

After leaving the compound I went home because I still believed that was a safe place for me to hide. The Coven knew where Caleb lived but they didn't know I was right down the street. It'd piss them off to know after looking so hard I was hiding in plain sight. "I need to think." I told Jared as I locked the front door behind us. I also needed to gain some more energy. I was starting to crash from the magic use. I sat on the couch and rested the urge to start rocking; I felt a million little jumping jacks in my skin.

Jared was still standing. "Do you need something?"

"Probably but I don't know what. It's against the rules to use this much magic for a reason. It hurts and feels funny at the same time like when your foot falls asleep." I leaned my elbows down on my knees and lowered my head. Maybe if I could focus I could put the coming down from the magic far in the back of my mind. "It'll be better not to acknowledge it. I need to find Kevin. Miranda taunted me saying he was serving punishment at the Coven but I think she was lying."

"Why?" he sat next to me and immerged in the conversation.

"Because she also said they were watching him to get to me. They knew better then to believe they'd capture me with the first try. He has to still be out there somewhere so they can use him against me." I explained as I thought it out, finding it made the most plausible sense.

"If that's the case they'd have him somewhere close to watch his every movement and control how he contacts you."

"I have to do something. If he would've reported when he saw me at the hospital he wouldn't be in this trouble now. I owe him." I hated to know he was suffering because of me. He was the only person in my past besides my family I wished no harm.

"I'm glad you know it."

I jumped up and turned toward the kitchen area. There Kevin stood clutching his left bloody arm. I ran toward him. "Holy crap you just saved me a lot of trouble. I didn't want to go to the Coven and scope it out."

"Would you have done that?" he asked with disbelief.

"Yes. How did you find where I live?" I looked him over and except for his arm he looked pretty good considering the world of trouble we were both facing.

"I'll always know where to find you Evie, we're connected." He explained softly with an intense knowing look in his eyes.

I turned away from him, I didn't like remembering the way things were supposed to be. "This is Jared, you should remember him from the hospital and Jared this is Kevin who we were looking for." I introduced them as I tried to find my bearings and figure out my next move. "What happened?" I was looking at his arm.

"Miranda can be a sadistic bitch."

"Didn't she have a crush on you?" I couldn't stop myself going back to those days when we'd all hang out together and how she hated my connection to Kevin. She always would say the Elders should've picked her for him; they'd make a better couple. As children the Elders would pair children up factoring their powers and age. I was paired with Kevin by the time we were six. When they would officially make a pairing they'd cast a spell that would bind the children together; for life unless broken by the Elders which they'd never do.

"Things change. She and Rex have a place here in town and I was locked up there."

"And you got away. They don't know I'm right down the street from Caleb. How much trouble are they giving him for helping me?" I asked while stepping into the kitchen, I had my own first aid kit too. When I stood from the cabinet I noticed Jared had disappeared.

"Not as much as they could be. They believe he helped you dispose of Steven's body but there isn't any proof." He explained while I nudged him over to the table, he sat and I opened my kit. It was pretty old, before Nick hired Coven witches to help him hurt Caleb my life had been pretty boring. "I'll admit I was pretty happy to see how you kicked their ass."

"Yeah, now look at me. I used too much and I'm not sure what's happening." I cut his shirt away and examined the wound; it was a pretty big cut.

"They always warned us not to use too much magic and how it was against their oaths but they never explained what happened if you did. I don't know anything, sorry."

"It's fine." He hissed as I put the pad soaked with peroxide to his cut. "Any ideas on what we do next?" it was easier for his pain and mine if we kept talking and didn't acknowledge it.

"Pray they forget about our betrayals?" he said through clenched teeth. I knew he was in pain from what I was doing but ever the man he was trying to hide it.

"What they consider betrayals. I killed him to survive, I ran because I had to. I know why I did everything that led me to this point but why are you doing this?" I applied some antibiotic cream and then bandaged his arm.

Kevin waited until I was done to answer me. "I'm not going to let them hurt you." he reached out with his good arm and grabbed my hand. I froze watching his eyes as he stood up and moved closer to me. I opened my mouth but no words came. He kissed me and I couldn't stop him. We shouldn't be kissing, we hadn't seen each other in forever and whatever he was feeling was because of the bond they put on us.

As he kissed me I started to taste his power and moved closer to him. My powers were tapped out and I could feel his, it was strangely very nice.

I was pulling at his power source and he felt it. He pulled away from the kiss and looked at me. "Evie?"

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't do that." I took several steps away from him.

"Allowing yourself to kiss me isn't letting them win Evie." He sat back down.

"That's not it." maybe it was part of my reason but there were many more like that I felt guilty for kissing him back. "It's complicated." I thought about Michael, there was a part of me that was still in love with him and probably always would be. I thought of Jared and the way I liked how he could make me laugh and how he'd make me feel good. I couldn't figure out why the hell I was thinking about Caleb.

### Chapter 6

I was cleaning up the kitchen when Jared reappeared. "Where'd you go?" I asked while throwing the supply wrappers in the trash.

"I was making a call." He took one of the empty chairs at the table where Kevin was also sitting.

"You are so transparent it makes me wonder how you're still alive. I know you were calling him probably to let him know where we're at." I hated how suddenly Caleb was involved in everything.

Jared didn't like my hints at his ego. "Let's say your ex-buddies do find you and we're assed out, wouldn't you want someone to know where you are?"

"He's your alpha not mine and I'm getting so sick of pointing that out." If I did find trouble or not it wasn't _his_ concern. I cursed myself for involving him. I should've took the risk and gone home after the fight at the park. "He already knows how they can hurt him, what if they went after Jamie again? He needs to leave it alone."

"He's stubborn." That was the best reply Jared could give me.

"You all are but I think it's just a man thing in general." I said glancing at Kevin, he didn't need to be involved in my mess either.

He decided to speak up next. "The Coven's main priority is always exposure, they won't risk sending someone else after you, at least not tonight." Kevin explained.

"I don't think so either. Rex and Miranda would have to re-juice and I'm sure I'm not the only problem they have. They don't need anymore laid up witches."

Jared spoke. "Is this your way of telling me it's safe and I can go?" he asked of me.

"Yes. I'm sure you have other things that need your attention too." He was third to a pretty large pack, his time was better used elsewhere than playing babysitter to me. "Kev's on the run too so we have to stick together. With both our powers we should be fine."

That seemed to make Jared feel better. "Get some rest and call me when you wake up and if you don't I'll be back." He kissed my cheek and left through the living room to the front door.

"He likes you." Kevin said once we were alone.

"Yeah, so he says."

"It's every man you keep at an arm's length." He realized.

"It's easier that way." At least I thought so, after the burn I got from Michael it was safer to keep my heart to myself and keep others out. "The couch is all yours." I left to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I got away before anyone could notice the shakes claiming me now.

I wanted to swear to myself I'd never use that much magic again but I knew if I had to I would. I kicked my shoes off and tugged off my shirt, the material felt like a bunch of bugs crawling all over me. I scratched at my arms and gasped from the pain seeing as I was covered in bruises.

The bedroom door opened and Kevin rushed to my side. "What is it? You're bleeding."

One of the scratches on my arm went too deep. "Get it off." I was tugging at my pants. "It itches so badly."

He snapped the button and tugged my jeans down. "How much magic did you use?" he took in the cuts and bruises along my arms and legs. "Forget it." he knew to survive I had to use everything I had. "I don't know what's going to happen." Neither of us did because like we discussed earlier the Coven never told us.

"Don't let me scratch."

Kevin grabbed my wrists and kept my hands down at my side. "It's a side effect, that's all." He looked upset trying to find a way to help me. "Let me kiss you."

"What?" I rubbed my face against my shoulder, which was itching now too.

"Like we did earlier, you can replace some of what you lost with me." he didn't wait for me to answer, holding onto my wrists he pulled me against his chest and kissed me hard on the mouth.

At first I tried to pull away, we were friends and friends didn't kiss but then the intensity against my skin started to ease. I didn't want to use him, I didn't want our relationship, whatever it was, to change, but again I kissed him back.

When he was sure I wasn't going to move, he let go of my wrists. He moved his now free hand up to my loose hair. I knew he wanted it and I knew he was enjoying it because I could _feel_ it the same way I could feel his power.

"Kevin, no, no." I ducked my head down to his shoulder as he held onto me.

He ran his hand down my back and it didn't help that I was just wearing underwear. "Please?" he nuzzled my neck. "You know there's no running from this, let's just give in." he was asking for a lot more than a kiss.

"Kevin, no! What is wrong with you?" He knew better than anyone how I refused to give into something the Coven created. Not only that, I didn't see him in that light either. He was a good looking guy and he was my friend but there was no desire when I looked at him. No spark.

He let me go and looked like he realized what he had been doing. "I'm sorry. Your eyes look better." He walked out of the room.

"I'm sorry too." When we were teenagers I suspected Kevin liked me a lot more than a friend would but I had never mentioned it because I didn't want to embarrass him. Now I knew he still felt that way all these years later. I didn't want to hurt him, that was the last thing I wanted but I also couldn't give into want he wanted.

I slowly got off the floor, my legs felt shaky and I still didn't feel like my body was my own, but at least the worst of it was over. I took a shower which consisted of just water rushing down my body then changed into one of my big shirts twice my size and a pair of pants.

When I was done I went to the living room and found Kevin lain out on the couch. I sat on the armrest. "Are you ok?" I couldn't go to bed without seeing him first.

"I've really missed you and I reacted wrong."

"It's ok, really. You just helped me avoid something that was sure to be hell. I have a question though, if you missed me so much why did you avoid me after the hospital?" I had been pretty curious about that.

"I didn't want to put us both at risk by contacting each other. I called you today because I knew they were getting close, I just didn't realize how close."

"We're going to figure a way out of this...somehow." I held his hand as I said it and desperately wanted to believe it no matter how scared I was.

"Have you spoken to your parents, maybe—?"

"No, when I saw my father months ago he told me his daughter was dead. I'm an embarrassment to them. They'd quicker sell me out to the council than help me."

Kevin tugged me off the armrest to sit next to him. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to keep saying that. When I made my choice all those years ago I knew what it'd mean. What about your folks, your mom has some in with the council." There was no way we were going to get out of the epic mess we were in without some insider help. I hope he had someone on his side because I sure didn't.

"I haven't really talked to them since I came this way but I could try. The council has probably gotten to them." he sounded worried. "But its still worth a try have you thought about leaving Celestin? At least long enough to throw them off your scent?"

"Yeah." I said with a sigh as I remembered how Caleb thought it was a bad idea. "I thought about it but then I was reminded I wasn't the only one they were coming after."

"The Alpha?"

I nodded. "Caleb, he has a daughter who you can't help but love. She's the age I was when I ran away from home and she reminds me a lot of myself. I don't want to leave her behind. I don't want to leave behind my home." I had some bad memories in Celestin but I also had some really good ones. This city was the first place I could truly call home.

"I guess we'll figure something out, we have too."

### Chapter 7

The next day around midmorning Kevin and I were sitting at my kitchen table having coffee when I heard a knock and next the sound of my door being opened. I was ready to strike until I saw it was Jared and Caleb. "You could get seriously hurt doing that." It was a good thing I waited before attacking. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking in. You never called." Jared said.

I had forgotten about that and if I had known he was going to show up and with Caleb I would've made sure to call. I introduced Kevin to Caleb and sat back down. Just because it was my house didn't mean I had to suddenly make small talk and entertain everyone.

Caleb's deep voice broke the silence. "Are you sure it's wise to stay here?"

"Wise?" I shrugged. "I don't know but it is pretty ironic. Has anyone contacted you again or lit something on fire?" I was still upset at him for not telling me the Coven was near and causing trouble, I could've prepared better if I had known.

"No."

"You asked me to try your way first but it's looking like leaving town is our best shot." I explained. Caleb glanced at Kevin when I said 'our'. Now no matter what I chose Kevin was along for the ride, he couldn't go home and it was my fault.

Caleb stepped forward and took one of the empty seats to sit on. "I'm working on a deal and if it goes through they'll be forced to leave you both alone. The whole case they built against you would be thrown out." He said simply enough but the look in his eyes as he stared at me was laced with the intensity he always carried.

My own eyes grew wide with shock. "How? What could you do that they'd drop something this serious?" the more I stared into his eyes the clearer the picture became. "You have something they want." I stood abruptly and took Caleb's arm. "We'll be back." I told the others while dragging him as far as possible into the living room. "Whatever you're doing you have to stop. You can't get involved in this." I warned him.

"I want to help you."

"Why?" I knew he was an honorable man and because I helped him he would feel indebted to return the favor and see no harm done to me but I didn't want him getting hurt when it wasn't his fight to have. I told him as much now and before.

"It's more than that; you exposed yourself and got into the whole mess trying to protect Jamie. That debt will _never_ be repaid."

When he said it like that again I was rendered speechless. We stared at each other for a moment both being stubborn as we both didn't want to break the stare first. I caved. "And if you die, what will Jamie have then?"

"I'm not dying."

"I never pegged you as cocky."

"There's a lot about me you don't know but you should trust I have been around a long time and I know what I am doing. If you want to stay in Celestin without having to keep looking over your shoulder you'll listen to me."

I gritted my teeth and turned away from him. "I won't submit to you." that was my biggest fear.

"That's not what this is; this is being smart and surviving." What he said made a lot of sense like it normally did but again, I wasn't ready to surrender to it.

I kept staring down at the carpet and mindlessly noted it needed a steam cleaning.

A new voice joined the conversation. "It's better than what we came up with." Kevin said from the opening that separated the living room and kitchen

I turned and met his hazel eyes. "It's not that easy."

"It is when you stop making everything bigger than it is."

"Your friend is right." Caleb chimed in.

I walked over to the couch and sat. "Then what do you want me to do exactly?" I asked him.

"Stay here and wait until I contact you. I know it won't be easy to sit and wait being as hardheaded as you are but please do this." The insult rolled off his tongue with ease.

From my seat on the couch, I glanced up at the alpha who was trying to help me while at the same time making my life more difficult. He gave nothing away about what he was planning or even thinking. His midnight blue eyes were clear and focused, even his attire of black slacks and a pressed green buttoned down shirt matched his confidence. His black hair was getting longer around the sides and he was sporting a five o'clock shadow pretty early in the morning but other than that, his confidence screamed perfection.

"Fine." I said, my arms crossed tight over my chest. "I'll wait to hear from you but if this doesn't work, I want you to stay out of it and let me handle my own problems."

"It's not only your problem." Caleb reminded me.

We kept staring at each other; it was like Jared and Kevin weren't in the room. "They are targeting you to get to me; I'm the common denominator here. If I skip town they can't make you tell something you don't know. If we stayed out of each other's lives they'd have to leave you alone." I thought about Jamie and her fears. I didn't want her to be shipped back home because her father was scared of danger that belonged to me. I didn't want her affected by any of my mistakes again.

Caleb's eyes grew darker with anger he wasn't going to express. "I'll call you later." He turned and walked out of the house.

Jared sighed. "Always good when the boss is pissed off." He smiled at me as a goodbye and quickly followed Caleb; they were sharing a ride after all.

"What's the story with you and the alpha?" Kevin asked.

"I helped him protect his daughter and since he saw me shift I'm sure he wants me to submit to him. I know he's trying to be this really stand up guy by helping me but I don't need it."

"Maybe you do. You stayed here in Celestin because you made a life here; running would go against everything you wanted. Maybe now you won't have to."

I sat there going over what Caleb said and what he could possibly offer the Coven. I did want to stay in Celestin; I wanted to keep living the life I made for myself. I wanted to stay in control of it too.

### Chapter 8

I was growing restless as the morning turned into afternoon and I still hadn't heard from any of the pack. I started to fear something happened and they were hurt. Why hadn't at least Jared called or showed up?

"It'll be ok, bad news travels fast." Kevin was trying to be helpful as we sat together in the living room. "Caleb pointed out he's been around a long time. It won't be easy to take someone like him down. How old do you think he is?" he sounded curious as well as bored and hoped any small talk would cure him of it.

I shrugged. "He doesn't look a day over thirty right? I know that can't be his real age." Werewolves consistently regenerated healing any deformity, old age was one, the regeneration kept them in peak condition where they were their strongest and fittest, what we saw now was Caleb's. Their healing ability reminded me of vampires except they weren't dead and still aged to a point. "He wants to help because he feels he owes it to me but we aren't friends in the least."

"It looks like he cares."

"It's guilt." I was getting uncomfortable talking about Caleb because of what it made me feel. I wasn't sure what the hell was going on with Caleb but I knew I didn't like it. I didn't want to become dependant on him and yet here I was waiting for his call saying that it'd all be ok.

Kevin opened his mouth to say something but stopped short when his cellphone rang from inside his pocket. "Hello?"

I wasn't going to be rude and try to eavesdrop on the other end to hear who it was. He lived his own life and it was none of my business. I got off the couch and went into the kitchen to give him privacy and to grab a cup of coffee.

As I waited for the new pot to brew I thought if I should call Jared for an update. I knew whatever Caleb was up to Jared was by his side. Jake worked pretty crazy hours at the ME's office and on the Supernatural Crime Force as one of their officers he wasn't around much with the pack unless it was super important.

Vampires were public and the public needed someone to call when there was a crime or when they were scared. The office was still getting its feet off the ground and they needed Jake. For now Caleb could rely on his third.

I sighed and looked out the window above the sink. The sun was staring to set and the moon became more visible. Since I shifted those months ago I could feel the moon's presence like a second skin, it became stronger when it was dark out and made my life complicated. It was hard to be at work daydreaming about a run in the forest because the moon was seducing you.

"I understand." I heard Kevin say from the living room, he ended the call and came into the kitchen. "That was my mom."

I turned from the sink and looked at him. "How are they doing knowing you're involved in this mess?"

He was standing there blank faced. "Not too bad since the council dropped the order of retrieval that was placed on both our heads." Kevin smiled and let his happy mood shine through his features. "Whatever the alpha did must've worked."

I should be happy, I should be smiling and running outside because I was free to do so except I wasn't happy and I wasn't smiling. I felt a sense of dread filling my chest, what had Caleb done, what had he risked?

"Evie, you ok?" Kevin walked forward and gripped my shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess a little shocked. I didn't think the council would let me go free." I forced a smile past my lips. "I won't have to call out from work tonight."

Kevin chuckled. "A great way to celebrate your freedom."

"It's what I know." Outside of work I didn't have much of a life and I liked it that way. "There's something I have to do. Is there anywhere I can drop you off?"

"Yeah my car is still at the hospital. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go out to dinner with me?"

I felt a little guilty for turning him down, his eyes were hopeful for something that could never be. I couldn't even be a proper friend to him let alone anything serious. "Maybe another time."

His lips twisted into a sad grin. "Sure." He knew that time would never come.

The car ride to the hospital parking lot wasn't long. I wished Kevin luck and told him to call me if he ever needed anything. I didn't want to lose touch and maybe down the line when shit wasn't so hectic we could become better friends.

Instead of being a good employee I decided to track down Caleb first. I knew he wasn't home because I didn't see his car when I left with Kevin so I sucked it up and went to the Grayson Pack cabin. I didn't like to go there too often because of the memories it dragged up. It was suffocating to be there.

I pulled into the driveway and sure enough spotted Caleb's car. I pulled out my phone and called him, I didn't want to go inside.

"I'm guessing you want answers." He must've known my number.

"Yes I do and I want them face to face. Come outside."

"You've come all this way? Must be serious." It sounded like he was trying to tease me but humor and Caleb weren't something that mixed.

"Now really isn't the time to be condescending. I've had a bad last few days and I might do something stupid and take it out on you." my voice was tight and I didn't seem to care about how strong he was or the little pieces he could rip me into. I was pissed and didn't mind with the filter.

The phone clicked, signaling he hung up on me. Seconds later the front door to the cabin opened and he walked to where I was parked. I got out to meet him.

"You wear thin on a man's patience." He said.

"Kevin got a call from his mom telling him the council was dropping the charges on us. I was waiting for you or Jared to call me."

"I was finishing up here first because I knew our conversation wouldn't be short."

I agreed. "Because I want answers."

Caleb nodded and motioned to the cabin for me to follow. "I'm sure you can agree we shouldn't be discussing your heritage out in the open." He had a point and worse; he knew it. I didn't have a choice but to follow him if I really wanted to know what he offered the Coven.

I groaned and followed his long steps back up the pathway and inside the large cabin. I had to remind myself it wasn't the Coven's compound and it couldn't hurt me.

The Grayson Pack all called the cabin home, there were enough rooms if they ever needed a place to stay or hide out. If I wasn't paranoid with memories, I'd say there was a warm feeling to the open space.

Caleb continued through the living room into the kitchen where on top of the table he had a laptop open. "Have a seat. Are you working tonight?"

"I thought about it." I sat on the chair to his right from the head of the table. I didn't want our conversation being overheard just in case anyone was around. "Do you need me to give Michael something?"

"Actually; Dominic." He passed me a closed white envelope.

"I'll head that way when I'm done here." I placed the envelope behind my back in the waist of my jeans. "What did the Coven want from you?"

"Assistance with a problem they were having."

I stared into his eyes and it wasn't long for the answers to take shape. "You can't tell me everything." I realized. "I'm not longer part of the Coven and knowing them, they've sworn you to secrecy." I scoffed and I thought back to my so called family. "Is it over now? Will they leave the pack alone?" I'd rather fight my battles myself but if whatever Caleb did protected the pack than it was worth it.

"Yes."

I stood from the chair, I needed to get out of there before my emotions got the better of me. "Thank you. I'll get this to Dominic now."

### Chapter 9

I got Rosie to cover my shift for the night. After she saw the bruises still on my face from my fight with the Coven she didn't have a problem helping me out. I went through the back of the restaurant and found Dominic inside the office. "I thought you were cutting back on your hours here." I said.

"Michael had another matter to cover. What happened darling?" he winced at my appearance, not only did I look like crap but my outfit wasn't appealing either. I left the house in ripped jeans and one of my over sized worn out t-shirts.

"A disagreement, nothing too major. I ran into Caleb as I was leaving home and he told me to give this to you and only you." I pulled the envelope free and passed it along. My fingers itched on the ride over to rip the thing open and find out what the wolves and vampires were discussing now, except I couldn't break the loyalty they had in me to remain neutral. "Is there a problem?"

Dominic laid the envelope on the table and folded his hands, he'd read it when I was gone I'm sure. "I sure hope not. How have you been?" he was a master vampire who's been alive more than five lifetimes, he didn't look a day older than fifty but yet he treated everyone as if they were his long lost grandchildren. He could be ruthless when need be but most of the time, he was a marshmallow. Michael was the one harder around the edges.

"The same, I work and when I'm off I spend my days at home."

"How does Caleb Nikolas fit into your plans?"

That question threw me off guard and I wasn't able to hide my shock. "What?" my eyes went wide as I shook my head. "He doesn't. I frequent the house to see Jamie, nothing more." I couldn't understand why everyone wanted to assume there was something going on between Caleb and me.

"Michael believes other wise." It started to make sense, he was asking me these questions because of his son.

I sighed and sat across from Dominic in one of the chairs he had for company. "Michael has reminded me over and over that we're done and have no say in each other's lives. I swear, there is nothing happening with Caleb. Even if there was, what say would Michael have?"

"It'd alter your work for us. It wouldn't simply be you moving on and it bothering him, there's a bigger picture Evie."

I ran both my hands through my hair. "There's nothing going on. For years now Michael wants to believe something that isn't there. I don't know any other ways to say it." I stood from the chair. "Thank you for always hearing me out. I'll be back on my regular rotation tomorrow evening."

Dominic stood to walk me out and took my hands in his. "Your face looks like it could use some more time. I don't want to see you until Friday." That was in three days.

"Are you sure?" I relied a lot on work to keep me busy, but I wasn't eager to throw myself back into the long hours on my feet either.

"Yes and I know if we need the help I can call. Go home and rest, forget about this place and the worries leaving you restless."

Looking at Dominic, I was reminded of all the ways he had helped me in the past. He never supported Michael and me together but nonetheless, he always offered advice to the best of his ability. "Should I be worried about something big happening? Why does Michael want the wolves spied on?" I was scared for Michael and I was scared for Caleb.

Dominic patted my hands. "Go home and rest. We'll see each other Friday."

I knew him well enough to spot the dismissal. I smiled and left the office. I should've known better than to think he'd tell me anything that's risk goinh behind Michael's back.

I was coming back through the restaurant to go out the front entrance when someone stopped me. It was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties with dark brown hair and a pair of green bluish eyes. There was something about her that was far too serious for someone her age. "Can I help you?" I asked.

"Evie Cortez?"

"That's me."

"My name is Bess Jane."

I nodded as a remembered hearing her name before on TV and from Jake's mouth. "You run the SCF, Jake's mentioned you and those ads on TV name you as the person to call with a supernatural problem."

She cringed. "I hate those things. How do you know Jake?"

"A friend of a friend and so on. What do you want from me?"

"Can we talk outside with a little privacy? I won't take too much of your time."

I knew she wasn't going to let me go without agreeing to talk to her, be it now or another time. "Sure." I had nothing to lose by hearing her out even if I knew whatever she had to say I wouldn't be interested.

We stepped outside and walked a few steps away from the busy restaurant. "Do you know Jake's brother?" she asked.

"Not personally." I knew some facts from Jake himself; his older brother was named Chase who also worked for the SCF and a daughter named Lily.

"He's a whiz with research and knowing just about everything there is to know about the supernatural. He and Jake are pretty close."

I saw where she was going and didn't like it. "He mentioned me and now you think you know something about what I am and what I can do? Let's save the chit chat and you just get to the point." I felt my very thin patience fleeting from my grasp. I didn't like being bombarded.

She smiled; my attitude didn't seem to bother her. If anything it seemed to impress her. "I want you to come work for me. The SCF could use someone with your power and connections."

"Connections?"

"You know very important people in town, you interact with the public everyday and they'd trust you. The city needs to know the SCF is capable and they can rely on us for safety." She was a business woman selling her pitch as perfectly as she could, she was doing a hell of a job too by playing the public safety card.

"Look, Ms. Jane, that's all fine and dandy and I think what you're trying to do is good for the city but I can't help you. I need to get going." I turned away and headed for my car.

"I get what I want, we'll be seeing each other again." She called out as I got farther and farther.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Great, looking forward to it."

### Chapter 10

I was peacefully asleep that morning when my cellphone went off. I ignored it and kept ignoring it until the fifth time whoever it was kept calling back. I rolled out of bed and grabbed the damn phone off the dresser; the reason I hadn't answered or turned it off was because it was so far from me. I checked the caller ID and saw it was Jamie. "Is something wrong?" I answered; worried that she was going to answer yes.

"Major deadly problem? No. Problem with me? Yes. Can you come over?" she sounded like she really needed some help.

"On my way." I left my bedroom and continued out the house down the street without bothering to put on any shoes and even comb my hair. If Jamie was calling nonstop then there was no time to waste.

Before I could knock on the door Jamie pulled it open and grabbed my hand. "Did I wake you?" it sounded like she cared except she quickly moved on to another subject. "Dad? I found a solution."

Caleb stepped out from the kitchen drying his hands on some napkins. He took one look at me and rose his eyebrows. Hmm, how bad did I look? On the other hand he was a morning person and looked fantastic with freshly washed wet hair combed back from his face, he wore his usual attire of black slacks and a dark buttoned down shirt tucked into his pants. He turned his attention back to Jamie. "I should've known it'd have something to do with Evangeline. Have you told her what you want?"

Jamie groaned and looked up at me with the picture of annoyance across her young face. "My dad has a date tonight and won't let me stay home alone."

"Ok?" I was lost and somewhat surprised Caleb was dating, I had never known him to do so but of course he'd date. He was single, gorgeous, loyal, and even funny when he wanted to be. Women were probably lining up to get a piece of him.

"Dad was going to have Jake stay with me but while Jake is really good eye candy, he can be _so_ boring."

Between the tone she used and the look of horror on Caleb's face I couldn't keep my laughter inside. It seemed he didn't want to know his daughter looked at his pack members and noticed their good looks. If Mikey was around more there'd probably be no problem but with Jake and Jared, they were beautiful and as Caleb's second and third they were around a lot, Jamie would have to be dead not to notice.

I stopped laughing and asked. "What do you want from me?"

Caleb answered, his patience wearing painfully thin. "My lovely daughter would like for you to stay with her tonight but as I told her you work."

"Actually Dominic gave me the next few days off. He saw my face and forbid me from showing up for my shift until Friday." I explained with a shrug. I'd be bored out of my mind too and would rather hang out with Jamie than watch a non stop marathon of _The Golden Girls_ at home alone.

"See?" Jamie took satisfaction in out smarting her father. "Evie can watch me while you go find me a step mommy." She was mocking him and that let me know there was something else going on besides finding a babysitter. If I had to guess it'd have to do with the fact Jamie didn't want to go back to her mother and Caleb wouldn't let her stay here permanently.

Caleb turned his dark blue eyes back to me. "Would you mind staying with her tonight for a few hours?"

Jamie interrupted. "A few hours, am I getting a new brother or sister too?" with a sigh Caleb ran his hand down his face and Jamie knew he was reaching his limit with her rudeness. "Yeah I know, go to my room until I'm thirty." She let go of my arm and marched up the staircase to her room.

"Wow, she's pissed at you." I turned from the staircase and looked at him. I faintly thought back to my father and how he would've reacted if I had been as much trouble as Jamie was. But I had run from home before we could find out. I never had the semi normal teenage years that Jamie has.

"It'll pass...hopefully." Caleb ran his hand down his face again and I noticed the five o'clock shadow he was sporting, he hadn't shaved that morning.

"I'll stay with her tonight and I'll make sure she stays out of trouble." I knew Caleb didn't want her to stay home alone was the fear she'd go out and find trouble or go see Ray again.

"Be here by seven!" Jamie yelled from upstairs.

The situation was getting awkward; I didn't want to be caught in family drama, especially their family drama. "I'll go now." the situation was getting even more uncomfortable when he followed me out of the house. "Um, yeah?" I turned and faced him while we stood on the porch.

"Prying ears." He pointed back to the house and faced me, his fingers brushing my cheek. "It's healing quickly." He said about the large bruise I had there. It didn't look as bas as it should two days later but it didn't look great either.

My heart was in my throat as I questioned why the hell he was touching me. We weren't friends that touched, we weren't friends period. "The virus and my crazy heritage comes in handy." I wanted to remind him what I was and in turn remind him why we didn't associate. I was labeled a vampire and he was an alpha werewolf.

"You'd think with the lycanthropy inside of you healing wouldn't be a problem. The virus wasn't needed." The same way I wanted to bring up my vampire he wanted to bring up my wolf.

I stared at him confused out of my mind about what exactly was happening here. "The virus is the only reason I'm alive right now. What did you want to talk about?"

"I spoke to Jake and he mentioned Bess approached to you."

"I didn't know you knew Bess." I was trying to deflect as I tried to figure out where he was going with all of this.

"Jake works for her." he said as if that should explain the whole thing and it did, of course if his second was working for someone he'd know them.

"Yeah we talked and that was it. Why are _we_ talking about it?"

"If you were to take her up on her offer your powers would become too public. The Coven wouldn't hesitate to go against our deal."

"If you must know, and since you saved my ass I guess you do, I didn't take her offer and I have no plans to. I'm sticking with my job at _La Amour_." It felt very odd to be explaining myself to someone and I didn't like it. "I have to go back to bed." It was only about eight o'clock that morning and no need for me to be up.

I was grateful he said nothing as I walked away down the street.

### Chapter 11

I spent most of the day cleaning up the house and dusting in areas that were starting to grow things from all the dust. By the time I had to go over to stay with Jamie the house was spotless and I was vegging in front of the TV.

I was walking up the pathway when Jake stepped out the front door. "Thanks." He said as we got closer.

"Thanks? You didn't want to spend the night watching the boss' kid?" I teased flatly.

"She can be a handful." That was his polite way of saying Jaime drove him crazy. She liked to push the boundaries her father laid down and that meant with his pack too.

"She does it to get under your skin. She's really harmless." I actually liked spending time with her, she never gave me trouble and that was probably because she knew her father had no influence over me.

"Yeah sure." He chuckled and walked down to his car parked on the street.

He was already driving away when I remembered I wanted to ask him about Bess. It'd have to be another time. I shrugged and continued my way into the house. Jamie was seated in the living room. "How bad is this crush on Jake that you are scaring him away?" I asked.

Her blue eyes went wide and she turned toward the staircase to make sure her father hadn't heard. Like an idiot, I forgot he was still home. "Shh. Do you know how embarrassing it would be for my dad to know that?" She looked horrified; it looked like I had hit the nail square on the head.

"I'm sorry."

Her expression softened. "It's ok, he'll be gone soon and then I'll cough up the details."

"Good." I liked talking about silly girly things like crushes with her, it took me away from the real world and for those small moments I felt normal.

Caleb came down the stairs and every thought I had stopped cold. He was good looking, anyone with a pulse could see that but right now I had no words. He put effort into his appearance for his date. He was clean shaven, instead of his usual buttoned down shirts and slacks he was wearing a nicely pressed grey colored suit with a dark blue shirt that did wonders enhancing his eyes. The alpha had good taste. "Jake left?" he was asking.

I blinked a few times to gather my bearings. I felt flushed the longer I looked at him. "Yeah, I caught him as he was leaving. He had to get to his shift at the SCF." That lie made sense and asked no questions. If I said he ran out of here because Jamie was annoying him, then there would be questions.

"Ok, I should get going too." He said, nearing the door and it wasn't until then I realized I was blocking his way.

"Sorry." I moved out the way. I found it hard to breathe as he got closer and opened the door. Whatever cologne he put on was dangerous; his date wouldn't be able to focus.

Jamie jumped from her seat and came to my side as her father left. "Speaking of crushes...."

"What?" it took me a moment to recognize her little smile. "I don't know what you're talking about. You always want to assume there's something between your father and me when there isn't." It was the truth.

"Right, sure." Jamie was mocking me and didn't care if I knew it. "I thought you would need some napkins, you were drooling."

"No I wasn't! Look yes he is a very good looking man—"

"Eww." She didn't want to hear such things about her father, not that anyone could blame her.

"—but there's nothing there, nothing at all. Our worlds don't mix and I can never be the type of woman your father needs in his life."

"You mean submissive?"

"In a way yeah. I don't want you to think I'm calling him some abusive control freak it's just..." I tried to figure out how to explain my dilemma. "in this supernatural world that we're all a part of, there's a strict way things are done. I left home because I didn't want to have to follow someone else's law."

Jamie nodded and leaned back on the armrest of the couch. "So you can't be with my dad because you don't like the rules of the werewolves but not because you don't actually like him?"

I started to realize just how deep I shoved my foot down my throat. "Well I thought that part was obvious since we've talked about this before." I hoped that made some sense. Did I have a crush on Caleb? I didn't think so. I didn't wish for anything where he was concerned, I didn't want him to notice me, I actually wanted him to butt out of my life. I found him very attractive but in the long run it truly was nothing. "So back to Jake."

"Ha-ha, real funny."

"You were the one who promised to cough up details." I took off my jacket and walked over to the sofa to get comfortable. I doubted Caleb's date was going to be quick.

Jamie came and threw herself down next to me. "I want to forget about Ray."

"Looking at a guy nearly twice your age isn't the way to do that."

"He's twenty-seven, that's not near twice my age and there's no harm in looking." I couldn't argue with her there. "Giving Jake and my dad a hard time helps me forget Ray for a little bit."

"I get it kid."

"But all teasing aside, I don't want my dad to get serious with someone new I'd have to accept. I don't want some instant family with some bitch who'll just use him." she sounded almost as jaded as I was.

"Harsh." I added as I listened to her fears.

"I've met her. I caught her and dad talking yesterday in these hushed tones. I'm scared he's serious about her."

"What didn't you like?" it was my job as her friend to hear her out and help anyway I could and if this woman really was a problem, then I was going to have to help Jamie with it.

"She was snobby, she looked annoyed when me, the offspring, came into the room. We were glaring at each other."

I patted her knee. "Don't jump the gun, your dad might find her annoying too." I got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to raid their kitchen for something to drink.

I was grabbing some ice when I noticed a note pinned to the freezer. It was written by Caleb and had a number for Jamie to call in case there was an emergency and he couldn't answer his cell. I knew the number like the back of my hand; it was the main number for _La Amour_.

Jamie didn't have to worry about her father liking the unknown woman because it wasn't a real date. Caleb would never take a woman he wanted to impress to a restaurant owned by vampires.

For Caleb to go there in the past it was always for business, never pleasure. For him to go there now meant he was up to something. First Michael asks me to spy on him and now Caleb was most likely spying on him.

### Chapter 12

It was just past ten o'clock that evening when Caleb returned home. By then Jamie was upstairs in her room asleep. Being the morning person she was she went to bed early. Probably why I wasn't a morning person, I wouldn't go to bed for several more hours to come.

Caleb stepped in the door and he wasn't alone. It wasn't surprising he'd bring the woman back home, what was surprising was who the woman was. I felt my blood start to boil and now more than ever I was sure Caleb was up to something. "Caitlin Moore." I crossed my arms in hopes to stop the sensation I had to hit her.

She didn't expect to see me, her pretty brown eyes lit up in recognition. "Evie? What are you doing here?"

Caleb finished closing the door. "She was staying with Jamie. How do you two know each other?"

I answered before her snobby ass could. Now knowing who she was I didn't blame Jamie for disliking her. "She used to be a snack for Michael." I looked at Caleb. "Sloppy seconds to a vampire your type?"

"Still a bitch." Caitlin hissed. "You can go now."

I kept my eyes on Caleb; it seemed he had nothing to say. "Gladly." I marched the short distance to the door and stormed out of it. I was furious as I walked home.

I couldn't believe what Caleb was doing, he was getting tangled in with someone like Caitlin because he wanted information on the vampires. There was no other answer that made sense.

If Michael was trying to spy on the werewolves and Caleb was trying to get information from vampire snacks then something most definitely was up and it scared me. I never admitted it, I denied it with all my might but if something happened to draw a line between vampires and werewolves I would be torn and I wasn't sure which side I'd be on.

I locked my door and stayed leaned against it for a moment. I was trying to figure out if there was anything I could do to find answers and maybe a solution. The reasonable part of my brain reminded me it wasn't my fight, I had no business looking into anything or trying to fix it.

I groaned and pushed off the door, the best thing I could do was go to bed and continue on with my life. I'd face any trouble when it actually came down my way and so far it hadn't.

I didn't like that Dominic put me on a leave from work, without work I was clueless on how to spend my days. Going to bed early didn't help because now I was up early and bored out of my mind. I paced around my living room a few minutes before grabbing my car keys and leaving the house.

I was halfway to my car, halfway from being sensible and leaving when I kept going past the car and continued down the street to the Nikolas residence. So much for butting out.

It was Caleb who answered when I expected it to be Jamie as always. "I was just about to call you." he said while motioning for me to come inside.

"Really, why?" I knew it wouldn't be because he wasn't to confined in me or explain what the hell Caitlin was doing here last night. "Where's Jamie?"

"She went out to the mall with Sarah and Jamie is the reason I wanted to talk to you. Her sixteenth birthday is next Saturday."

"Really? She hasn't told me." I felt a little low for not knowing. "Sixteen is a pretty big one." I tried to come up with something I could get her.

"How was yours?" his voice was soft, that same softness that had me wanting to spill my guts.

I opened my mouth and stopped myself in time from answering. I cursed his alpha status and how it affected me, it was as if my mouth had no filters and I was ready to tell him anything he wanted to know. "It wasn't memorable. Do you have any plans for Jamie?"

"Not really, I was hoping you might. I know she's been upset lately about Ray and I want to do something that will make her feel better." Caleb was a loving father, it was obvious to anyone who saw him as he spoke about his daughter.

"You know what she wants from you." I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't try to sell Jamie's point of view for her.

"Yes I know she wants to stay with me permanently."

"You should be proud she loves you enough to want to stick around. A lot of girls don't have that with their dads." I knew I said too much when he turned those dark blue eyes on me and I saw pity behind them. "Anyway, the best route would be a huge sweet sixteen party. The more expensive the better." I got my experience from watching countless hours of TV. At the Coven a girl celebrated her sixteenth by becoming engaged to the mate the Coven selected. There were a lot of reasons I ran at fifteen.

Caleb nodded as he ran his left hand through his black hair, it was getting longer and I found myself stupidly watching the locks of hair as they fell back into place and hoping he wouldn't cut it. The longer 'do worked for him.

"You should talk to Sarah." I was saying. "She and Jamie are barely three years apart and she'll know more about this."

"I thought of that then realized Jamie spends the most time with you. She hasn't mentioned anything?"

"No, I didn't even know her birthday was this month until you told me five minutes ago."

"Is this breakup with Ray bothering her that much?" Caleb was glad his daughter was done with the vampire but now he was worried it wasn't that simple.

I sighed. "I think it's a combination of things. She doesn't want to go home and on top of that she has a broken heart." I wouldn't break Jamie's trust by telling her father why exactly she ran from Ray or what she saw. "A party is probably exactly what she needs, do something big and over the top at the compound." I knew the safest place for a werewolf party would be the compound and it had the most space.

"She'll want you to come." He said at the mention of the compound, knowing my aversion to it.

"I'll have to work and there's no way out of it since I have this week off." I knew if I asked Dominic he'd give me the time but I didn't want it. It would be Jamie's day and I didn't want to ruin it by being the weird shifting vampire girl putting everyone on edge. "Oh another way you can help her feel better is telling her this thing with Caitlin isn't serious. Jamie's worried she's getting a stepmother."

Caleb laughed. "How do you know it's not serious?"

"Because you'd never go for someone who's been with a vampire." I said it as if the fact was obvious, to me it was.

Caleb sobered; his laugh was gone and replaced by intensity he perfected. "You never know."

I didn't like how weird the air was feeling. "Well I have to get going. Let Jamie know I stopped by." I turned toward the door.

"Wait." Caleb was behind me in the blink of an eye and put his hand flat on the door. "I know there's something else you want to ask me."

I turned around and wished I hadn't because it put us very close to each other, so close his face was bent to meet mine. "What do you mean?" did everything feel as awkward to him as it did to me? Why the hell was my heart racing? I was pretty sure those weren't the questions he was talking about.

"You tell me." he didn't want to overplay his hand and reveal too much and because of that clear fact, I realized what he was talking about.

He was waiting for me to ask about why he was trying to spy on the vampires. I was going to ask until I realized he wouldn't answer me, he just probably wanted to find out if I had caught on to his plan and if I'd warn Michael. "I have to go and you're blocking my way. I do have a question; why the hell are you standing so close to me?"

Caleb stepped back. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I have to go." I turned and ran back home.

### Chapter 13

I went from being mad I didn't know anything to feeling very weird as I left Caleb's. It didn't seem like it was awkward for him so why the hell was it awkward for me? Maybe I just wasn't used to him being so chatty and getting so close.

I was taking a walk down the park for several reasons, I wanted to clear my head and now that the Coven wasn't gunning for it I could actually be out in public and no one would attack me. A walk seemed nice.

"A woman in thought is a woman on a mission."

I stopped and turned toward my left where I heard the voice. It had come from Bess; she was sitting on a bench with several folders on her lap. "Is it a coincidence we're running into each other?" I didn't believe in coincidences.

She shrugged. "I come here to get out of the office every so often so I can pretend it doesn't consume my every waking moment." It was a very depressing statement but it didn't seem to bother her.

"Are you sure about that?" I motioned to the paperwork on her lap. "It's still with you."

"Everything you try to hide from has a way of always being with you." she was only a few years older than me in her late twenties but her eyes and words told the story of someone twice her age.

I didn't like how her wise statements always seemed to fit into my own dilemmas. "Instead of trying to find new agents you should hire an assistant."

"My sister said the same thing but I'm too much of a control freak not to do it myself." she shrugged again, she was comfortable with her faults and made no excuses.

"Looks like you got it all figured out. I should be going." I got out of there before she could try to sell me the points of working for the SCF again. I liked being prepared and knowing what was happening and how it'd affect me, I knew the SCF would help me do that but I just couldn't see myself being a cop or even something like a cop. I didn't want anyone slapping a label on me or suspecting they knew what I was capable of. Like Bess was trying to do.

I kept walking until I looped around back to the parking lot where I left my car. It was about an hour later and I still had no answers. I didn't know what was happening with Michael and Caleb, I couldn't understand Caleb anymore than I could months ago. It was all a waste of time trying to figure it out.

I was on my way to the restaurant to tell Dominic I didn't need any time off and I could cover the last of my bruising with make up when my cellphone rung. I knew the number displayed on the screen. "Jamie?"

"Hi! Are you busy?"

"Not really, why?" Groveling to Dominic could wait a little longer; I probably had a better chance later anyway after he was rested.

"Sarah had something to do and I'm stuck at the mall in need of a ride."

I didn't like the sound of that. "She just left you alone?"

"I did convince her I'm a big girl and she could go. I think it was some official business." She was careful not to say pack in a public area. Her father had taught her well.

"I'm on the road and should be there in a few minutes."

I was barely pulled up to the front entrance when Jamie dashed inside the car. "Go!"

I looked at her like she was crazy and before I could ask why; the answer jumped into my back seat. "Not funny." Jake said and he was slightly out of breath.

I turned around and looked at Jake. "The second is out of breath?"

He didn't appreciate the humor, his eyes narrowed. "She's faster than she looks."

"She should be, she is of Caleb's descent." I turned back to the girl in question. "Why are you running from Jake?"

"I guess Sarah got there and told dad she left me alone and of course he sent someone to look after me. I don't like being treated like a kid." I also knew she didn't like that it was Jake her father sent too.

"Just because you're going to be sixteen doesn't make you an adult yet." I cringed. "That sounded like something your father would say. I was just trying to come up with a way to mention the birthday you didn't tell me about." I turned around again to face Jake. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"It's my day off from the ME's office. I should've gone in." he glared at Jamie when she wasn't looking. It was a shame there was a ten year age difference because them as a couple might've worked. Ok that was a creepy thought, or maybe not considering her last boyfriend was double her age. I didn't like how my thoughts were reminding me of my past with Michael. I had been fifteen too once, something I was remembering a lot lately.

"I can keep an eye on her from here." I said.

Jake shook his head. "I have to talk to Caleb and clear it first."

"Man what a lapdog." Jamie muttered.

Jake glared at her again before leaving the car to use his phone.

"Harsh." I said. "It's not his fault or anyone else's how your father makes the rules."

"There is what, dozens of members to my dad's pack? What does he always send him?" she was careful now not to be overheard as she glanced out the window where Jake was standing.

"Because he trusts him the most and when it comes to you, he wants the best when he can't be there." I sighed and made up my mind to offer some advice. "It'll pass. Once you get over Ray and find a nice boy your age, Jake will be a faint memory."

"Right." It didn't sound like she believed me and it sure did sound like there was more on her mind but she kept it to herself. We sat in silence until Jake peeked back in and told us Caleb was fine with Jamie staying with me.

### Chapter 14

Whatever Caleb was up to must he serious or at the very least time consuming. I spent most of the day with Jamie at her house, not mine because she had cooler electronics. We saw several different movies and pigged out on some pizza.

As the sun began to set Jamie was getting bored, such things were dangerous for a teenager. "Let's go do something." She suggested from her bed where she was sitting.

"Like what? What do cool kids do?" she knew I was a loner and completely clueless on how these things worked. If it was up to me I'd be at work until I was tired enough to go to bed.

"I don't know, I'm not a cool kid."

"Wow, you are depressing." I walked over to the bed and grabbed her hand. "Come on." I wasn't sure what we were doing but I wanted it to be fun and as childish as possible. I had parked in my own driveway; we were walking toward it when I noticed someone was looking for me. "Michael?" crap, I didn't want to see him right now.

He turned from my front door and came down the porch. "My father mentioned you spoke." He glanced from me to Jamie then back at me. "Now I see why you weren't home."

"Domenic gave me a ridiculous amount of days off so I was spending time with Jamie doing girly things. What are you doing here?" I was almost scared to ask because I knew he only came to see me when he needed something.

"I need to talk to you." he answered softly.

I nodded and gave Jamie my car keys. "Wait for me inside." I waited until she was inside the car to address Michael. "You need something."

"Is that the only reason we speak now?" he touched my arm and motioned me farther onto the sidewalk and away from prying ears.

"Pretty much, I can count on one hand how many times you've visited me and this is the second time in a week."

"Is that why you're upset? Or is it because I've interrupted you trying to score points with the alpha's lineage?" his hands were over the tops of my arms before I could storm away. "He's not good enough for you." he whispered along my ear.

I couldn't stop my senses from reacting, goose bumps broke out all along my skin, and my heart thumped a little faster while he stood that close. "We've had this conversation more times than necessary and I can't keep telling you it's pointless. If you spoke to Dominic, you know I told him the same thing."

"And yet you spend more time with Caleb and his daughter, wolves, more than any other race." He felt betrayed by how I decided to spend my free time.

"So of course that means something romantic is happening and I'm humping him every night?" I smiled as I started to piece the puzzle together. "Would this sudden care about my personal life have anything to do with your snack bar Caitlin?" she would've been a good little servant and told Michael about seeing me at Caleb's. My mind kept running and I realized Caleb would've suspected the same thing. Caitlin told Michael about the date, seeing me, everything. If he had planned to spy on the vampires then he would've used a better source. So what was the point of using Caitlin? Crap the whole situation was confusing.

"Just because we couldn't work it doesn't mean I stopped caring about you." he took a step back allowing me to see his eyes and honesty. "If it was up to me you'd move far from this street and the conflict."

"Are you admitting there is a conflict to be worried about?" Last I was told there was peace amongst the werewolves and the vampires in Celestin.

"Yes." Michael always liked to keep me away from the dangers of his life, if he was admitting a problem then it was bigger than he could handle.

"I can't just turn my back on them." those damn words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them or deny their meaning. I was going to tell him I couldn't turn my back on my friendship with Jamie, so how did her father get lumped into that?

Michael smiled sadly. "Do you still want to tell me there's nothing there?"

"It's not what you think." How did I explain it without further shoving my foot down my throat? I didn't know, hell I didn't know anything anymore.

Michael touched his hand softly to my cheek. "Be careful Evie." He walked away.

I watched him go and felt my heart crack into a new piece created by Michael Winston. I wanted to scream at him but no words left my mouth. I wanted to demand answers as to why he thought he had the right to say goodbye to me after all that time?

I wasn't sure how long I was staring at the road he drove down wishing he'd come back. I snapped out of it when Jamie came to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. "It's ok." She said. "It's better this way, remember?"

"I don't even know why he stopped by." I felt tears burn my eyes and I hated him for it. I didn't want to be a weak mess over a broken heart. I had cried over him enough.

"That was him right, the vampire you love?"

"Yeah." I said softly. "Let's get out of here."

Before I always had some hope Michael and I weren't done, I knew he broke up with me to protect me and the guilt he felt for my turning not going right but now that hope was cruelly stomped on. I believed it was truly over when he walked away, I believed he'd stop interfering with my choices even if he didn't agree with them. We were completely over and nothing would change that.

I had wanted to get out of the house to make Jamie feel better, now I was the one depressed. I tried to shake the feeling and remember to look ahead and not back. The Coven was off my ass, I had many reasons to celebrate instead of wallow.

I took Jamie with me to _Disputandum_ to dance the night away. Her father would seriously kill me if he knew. It was a club for adults and all supernatural races.

### Chapter 15

It was a little after eleven when Jamie and I got back home. As luck would have it Caleb was home. Maybe he was in bed and I could sneak her in without him noticing. Hmm guess not considering he was waiting in the living room.

"Where've you been?" he asked simply enough, he didn't want to express the anger I was sensing from his temple.

Jamie grabbed my arm with a silent message to let her handle it; she after all was the better liar. "Evie was having a pretty bad night and we went back to the mall to pig out on ice cream. The time got away from us." She put just the right amount of apology and sadness in her tone. "I'm sorry for not calling you dad, we'll be better about it next time." The kid was a genius.

Caleb nodded. "It's fine, you head upstairs to bed and we can talk more tomorrow." He watched as Jamie disappeared upstairs before turning to me.

Uh oh. "I should go." I was so close to the door but alas didn't make it in time.

Caleb cornered me. "The truth now."

I gasped. "How dare you not believe your only daughter? She told you everything."

His dark blue eyes searched my face. "A few things, she's been mad at me for days and now she's suddenly sweet. Also I can smell the liquor on you."

"You are too smart for your own good." So yeah I was probably a little drunk. "I didn't let Jamie have one drop." It was a good thing she could drive too, learning permits came in handy. "I gots to go."

He chuckled, I wasn't sure if it was at me or something else but whatever. "It would take a lot for you to get drunk. Where did you go?"

I shook my head side to side so fast I got a bit dizzy. "I can't answer that."

He bent, searching my eyes further. "Evangeline?"

"Why do you keep standing so close to me? It's very intense and weird."

"I don't understand, why is it those things?"

I couldn't stop staring at him. "Because it's you....and you're very pretty and yet still manly."

He smiled and I could swear he wanted to laugh at me again. "You must be very drunk."

"Why do you keep saying that? I'm fine, really am."

"Are you fine enough to get home?"

I laughed and I didn't know why. "Probably not but I'm sure I can figure it out." I reached for the doorknob and found my hand was glowing. "Oops."

"Come on." Caleb grabbed my wrists to keep me from doing something stupid and led the way back to my house. "Where are your keys?"

I looked at him like he just asked for the winning numbers in the lotto because both answers were the same; I don't know. "Um....uh..." I tried to think but that was harder than it sounded.

Caleb sighed, the alpha had very little patience for someone who offered his assistance. "What did you do with them after you got out of the car?"

"Um...." Why couldn't I figure out such an easy mystery? He let go of my wrist and started to dig in the front pocket of my jeans. I gasped. "Why Mr. Nikolas are you getting frisky with me?"

"You're too drunk for me to even try." He found the keys and unlocked the door.

"Yeah and I'm all vampire bitten and contaminated blah, blah, blah."

"Is that all that stands in our way? My dislike for vampires?" it sounded like there was more he wanted to say there.

I stared at him and felt dumber than I was comfortable with. "Huh? I'm really getting sick of these riddles. You are _such_ a pain in the ass."

"And why is that?"

"The list is very long, I mean hell it'd take awhile to tell you all the reasons you annoy me. You know what I really hate? The fact everyone thinks there is something between us. What would give them that idea? I mean yeah you're gorgeous and we share that whole wolfy thing but that's not enough to assume we hump each other like rabbits."

Caleb's dark blue eyes grew wide. "Who thinks that?" his tone was soft and inquisitive.

"Everyone, especially Michael."

Realization dawned on his features. "And this is why you nearly drank the town dry."

I started to feel sad again the longer I stared at him. "I don't want to be forced to pick sides." I whispered. "I don't want to pick."

"Between vampires and werewolves?"

"Between you and him." I stared at him and saw he wasn't sure what to say either. Welcome to the club, party of two. "Why is this happening?" I sniffed back tears and turned away from him. I began to realize when my buzz wore off I was going to have a lot of regrets. Hopefully I wouldn't remember any of it.

"Evangeline?" he reached out and took my hand. "What are you saying to me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I did drink too much and now nothing makes sense. I should go to bed." I took a step forward but couldn't go very far because he was still holding onto my hand. With a sigh, I turned around to ask him why he wouldn't go and leave me alone. As I looked at him those words didn't come out of my mouth. Instead the craziest thoughts and curiosities filled my mind.

I took that step back and planted my lips over his.

### Chapter 16

I woke up with a killer headache. It seemed my healing abilities were never as fast as I needed them to be. I lay there sprawled out on my bed and tried to remember yesterday. I had spent most of the day with Jamie and then I saw Michael. Yup I remembered how we left things and how upset it had made me. I must've done some pretty heavy drinking. The last time I had drank nearly that bad was on my eighteenth birthday, oddly enough Michael had been the reason back then too.

My cellphone went off and the ringtone was far too jolly for the splitting headache I had. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the little evil object. "What have I done to deserve this torture?"

It was Jamie, she laughed at my expense. "Drinking will do that sort of thing, human or not. You were really going at the shots." As she spoke I realized I had done all my mistakes with her by my side. Wow I felt like an idiot.

"My head is a ball of mush, can you tell me exactly what happened?"

"You realized it was truly officially over with Michael and you wanted to forget it. You took me to a really cool bar you swore my father would kill you for if he ever found out but everyone was so nice and you were always on guard. I drove us home and I did pretty good with convincing my dad we were just out late but you were so drunk you got us caught." She wanted me to know it was my fault she was possibly grounded, not her wonderful lying.

"How do you know it was me?" I was still trying to piece everything together but my memory was not cooperating.

"When I went up to bed he believed everything I said but after he came from walking you home he knew you had been out drinking and took me along for the awesome ride."

"That was very stupid of me and I don't blame him for being pissed. He probably won't want us alone for awhile especially at night. Why did he walk me home?" I could not remember seeing Caleb at all last night.

"You were pretty out of it. How do you feel now about everything?"

"My head hurts too much for me to wallow about Michael and his insensitive ass." I went from regret and sadness to pure anger over the subject of my ex-boyfriend. "I'm sorry for getting you into trouble."

"You could tell my dad that and convince him I don't need to be grounded until I'm thirty."

I tried to find the bright side and help her out. "For you to be thirty you'd have to stay for him to keep an eye on you."

"Exactly, I think I'm wearing him down. I love my mom but I really don't want to live with her and the new husband. So far it doesn't look like dad is gonna force a step mom on me. If he does hopefully I can like her almost as much as I like you."

"Sure, hopefully."

"It'd be a lifesaver if you got with my dad, I'd love you forever." She suddenly sounded like she was ten and begging with all her adorable features for you to do what she wanted.

I laughed, I couldn't keep the laugh in no matter how much it pained my throbbing skull. "Fat chance and you know it. I have to go throw myself in the shower, I'll talk to you later." I ended the call and flung the phone onto the bed. I sighed and sat up.

The day had just begun and already felt impossibly long.

It was two hours later when I managed to get into my kitchen and make a cup of coffee. I was just about to pour the dark liquid when I heard someone knocking on my door. I groaned, why couldn't I be left alone until I was more like myself? Just until I've had some coffee and my head would stop hurting? I cursed whoever was behind the door. It was probably someone trying to sell something I wasn't interested in.

I walked from the kitchen to the living room and swung the door open. It wasn't someone trying to sell something. It was my neighbor, Caleb, and he looked pissed. Had I done something to him and didn't remember? "Whatever it is, I don't remember. And have mercy on my headache."

He let himself in, walking past me into my living room. "You don't remember last night? How convenient."

Shit, I was never drinking again. "I know I messed up with Jamie but I swear it'll never happen again. No matter what I'd always protect her."

"I know that." The tension on his shoulders eased just a bit. "I'm debating if I should leave it at that and leave, or tell you the rest of what happened last night."

I groaned and walked over to the couch, standing made me feel like a bigger piece of shit. "I'd rather you tell me and you know that, that's why you're here."

"You wouldn't want to be spared the embarrassment?"

"Embarrassment?" I repeated as I stared at him. I began to realize I screwed up somewhere where he was concerned. "I called you pretty." Horror filled my chest.

"Amongst other things." The anger he had walked in was gone, replaced by a grin I saw tugging his lips. He thought my horror was funny.

His lips...aww shit. I turned away and hoped he didn't see the horror across my face. "I'm sure I'll remember it on my own eventually. You can go and do whatever it is you do all day." I got up to walk him out; I didn't want him to realize I was trying very hard to get rid of him.

We were half way to the door, nearly at the home base when he turned toward me, a huge smile on his face. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

Fuck he knew, he always knew too much. I reached out and punched him on the arm. "Shut up!" as mortified as I felt, I was glad we were talking about the kiss and not everything else I said about him and Michael.

Caleb was laughing, full out laughing at me.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up. You ran out of here fast enough, you were probably freaked out and had to wash the cooties off from the vamp girl."

Caleb's laughter died down. "No, I don't see you as a vampire Evangeline, not anymore. Now that I know the truth I see you as one of mine." The way he said that had my heart racing.

I remembered him telling Michael how I belonged more with the wolves than the vamps. I had forgiven him for saying such a thing because he had been in a pretty bad spot at the time but the truth was I didn't belong to either side. I shook my head. "I'm not. Ok so I didn't completely disgust you, good times. I need coffee." I nearly ran to my kitchen and left him standing there, I didn't care if it was rude.

Caleb didn't care to take the hint and leave the embarrassing conversation for another day, maybe fifty years from now. "Shall I assume you don't want to talk about anything said last night?" I felt him standing near the door of the kitchen.

Just as he some times knew too much so did I, I knew for a fact he was talking about my slip up about picking between him and Michael. Why had I said that? Maybe because I meant it. I didn't want to pick between them but I also don't know exactly what that meant. What was there between me and Caleb that made me feel I'd have to give it up? My head hurt too much for all these questions.

"Yup. I was drunk and everything I said was just a big mess of words." I shrugged and kept my back facing him while I pretended to be messing with something in the sink.

"I'm glad that's cleared up then. I'll let you get back to your coffee."

I listened as he turned around and walked through the living room to the front door. I could breathe a little easier once that door shut and he was gone.

### Chapter 17

That afternoon I decided it would be best for me to get out of the house and away from the insanity known as my thoughts. Just a year ago things were pretty simple, I worked and hung out at home, sure I missed Michael but my days were relatively boring. I missed that. I didn't want to factor in Caleb and the pack when I heard ramblings around the city; I didn't want to worry for them. I didn't belong to their pack and I had to remember that before I made a stupid mistake.

I went to _La Amour_ to see Dominic, maybe now he could help me figure out exactly what I should be worried about. The master vampire was working on some paperwork at his desk. "No cooking tonight?"

"Who can cook when all this paperwork is piling high?" He was annoyed with the matters that needed his attention, he'd much rather be having fun creating new food creations. "What can I do for you darling?"

"You can let me come back to work, I'll even help you with all those papers." I pointed to the high stack of folders he hadn't touched yet.

"Are you that bored being home?"

"Yes and I've proven to do pretty stupid things when I have free time."

"Ryan mentioned seeing you at _Disputandum_ last night." Ryan was a fellow master vampire and the owner of the club. He was a vampire who had no trouble with other races, he allowed everyone in as long as there was respect.

I cringed. "Yeah, not my best decision. I need work."

"You need a life." Dominic didn't like to sugarcoat even when what he was saying was pretty harsh. "A young beautiful girl shouldn't be focused on work, you need something worth living for."

"Like what?" I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about as I sat in that empty chair across from his desk. "I'm not that average girl that can find a nice normal guy to settle down with. You know how different I am." I had never told him or Michael the truth about the Coven but after I helped Caleb and Jamie I was forced to reveal that part of my past and accept it as my present.

"And there are nice average supernaturals out there."

I smiled. "You want me to find someone, settle down, have kids?" he sounded more and more like a father to me every time we spoke.

"It wouldn't hurt."

"Are you telling me this because you care or because you want me to stay away from Michael?" I had to be sure.

Dominic smiled softly. "My decision was never about you personally. I knew even then you weren't made for each other. You never accepted the immortal life and in the same hand you could never accept his life." I couldn't be upset when he made so much sense.

"You don't have to worry about it, we're over and that's all." it stung to remember how he walked away last night, the easy way he said goodbye. "And no there's no one else either." I could feel him about to mention Caleb. I cared for the alpha in the sense I didn't want him to be killed but it wasn't romantic.

"The right man will come along." He wanted to give me hope.

"Can't I have a fulfilling life without a man in it?"

"Well, sure." Dominic gave it some thought, he was a man born in a time where women needed a man. "What gives you joy?"

"Work." I smiled. "So can I come in for my regular shifts?"

Dominic leaned back in his leather chair. "Yes...starting tomorrow. Tonight you're on paperwork duty."

"You play dirty old man." I was all smiles, I was willing to do anything as long as I didn't have to go home and find some sitcom to watch on TV to pass time.

I was working on the paperwork which consisted of budget reports and itemizing many different receipts. I was alone in the office; Dominic rushed down to the kitchen to cook different specials for the evening.

I was getting into a comfortable groove sorting through the paperwork and entering information into the computer when I heard a soft knock against the open door. My hands stilled as I stared at him.

"My father always manages to get out of the boring stuff." Michael said easily, his hands in his pockets as he glanced around the office he knew every detail to. "I thought you wouldn't be back for several more days?"

"I didn't need anymore time off." I couldn't stop staring at him; it wasn't because I was still upset about last night or anything about our past encounters. I was staring because I saw plain as day there was something bothering him.

He was being too quiet, too withdrawn, and not his charismatic self. I wanted to ask what was wrong, what could I do, and then I remembered every time I asked those questions it didn't end well and I ended up with a new crack in my heart.

"Are you looking for Dominic?" I asked, still unable to tear my eyes away but at least I didn't try to get answers and start a losing fight.

"No." he gave a small smile. "I just wanted to see you. You look better from your battle wounds." I hated that he said something that sweet and serious then quickly tried to change the topic.

"It just needs to finish healing, I feel fine."

He tore his eyes away from whatever he had found interesting near the window and finally looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry about last night. I know I don't have the right to ask anything of you."

I tried so hard to stay away from the topic, it was only fair it was his turn to take us to that place. "What did you want from me? You never told me why you came by in the first place. I'd help you anyway I can." I had told him the same thing so many times before.

"As long as it doesn't involve the alpha." There was no mistaking the levels of anger behind his tone.

I got up from Dominic's chair and walked around the desk. "You said there was a conflict, tell me what it is and let me make my own decision."

"And what if you decide I'm the one wrong and you team up with Caleb against me?"

He really had no idea how much I was in love with him and I refused to tell him again only to be shot down. "That would never happen."

Michael's eyes moved along my face as he gave thought to what I had said and wanted. "Over the last month I've realized Caleb has been trying to keep tabs on what's been happening with the vampires. My region as well as Lucas'." The master vampires all kept an eye on different parts of the city. "I haven't figured out why and I was hoping you might know something." That explains why he's been coming to see me and why he wanted me to keep an eye on Caleb.

"I haven't noticed anything. Before my run in with the Coven a few days ago I haven't seen much of him or the other pack members."

He smiled and that time it was genuine. He realized there was a part of me that would always be on his side "Thank you."

### Chapter 18

I was happy as I headed home, I was tired and oddly enough that made me happy because I'd get a good night's rest. I had gone to _La Amour_ pretty early so Dominic let me go by eleven, tomorrow on my regular shift I'd be there until 1am. I was getting out of my car when I noticed the figure sitting on my porch steps. He stood as I got out. "Hey Kevin, what brings you by?"

"I came by a little earlier but you weren't here." Kevin explained first, he didn't want me to think he was inconsiderate by showing up so late. "I was asked to give you this." he handed me an envelope with my name on it.

I couldn't explain why but when I touched the paper I felt a sense of sadness. "From who?" Emotion welled in my eyes when I remembered the one person at the Coven who would care enough to write me.

"Elissa."

That's all it took, to hear her name and start crying. "I...why?" I hadn't heard from or seen her since I left the Coven.

"She still loves you. Not all of us believe what the Coven says about betrayal." He offered with a sweet smile.

I nodded unable to say much of anything. I walked past him up the porch and unlocked the door. "Come in, let's have coffee or something." I wanted to change the conversation and clear the air from all the intensity surrounding me. I needed to breathe before I crumbled to the floor into a sobbing mess.

"Are you ok Evie?"

"Yup." I left the letter on the table and started messing around the kitchen, using muscle memory to guide me through the actions of making a simple pot of coffee. My mind and soul were completely somewhere else. "How's work been?" I knew I had to keep talking before he pushed further about Elissa.

"The ER's been kinda slow; I think everyone is scared and staying home." He was talking about the vampire exposure.

I suddenly thought back to Bess, Jake, and the whole SCF. "There's been no shortage of work for the cops though. Everyone is paranoid." Nothing changed for me when the vampires were exposed because I had always known about them. "Soon something else will happen and the public will focus on that."

With our coffee in hand, we kept chatting out insignificant things while the huge elephant in the form of that letter sat in the back of the room taunting me. I tried to be upbeat when I walked him out and even agreed to meet him for lunch tomorrow. It wasn't Kevin's fault I was horrible at coping and really hadn't expected Elissa to care about me anymore.

I shut my front door and slid to the floor sobbing. I had tried so hard to forget everything and everyone I had left behind because it was easier that way to justify my decisions. I forced myself off the floor and to face whatever that letter held head on. I grabbed it from the kitchen table and walked back to the living room. I was about to plant my butt on the couch and forced myself to pry the sealed envelope open.

The letter was long, the handwritten words filling the whole page of lined paper. I wasn't strong enough to face her thoughts without crying, without my heart bursting with regret.

After reading it I continued to stare at the words even as they blurred before me. Even as someone knocked on my front door. It was nearly midnight and yet my place suddenly turned into Grand Central.

"Evangeline."

"What?" I whispered, glancing up long enough to notice Caleb had let himself in and I hadn't locked the door after Kevin left.

He walked over and kneeled in front of the couch where I sat. "What is it?"

As I stared at him and saw that he actually seemed to care I felt worse. I opened my mouth and no words came out. He ran his hand across my wet cheek and wiped the tears with his thumb. My heart tightened as he touched me so gently.

He moved his eyes down to my hand and saw the letter I was clutching. "Bad news?" he tried again to figure out what had me in such a crying heap.

"My sister." When I acknowledge her after all the time that had passed, my face crumbled again and the sound of an ugly sob ran free. Caleb got up and joined me on the couch, wrapping his arms tight around me. "She's eighteen now getting married to someone she didn't get to chose. I shouldn't have left her there." I felt selfish as I thought back to my life outside of the Coven, when I would be happy and she was still stuck there.

"You were fifteen and there was no possible way you could've run with a child." He was trying to make me feel better when the damage was already done.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and peered into his blue eyes. "What are you doing here?" I realized he had just shown up pretty randomly.

He moved his hand across my cheek again. "I heard you crying."

"Oh." I couldn't stop staring at him, what was wrong with me? Sitting there in his arms was the nicest I felt in the last several days, months even. I've always felt something when he was near, like some layer from his presence but as we touched it was stronger and damn comforting.

"Do you want me to go?" he ran his hand through my hair and didn't wait for a reply before kissing me.

I gasped as his lips molded to mine. The drunken kiss last night hadn't been anything like this. It felt like when I used too much magic without the same horrible side effects, it was just as dangerous and blissful.

My hands moved across his chest and when that wasn't enough they slipped under the t-shirt he wore. I never saw him so causal before, it must be what he had dressed in for bed.

His chest was feverish and hard yet soft at the same time with corded muscle straining beneath his skin. I wanted to curse him for being in such perfect addicting shape.

That annoying logical part of my head had to make its self known. I realized I had never touched a man like this apart from for Michael. The same Michael I vowed to always love and never betray.

Those thoughts acted like a cold glass of water and I hastily moved away from Caleb. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I should've known better than to think you'd be remotely over him." It was rare when he didn't hit the nail on the head and guess exactly what I was feeling.

It all confused me. "What the hell is going on? You should be saying something like this was all a mistake."

"The only mistake is you pulling away." He leaned in and kissed me across the mouth. "I'll leave you with that to think about." He got up and walked away without another word.

I sat there with my eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Seriously what the hell was going on?

### Chapter 19

I spent many hours awake in bed thinking about Caleb and our kiss. I knew I shouldn't feel guilty because I was a single woman but I did feel like I had done something very wrong. After tossing and turning until 3 o'clock that morning I managed to fall asleep.

When I met Kevin for lunch I wasn't doing much better mentally and it was written all over my face. "You read the letter?" he asked, assuming that was the source of my down mood. It was but not the only thing weighing me down.

"Yeah." I fiddled with the napkin on my right side. "She told me about her upcoming marriage to Liam Mitchell." I didn't know the boy personally, I might've seen him around the compound but I couldn't pick him out of a line up or anything. I did know his older sister Anna and their parents somewhat. They were decent people but apparently not the right people. "She doesn't want to go through with it. I think she wants some advice." I thought back to her written words, the ones I couldn't shake from my head. I was sure my little sister wanted a lot more than some response telling her how to cope.

"I haven't noticed anything off between them." Kevin offered to ease my worry.

"Maybe it's just pre-wedding jitters." I highly doubted that but I couldn't reveal too much to Kevin, he was still a loyal member of the Coven.

"You ever think about what would've happened if you had stayed? We'd be married."

Shit, that wasn't something I wanted to talk about. "What are you asking me?"

He smiled lightly and started to push the spoon around, I wasn't the only one feeling awkward. "Did you run because of me? Because your father was going to announce our engagement that upcoming week?"

I looked at him and realized I owed him the truth. "Partly. I didn't run because of you and who you are, I ran because I couldn't handle the weight from all those commitments they were trying to put on us. We shouldn't be married; Elissa and Liam shouldn't be married."

"Why, because it's arranged and someone else made the decision? The choice was made after careful consideration and matching numerous factors. It's worked for hundreds of years and they were happy." He reached across the table and took my hand, causing me to look at him and see exactly what he was feeling. His belief was certainly not mine.

"No they settled and I couldn't." Tears sprung to my eyes as the passion of the words burned inside of me. "I don't say this to hurt you. I couldn't have my life run every minute of the day."

He let go off my hand harshly and sat back in his chair. "Because what you have now is so much better? You work at some diner and hang out with a fifteen year old while completely abandoning your own sister."

I inhaled deeply and reminded myself to keep a lid on my control. "Hmm tell me how you really feel." I didn't know how to forgive him, how to push the anger aside. "I'd rather be some loser bum than ever have been your wife." I got up and walked away.

So much for us trying to be friends.

Oddly enough it was nice to get that off my chest, to finally say some of what drove me away from my home, my family. It wasn't only the control I ran from, it was the cruelty I couldn't stomach.

I skipped getting into my car and heading home. I kept walking and ended up at the park. No surprise I ran into someone.

"Hey." She said from the bench she seemed to favor.

"You again."

"Yup, me again." Bess seemed to go with the flow; she never took anything I said personally. "Clearing your head?"

I shrugged and decided what the heck? I went and sat beside her. "Something like that. I realized someone I used to like and considered a friend is actually a world class jerk. I also made a pretty bad mistake last night." There was something about her that left me confessing everything, like maybe she could understand, or maybe I was just sick of talking to myself about it.

"And what's the mistake?"

"I kissed Caleb." It felt strange to say it out loud, as if now it was real when it had been plenty real last night while it was happening.

"Oh." She mulled that over. "Well there are worse people you could've kissed." It was obvious she approved of his looks and whatever else she knew about him.

"I'm in love with Michael still."

"And that makes this complicated. I'm really glad I don't have these problems."

"Are you in a relationship, in love with someone?"

"No and yes. No on the relationship and yes on the love part. I'm in love with a man in a committed relationship with the only mother his daughter's ever known." When she said it like that my stuff paled in comparison.

I started to think and oddly enough there were pieces that fit her puzzle. "Jake works on your group, are you talking about his brother Chase?" I knew Chase was her right hand with the SCF.

She chuckled, it was a sad sound. "I'm getting transparent."

"Well you did give me a lot of clues." I had no idea why I was trying to make the woman feel better. "If he looks anything like Jake then I could see why you'd fall for him." Caleb really had some good looking wolves in his pack but of course there was something about Caleb that put him in a league all by himself.

"He's gorgeous but it's more than that. Man, I'm screwed."

"How did you come to meet Chase and Jake?" I was curious and while I was talking to her I didn't have to think about my own problems.

"Zoe Langston, know her?"

"Know of her, yeah."

Zoe was a vampire hunter and best friends to Chase and sometimes Jake. He told me about how they all grew up together and how she used to tease him. After being turned into a werewolf Jake went from a lanky kid to a grown man dripping with sex appeal. I knew how Zoe and Jake's relationship got complicated because of his turn. It was rather amusing until I helped him out of a bond they had accidentally created.

"She's my sister, long lost fraternal twin actually. I came to town to investigate those vampire murders and she was the go to person. When I started putting the SCF together she mentioned the idea of using hunters as well as cops to create the team."

"And there came Chase."

"I had met him a few times before that but it wasn't until we would spend all night together that I really got to see him, how amazing he is." She was love struck.

"I have problems but I'm glad I don't have yours." I said it to be honest, not mean.

"Glad I could help."

### Chapter 20

It was the morning of Jamie's birthday. I had spent all of yesterday shopping around for the perfect gift before my shift at _La Amour_. I had found something but I wasn't sure about it. What did you get a girl that had everything she asked for?

I called her and asked that she meet me outside. I couldn't handle running into Caleb right now if ever. I didn't know how to handle what happened between us or the parting words he left me with.

"Hey." She smiled and met me at the end of the driveway. "Why the long distance?"

"I have somewhere to get to and I wanted to give you this first." I handed her the gift wrapped box. "Happy sweet sixteen."

"You didn't have to get me anything." She smiled sweetly with excitement bouncing off of her.

"Yeah I did but I wasn't sure what to get since you have everything a girl could want in your room."

She looked up from the box and at me. "If you're giving me this now does that mean you won't come to the party?"

"I can't. I have to work and I already took too many days off. Have some fun tonight and I'll see you tomorrow." I reached forward and gave her a hug. I felt like crap as she turned away and headed back inside. We were friends and she wanted me around when in reality I was a big mistake. I didn't belong in her life. _Or his._

I headed off to work next. I offered to cover Rosie's shift last night and it started at eleven. I was on autopilot focusing only on work to keep from thinking about Jamie, my sister, the mess with Kevin and what was said between us.

I tended to the day crowd and helped organize the dining room supplies from the menus down to the trays.

I was sitting outside on my break at one of the outdoor patio tables when I heard my name being called. I looked up from the book I was reading to see Jared coming toward me. I smiled.

Jared was easygoing to be around, there wasn't all the serious emotion or expectations.

He sat across from me. "Jamie mentioned she saw you in a dress and that you were probably working."

"I'm covering for someone." I didn't want to get into how I offered and I'd rather be there than at home alone. "What brings you here? I haven't seen much of you since my mess with the Coven was fixed."

"Yeah." He shyly ran his hand over his hair and that worried me, Jared wasn't the shy type. "I don't want you to get mad at me."

"But?" I knew the word was coming.

"But I was thinking and while I was thinking, it felt like a good idea to stay away from you. I like you Evie and I know you know that. But what I realized with all that thinking is that we're better off as friends." It felt like there was more he wanted to say, more he suspected but he kept those words to himself.

I hadn't expected his revelation and yet I was relieved to hear it. "I'd like that, if we could be friends." Lord knows I didn't have many of them. It felt nice every once and a while to know someone was on your side.

He reached across the table to grab my hand. "You got it." he smiled so beautifully I wondered for a split second if I was making a mistake by not taking a chance on him. Then I remembered my life and remembered he was better off without a dangerous screw up like me.

We spoke for a little while longer, he asked if everything was still ok concerning the Coven and I explained to him that I was safe but that something still felt like it was missing. I was trying to get back to my old routine only to find that my routine no longer fit me.

"For the last few months you've been dodging danger and living on the edge. You're bored." Jared clarified.

"I want to be bored; I want to be safe in the life I've made for myself." I was frustrated with my stupid mind for being all over the place.

"Give it time and if you still feel like something is missing then figure out what it is." He squeezed the hand he hadn't let go of and offered another reassuring smile. "I have to get back to the compound to help with decorations."

"Who'd you piss off to be stuck with that?" I teased.

"We all have to lend a helping hand. Thankfully he only has one kid." Jared said his goodbyes after that and left.

I grabbed my book and handed back inside to finish my shift.

Talking to Jared helped, as the day went on I realized he was right. I was starting to feel more like myself and content with my normal routine. I was becoming pretty good at putting everything I didn't want to think about in the far confines of my brain. I didn't let the situation with my sister or the epic mess I made with Caleb bring me down.

My first shift from 11AM to 6PM ended.

"Are you going to head home for a few hours or stay straight though until the end of the next shift?" Darrell, a manger, asked me as the staff got ready for the dinner crowds.

"I'll stay." The next shift would be from 6PM until 1AM.

Darrell looked at me like I was nuts but he shrugged and kept any thoughts to himself. A little hard work never killed anyone and since I was immortal it was safe to say I'd survive a double shift.

I was filling in new reservations in the book when a shadow blocked my light. "Can I helped you?" I asked, looking up from my work to find the person was male and a werewolf. He didn't bother to tame the powerful energy coming from him.

"I'm looking for Michael, he's expecting me." His dark eyes scanned my face as he tried to figure out my situation. It was obvious I wasn't human, after that I wasn't sure what he'd pick up on.

"And you are?" I didn't like the fact a were was here to meet with Michael.

"Nathan." He extended his hand.

Warning bells were going off in my head with his guy. I didn't touch him. "I'll let him know you're here. You can wait by the bar if you'd like." I grabbed the phone and left a message upstairs with Michael's assistant about his guest. I asked someone to cover me while I went outside for a moment to catch my bearings. That encounter shook me. I was scared he'd find out too much. Since shifting and revealing that part of my secret months ago the only wolves I had been around belong to Caleb's pack. I felt safe with them knowing my secret.

As I walked around the back to avoid the large crowds out front, I didn't feel safe.

I stood alone along the side of the building and took a deep breath. My eyes drifted up toward the moon, I felt her presence thick along the exposed skin of my arms.

"Michael told me a vampire ran the front desk."

I sharply turned to my right where the werewolf stood. "What do you want?"

"I can't see Michael with his prejudice hiring a shifter onto his staff." He took a step closer. "What are you?"

I remembered Caleb's warnings about that exact thing, how I needed to be careful as a lone animal. I wasn't sure how Nathan could tell. It had been days since my last shift. "None of your business." Unlike other lone wolves I had a heap of magic on my side. I didn't want to use it considering how many people were on the other side of the building but I would if I had to.

Thankfully we were interrupted before the power play between us could escalade.

"The girl inside told me I could find you here." Kevin said, unsure what came next.

"Yeah." I walked away from Nathan. "Let's go somewhere private." I was glad he showed up because I wanted to apologize for walking away yesterday instead of talking it out like adults. I told him as much as we walked down the street away from the busy restaurant.

"It's ok." Kevin said. "Deep down I knew everything you said in my heart already. You never fit in at home. I was stupid to think that might've changed." His voice sounded like he was ok except everything else about him was very tense and guarded.

"I'm sorry." I said again.

We stopped walking and faced each other. "It's ok. I spoke with the Elders and they have agreed to break the bond between us and allow me another companion."

While the rules of the Coven didn't work for me that didn't mean I couldn't be happy for Kevin. He deserved someone to love. "That's great. What made them change their mind?"

"I agreed to give them something they want."

It was too late by the time I realized what the Elders wanted was me. I couldn't move and soon everything went black.

### Chapter 21

Kevin used a powerful spell to knock me unconscious. When I woke I was on a hard slab of concrete. As I gathered my bearings I realized the floor looked like an incomplete basement. I inhaled deeply and tested the air; there was no scent familiar to me. We weren't back at the Coven compound.

My body was achy as I struggled to sit up. Whatever spell Kevin used was meant to have a lasting effect, probably so I couldn't run.

Miranda came trotting over to the room, where the wall and door should be were cell bars. "I told you this would happen. I got it all ready for you."

"You didn't best me; you got Kevin to do your dirty work with false promises." I hissed at her. She knew damn well even though I didn't have as much training as her, I always bested her in a fight.

"Kevin came though and the Elders will give him what they promised." She was smug; the smile across her face was bright and wasn't going anywhere. "I win. I get Kevin and you're locked away."

"Whoopee. When are you going to understand, I never wanted Kevin, I never wanted to be a part of any of this. I was out and you had the chance to become the perfect poster child you always wanted to be. But oh wait, you still couldn't because you aren't good enough." I did take satisfaction in putting her down when I could. I tried for years when we were kids to be her friend but she always managed to make me the enemy.

Her dark eyes flared and yet her smile widened. "This is going to be so much fun." She threw a big burst of magic at me I couldn't block. The bars of the cell were meant to let magic in but not out. I couldn't fight back.

I lay there as a crumbled mess on the dirty floor. My body felt like I had just gone through the electric chair meant to kill but being immortal I couldn't die easily and she knew it. She took sadistic pleasure in it.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed; it felt like hours when she finally walked away with a bounce in her step. I couldn't move but my brain was still functioning and I knew I had to find a way out of there without magic or anyone's help. I only had me.

Gritting my teeth to hold back sobs of pain I managed to sit upright.

I looked around the room for anything that could help me pick a lock. There were Coven witches guarding the place but the lock on the door was of a traditional human variety. They probably figured the spell keeping magic from leaving the cell was enough to render me useless.

Working and living with Michael for so long I learned a few things about criminal life. The Winston's ran legit businesses but there were others....not so much.

I wanted to crawl up into a ball and sleep the pain away, only I knew if I did that my chance to escape would pass me by and Miranda would be back with more torture. There wasn't much in the damn basement, certainly no hairpins or paperclips I could use to do some damage to the lock. All I had to do was get past the cell door and my magic would be back.

"You never back down, you know there isn't anything on your side and yet you still look."

My heart stopped at the sound of the voice behind me. "Mom always said I was born willful." I owned my guilt and turned to face her.

The years I had been gone changed her from a young girl to a beautiful woman. Her eyes were sad, that type of sadness you couldn't hide because it was buried so deep into your system. "Did you get my letter? I'm not sure how long Kevin was playing both sides." Elissa said with a faint shrug of her right shoulder.

"I cursed him out and I think that's what finally got him to snap and give into the Elders. I got your letter, I read it over and over."

"And?"

"And? Should we be talking about this here?" I looked past her down the hallway that most likely led upstairs. I couldn't be sure no one was listening.

"Miranda's running the show until Mahon gets here." She said of the Elder I remembered from my childhood, he hadn't been very pleasant. "She's too busy in her own world to pay us any attention right now."

I nodded. "I want you to have the life you want, whatever that entails. I didn't want to leave you."

"But you did and I had to deal with our parents fighting every day about whose fault it was. The Elders wanted to point the finger and it all landed on mom and dad because it was their responsibly to keep you in line. Damn it Evie." She threw a burst of energy that had me falling back on my ass.

My hand brushed across the floor to find my bearings, that's when I felt the pin. I looked at her with wide eyes. She was crying, her lower lip shook as she looked at me with a look I carried for a long time; the need for freedom.

"I'm going to make this better." I promised her, mustering up all my strength to smile. "One way or another." I couldn't convince myself what came next would be easy, no it was going to be hard with a very good chance I wouldn't survive it but I'd make sure she at least could be happy at the end of it all.

"They agreed to let me see you one time before they move you back to the village compound. I'm going back now." My sister was smart, she knew how to hide her true words in the mix of other sentences.

"Ok." I watched her go and sat there with nowhere to go, yet. I had to wait until some time passed so she wouldn't be accused of helping me.

I smiled sadly as I thought of her grown up face, it was a lot like her baby face. Her grey eyes were still the same, she knew exactly how to grip my heart with only a look. She needed help and I was going to give it to her. As my sister I knew she looked at every other possible choice before writing that letter, before pouring her heart out into words with her subtle plead for freedom. She had to be careful before the Coven found out. She was planning slowly with the long term in mind. That made her smarter than I could ever be.

I wasn't thinking about tomorrow, I was focused on right now and getting the hell out of there. Getting the cell door open was the easy part, getting past the group of high witches upstairs and possibly an Elder, now that was going to take some planning.

### Chapter 22

I waited a good twenty minutes after Elissa left to make my way closer to the lock. I looked down the hall and listened carefully for anyone coming near. I heard two voices upstairs discussing something trivial. Miranda seemed confidant she had me out for the count with her little magic suffering, no one was worried about me down here. Perfect.

Picking the lock and getting the son of a bitch open took two minutes. I'll admit in hindsight I was cocky, I thought luck would be on my side and I could get out of my nightmare pretty easily, which makes me ever the fool.

The lock on the gate had been pretty easy for a reason; it was reinforced with an alarm.

The loud blaring would make a less determined person fall to their knees clutching their ears in hopes for some peace. I hauled ass. There was no way out but up and that meant facing the witches upstairs.

Miranda was there, so was Rex with murder lining his dark eyes. "The Coven should've known better than to use you two again." I was in pain and angry, of course I was baiting my captors like any idiot would.

With a wave of her hand the blaring alarm stopped. "There's no way you're getting out of here." Miranda was very sure of herself and that meant there was some back up around, more witches or wards around the house securing my imprisonment.

"Really?" while I was baiting them I took the time to look around my surroundings, commit them to memory and size them up. I knew what to expect with Miranda, we had grown up together and I knew her weakness to use against her. Rex made me nervous.

Slowly I let my magic build up inside of me, slowly so they wouldn't notice and react too harshly.

"You look antsy." I said to Rex as the three of us stood around the kitchen like it was an everyday occurrence.

"One wrong move traitor and I'm going to rip you to shreds." Like his brother he favored fighting as an animal.

I smiled, further pissing him off. "I'd enjoy the chance to size you up. I doubt you'd be much of a problem." His eyes flared at my little dig aimed toward his deceased brother. I wasn't normally that much of a bitch, I felt remorse for what I had done to him. His death haunted me but right now, I had to save my own butt and the baiting was working in my favor.

"Relax." Miranda hissed as Rex stepped forward. "She's just trying to get under your skin so you'll make the first move." She knew me better than I would've given her credit for.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked. "I thought you'd want to rub your relationship with Kevin in my face." It was something she'd do given half the chance so that meant he didn't want to be here. Hmm, maybe my old traitorous friend felt guilty.

"She's stalling." Rex said about me.

"Yup." Miranda still didn't seem fazed. "The Elders reinforced this land. You can annoy us all you want but you're not getting out of here."

The Elders' magic was far superior to my own, than all of us of the last generation. Getting old seasoned your powers like a fine wine. I laughed and faintly in the back of my head thought I was going crazy. "Wanna bet?" I threw all the energy I had simmering just below my skin.

Miranda and Rex were both knocked back to the floor. With a quick muttering of an old spell the room filled with fog to block their vision of me. I dashed out the door I had spotted behind Miranda.

I ran a few feet before I was hit with the magic sealing the property. "Shit." I thought back to the barrier that had surrounded Caleb's childhood home, that had been a bitch to get through and that ward had originated from Miranda. This one came from an Elder.

I touched my fingers to the invisible barrier I felt there like a tall ten foot wall. It had a watery effect like you were touching water but burned as if it was acid instead.

Tears burned my eyes. I could very well die trying to get through this barrier or I can face Rex and Miranda inside which would only drain my powers and I'd still be trapped until the Elders came and really did a number on me. There was only one option; going through the barrier.

I closed my eyes for a moment to think about why I had to do it and what drove me forth was the promise I made to Elissa. I had to help her or die trying. I thought of Jamie too and how upset she'd be if I decided to give up.

I hoped the vampire virus would let me survive. It'd hurt and I'd have to heal but it'd be nothing as long as my heart kept beating.

I calmed my heart beat down as low as possible before stepping into the powerful magic. If I panicked it would only take longer and hurt more. I let my own magic rush to the surface to ease the pain of breaking something this potent. I felt like I was touching the sun, it was bright, my skin burned from the inside out, my head wanted to pop from the building pressure surrounding my skull.

A little more and I'd be free.

I kept the faces of everyone I cared about close in my mind's eye for strength. I thought of Michael and how nice we had left things, it wasn't a confession of love or something but it had been peaceful. You can never underestimate the feeling of peace, we fought wars over it, struggled daily to achieve a small glimpse of it. I liked my peace with Michael and hoped it could continue. Maybe one day my heart wouldn't break when I looked at him.

I thought about Elissa and getting her free from the Coven. I wondered what she'd want to do with that freedom. I thought about Jamie next and how her party went. Caleb must've gone all out to please her with his present topping all others. He was a good man and a damn good kisser.

Now facing death and torture I could admit that to myself; Caleb Nikolas was a good kisser and if our lives weren't cut out the way they were maybe...no I couldn't let myself think of that.

I went past half the barrier with half more to go. Today's barriers weren't so thick but the Elders were powerful enough to build something that large without too much effort. It was obvious they wanted me to be trapped and hadn't considered I'd be insane enough to try an escape.

Freedom was a powerful motivator.

### Chapter 23

I ran from that hell hole faster than I ever moved in the past. My last magic high felt nothing like it, I felt superior and in ultimate control. I began to wonder if the magic from the barrier did something to me. There was no way the witches were going to catch me, at least not on foot. They wouldn't risk copying my speed and facing withdrawal. If it meant getting away from them; I'd take the uncomfortable times later.

I made it back to Celestin pretty quickly. They hadn't taken me all the way back to the Coven Village. Everything was bright white; I could make out the houses and people through hazy images of red. I knew way in the back of my mind where I didn't care, the situation wasn't good; the heavy magic was screwing with my control and overall state of mind.

With Kevin's betrayal I knew my house wasn't safe. I was seeing red for different reasons when I thought of him, how could I have been so stupid? I snuck into Caleb's house as the place to wait out the high. I didn't think he was home; the compound would be the safest place for him, Jamie, and the pack.

"Evangeline?"

Caleb was standing in his living room as I made my way from the kitchen backdoor. "Oh, you are home."

"Where have you been? What is wrong with you?" he didn't know what had happened to me or that there was even a looming threat he should be worried about. The Coven broke whatever deal he made with them.

I grinned, "I don't know, what's wrong with me?" my voice sounded pretty condescending in my ears.

His blue eyes were concerned. I could see a little clearer out of the sun. "Your hands are glowing and your eyes are...what happened?"

I walked over to the mirror near the mantel and took a peak at myself, my hair was wild, and my eyes instead of black from the magic were a very weird bright shade of blue. I was still wearing the dress I had worn to work.

Caleb called my name. "What happened?" he asked again.

"A lot changes in more than a decade. Kevin changed," I felt my hands growing hot as I thought of him. "He sold me out." I felt out the energy building and the mirror I had been looking in shattered.

"Evangeline, stop using your magic before you reach a place you can't come back from."

I glared at him. "Don't use that voice on me, you can't control me! You can't talk me down into submission." I hated him for trying. My hands went wild again and that time the picture on the wall suffered. I watched the glass shatter to the ground.

In that time Caleb being ever the sneaky one snuck up behind me and gripped my wrists. "I want my house to be standing after this."

I tried to pull my hands free but he was stronger than me even in my heightened state. I needed my hands to cause real damage. "Don't make me hurt you. I still have some tricks up my sleeve."

"Stop it." he kicked my feet out from under me sending me to my knees. He pinned my top half down on the couch cushion in front us, my knees were on the floor. "Tell me what happened."

I wanted to kill him. I tried to get out of the hold but his heavy chest had me pinned, his damn hands were like chains on my wrists. The heat of his body surrounded me with suffocating intensity. "Your little plan didn't work and this one isn't going to work." I was bursting with energy and he felt it. I felt him struggling to keep his own control in check; his hands were shaking against mine.

An Alpha werewolf didn't lose control easily.

"Stop it." he growled against my neck, the gruff of his voice racing through me like a touch.

The sound of his temper sent a wave of craving through me. Everything was so extra sensitive and he wouldn't let me go! "Caleb..." I started biting on the sofa cushion to muffle the sounds crawling up my throat.

"Damn it, stop..." he let out a whine before biting down on my neck. He was trying to dominate me and when the bite wasn't enough he grabbed my wrists with one hand and moved the other under my skirt.

I gasped in anticipation.

With his mouth still on my neck he pulled my panties down to my knees and then unzipped his own pants. I screamed out when he entered me, nothing should've ever felt that good and alive. He was holding me down but everywhere I felt his body against mine was like heaven. He moved his hand up my bare hip as he moved inside of me. I wished he'd let me go so I could touch him. I wanted to see his eyes and find out if they were as yellow as I suspected.

Hours later, the high started to ease and everything went black.

When I woke up I was on some floor, I sat up and realized I was at Caleb's. I couldn't remember how I got there or anything else since the Elders locked me away. I sat up and hissed as a pain shot through my legs, I looked down and saw scratches. The living room was a mess, the coffee table was clear across the room and the couch was on its back, was there a fight? I kept looking and found Caleb on the floor too, he was on his back with his shirt off. There were scratches all over his chest.

I moved closer to make sure he was alright. "Caleb?" I knew it wasn't wise to wake an unsuspecting wolf but I wanted to know that he was ok. I called his name and slowly he woke, his blue eyes were slightly dilated. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" he asked and I shook my head. He looked away from me and sat up. "Neither do I." he said hesitantly.

"The Elders had me locked up and then I woke up here." I stood from the floor and suppressed a groan, my legs were on fire. I put the couch back upright and sat on it. I kept looking around and saw broken glass on the floor. "They're probably looking for me now. Do you think they found me and we fought?"

Caleb's expression grew pained. "No. I need to tell you something."

I noticed something next to the couch leg and grabbed it. My underwear? I turned and looked at Caleb with wide eyes. "What?" he didn't say anything, he again turned away from me. I thought about the last time I escaped the Coven witches and how the high affected me sexually. "No, please tell me we didn't. No, this is impossible." I started to pray I couldn't have made such a stupid mistake.

"You somehow escaped from them but you had to have used a lot of magic because when you got here you were out of it. Your eyes and hands were glowing and you broke the mirror and I wanted you to stop. I tried....things got out of control." He explained with his back facing me. I saw more scratches on his back, I must've done that to him.

"No kidding." I glanced around the living room in horror. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that, I'm the one who took advantage." He looked disappointed in himself for not having control; for not being able to handle the situation better.

"My powers screwed with your control, I know that. Um let's just forget this ever happened and never mention it again." I couldn't face the fact we had sex, I didn't want to accept it as true. There were lines and we definitely crossed them to the point of no return. "Kevin had something important at stake and gave me up to protect it. Nothing is going to stop the Council from wanting me to pay for the witch's death." I moved toward the door.

"No." Caleb jumped in front of me. Being as tall as he was all I saw was his chest and how farther down he had a bite mark just above his pants. "I have another solution."

My face was hot with embarrassment. "Please just let me go."

"If you denounce yourself from the Coven and join another pack they'd have no say over you." He was speaking of the century old laws for supernaturals.

"No, I hurt one of their own they'd come after me no matter what." I didn't want to accept what he was saying. When I ran from the Coven and my family I vowed to never let anyone control me again.

"No, not at the risk of the pack retaliating. It'd be bigger bloodshed and they don't want that." Caleb explained, he had put a lot of thought into his argument and probably researched it to know that much.

I looked up into his eyes. "Stop saying 'pack' when you mean 'you', you want to be my alpha." And that's what it kept coming back to; I knew he wanted it since he first saw me shift.

"The pack can protect you; it's more than just the Coven coming after you. I know that Nathan approached you." he spat the other wolf's name with hate.

"I can handle it."

"It's a doubled edged sword. You handle Nathan and others like him with magic which would expose the Coven and adds another reason to the list. Being a part of my pack isn't a jail sentence; I'm not as strict as you want to paint me. Mikey works for a vampire so there's no problem there, Jake...well because of Zoe he's involved with everything." He must be nervous because he was breathing a little hard, his abs defined more and more with each deep breath.

I would've laughed at that if I wasn't silently freaking out and felt backed into a corner. Everything he was saying was true and made a lot of sense but it wasn't what _I_ wanted. "I need to think about it. Can you please move?" reluctantly he did.

### Chapter 24

I was alone with nowhere to turn. For so long I liked it that way, but right now I wished I had one friend I could share my nightmare with, someone to give me advice. There was only one person that could help me right now, yet again someone who wanted something from me. Carefully, I walked through the shadows to her cottage.

"Evie? You look like hell." Bess said with a wrinkled nose.

I was in a dress that had seen better days, my hair was a tangled mess and I was barefooted. I could only imagine how bad it was. "Can I come in? I have nowhere else to go."

Her expression turned sympathetic. She led me inside and shut the door. "We're about the same size, why don't you shower and change then we can talk?" she suggested and right now that sounded like heaven. I nodded and continued to follow her through the house. She gave me a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, having met a few times before she knew I favored the simplicity. "I'll go make some coffee." She left me alone in the bathroom.

I set the borrowed clothes down and looked in the mirror. Bess had been kind when she said I looked like hell. I looked far worse. There were superficial scratches on my bare arms, the straps of my dress were barely holding on. I took it off and twisted it into a ball, it was trash now. My panties were still somewhere at Caleb's and I hadn't been wearing a bra. The dress was all I had on since leaving his place.

I tried to think of what happened between us and my mind kept coming up blank. I couldn't figure out a reason I'd have a memory lapse. Perhaps my mind was trying to protect me from the images. Caleb was forbidden and if I couldn't remember it, then he'd always remain forbidden.

I climbed in the shower and just let the water hit me. It stung against the scratches before it began to feel rather nice. I washed everything twice, even my hair, until I started to feel like myself again.

I dried off and moved to get dressed. I found between the shirt and jeans a pack of unopened cotton underwear. With gestures like that, I couldn't keep being mad at Bess. Thankful for her help, I quickly got dressed and went to meet her. "Thanks for all the help." I wanted her to know that. She wasn't selfish like I wanted to believe.

"It's fine, nothing better to do with this day anyway." She shrugged.

"Except run a whole department?"

"That's later." She smiled then let it slip. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"There are a few people who want me dead and then someone who wants me to submit to his control so he'll fix it all for me." I slumped into one of the stools at the kitchen nook.

"Caleb? Is that really such a bad thing?"

"I grew up with someone telling me what I could and couldn't do, what was proper and what wasn't. They controlled every minute of my life." I knew it wouldn't be like that with Caleb but he was an alpha, it was in his nature to lead and control. All under him had to submit; and I couldn't.

"You have control issues, got it." she grabbed her green mug of coffee and took a sip. "But not everyone is going to want to make you their puppet."

"He wants me to join his pack and you want me to join your team."

"Two very different scenarios; I am offering you a job and I know you've had one before, like with any job you have choices and can always quit. I have a very elite team and I know what you are capable of. With talents like that you shouldn't be someone's waitress. I won't tell you what to do, hell Zoe is my sister I know something about headstrong people." That made me smile, that Zoe girl sounded like she was a real riot. "But," Bess continued. "you can't keep going on like this. No one can run forever." That statement looked like it meant something for her.

"What are you running from?" I asked softly on the off chance she'd answer.

"My father is just like your Coven, he wants to dictate what I do for a living, who I report to, and who I even marry. He's two for three."

As I stared at her and saw the anger and sadness in her eyes I realized she understood exactly how I felt. "I'm sorry for judging you at first and for being a royal bitch. This hasn't been the best time in my life and you came crashing through."

"This skin isn't soft, I deal with bitching all the time it's one of the perks of the job. Speaking of..."

"Oh no."

"What kind of business woman would I be if I didn't take this clear opening? You may like what I have to say; Caleb isn't your only hope." She grinned, knowing exactly what to say.

I became very interested in what she was trying to sell. "Meaning?"

"What I do is legal, where I come from is very powerful. Join me and no one; witches, wolves, and vamps wouldn't risk touching you."

I liked her option much better than submitting to Caleb. "How would this work?"

"Think of it as an even exchange; I take care of your problem and you work off the debt with the SCF. You wouldn't need a pack to back you up, you'd have the whole High Order. Do you know what that is?"

My eyes went wide. "Yes. Rulers of heaven?" I heard about it through the grapevine along with a lot of other whispers about supernatural races during my long shifts at the restaurant.

"Something like that."

"And you can swing this deal?"

"I know someone who can, yes. Do we have a deal?" she asked without explaining any farther and I think I preferred it that way. I didn't know what would be said to the Coven or done.

I looked at her outstretched hand for a moment while I considered the deal again. I couldn't find one con about it, it was the best solution in front of me and way better than anything I had thought of. I'd still be in control. I slipped my hand in hers. "Yes."

Her smile widened, she was happy. "I want you to stay here while I go handle this. I don't want you finding anymore trouble yet." She said that like she knew eventually I'd manage to find trouble somewhere.

"Ok." I wasn't in the mood to fight. I wanted to sleep for the next week and wake up when the world wasn't so dark.

"If you're hungry feel free to have anything you find." That was her exit line, she smiled once more then left out the front door. Her cottage wasn't that much different from my place. There was a slight hallway connecting the kitchen and living room together, both rooms of a fair size.

I finished my coffee and went to the living room. I lay on the couch and willed myself to sleep.

### Chapter 25

My dreams were vivid memories. I remembered my back being on Caleb's floor while he was settled between my legs. His hands held on to my thighs with possessiveness as he moved inside of me. I ran my hands over his arms and back which explained the scratches he'd have there later.

I remembered being on top of him, dragging my teeth down his chest to where I bit him low below his pants line, how I stared into his eyes before kissing him across the mouth sweetly, far too sweet for the animalistic lust claming us.

Everything we had done together and we hadn't spoken a single word, it was like talking would break the spell brewing between us.

I forced myself to wake up because I didn't want to know everything we had did together. If I knew I'd never be able to forget. I was sitting up on the couch when Bess made her way back home.

She was smiling. "Get any rest?"

"Yes." I had already admitted too much to her about Caleb and the rest of my troubles, I decided to stop doing that and hopefully that would help me forget. "You look happy."

"It's nice when things go your way that's for sure. I spoke to my boss and cleared up that Coven mess for you."

I couldn't hide the shock and skepticism from my face. "Just like that?"

Bess walked over to a reclining chair and sat. "I believe in being honest especially after what happened between me and Zoe." She blew out a sigh. "The man I work for is a seraph and your Coven would have to think long and hard before crossing him."

Well that shut me up. I couldn't do anything but stare at her like a fish out of water. "And what are you?" that was a smart question. No human was working under a seraph while knowing the truth about them or any of the other supernatural races. A seraph was high on the food chain, very high.

"I'm a half breed." She wasn't kidding about being honest. "Matthew is fierce and overly dedicated to his oath to keep peace within the supernatural realms. Helping you helps him keep that balance in more ways than one with you working for the SCF."

I didn't know what to say here and that was throwing me for a big loop. Being on my own for so long I usually knew how to play the word game. "I'd like, if possible, for none of the Coven to be hurt."

"Odd request for people trying to kill you."

I nodded in agreement. "They're still my family deep down. My parents are still there and I have a sister trying to claw her way out."

Bess' expression went slack with remorse as she no doubt thought of Zoe and their not so clean cut past. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm working on it. I should get home and try to figure out my mess." I stood from the couch.

"Do you want a ride?"

"No, walking sounds like it might help. Thank you for everything." I never would've imagined the tremendous help Bess would be when she cornered me in _La Amour._

"Don't worry about it. When you have some free time swing by here later. There are a few things we need to get squared away before you can start with the SCF."

I agreed to stop by before work. Until I had a set date for the SCF task force I'd stay on helping Dominic and Michael with the restaurant. I walked away from her cottage dreading every step back home. It was inevitable I'd run into Caleb and he'd of course want answers about his offer.

The thought of seeing him after everything we had done and everything I had remembered left me terrified. How did he feel about it? Did he regret it? Well why wouldn't he. We barely got along on a good day; it'd be stupid for Caleb Nikolas to want some sort of relationship with a mess like me. The bigger question was did I regret it? I was mortified the whole exchange took place and I was trying to forget every second but I couldn't answer if I regretted it or not. I did however regret breaking the trust we were building when it came to helping each other.

Mind blowing sex, that's what it had been; mind blowing sex I wasn't sure I regretted experiencing. Every woman should have mind blowing sex at least once and with Caleb we had taken each other several times to mind blowing and beyond.

Alone in the middle of the street I cursed loudly and cursed my bad luck. Not only had I had a very pissed off powerful Coven of witches after me I added to the problem by having raw animalistic sex with Caleb on his living room floor. It never would've happened if I hadn't been so pissed off and high on magic. My usual self never let my guard down that much. Michael had been the only man I slept with up until yesterday. Prude timid me never would've had raw sex with Caleb without a very big push. A push I'd never have again with the Coven finally off my back.

I knew they wouldn't be reckless enough to cross a seraph with a bloodline to a ruler of heaven. No one was that stupid.

It was another fifteen minutes of walking and thinking before I turned on to my street. I had tried to make myself feel better by convincing myself I could prolong seeing Caleb again, maybe run into him weeks from now by some shred of luck but alas no go. He was standing on my porch waiting.

He noticed me quickly on the street. I figured he knew my scent pretty well by now and probably noticed me before I noticed him. My stomach knotted up with nerves as I got closer to face the big bad wolf head on. Make it quick, I told myself.

He spoke first. "You look well for someone I feared was being tortured and left in a ditch somewhere dead." his voice carried the same warmth of icicles hanging over your head ready to fall and impale you.

I felt guilty for leaving him with no answers and tried to smooth it over. "I know I left you hanging and after all you've done trying to help me that wasn't fair. I'm sorry. I don't have to worry about the Coven trying to extract revenge anymore. It's been taken care of and you don't have to worry about me running into your place for help." In hindsight, a lot of the mess could've been avoided had I sought a different hiding place both times the Coven managed to corner me.

"So that's it?"

I said my whole piece without actually looking at him, I glanced up then to meet blue fire, his voice was cold but his eyes were pure inferno. I mentally stabilized myself and tried to figure the whole thing out. "Why are you upset now? I apologized for not getting back to you sooner with an explanation. I thanked you for your help. It's over now."

His jaw set in a tight square, a storm of blue raced across his orbs. "Right. Goodbye."

Tears stung my eyes as he brushed past me and kept walking without a glance back. I knew I deserved it for saying all the wrong things. It was better like that though. Caleb had a daughter and a whole pack to watch over, he didn't need me causing trouble and deflecting his attention from who was important to him. My deal with Bess was the best thing for everyone involved.

Caleb was a man who always relied on a cool exterior and I knew by the way he stormed away from me he was pissed off. _I_ pissed him off. That bothered me more than I could've imagined as tears kept rolling free. I didn't want to hurt me.

I took the last few steps to my porch and sat on the top step. "Shit." I ran my hands over my face and tried to calm the hell down. Crying about a guy wasn't me. If I could survive getting over Michael, than this was nothing.

Nothing....yeah who the hell was I kidding. It was _something_ and it'd been brewing into something with Caleb for awhile now. I'd been doing a good job at ignoring that, denying it with every breath, and that's what I had to keep doing. I stood from the step and went inside my house.

My first order of business was showering with my own soap and changing into my own clothing. My next order was business was raiding my kitchen for all the junk food possible.

I used food to help me lock away all my personal revelations to a place I could forget existed. After I finally felt like my usual self, I called Bess and told her I was free ahead of time. She gave me an address to meet her at. I was walked out for the day and got in my car to meet her.

When I finally saw Bess twenty minutes later I had some questions. "I thought we were going to meet at the SCF headquarters?" I asked as I looked around what looked like a big empty space under construction.

"In the next several weeks this will be our offices and I won't have to camp out in the PD conference room. I brought you here to talk about a new idea I've been working on, something I want you to be part of."

I had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, I knew her deal last night and that morning was too good to be true. I looked around and decided to hear her out before letting my anger do the talking for me, seeing as it was still the best choice I've been offered. "This is a lot of space for just a special task force spun from the CPD. What else do you have planned?"

"Something I think you'd like a lot. With this position you wouldn't have to be in nightly and wouldn't advertise your new career choice." She was right I did like the sound of that. "We have plans to expand the SCF more into its own law enforcement department away from the CPD. Like most police departments we'd have different levels of officers to handle all different types of cases. I want you to be part of the tougher cases where your magic can come in handy and save lives."

I had to hand it to her, Bess really knew how to make a sales pitch. Instead of declining like I intended just a minute ago, I was giving her some serious thought. She got the Coven off my ass and for a debt that big I owed her. I knew when she said tougher cases she meant it'd be dangerous felons who could probably kill me if I wasn't careful. It seemed like I'd be changing one death wish for another except this time I wasn't the target and like Bess kept promising I'd have control. "You said I have the option to try it out and walk away if I'm not comfortable." I reminded her of our conversation from last night.

"Yes and that will always hold true. I'm not in the business of forcing anyone into doing something they don't want." Her eyes darkened at a past memory she spoke about in her bouts of raw honesty; the father controlling her life.

I stuck my hand out for her to shake, she blinked and all her past nightmares faded from her eyes. "You have a deal." After everything that's happened lately I didn't know how to be optimistic, right now all I could do was hope everything worked out half as well as she pitched the idea.

"Let's head back to my temporary office to get your paperwork filled out and then I'll tell you about your first case."

Well hello other shoe. "So soon?"

"This is the start of a beautiful partnership Ms. Cortez and no time is wasted. There'll be long nights and sometimes even longer days." She sounded like one of those drill commanders from the movies as we walked back to her car.

"I've never been scared of a little hard work."

"I knew I liked you for a reason."

### Chapter 26

I was sitting next to Bess in the CPD conference room where she was literally writing so fast I could almost see smoke coming from the tip of the pen. She filled in some information before sliding the papers over to me to sign. I read them over and the gist of it was my official record of employment for the SCF task force and that I was fully aware of the supernatural dangers I could be entering on the field. If I got hurt I couldn't sue them, even in the supernatural world there were politics and disclaimers.

I signed all the dotted lines before handing them back to her. "Now what?" so far my new job was all pretty painless, I was eager to find out the next step as to how everything worked. I worked in a restaurant since I was a teenager and never knew another line of work until now.

Bess put the paperwork in a folder and put the folder in a black purse at her feet. "There's a case involving magic that came onto our radar last week." She grabbed a stack of folders that had been piled on the table. "While you're getting your feet wet and learning the ropes I'm assigning you a partner." She sorted through the files until she found the one she was looking for and pulled it open. "There was a robbery at the Town Center Plaza bank. It was during after hours and the only witness was the security guard patrolling the mall. He went on record saying he saw a man and woman together and that the man was moving in and out of the place chanting something that got the doors to open. The vault and every entrance and exit were checked out, there's nothing pointing to how they broke in but even so the police department has written it off like the guard was mistaken."

"It sounds like magic and I'm the new resident magic expert. So far so good." I didn't feel overwhelmed or anything like I was expecting at first. I was starting to believe maybe I could do the job and actually make a difference. It was a good feeling.

"That's the spirit. I know you have no experience with law enforcement and I'm not going to throw you into the waters without some floaters. There's a training course that I've signed you up for starting in two hours. This case was put onto our radar last night and I need someone on it but until you've completed the course and feel comfortable on your own your partner will show you the ropes but mostly your instinct about magic will be your biggest weapon in the field. Still sounding good?"

"It doesn't sound like anything I can't handle." I was keeping my expression cool, I didn't want to seem like an excited dork even though inside that's exactly how I was feeling.

"Good. I've already spoke to the bank manager and we have clearance to take a look around after hours." She handed me the folder. "Inside are the facts about the case and the information you need for the training sessions. Your partner is Thomas Monroe, a supernaturally aware human who's been a part of our FBI division for years now and helping out with the SCF development around the country. He'll be at the training session waiting for you. If you have any questions never hesitate to call." She frowned in order to tease me. "You know I'm _always_ here and that's not a sales ploy." The frown quickly turned into a smile.

"Got it, boss." I returned the smile as I flipped through the pages in the folder, there were many of them. I thought of Dominic and his distain for paperwork. I had a feeling being a SCF officer was going to be worse in the paperwork department than a restaurant ever could conjure. "I guess its time to get to work." I stood and decided to skim through the case file and training session after I got home.

"I'll call you when the bank is ready for us."

I nodded and said my goodbye. I didn't make it back down to the parking lot without running into a familiar face.

Jake raised an eyebrow and let his curiosity drip from his features. "Hey Evie, what are you doing here?" his grey eyes noticed the folder I had tucked under my arm.

I wasn't sure how to answer. Bess already told me my position would be more on the down low and not advertised with the public, in the essence I wouldn't be patrolling the streets like the rest of the task force, but it was still my choice who I told or didn't tell. I didn't see any reason to lie to Jake. He didn't go around gossiping to people I wouldn't want to know, for example people like Michael. The SCF was created to keep vampires in check after all and I couldn't see my ex-boyfriend being thrilled that I was now part of that group. "I was meeting with Bess. She has a case that she needs help with concerning magic. She hired me on as a consultant for the SCF." I read that in the paperwork she had me sign as my official title on record. Something told me it'd be a little more complicated than that if she wanted me on tough cases.

"That's great." Jake said and it looked like he really meant it. "I spoke to Caleb earlier." I cringed and it didn't go unnoticed by the powerful werewolf. "He was in a pretty bad mood and won't say anything about it. I was wondering if he has spoken to you."

I shook my head and hated how sweaty my palms were becoming. "I've been busy catching up with work at _La Amour_ and now this new job here." I was coming to realize I wasn't the best liar out there and I had a horrendous poker face.

His eyes narrowed in thought, his head titling off to the left side as he looked at me for better answers. "He got pretty ticked off when I mentioned you."

"Caleb and I never really got along until he needed help keeping Jamie safe and now with the Coven mess over he doesn't feel like he owes me one and we went back to how it was before." I managed to keep my expression neutral under his intense gaze. He wasn't a fool and knew damn well I was hiding something and so was his alpha for that matter.

"I guess that's it then." He wouldn't push boundaries and ask any more questions. He was a good guy like that and would always respect Caleb's privacy.

Before I could make my exit a man and woman came toward us. She was a pretty brunette with equally dark brown eyes. I knew she was a cop by just looking at her, she was very focused and alert while also at ease in the familiar setting of the police station. The guy standing beside her had to be Chase Thompson, Jake's brother, they has similar features and his eyes were the same shade of blue Jake's once were before his supernatural change.

Jake introduced us. "This is my brother Chase and our friend Zoe, guys this is Evie."

I shook Chase's hand and saw exactly why Bess was in love with him. Aside from his good looks, he was a very lovely mix of charming, polite, and painfully sincere. I didn't get a sense he was putting on an act, the smile he gave me was very natural. Zoe was on guard and shut down. I got the feeling she was always waiting for something bad to happen and in her line of work, it probably always did. "Hi. I've heard a lot about you both from Jake and Bess."

Zoe grew more curious and less threatening. "How do you know my sister?"

"I'm a witch and she approached me about assisting magic based cases."

"Anything she or Jake have said is a complete lie. I'm really not that bad."

I laughed and felt any tension in the air amongst strangers fade away as the ice was broken. "I'll keep that in mind. It was good to finally meet you both." I felt good as I made it back to my car. So far every experience with the SCF was going better than I could've ever prayed for. I was truly excited to start to new career path. It was nice that after everything going wrong with the Coven and the way I handled things with Caleb I had something to be positive for.

When I got home I saw it wasn't a good day for everyone. As I turned down my street I noticed Jamie sitting outside looking very sullen.

I parked in my own driveway before hopping out and going to see what was wrong with the young girl. "Hey, what's the matter?" I joined her on the bottom step.

"I didn't get my dad to cave. I got my flight to go back home with my mom in two weeks. Where've you been? We all thought something bad happened."

"I got caught up with some stuff but everything is fine." If I said it enough maybe it'd come true. I didn't like disappointing the people in my life and right now that's all I was doing.

"Not everything because my dad is being a royal a-hole!" she turned and directed her anger at the closed door. I looked at the driveway and saw no car indicating he was home, maybe it was in the garage.

I took her hand and motioned for her to follow me. If he dad was inside eavesdropping I didn't want him to hear what I was going to ask her. We moved down the street and sat on my porch. "Why don't you want to go home? Is someone hurting you there?"

"No, its nothing like that I just..." she groaned and dropped her head down into the palm of her hands. "I have people here who care and back with my mom she so focused on trying to make her relationship work. I miss talking to you and hanging out with Sarah when I'm back home. I even miss dad's overprotective attitude sometimes." She kept her head down while she started to cry.

I pulled her to my side in a hug. "Have you sat him down and explained all of this? Or talked to your mom about spending more time together?"

"Dad's too paranoid I'll get hurt if I stay in town and mom thinks I'm being irrational so there's no point in trying to talk to them. Can I stay with you?" that question threw me for a loop.

I was shocked she liked me enough to want to live together. "I'm sorry sweetie but you're sixteen and your parents decide. They'd never let you stay with me. Your father is trying to keep you out of danger and I think he'd flip his lid if we became roommates."

She wiped her cheeks and started to accept she had to play by her parents rules. "What if I was eighteen, would you let me move in with you?"

"In a heartbeat." I didn't regard Jamie as a weak child, I firmly believed if push came to shove she could protect herself at least enough to escape for help. She was a hell of a shot and with Caleb's genes she was faster and stronger even if she couldn't shift.

She gave me a tight hug. "Thanks for not treating me like a six year old child. I'll see you later."

I watched until she was back home. I got off the porch and went back to my car to grab the case file. I had work to do.

### Chapter 27

I wasn't entirely sure why but I was shocked when I saw Thomas Monroe for the first time. I was expecting more of a military action type of guy with a hardened face and buzz cut hair, not some tall guy in baggy jeans with looks that were more suited for the pages of a surfer magazine, with bright blonde hair and light blue eyes that would make even the clear sky outside envious.

By the expression on his face, he wasn't expecting what he got with me either. I didn't know what you wore for a training session or what went on in said training session so I kept on my flannel shirt large enough to reach down to my knee and conceal my shorts.

He was holding a clipboard and looked down at it then me and repeated the routine three times before asking, "You wouldn't be Evangeline Cortez would you?"

"That's me and I prefer to be called Evie." Only Caleb went around calling me by my full name and right now I was trying to pretend the alpha wasn't somewhere pissed off at me and all the ways that was bothering me.

"Ok, Evie. You're early." He turned around and moved back to the desk that looked odd in the large space. These sessions were being held in the Celestin High School gym during summer break.

"I wanted to get a feel for the place before class started. Bess didn't mention my temporary partner was also teaching the class." He looked surprised that I had guessed his identity. "Your nametag gives you away." I pointed to the little clip-on positioned right over his heart.

He frowned as he looked down at his t-shirt. "I forgot that was there. Company rules decided that I need to walk around like some camp leader wearing a nametag and handing out gold stars."

"Gold stars?"

"They are very difficult to obtain."

I almost laughed at how absurd the conversation was and the fact he was completely serious about his little stars. "Ok then."

"Were you a good student in school Ms. Cortez?"

"Sure." School at the Coven was much different than it was in traditional schools, it was harder and much stricter running seven days a week. After I ran away at fifteen I obtained my GED online.

"Into any sports? Athletes make great cops."

I knew he was asking me all these things in hopes to get a glimpse of who I was and how hard he was going to have to work with me but I hated having to open up personally and remember my complicated past. "I'm fast and a quick learner. That's all you need to know."

"We're never going to be able to trust each other if we don't get to know one another. It hurts my feelings, it really does, that you don't like me."

Oh my...I think Thomas might be a little crazy or a whole lot of it. "I don't know you so I can't dislike you or trust you." That was the simple truth.

"Bess won't clear you in a few days or even a few weeks so we should change this distance between us. Ask me something." He crossed his arms and perched his butt on top of the desk.

"You're a little erratic, are you on medication? No, I'm not joking."

He smiled and that made me wary more than anything. "Nothing but the occasional sleeping pill." He motioned to the empty chair near where I was standing and I sat.

"How does a human get mixed up with the supernatural?" I asked next.

"You go right for the big ones huh? A friend of a friend type of thing, it's nothing glamorous. It says in your file that you're a witch, you don't look like one." Again he took in my flannel shirt that was probably more suited for the _Brawny_ paper towel guy.

"I didn't know witches had a look."

"Usually some tight dress and pointy hat." He grinned at his own joke. "Fiction paints witches to be sexy little sorcerers. Don't get me wrong your cute in a messy rolled out of bed and didn't bother to grab a brush kind of way."

I looked at my hair over my shoulders and didn't think it was that bad, sure a little too wild but not that bad. "I didn't know this was a beauty pageant. Can we get on with this session?"

He turned around and reached for the clipboard. "I usually have more students but since Bess made us partners it looks like she made this one a private session. Goody."

Again I was very wary at what the session entailed. Already I couldn't wait for the day I could work on my own. I held nothing against Thomas but I didn't do well with having to follow another person's lead, a problem I've had all my life and one I didn't know how to fix.

Thomas flipped to another page in the clipboard and held a pen in his right hand. "Do you know how to read someone their rights? A lot of the SCF laws follow the basic standards of basic human law."

I recited the Miranda Right and smiled at his surprise. "I watch a lot of TV on my days off."

He nodded and checked something on the sheet of paper he was staring at. "What about cuffing someone?"

I shook my head. "TV isn't interactive yet."

He smiled and pulled a pair of cuffs from his back pocket, I was surprised that hadn't hurt when he was sitting. "I think we're going to get along just fine. You're funny and I like that in a partner."

No one had ever told me I was funny before but I took the compliment and enjoyed it. The meeting was odd sure yet going much better than I had thought. Again I was expecting someone stone cold serious and a stickler for rules when Bess mentioned he helped with the SCF.

"Cuff me." He tossed me the silver bracelets. "You want it tight enough that the person can't wiggle free but not tight enough you cut off their circulation and they go crying about abuse. A lot of law enforcement is remembering the rules and playing by them while also getting your perp."

"Got it."

The training session was pretty painless, Thomas taught me several of the rules to play by when interacting with the bad guy and how to go through a crime scene without making an error and jeopardizing the evidence. It was a very informative two hours and by the end I had a little notepad full of notes I'd never be able to remember otherwise.

"Tomorrow we'll go over some hand to hand combat and gun training." He looked down at the blue watch on his left wrist. "We should stick together for when Bess calls but that might be another hour. You hungry?"

"Sure, why not." I just didn't want him to go off on something else I'd have to remember about the dos and don'ts. He was a big book of law knowing everything about the codes and rights of each state. It was making more sense why Bess and her boss had him on their payroll.

He led the way out of the gym. "First we should stop by your place. You want to be taken seriously and flannel and the illusion you're wearing no pants won't cut it."

I didn't say anything because he was right, what I had on wasn't professional but at the same time, his know it all attitude was wearing on my nerve. It wasn't like what he wore screamed authority either. "Your car or mine?"

"Yours. I walked here."

It was getting dark into the evening with the sun setting low and the darkness of the night casting a shadow. I put on my lights as I drove as a common curtsey even though there was still light out. I listened mindlessly to the radio and glanced over at my passenger. He was staring out the window with curiosity. He wasn't from Celestin and I had no idea how long he had been in town lending a helping hand. I kept all my questions to myself and decided to ask tomorrow if he wanted us to share again. I'd much rather be the person asking than answering.

I pulled into my driveway and turned off the car, I needed my keys to unlock the front door. "Give me five minutes."

"And miss the exciting tour? I don't think so." He got out before me.

Again I was struck by how weird I thought Thomas was. He was nothing like I expected or encountered. The people in my life were serious, painfully so and brooding. Maybe some weird humor was a blessing if I was going to have to learn and spend a great amount of time with him.

With a sigh, I climbed out of the car and met him on the porch. "Don't steal anything." I let him in and quickly ran up to my bedroom. I pulled on some black pants and a green buttoned shirt. The outfit wasn't extremely professional but it didn't say bum either. I raced to the bathroom next and combed out my hair before tying it up into a ponytail.

I was making great time, it hadn't even taken five minutes to hastily get ready and back to business but those five minutes were more than enough time for my evening to take a different turn.

Back in the living room Caleb was standing at the open front door waiting.

### Chapter 28

I swallowed back at the sight of Caleb's intense blue eyes. Jake was right, the alpha was mad and he wasn't hiding it. I glanced over at Thomas who was standing back as the nosy bystander. "I didn't say you could open my door." I stupidly thought that if Thomas hadn't opened the door, I could've avoided Caleb. When the truth was Caleb couldn't be ignored. His presence and everything about him was too strong.

"I was being polite. I'll go sightsee outside and give you some time alone." At least Thomas knew when to butt out.

The air only grew tenser as Caleb and I stood alone now. "What is it?" I was the first to break the cold silence.

"I've met Thomas before through Jake. He's part of the SCF." That sounded like an accusation.

"Yeah, I decided to take Bess up on her job offer." I hadn't intended to say that but the words flew out my mouth. More and more my body was betraying me and answering to Caleb like I had some duty to, my animal twisting inside wanting to submit to him. "I know that isn't why you stopped by." I didn't like how nervous I was. For years Caleb and I coexisted and I never felt out of control, even when we would argue over his dislike for vampires.

"I don't like how we left things earlier. You don't owe me anything and I shouldn't have acted like you did."

For what sounded like an apology his words stung deep inside my heart. "What does that mean?"

"You live your life and I'll live mine. I won't ask for your assistance anymore and I think it's best if our paths don't cross again." His words were as hard as his eyes, deadly edges he wanted to wield like a knife and cut deep, he was succeeding.

"That's what you came to say? You could've called and left that on a message or better yet ignore me as you've always done in the past because I wasn't good enough." He was hurting me and I didn't know how to fight my emotions when I was hurt. "I'm sorry things got so out of hand and all the times I went running to you when I shouldn't have."

His jaw hardened as he said nothing and his eyes moved off my face and down to the ground. "Do you regret it all?"

A powerful cord of emotion twisted around my heart as again I couldn't lie to him. "No." I dragged a hand down my face and tried to keep control of my tears. "You were there for me when no one else was through this mess with the Coven." I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face even as he couldn't look at me. "I only regret hurting you." I whispered truthfully.

He nodded and turned toward the door. "Good luck with the job."

I stood there like a fool hating the fact I didn't stop him and admit I didn't want us to cease all ties to each other. I had come to rely on Caleb as a friend and when I least expected it a bond had formed between us. I didn't know how to forget it but at the same time I didn't know how to explain it or what I even wanted from the guy. It was better to let him walk away and maybe in time the aches wouldn't be as strong.

Except, what was happening? I let myself think about him for a moment. In a perfect world, what did I want from Caleb? I walked over to my couch and sat down. My heart felt tight like I couldn't get enough air in my lunges, I couldn't stop everything I was feeling and I sure as hell couldn't control it.

Thomas stepped back in the house and took one step back when he saw me crying. He was a guy who couldn't handle a few tears like they were acid instead of water. "Um...?"

"You don't have to say anything." I let him off the hook and stood from the couch, I needed to get out of there and forget the impossible. "So let's go and find something to eat. I hope you're not a health nut."

"I like greasy burgers and fries just like everyone else."

I glanced at him as we left the house. I wasn't sure if he was being honest or just trying to fill the air and placate me. "Good."

"I know a place close to the police station, so we're close when Bess calls."

I nodded and followed his lead, his ideas were a lot better than anything I was coming up with. I couldn't shake what I was feeling, which was numb and confused about what happened with Caleb. It was times like those it'd help to have more experience with guys but something told me there was nothing out there that could've prepared me for Caleb. I had traded one problem in for another, just when I finally found a way to accept my break up with Michael I was feeling something for Caleb. Something I didn't know how to put a label to. It didn't feel like friendship.

I decided to do what worked best for me, I was going to ignore everything I was feeling and focus on what needed to be done now. I hoped as time passed the confusion would lift and I wouldn't worry about Caleb and his disappointment in me.

The place across the street from the police station served up burgers, pizza, and different subs. I noticed several different uniformed cops sitting at tables and eating a quick dinner. Thomas ordered the burger and fries he mentioned back at my place and I went for a steak foot long sub loaded with cheese and onions.

"Can you eat all of that?" Thomas asked with interest.

"Yup." Like most shifters, I had a high metabolism and could eat something that fattening and still be hungry an hour from now. When I worked at _La Amour_ I always snuck food from the kitchen every moment I could.

"Do you want to talk about what is bothering you? I'm a good listener, I don't judge and I have amazing advice. Is it Caleb?"

"I understand you're a nice guy and you want to help, but I don't need to talk about it. There's nothing to say."

"Ok then." Thomas wasn't going to push and overstep his boundaries. "What do you think about the bank robbery? Is it something the SCF needs to be involved with?"

"It sounds like it. Magic is tricky, it isn't something you have to be born with and it's easy to get ahold of different books and supplies to do spells."

"What kind of magic do you do? Are you one of those that need the book or can you wiggle your nose and make something happen?" it sounded like he watched too many _I Dream of Jeannie_ reruns.

I looked at the fork to my left and moved it over to his side of the booth without lifting a finger. "Does that answer your question?" I smiled while enjoying the wide eyed look of shock he had while staring at the fork.

"Holy shit, that's amazing. I've seen some crazy things working with Matthew and Bess and I'm always jealous I'm the normal ass human."

"Some people would love to be normal. Who's Matthew?" I was much more interested in hearing about the type of work Thomas did and the different people he knew, than I was about talking about me. I remembered Bess mentioning Matthew before.

"My boss, everyone's boss actually. He runs the FBI division that is holding jurisdiction over every SCF unit."

Our food arrived and the conversation was put on pause. The food was too good to try and talk over. As I was finishing with my sub and considering buying another one for later, Bess joined us at the booth.

"I saw you across the street." Bess answered about where she knew how to find us. We were seated by the large window overlooking the street.

"Are you hungry?" Thomas asked as she sat down next to him.

"No, I ate back at the office." Sadly it seemed Bess spent most of her life inside the office first for the FBI and now for the SCF. "I spoke to the manager of Town Center Plaza bank and he's waiting for us."

I finished the last bite of my sub. "I'm ready now."

"Me too." Thomas agreed after taking another French fry off his plate.

Together we rode in my car over to the bank which wasn't more than three minutes from where we were. In downtown Celestin everything you needed could be located, the biggest mall where the bank was, the police and fire station, and numerous more places to shop.

I hung behind the two officers and stayed closed enough to hear what they were saying so I could learn. I had nothing against Thomas but I was looking forward to flying solo and finding out how good I could be at law enforcement. As a child I never thought about what I wanted to do with life, I had spent most of my days dreading getting older because of what it meant. When I ran away from the Coven and began working at the restaurant I got comfortable and stayed there all these years. I was looking forward to the idea of finding a career.

Bess introduced us to the bank manager and the guard who had been on duty at the time of the robbery. She introduced me last and eased right into the conversation of magic. The manager looked like he didn't believe anything the guard had seen but they had run out of leads and he was willing to grasp at straws.

I asked the guard to walk me through the scene and to show me where the robber had been standing when he chanted his spell. I didn't have any more doubt the case fell right into my expertise. I felt hums of magic radiating off the walls and the strength in the magic was fresh enough to be left over from the robbery.

Bess stood back with the manager as Thomas came with me and the guard whose name was Larry. "Are you getting something?" my partner asked when we stood near the vault.

"Yeah there was magic used in this area recently but it's from a spell not a person." I had my hand against the wall and cleared out my mind to focus only on the magic signature. All magic left something behind no matter how big or little the action was.

"How do you know the difference?"

"If the spell had come from the magic inside a person I'd feel their strength but instead I feel the residue of the spell left behind."

Thomas pulled out a small notepad from his back pocket and began to write notes. "So we know the robber is a human using magic to break barriers. Can you pick up on anything that will point the finger to the couple Barry here saw?"

"No, only the type of spell."

"That's ok. Barry sat with a sketch artist and we can use the composite to show around the local shops that sell things for magic." He slipped his notepad back in his pocket and thanked Barry for all his help.

Bess looked optimistic as we joined her and the manager back in the main lobby. "Are you ready to go?" she wasn't going to tell the manager anything until she was sure and the case was on the verge of being closed.

I nodded yes and she took care of the pleasantries that came along with a cop making their exit. She promised the manager she'd call as soon as we had something worth sharing. The manager didn't believe that magic was used to break into his bank because he didn't think magic existed but nonetheless he was hopeful we could find something useful and arrest the robbers. The couple had gotten away with nearly a half a million dollars out of the vault.

There was one magic shop in Celestin that was actually on the up and up with what they taught and sold. It made me antsy to know how easy it was for people to get ahold of something powerful. Not all magic was good. The shop was owned and run by Samuel Constance, he was a born witch that stayed on the right side of things using only white magic but that didn't stop people from coming into his shop and buying for black magic.

Robbing a bank was serious business and if the couple wanted to do the spell right they would've come to Sam's shop to gather supplies. When we showed Sam the sketch of the couple he recognized the girl. "She came in about two weeks ago to purchase several different herbs."

"Do you know where we can find her?" I asked.

"I have receipts with each customers phone number. I can try to track down the ones with the items she bought." He reached under the counter and pulled a safe box free. When he was done searching through the receipts from two weeks ago, he had them all in order, there were two that matched what our female robber took from the shop.

Bess again took the lead and thanked Sam for his time. As we walked back to my car I hoped one of these two numbers belonged to our bad guys. No one expected to be arrested because their spell was traced. Vampires were made public months ago but the rest of us supernaturals were still tucked in secrecy.

### Chapter 29

I was sitting in the Celestin City police department with Thomas and Bess. Bess put in a call to one of her FBI contacts to run the phone numbers and now we were currently waiting to hear back about whom the numbers belonged to. "Garcia Santos is the CDP computer genius and could get this done for us quicker but he's working in the street for the SCF." She explained as she looked over files pertaining to other cases, Bess was a serious multitasker and workaholic.

Thomas asked, "Do you have anything else we can help with?" he was bored and he didn't make any attempt to hide it from his face.

"No. After this case is closed I want you focusing on her training and if something does come in we'll deal with it then." Never once did she glance up to look at him.

She didn't look up until three minutes later when Chase Thompson stepped into the conference room. She did a good job as masking her reaction except I noticed her heart rate pick up. I was glad the two guys around us were human and she was spared the embarrassment. She had a big crush on Chase and so far it didn't seem like he knew.

He handed Bess a file. "Zoe mentioned you were looking into Anthony Casstiano and wanted me to give you this. It's a cold case."

I sat back in my seat like a very interested fly. Anthony Casstiano was an old very powerful vampire I had met once through Dominic and Michael. Caleb's wolf Mikey also worked for the vamp. Mikey was an oddball but so far he wasn't put in a bad spot working for a vampire.

"Yeah." Bess put the file inside her large black purse. "He was mentioned in one of the bureau's cases and I'm doing some fact checking." Her heart rate picked up again but it was from guilt not lust. Whatever peaked her interest in the vampire wasn't as clean cut like she was telling Chase.

Chase nodded and left the room after smiling at her as goodbye. That smile made the poor woman drunk with love. Her heart was ringing in my ears but oddly enough she had her focus back on her paperwork and looked completely at ease. I got the feeling Bess was used to concealing her emotions from everyone including herself.

Thomas banged his head down on the table. "I'm so bored."

Bess shook her head. "I swear you have some hyper attention disorder. Put a call into Johnny back in Washington and pester him into rushing the search results." She wanted Thomas to go annoy anyone but her.

"Fine." He snatched the paper she had written the guy's main number on and left the room. I laughed at his expression; he looked just like a five year old child who was told he couldn't get his way.

Bess grinned as she looked at me. "I get a big kick out of seeing him frustrated. Johnny texted me the information three minutes ago, you want to go pay our suspects a visit just us girls?"

"Sure." I jumped up from my chair. Something told me Bess was the person I should be shadowing because while she gave away a mousy paper pusher persona, I knew under that mask was a fierce officer and an even smarter planner who knew how to get her way.

The first phone number belonged to a woman in her sixties who liked to use magic to bless her garden during crop season. She was a sweet woman and even offered us a slice of homemade apple pie with fresh apples from that garden she cherished so much. Bess and I each took a piece to go and thanked the woman for her time and for lending her assistance.

I was driving as Bess looked through the information stored on her phone. "Our perpetrator must be this woman then, Patti Gerald. 4329 Lotus Avenue. Lotus?"

I grinned; Lotus wasn't even one of the weirdest street names Celestin could offer up. "I take it you're not from here?"

"No, I grew up in Washington and through work I started seeing different places around the country. It was about a year ago a case brought me to Celestin and I ended up liking the city." Bess explained with no barriers. I noted it was easier for her to talk about certain things and others she tried to fake her way through.

"Celestin has a way of doing that. When I ran from home I ended up in a few spots but when I got here I knew it was home. There have been stories of the city having a supernatural pull which would explain why so many different races can be found within a hundred mile radius."

"Zoe calls it a hot bed for the supernatural. She was raised here and so were Jake and Chase." She did better at controlling her heart rate at the mention of the man she was in love with.

"I don't think I know anyone who was born and raised in Celestin." Our conversation was put on pause as I turned into Lotus Avenue. "4300, 4310, there it is 4329."

Bess moved her blazer aside and checked her gun. "If need be use your magic until we get you issued a gun and some lessons."

"I go to the shooting range a few times a month."

That seemed to impress her judging by the small smile she wore as she reached down into her pants leg. "In that case, borrow this." She passed me a 9mm magnum, one of my favorites to handle. "Let's get this case closed and after that you can head home. I know you probably didn't get much sleep last night."

I stopped my head in time from thinking about Caleb and all the memories I had dreamt of our time together on his living room floor. "Sounds like a good plan." We got out of the car together and made our way up the pathway to the single story house. I grabbed Bess' hand before she could ring the doorbell. "Wait a second...I feel something." I hovered my hand over the front door. "There's a spell warding the door to keep anyone from coming in."

"Can you break it?"

"Yeah." The spell was nothing special, it was nothing compared to what the Coven witches used to keep someone out or in. I shuddered as I remembered the pain it took to escape the Elder's barrier in that safe house. "Wherever they are finding these spells is good but this is still human magic." It didn't matter how long a human studied magic and how high on the food chain they climbed, they could never best a born witch. Magic ran through my veins at all times, it was in my blood and has been there since conception.

I put my hand flat on the door and said a silent command, I felt a snap beneath my palm as the spell broke and lost all power. The couple we were looking for was inside and they had thought the magic would keep them from being discovered and keep any nosey cops outside, it would've worked if the SCF didn't have a new magic expert on their team.

The couple hadn't been expecting us and the element of surprise worked pretty well in our favor. They matched the description Barry gave the cops and more than that there were several stacks on money on their coffee table. As far as first days on a job went it was pretty awesome.

Bess cuffed the guy while I took the girl, I read them both their rights and felt pretty darn happy with myself as we hauled them into the backseat of my car. The couple was exercising their right to remain silent; while they looked down right irritated they hadn't said a word to us or each other.

Thomas was pretty mad when we returned to the police station. "Did you ladies have fun?" he sneered.

I held back a laugh while Bess answered, "We had tons so it's only fair we cut you in. Why don't you get Mr. and Mrs. Gerald down to booking?"

"Goody." Thomas frowned but didn't want to offend Bess, he motioned for a uniformed office to assist and lead the couple away.

"Go." Bess said to me. "Get some rest and meet Thomas tomorrow at the gym at nine. There you guys can go over making reports and get yours written out for this case."

With a nod I said my goodbye and headed back out to my car. I was bone tired and didn't have it in me to even try to fake differently to learn more of what Thomas and Bess had to offer. For my first day I had gotten a lot done, even a case closed, so I was treating myself to my bed.

As I pulled into my driveway I noticed the flag on my mailbox was up. I had a good amount of alarm as I got out of my car and went to see what was inside the mailbox. I hadn't left anything inside there when I checked early and the flag up meant someone left something for me and it wasn't the postman.

It was another letter from my sister. I recognized her writing on the front and right away became curious as to how the letter got here. Last time she had Kevin give it to me and seeing how Kevin and I were never speaking again I knew it couldn't be him.

I walked over to my porch and sat on the top step. I knew without having to open it I had to figure out a way to get my sister out of the Coven safely, for the both of us. If I went against the Coven again I knew they would toss out any deal they made with Bess and her boss and kill me without a trial or anything else that could prolong it and if that happened Elissa would truly be alone. I had one chance to do it and I had to do it right.

"More bad news?"

I jumped nearly off the step at the sound of Caleb's voice. It shouldn't surprise me he was able to move without a sound; it was part of his power. I thought back to my sister's last letter and what it led to between Caleb and me, our first real kiss. "She needs my help." I needed all the help I could get and right now I was so damn happy to see him I didn't think to try and cover up the truth. He said hours ago we shouldn't see each other anymore and I was glad that didn't last. I didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow but I did know he was a friend and I didn't want to lose him.

"Is there any possible way for you to talk face to face?" he asked as he came and sat a step down from me, his body turned into the porch to glance up to see my face.

"I don't know. If they grant her permission to leave like they did with Kevin we could probably set something up." I couldn't do it, I couldn't sit there with that huge weight on my chest. I had to ask him. "What are you doing here? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

"I don't handle my emotions well." He confessed softy. "I hated how you chose to gloss over what happened between us when we spoke earlier this morning. You thanked me like I had given you a cup of sugar or something like normal neighbors do. I didn't plan it and I won't make excuses about why it happened but it did," he met my eyes. "we had sex."

I didn't know what to say. I could understand what he was saying, why he had lashed out and wanted to hurt my feelings because I had put down his. But at the same time, I didn't know what to say that could change what happened, that could take us back to where we were before I let my magic control me, before I let my guard down and gave into him. I couldn't blame it all on what body was going through, though. I could admit to myself part of me wanted to know what it'd be like to have Caleb in such ways, in the ways we had each other in his house. "I don't know what you want from me." I confessed with no other options. There was no rule book for these things.

"I want you to acknowledge it."

"Why? What good does that do? We never would've slept together if I hadn't run to your place high off magic." It was a mistake, one I wanted and one I didn't regret but I doubt he could say the same. If anyone should want to pretend if didn't happen it should be Caleb but instead here he was wanting me to acknowledge our time together.

"When you stayed at my place to keep Jamie safe, that was sleeping together under one roof. What we did wasn't sleep. We had animalistic raw sex that I can't forget about and I don't want you to either. That's what I want." Wow. Every word pouring from his mouth carried passion as raw as the one he spoke of.

I groaned. "Fine, we had sex. There I admit it. Now what?" I hated how lost I felt. If I could make any bit of sense of my new mess with Caleb maybe I could take back control.

"Now I wish you goodnight and I go back home."

I didn't want to pick a fight and drag out our crazy conversation so I sat there and watched him head back down the street to his house. So he wanted me to admit what we had done instead of pretending it was some dirty little secret not to be voiced? I guess that made some sense.

Every time I spoke to Caleb I was left with more questions. I was starting to figure out what I was feeling but I sure as hell didn't know what was going on in his head. He had always been a little strange, too intimidating and smart for his own good. Whatever he was up to wouldn't be revealed until he wanted it to be. For now I was stuck playing along piece by piece.

With a sigh I stood from the porch and went inside. After I got a few hours of sleep I'd figure out what I could do for my sister then meet Thomas for more training. Maybe my new career choice could help me get my sister far from the Coven.

I dug in my pocket and pulled out the SCF badge I was given earlier. My name and picture were on it, it was a key I never had before into a world with endless possibilities. I was an official of the law now and the more I thought about it, my badge was going to help me get exactly what I wanted for Elissa and myself; true freedom.

###

Want to read more about Celestin City? Check out the other titles following Zoe Langston. For more information and other works visit my personal website isabellearocho.com

### OTHER NOVELS BY ISABELLE AROCHO

Set in Celestin City:

Sinfully Departed (Zoe Langston #1)

Blood Sins (Zoe Langston #2)

Sin of Hope (Zoe Langston #3)

Deceptions (Evie Cortez #1)

Anticipations (Evie Cortez #2)

Death says Hello (Holly Garrett Book #1)

Other:

Games We Play

