Alexander was excited by the idea of not leaving the apartment for a few days, but Ayla wasn't sold.
Being stuck in one place like a sitting duck wasn't something she was used to.
Ayla being stuck with him, uninterrupted, might be a good thing though.
However, Ayla was unsure what Julius meant when he said they would be fine not leaving the apartment.
Why shouldn't they leave the apartment?
Ayla wanted to ask more questions about it, but Julius obviously didn't want to elaborate at the moment.
Alexander thought, maybe after such a long day, some sleep would be the better option.
Julius nearly sighed with relief at the words that came out of his best friend's mouth.
"We won't leave for now, but that doesn't mean I don't want more information. Expect questions tomorrow" he said.
Ayla looked at him with slight disdain as he spoke for her.
He knew Ayla had questions, and he hoped this would at least allow her to sleep just a little for now.
As he spoke, it became clear he might have been wrong.
Alexander grabbed her shoulder with one hand to turn her and put his hand over her mouth with his other.
"Goodnight" he said as she bit his hand.
"Don't cover my mouth. I'm a grown woman. If I want to speak, I will damnit" she told him.
"Okay, sorry, fine. Never again. Well, probably not again. Let's go to bed now, please" he asked.
He was hoping he did enough to keep her from jumping his friend's case.
If anything, maybe he distracted her, and she wasn't focused on Julius anymore.
"Fine, let's go to bed. Tomorrow, I have questions. I don't like being told what to do.
Even more so, when I don't know WHY" she said, directed at Alexander.
Ayla had never had parents or guardians.
She was a lonely orphan bounced from one orphanage to another quite regularly, mostly ignored.
Being told to do was foreign, other than following simple chores, and she didn't like it.
If there was a good reason for it, then she would do it.
Blindly following directions was for fools, and a fool she was not.
She hadn't survived that long to not trust her own instincts, and it told her Julius was hiding something.
Her instincts were screaming at her to dig a little deeper.
Julius was hiding something from them, and Alexander didn't seem to see it.
Living on her own definitely made her a feisty one, almost feral.
Ayla was hard to manipulate or control, which was a good thing because she was giving Alexander a run for his money, and Julius was eating it up.
Her giving him such a hard time in front of Julius, made up slightly for leaving him behind to clean up the mess so they could just have sex.
Watching her bite his hand and scold him made him chuckle as he went to walk away.
His best friend was always a clown, cheeky, and a jokester of sorts.
Ayla seemed like the complete opposite.
Even though it wasn't their fault he was left behind, he still got a little joy out of watching her interact with him.
'Life's simple pleasures are everything' he thought to himself, as he walked toward his room.
In Alexander's bedroom, Ayla was starting to wonder if the small splash of luck she found had run out.
For her, the feeling of being cursed was starting to come back tenfold.
There was a big difference this time.
It wasn't just affecting her.
The curse on her was reaching Alexander and possibly Julius.
"Do you think I'm cursed" she blurted out.
"What"?
She elaborated.
"Do you think that all of these men chasing me are because I'm cursed"?
"No. That's nonsense. Weren't you just saying you were a person with luck earlier? What changed" he asked.
He was genuinely curious.
"Everything. I thought I was lucky because I found you. Then, I had a place to stay, and Julius came along. Suddenly, I didn't feel alone anymore. I felt safe. Now, I don't feel that".
He was still stuck on her saying that she felt lucky because she found him.
Then he processed the rest of what he heard.
Alexander looked concerned.
"You still have all of those things".
She knew she hadn't explained herself correctly.
"That's not what I meant. Clearly, I still have you and a place to stay and all, but nothing has changed. So many people are still after me. If I stay, they will find me, eventually".
He had a feeling he knew where her mind would take her if it wasn't there already.
Alexander rolled over on his side to hold her tighter than he already had her.
"You are not allowed to leave. Please, no matter what, don't run away. I can only protect you if you stay. If you run away, they can find you, and I won't be able to stop them".
Then he had an idea of how to try to reach her.
"Right? If you run, it's almost guaranteed they will find you".
Ayla didn't like his question.
"Yeah. More than likely ".
He continued.
"There is only a fifty-fifty chance they find you here. Why would you run and take the higher chance of them finding you. Why would you willingly leave me with those odds"?
She let his words resonate for a minute before agreeing.
How long she stayed depended on how bad things got.
He knew that.
After all, he really was a smart man, and he knew she was still a runner at heart.
The one thing she would not allow was for something to happen to him or Julius because of her.
"So, I guess it's you and me in here for a few days" she said as she tried to roll onto her side.
"Loosen up a bit and be the big spoon. You can hold me tighter so you know I can't go anywhere, just don't poke me too much" she said with a smile.
Before they knew it, they were asleep, just like everyone else in Scarlett Crest.
Morning came before any of them realized it, and they didn't want it to be there.
The sun's beams of light piercing in through the windows, dancing across their skin, meeting their eyes.
Wishes for thicker curtains came from more than a few minds.
That being said, Alexander was pleased, nevertheless, to wake up with such a beautiful woman in his arms, let alone in his bed.
Immediately upon waking up, he began giving her sweet kisses on the nape of her neck to let her know that he was now awake.
Sweet kisses could change anyone's mood to happy, even if they once refused to want to be.
"Good morning" she muscled out between a stretch and a yawn.
"Good morning, beautiful" he responded between kisses, "Do you want some breakfast, or some of me"?
"Breakfast, one hundred percent" she answered.
Ayla immediately went to jump out of bed, stretching fully.
He felt a little offended.
There was no doubt in his mind that she would choose him, but she didn't.
"So, now…I don't get it" he said.
Ayla shook her head, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, really. You think I just want to pounce on you every chance I get, like a horny teenager. I'm starving. Just because you offer me your penis, doesn't mean I'm going to take it" she shrugged her shoulders and walked off.
His head fell back on the pillow under him.
"Uuuggghhhh" he let out, hoping his morning wood disappeared quickly.
'This is going to be a long few days' he thought to himself.
While lying there, he heard the door open and close.
She was serious!
He didn't think she was actually serious.
Ayla had no intention of having anything sexual with him before breakfast.
These were going to be long days if this was how they would go.
Was she planning on toying with him the whole time?
Ayla felt like she was walking on clouds as she made her way to the kitchen.
There was no time like the present to start getting ready for the day, so he got up and headed to eat himself.
When he exited his room, he realized Ayla wasn't alone.
Julius was already awake, and they were already talking.
He couldn't make out what they were saying because they were using hushed voices, and he didn't like it.
As he entered the area, they stopped discussing whatever the topic was.
"Secrets and friends don't mix, but you know that" Alexander spouted to his roommate.
"What are you talking about, Alexander? I was just making small talk while we were waiting for you, so I didn't have to repeat myself" Julius said defensively.
It was clear that Alexander was jealous of the bond the two were starting to share.
"Jealousy doesn't look good on you friend" Julius chuckled.
Alexander was beginning to wonder if he needed to worry about Julius.
"Right. Well, I'm here now, so what is it. What's the latest" he said.
In no time, he sat with a plate of fruit that he stacked while the two were talking.
He had no intention of wasting time making anything else.
As he listened, he realized that it was just chatter about how the club had different themes they used around random holidays.
Her eyes were large as she was engaged in the stories Julius shared, some depicting embarrassing scenarios about Alexander that made her laugh.
Suddenly, he realized that he was too rash with his judgment.
There was no way he was going to admit that though, no way.
Ayla's laugh was hypnotizing, and he wanted to hear more of it.
Unfortunately, both men knew it was about to come to an end as the reason for the morning meeting was about to be reached.
Julius looked to Alexander as if to give him a heads-up, and Ayla caught it.
"So, it's time then. We are ready to talk about last night".
"Well, I... yeah" Julius said.
Ayla pursed her lips.
"I'm a grown woman you know. You don't have to clear anything with Alexander, I'm right here. All you have to do is speak".
She was making it clear that she was her own person, and his roommate didn't own her.
He was nervous now, but he knew it was now or never.
It was better to just go for it.
Julius didn't know where to start.
"I wanted to know how willing the two of you are with being able to trust Dominic and his two men".
Julius knew it was a hard sell, but he wanted to start casting wide and reel it in.
Ayla looked at him as if she knew this day would come eventually, and was cut off by Alexander's words.
"That depends on what you have and what your opinion is first" Alexander answered.
He didn't want to speak for her, but he noticed that Ayla was not capable of saying anything.
Ayla was actually stuck thinking about several things, but she had opinions, he just didn't give her the chance to say them.
Most of all, that she was right, he was hiding something.
Julius was nervous.
"There doesn't seem to be a one answer fits all. I know when it comes to me, I do trust him. At the same time, I don't want him around Ayla yet".
They all agreed that sounded fair. So, Julius continued.
"If you don't want them around me, then why ask us if we are willing to trust them" Ayla asked, confused.
Alexander agreed.
"How can we trust men who have chased her for so long" Alexander asked.
"For some reason, I don't think he wants to go after her anymore" he said, pointing to Ayla.
"What do you mean? In my opinion, only something major would cause that…" Ayla stopped talking.
She was looking at Julius as she was trying to piece everything together.
"Something did happen".
Ayla and Alexander looked at each other and then back at Julius to hear more.
"I want to dig around some more, but he seems to trust me".
Ayla interrupted.
"Why would he trust you? What if that is his plan? He could be trying to get your trust to get to me".
Julius was starting to lose hope.
He had one last effort left inside of himself.
"The only reason I'm asking first is because I don't want secrets between us. To me, we are friends. I don't want to upset the two of you by interacting with him. There is more to this, and I think I can get it. Plus, I think I flipped him into helping us instead of hunting Ayla".
Ayla didn't know what to think about the words that filled her ears.
She was missing something, and she might have just figured it out!
For years, that man was relentless in chasing her.
There was no way he was giving up or changing sides now.
"It's a trap, or you are keeping a secret" she said, "There is no other explanation that makes sense".
Ayla hoped he would spill as she called him out, but he didn't seem to.
Disappointment consumed her.
She stood and then headed back to the room.
Julius knew that he could hear him as she walked away.
"I don't think it is. Those men who showed up last night said they would be here for a few days. Over these next few days, hide here with Alexander. Give me a chance to see what is really going on. Please" he pleaded.
Alexander was unsure of what to do, and Ayla was still unhappy that he didn't tell them the secret he was keeping from them.
He wanted to support his best friend, but he needed to be there for Ayla.
Before opening his mouth, Alexander thought for a second.
"Why should we stay hidden in the apartment"?
Julius answered his friend.
"Those guys will be gone in a few days. I was assured of it. If you stay in and show her a good time, she will stay in with you. Trust me" he said in a hushed voice.
He was really hoping that Ayla didn't hear how he was hoping to use sex with Alexander to keep her trapped in the apartment.
"Honestly, I'll do my best. That woman has fire in her veins, and she cannot be controlled. If she wants to leave, ultimately, I won't be able to stop her".
Out of nowhere Ayla's voice could be heard.
"Glad you finally understand that" she said, nearly making him jump out of his seat.
"You knew she was walking up, didn't you" Alexander nearly yelled at Julius.
Julius laughed.
"Of course, I did. The look she was giving me told me not to say a word or else. I'm a smart man".
Alexander was shaking his head.
"What about not keeping secrets" he scolded his best friend.
"Oops" he said as he got up and headed to his room.
Julius knew he still had secrets and information about Dominic that he hadn't shared with the rest of the class.
He was also aware that now was not the time to info dump, or at least he didn't feel like it was the time.
Ayla was a flight risk, and he was pushing her limit already.
They were told he would observe and report over the next few days.
Ultimately, that gave him time to come up with a way to tell them everything slowly.
That wasn't the issue at the moment.
The real reason Julius didn't say anything else came from when his friend was being preyed upon.
He recognized the look Ayla was giving, alright, straight down to her focused, glowing eyes.
It was like she was slowly making her way for the kill, waiting for Alexander to say the wrong thing after listening to Julius's statement.
Her eyes looked like his did in the water the night before, but different.
Was Dominic right about her?
Was she actually a werewolf, too?
If she were, so many more things made sense about what was going on, but he didn't know what to do.
There was a sliver of trust with Dominic, but Ayla was out of bounds between the two of them.
Why had he set that boundary?
She was the brass ring, or white whale, so to speak, when it came to other men and Dominic.
Then, when it came to Alexander, he had no clue how to ask him anything related to any of this.
Could he talk to Alexander about it?
He had to be able to.
That was his best friend.
The two of them never had secrets, but could he handle this?
Not sure of what to do, he decided to text Alexander.
'Hey. Can you come talk to me'
Alexander didn't understand the message.
'Why? We just talked'
'I feel weird talking with Ayla there because it's about a girl from last night. Just come to my room'.
He still didn't understand why Julius was being so weird.
A girl, the night before, now that started to plug in a lot of holes.
Alexander reluctantly left the couch to go to his friend's room.
"What man. I was trying to snuggle and get used to the idea of solitude".
Julius looked at him in the eyes, not amused.
"This is serious".
"Did you get the crabs" Alexander laughed.
Julius looked offended.
"What, no".
Alexander started laughing.
"Then this can't be that serious".
Julius was starting to lose his patience.
"I needed to get you alone to talk to you. Can you be completely honest with me"?
He continued to lower his voice as he kept talking.
If he could hear extremely well, she probably could too.
Alexander nodded.
"Have you noticed anything different about Ayla"?
Julius was almost whispering at that point.
His friend's eyebrows softened as he swallowed hard, "What do you mean"?
Julius explained.
"Her eyes. I've seen them change to the most beautiful, I mean interesting eyes. Have you noticed? It's hard to miss".
Just as he finished speaking, Alexnaders did the same thing.
"You too! This is freaking awesome".
Suddenly, Alexander was flooded with emotions.
Was he supposed to be scared, happy, nervous, or excited?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his friend's words again.
"Wait a minute, I thought we didn't have secrets. You kept that from me" Julius said, sounding slightly jealous.
Alexander threw his hands up, level with his head.
"We don't have secrets. The two of us noticed last night, swear. It was in the dark that we saw it".
Julius seemed to be pacified by the answer he was given.
"Do you know anything about what it means" Alexander asked him.
Julius was nearly foaming at the mouth to tell him.
"Well, I do. You really wouldn't believe me if I just told you, trust me"!
His mind went back to thinking about his experience the night before.
There was a slight pause in the conversation before Alexander's voice could be heard.
"What do you mean by that"?
"More or less, it's something you have to see, feel, and experience. It might be different for you because you trust me, but..." he was interrupted.
"Try me. Do anything you can think of" Alexander pleaded.
Julius sat for a minute and thought about it before wishing he could show his friend his eyes, and suddenly, his wolf eyes were present.
Alexander was looking at him, wondering how he was able to do it on command.
"I thought about it, really wanted to be able to show you my eyes, my real eyes, and here they are" he explained.
There was no way it was that simple, Alexander thought, as he tried it himself.
Instantly, his eyes were reflecting the amber and crimson that he was unable to control before.
Julius noticed that both he and Ayla had the same crimson flecks, but he didn't think anything about it.
Alexander was curious, though.
How did Julius suddenly know something he didn't know because they knew everything about each other?
They were best friends and absolutely had no secrets.
Secrets and friends didn't mix.
That was what they always told each other.
"When did this happen? How did you learn this" he asked.
Julius was nervous to answer.
"Last night, I learned a lot of stuff last night. The only problem is you won't like the source or the answers, I'm afraid".
Alexander raised an eyebrow at his friend.
"We haven't had secrets in eighteen years. No need to start now. No matter what it is, I trust you".
Julius walked him through the whole story, start to finish, as quickly as possible until they reached the end about the werewolves.
"You found your dad" he said in shock, "But. So that. A lot of things are starting to fall into place".
Julius wasn't done.
"There's more".
"More than all of that" Alexander said in disbelief.
"Well, it goes with the eyes. It's one of the ways he knew for sure I was his son".
Since his friend didn't say anything, he kept going.
"The thing is, we can use all our senses ten times better than most people, agreed" he asked.
Alexander nodded.
"There is a reason for that. Just like there is a reason you couldn't find a trace about your parents either".
His friends' interests seemed piqued.
"The stories are real, but so wrong. Werewolves are real because we werewolves".
Julius didn't even get to finish talking.
"BHAHAHAHA, be serious, Julius".
"I am" he said.
Julius decided that his father had it right with showing vs. telling.
Within seconds, he was leaping in the air toward his bed, shifting as he made the jump, and a wolf landed dead center on his mattress.
The young wolf hopped off the bed, with his smooth dark mane, and trotted over to his friend to rub his head on Alexander's leg.
He was hoping for a few head rubs for his effort.
Alexander was speechless.
"What? How did? You were being serious. Please, teach me how to do that. Wait, that means Ayla is a wolf too. Oh, I am not going to be the one who tells her" he said.
He started shaking his hands back and forth.
Julius knew it was probably time to change back so his friend would quit talking to himself, even if it was fun to watch and listen to.
This would be the second time shifting back, and he really didn't want to make a fool of himself.
'Here goes nothing' he thought to himself as he jumped for his bed, wishing his human body changed and landed lying in an easily concealable position.
You can't always get what you wish for, though.