Even though Alexander told Ayla that no news meant nothing happened inside the club, that didn't mean nothing happened inside the club.
As much as his words were meant to calm her, they didn't.
What if Julius just wasn't able to reach out to them about whatever happened?
If he were kidnapped, then he wouldn't have been able to tell them.
What if those men were just buttering him up so he would let his guard down?
Better than that, what about outside the club?
At some point, Julius had to leave Scarlett Fever.
If those men were waiting outside for him, then he could have been ambushed.
Ayla had left him there all alone.
She felt guilty because if he was going to protect her, then she should do the same for him.
"I'm going back to the club" she blurted out stubbornly.
Alexander was shocked by her sudden outburst.
He tried to grab her as she threw the covers off her legs, but she was quick.
"What are you talking about? You are insane if you think that is even remotely a good idea".
She felt slightly insulted.
"Excuse me. I am in no way insane. You are just selfish. How can you even think of lying here while your best friend is in potential danger at the club? Danger that I put him in. We put him in. I am going back to help him".
Alexander was tired, and didn't manage to filter his words as well as he normally would.
"How is your going back going to help him? If you being there is what put him in danger, wouldn't going back make it worse? Let's dig a little deeper. Say we go back, and he isn't there. What do you do then? Will we scour the whole town looking for him, with no idea where to look? In the end, we would come home exhausted, just to find out he had been here and left to do the same when he didn't see us here".
Ayla listened to his words, and he had a point.
They were expected to come home and stay safe.
If they left, it could cause more problems.
She sat back on the bed, pondering her choices.
Choices she never thought she would be faced with.
Why did it suddenly feel more complicated caring for others, living with them, then surviving alone?
In the end, she knew what she needed to do because Julius was smart, and she needed to keep herself safe.
Was he smart enough to be on alert when leaving the club like she normally was?
More now than ever with everything happening he needed to stay vigilant.
Surely, after the previous night and all the attempts that seemed to occur around Ayla at that point already, he was extremely cautious.
They knew that the Dominic character had helped her get out of the bar, but she still worried that it was just a ploy to follow her.
If not that, it was just to follow Julius when his guard was down.
Her anxiety was eating her alive, and Alexander knew it.
He reached over and grabbed for her hand, pulling her to him.
Ayle couldn't shake the thought that the three men seemed to be working really hard to gain Julius's trust.
Maybe, just maybe, that was their new way of getting to get to her.
It was obvious that her brain was running in overdrive when Alexander decided to help her slow the train that was running full force.
He grabbed her face using both hands, pulled her forehead to his lips, and planted a forceful kiss square in the middle.
Alexander didn't slow the train.
He brought it to an abrupt halt.
"What the hell, Alex"?
That was the first time she used a nickname, and it felt awkward.
"Did I do something" he asked.
He was still holding her head in the same position and repeated the same kiss.
"Have you lost your mind" she squealed, trying to break free.
In her mind, she expected a sweet, gentle kiss from the doting man beside her.
That was not going to work to make her snap out of whatever she was thinking about too intently, and he knew it.
No smile present on his face, he answered her.
"Again, I have no clue what you are talking about. I simply wanted to show some passion to the girl next to me. However, I seem to have a problem. I can't find her lips" he smiled.
Unsure what he was really up to, she began to try and lift her head so their lips could meet.
To her frustration, he gave the same kiss again.
"Really" she started to say, but he quickly stopped her, placing his finger over her lips.
Her hands flying up to grab his.
Before she could go any further, her hands had been grabbed, bound together, and contained with one hand.
He was pushing her onto her back with just enough force that she couldn't resist, pinning her hands to the bed as she landed.
"Not those lips".
That was all he said before pulling her oversized shirt up and moving down her body with kisses as he went.
"What about" and a hand landed over her mouth.
"NO"!
It was clear he didn't want her to think or worry about anything.
Alexander worked his way slowly down her body until his face was between her legs.
"Uuuhhhmmmm. You smell so good" he said in a low seductive tone.
Ayla was excited, but nervous with anticipation as she impatiently waited for him to keep going.
Her hips jolted, and he let her bound hands free to grab them to hold them in place.
"NO"!
It was clear he didn't want her to move.
For a few seconds, she didn't even realize her hands were no longer prisoners of his forceful grasp.
The moment his lips met the lips he desired, her body was aware they were touching.
Chills seemed to roam freely through her skin in a wave, as his tongues gave a few flicks.
She let out a little gasp as he gave a little suck, pulling her into his mouth, giving a hum as he endulged himself.
Once he knew she was enjoying the motions of his tongue within the folds, his motions intensified.
She couldn't contain the moans that started to seep out of her mouth, as he began to devour her.
Pleasure was evident by the increase of heat radiating from her moist slice of heaven, the warm juices leaking from her.
Realizing now that her hands were free, as one of them made its way down to grab his hair, pulling him closer to her core, as if to make him go deeper.
He proceeded to remove a hand from one of her hips and allow his fingers to join in and add to her pleasure.
A louder moan escaped her mouth as he inserted his fingers, turning the up to hit her spot of release.
It was obvious that her body was immersed in pleasure as puddles of liquid came pouring out of her more than once as he continued, relentlessly.
When he felt her body trembling, he knew she was on the verge of being finished for good, so he stopped what he was doing and climbed on top of her.
"Do you want me" he whispered into her ear.
"Yes. Yes, I do" she nearly begged.
"How do you want me" he continued whispering.
"Inside of me. I need you inside of me, NOW" she demanded.
Just as she wished, he began to insert himself, then he paused.
Ayla was not willing to play whatever game he was playing in that moment.
She was flush with the heat of desire, and she needed him to be deep inside of her.
She had had enough as she grabbed on like a sloth.
As she simultaneously dug her heels in, she grabbed his ass, forcing him downward and forward until he was all the way in her.
He was really turned on by her need to have him in her as he began rocking his hips and then thrusting through the warm, tight embrace that he was enjoying.
Each thrust hit the perfect spot over and over as she started to pulsate around him and he slowed down.
This drove all kinds of sensations through her as he prevented her from reaching her climax, and she started rocking her hips against him more intently.
Her nails now digging into his back and dragging down them.
"AAHHHH" he let out.
It wasn't long now, as he started pounding into her before both of them could feel the pulsating that she couldn't control surrounding him as he finished at the same time.
She had given him a taste of painful pleasure and he liked it, too much.
Alexander was now laying nearly on top of her, still inside of her, without a care in the world.
The chemicals that seemed to swim through his body were like he never felt before.
"You know this isn't going to work right" she said in a way that told him she knew what he was doing.
His euphoric bubble was popped.
"Oh, so you don't think sex can be a way to win at anything" he smiled while raising an eyebrow.
Suddenly, she felt guilt rising to the surface.
He kissed her, and laid his head back down.
"Whether you blew me away with sex or not, I would have indulged your idea about wanting to experience the club" he assured her.
She couldn't believe that he knew exactly what she was up to earlier that evening.
"However, the only way to accomplish what I did was how I did it" he said proudly.
"Distracting me could have been other ways. You didn't have to pleasure me so well to do it" she called him out bluntly, watching his smile melt, "but it was probably the most effective, and I'm not complaining" she smiled.
They were both guilty of attempting to use sex to distract the other, and they were aware of it.
It was obvious that neither of them minded it either.
Ayla wasn't spiraling like before but she was still worried.
"None of that changes the fact that Julius isn't home yet, and I'm worried about him" she said.
"Let's give him a little more time. I don't want to put you in danger, expose us, or show up for no reason. It's new for you to worry about other people, I get that. If he isn't back in a reasonable amount of time, I will go look for him. That's only if you promise to stay here" he demanded.
That was not how she had planned on handling any of the current situation.
It was clear to her that he did appear to want to negotiate, so she agreed.
Little did he know, she had her fingers crossed behind her back.
They decided to lie down and watch a movie to give Julius time to make his way home or contact them.
Either option was fine for Ayla.
Alexander was secretly hoping that Ayla would fall asleep because he knew that she was not going to sit this one out.
Even if she agreed to do so, she was not a sit-and-wait kind of girl.
After everything she had been through, he knew she couldn't leave someone out there alone like she had been, to fend for themself.
While Alexander and Ayla snuggled with what turned into a few movies, Dominic, Phoenix, Raphael, and Julius were secluded deep in the forest.
Julius thought his first shift, if he were a werewolf, would be hard, but not that hard.
He was starting to doubt everything these crazy men had told him in his office.
Only, he knew that those three were in fact wolves because he saw Dominic change.
Once they were in the woods, Phoenix and Raphael showed him their wolves as they shifted for him as well.
"Dominic, why are you so certain that I'm one of you" he questioned loudly.
"Your eyes. The way they look currently" he spoke with confidence.
He didn't get it.
There wasn't anything special about his eyes.
They were just the typical, run-of-the-mill light brown eyes.
Without a second thought, he walked down to the river he could hear just down through the trees and bent his head to see his reflection.
His eyes had to be playing tricks on him, because those weren't his.
Before him, he could see the same muscular tone, manly face features, and dark brown hair that was just a little lighter than Dominic's but still dark brown like his.
What was different was the amber color that seemed to have a light behind them, shining, where his once light brown eyes once were.
It was like he was in a trance, unable to move away from the light that was calling to him from his eyes.
Had that been inside him the whole time?
Was it the awakening that the guys had referred to in his office when one learned that the wolf lived inside of them?
All Julius knew was that he couldn't look away, not at that moment.
Almost as if by instinct, he suddenly felt like he knew exactly what to do.
As he stood, his body naturally took a large leap toward the water, shifting as he hit the highest point before landing at the other side.
Phoenix was in awe.
It wasn't a wide spot in the river, but it was magical to watch this young wolf shift for the first time over the water.
Raphael wondered if the young man was able to see it in the reflection as he went over the river.
Julius and Dominic had very similar wolves, not just in color, but in size too.
If it wasn't obvious before, it was obvious then that they were father and son.
Like they were initiating him to the pack, the other three members of the party followed suit and joined him just slightly behind him, leaving their clothes by the riverbank as they landed.
Since it was his first run, they were letting him take the lead as he ran through the forest for the first time in his wolf form.
Dominic was proud that he was able to witness this for his son.
When he started getting too far from the town and too close to the pack territory, he heard a voice in his head.
"Turn around, son, you aren't ready for that yet. You need time to learn a few things. For now, get back to town. Don't forget, we are still here".
It was too late, though.
None of them were aware that they had already been spotted by a few eager wolves.
The pack of running wolves turned and set their sights on the town.
As they made their way back, Julius noticed he could pick up their scent to follow the way they came back.
Salty Christmas trees is what he thought.
It was magical to him.
Then it hit him, he would need to follow the same path back, so he had clothes when he shifted back.
When they were nearly back to the riverbank, a certain realization set in.
'Wait, I don't know how to shift back' he thought.
Thankfully, they were close to the river where the change occurred when these thoughts were running through his mind.
Out of nowhere, he started tumbling forward in his human body.
"Let me guess, all it takes is thinking and wanting to be in your human flesh again, and you turn back" he said, almost sarcastically.
Dominic was switching back himself as he answered.
"Yes. It's that simple. You have to want to, and it happens. Really want to".
Julius was picking himself up as he looked to Dominic.
"I know where you stand with me. That being said, I appreciate what you are doing, but I don't know if I can trust you around Ayla. It should also be her decision. We can go together to the city. When we get close, I will leave you. When I can, I will meet with you again" he said in a way to let them know in advance what the situation will be shortly.
Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael agreed.
Then one more thought occurred to him.
"How did you know it was me"?
Dominic wasn't sure what he was asking.
"How did you know I had anything to do with Ayla"?
"Oh! I could smell her on you. Well, actually. Her smell was there and then it was gone".
Suddenly, the young man didn't want to talk about it anymore because he didn't want them to know about Alexander.
"Right! I switched out my vest".
Dominic didn't fully believe him, but it made sense, so he took it.
Julius didn't want to take a chance on putting anyone in a bad position, himself included.
Now that the air was clear, they all started heading to their destinations for the night.
If Julius was aware of what awaited him, he would have probably stuck with the three guards.
Before they knew it, the exhausted Dominic, Phoenix, and Raphael were at their suite.
"I'm glad you finally found him and let us be a part of it" Raphael yelled as they all entered their rooms for some well-deserved sleep.
As happy as he was, his bed was calling his name.
"No, thank you, for all of your help. I wouldn't have found him without the two of you" he said, smiling sleepily.
If anything, he always tried to make sure to give his boys praise when he could.
Honestly, they deserved it because they were good kids.
It took no time at all for the three men to become nearly unconscious in their beds.
Meanwhile, Julius was making his way to the apartment.
He was on cloud nine because so many things had happened, and he wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings.
Thankfully, he had his newly awakened knowledge that he was a werewolf to protect him, because he was easy prey for anyone lurking in the shadows.
Luck was on his side, though, because the streets appeared to be quiet.
There wasn't anyone who seemed to be out of place as he made his way through the locked doors of their building.
Finally, he was headed toward the elevator that led to his front door.
They did have a little extra security for their building because they owned the biggest club in town.
Hell, it was the only one in the surrounding four towns if that mattered.
It didn't seem like they were big and powerful because neither of them advertised it, or any of their business ventures.
They didn't care to be flashy, but they were beyond rich.
Even though they were rich owners, they still worked as bodyguards and bartenders in their own club.
The majority of the citizens had no clue who owned the club, actually, so it worked in their favor.
Those little tidbits of knowledge made him smile every time he rode the elevator up to their apartment, just as it did that time.
Julius refused to make friends strictly because of his status, and Alexander felt the same.
Before he knew it, he was walking through the apartment door.
Shutting the door behind him, he quickly wanted to retreat back to the freedom of the forest.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN" Ayla yelled at him.
Julius nearly crawled out of his skin.
He was completely shocked at the outburst.
"Sorry, man, she was worried about you" is all Alexander could say in her defense.
She looked at Alexander, furious.
"Don't apologize for me".
Her attention was now back on Julius.
"Of course, I was worried about you. That man came and said all those crazy things at the bar. Then he told us to run because we were in danger. Obviously, we did".
Julius interrupted, "I'm glad you did..."
She raised an eyebrow, and he knew she wasn't finished.
"We ran because he agreed with him. It took you way too long to come home after that. Way too long. Don't you have a phone" she scolded as she started patting down his pockets.
"Doesn't Alexander? He could have messaged that you guys made it safely home".
Ayla didn't like his reply, but he was right.
Maybe he thought that Alexander couldn't find his phone since he had lost it earlier.
What if he had been out looking for them?
Either way, she still wanted to know where he had been.
As she continued to pat him down, she asked again.
"Well, where have you been"?
Alexander was getting a kick out of the show that was happening before his eyes, but all Julius wanted to do was take his own advice and run.
What was going on anymore?
Julius was about to make a mistake though.
"Ayla, calm down, I'm..."
"Did you just tell me to calm down, after you disappeared for hours" she asked.
Julius looked at her as if she made the mistake.
"Wait a minute. Is this coming from the same person who kidnapped my roommate for like two days" he threw back at her.
Her face lost its fire, "Well, it was more like a day and a night. Really, did you even know he was gone"?
Julius was offended.
"Actually, I did. Someone can't say they are going to grab some dinner and never come back. That sounds alarms".
She knew he had her there.
"Whether that's true or not, we were about to come look for you".
Alexander's head was leading his body to a standing position.
"We what? I thought we agreed that you wouldn't leave while I looked" he said, directed to Ayla.
"I had my fingers crossed. Do you really think I would let another one of you go out there all alone and leave me here, all ALONE? Be for real. I thought you were smart" she laughed.
Delivering her thoughts out loud was something she really needed to work on.
Her intentions were in the right place.
Alexander had words to give her back though.
"I knew you had something planned, but fingers crossed, really. You didn't plan to sneak out; you were just going to walk out the door with me" he said in defeat.
'She really is going to be the death of me. Why do I even try' he thought to himself.
Julius was feeling guilty now, because he left like he caused their first fight.
"I'm glad that you wanted to come and find me. It warms my little manly heart that you wanted to make sure I was safe, but don't".
Ayla was confused, and Alexander wanted to smile.
He had a hard time telling her no, but it didn't seem like Julius did.
"You weren't there for the conversation between the newcomer and Dominic. For at least a few days, I need you both to promise me to stay in this apartment. Do not leave it. Rooftop and in here, that's it" he demanded.
"Why" they both asked.
He was looking at Alexander as if he were only talking to him.
"It's hard to explain, but just know, you both need to stay in this apartment for now. A few days for a minimum. I don't think that should be hard for the two of you" he winked with a knowing grin.
Julius's senses were heightened more than usual, and he knew they had recently had a lot of sex.
"Well, how can we move forward with our plan to find that man's son if we are stuck here" Ayla said.
Julius looked at her.
"What plan? What are you talking about"?
Ayla pulled her lips to the side before releasing them and then speaking.
"I told Alexander that maybe if we find the big guy's son, then maybe he will quit chasing me. We can't do that from here".
"I don't think that will be a problem. Let's come up with a better plan tomorrow".
Julius needed time to think of a plan.