As Julius was attempting to shift back into his human form, he was praying it would go smoothly.
He only wished that he hadn't made a fool of himself, remembering his first and last shift back.
Just feet away, he knew he had an audience.
Alexander was watching, mesmerized, unaware of the blunter that had occurred the night before.
His only thought was that he could be doing that too.
He wished that he knew how to do it too, be a wolf like his friend.
'What does my wolf look like? Would it look that effortless for me to shift' he thought to himself.
If he were a werewolf too, he should be able to transform into a wolf, just like Julius had.
Without realizing what he was doing, his body lunged forward, and a sandy colored wolf emerged.
Alexander didn't mean to do it.
It was like his body was being controlled from the inside by something else.
How could his thoughts simply turn him into a full-blown wolf out of nowhere?
Actually, not knowing how he had turned caused him a sudden fear of being stuck, and it took over his thoughts.
What if he wished to become a wolf and was stuck that way?
Then, he wished he had never shifted at all.
Just as quickly as he had shifted into a wolf, he was back into his body.
The best part was that it was just in time to see his friend land flat on his face next to his bed.
Julius's wolf had overshot the bed and not managed to shift as smoothly as he intended.
Shifting back to his normal self was something Julius hadn't quite been able to master yet.
Seeing as this was only his second time, that wasn't a surprise to him.
He didn't think he would be able to master everything related to being a wolf in hours, but he had hoped.
Turning into his wolf was a work of art for the new, proud creature.
That he didn't feel could go any better for him.
There was no question that Julius needed to practice turning back.
Alexander's transitions were so quick that Julius didn't even notice he had made them at first.
As Julius lifted his head, he noticed his friend was naked too, and his head tilted.
It was great that his friend shifted, except now, they were both naked as Ayla opened the door.
"I can explain" Alexander blurted out.
Ayla actually didn't want to know.
"I'm good. It's okay" she said, throwing her hands up.
She closed the door behind her as she walked away.
Whatever weird ritual was going on in there, they could keep for themselves.
She could hear all the growling, grunting, and thumping coming from the room and wanted to make sure they were okay.
The last thing she wanted was for them to be fighting because of her.
Now that she could see that the two men were more than fine, she felt she had done her job.
She was not their mother, though, and there were limits to what she wanted to see.
Just as quickly as she entered the room, she walked away to take a relaxing bath.
"Dude, what the hell" Julius said after she left.
Alexander lifted his hands as if to signal surrender.
"I wasn't going to throw you under the bus. Honestly! I have no clue what I was going to say, but we are both naked. Plus, you clearly don't know how to land a shift back properly".
Now that he was finished speaking, he was working on stifling his laughter, which was directed at the position his friend was in.
A pillow came flying at him like a rocket aimed with precision toward the proudly standing man.
"Not the face, not the face. She likes that part just as much as this part" he said, swinging his midsection around in a circle.
"Get out. Get out now" Julius demanded as his friend, as he shook his head, watching him pick up his clothes.
"I only have one question before I go. How do you control the shift"?
"Didn't you just shift" He asked, confused.
Clearly, Alexander had shifted because he was putting his clothes back on.
He had just turned into a wolf, too, so Julius didn't understand.
"Yeah, I did. If I knew how, then that would be great, especially since it will obviously have to be me to teach Ayla, seeing as how you land".
Feeling bad for his friend, he told him.
"Easy, it's the same way you control your eyes. You have to really want it to happen, and fully wish for it essentially, then boom. Now get out of my room. Good luck with her".
Alexander already knew what was coming, as he finished putting his clothes on while he was listening to the words that his friend told him.
Once Julius finished getting dressed, he willingly walked out the bedroom door, smiling.
Maybe staying in for a few days wouldn't be so bad for the couple.
That would give Alexander a few days to figure out how to tell Ayla she is a werewolf like them.
If he were able to manage that, they could work on shifting into their wolves while they were locked away in their castle.
She was totally the princess locked in the tower that he needed to save.
There was one major difference.
Ayla was no damsel in distress.
Putting her in the same category as Cinderella, Rapunzel, or Aurora was a disservice to her.
The day seemed to fly by before anyone realized it.
Breakfast passed, and lunch was eventless.
Now the three roommates lay around the living room, all with one thing or another on their minds.
One thing that wasn't on their minds, that should have been, was the danger that was closer than they realized.
The night before, when Julius was spotted, it wasn't just by one unsuspecting onlooker.
He was seen by a few interested people who might make things a little dicey for a few days.
At least a few days.
One of the prying eyes the night before was a recent visitor.
As the four men were nearing the town limits, getting ready to part ways, good old Mr. Mason happened to be ending his evening run.
Nature and the woods always called to their wolves.
It wasn't unusual for wolves to need to let their legs out for a bit, but the men were too wrapped up in their good energy and atmosphere to realize he was there watching them.
Mason thought it was interesting to see them together.
Why were the men of the Silver Moon pack walking with the bartender?
Had the pack infiltrated the town that deeply?
It was a smart move to place their own people, spies, in human towns.
Why hadn't he thought of that?
The general of the Deep Fang pack remembered the man from behind the bar.
At the time, the man seemed to pay the men no attention, yet he was with the men.
Maybe he wasn't a part of the pack.
If he wasn't, then why was he with those three?
There was no doubt that Dominic and his men were wolves, but he didn't think Julius was one.
Something smelled funky, and he knew there was more to the simple bartender.
Whoever he was, he was good.
Keeping a large enough distance that they wouldn't detect a tail, Mason followed the men.
It wasn't really hard for the old man to blend in with his dark features.
The tone of his skin blended with the shades of the night, his hair just as dark, with his grey eyes, illuminated with the amber glow of the wolves, keeping a close eye on his prey.
Oddly, the group separated.
His eyes, scanning the streets from the Silver Moon group to the bartender and back, they were trying to tell his mind what to do.
The Deep-Fang general had to think quickly to decide who to follow.
He knew about the Silver Moon men already, and where they stayed.
If he followed them, it was unlikely he would get anything new.
Seconds later, he was stalking the lonely bartender.
That also lessened his chances of getting caught.
Mason knew that Dominic and his men were able to sense him, so following them nearly ensured being caught.
Nothing seemed odd while keeping his sights set on Julius.
The scent of the Silver Moon pack had fully rubbed off on him, but otherwise, he seemed to just walk home.
It wasn't that there was a big difference between the two packs' scents, and that might be why there was a larger rivalry between them.
Both packs sat near the ocean water, so that both had a hint of salt mixed with their scent, but Dominic and his men smelled like a smidge of a Christmas tree to Mason, which made him gag.
In Mason's mind, his pack reminded him of the woodsy, crisp tone to their salty oceanic mix.
He much preferred his own pack's odor.
As he followed the man, nothing useful came from his mission, or so he thought, as he watched the young man enter the secure building with a smile branded on his face.
He might not have gotten anything this time, but something wasn't quite right.
Mason knew there was something right in front of him, but he couldn't put his nose on it.
There was something he was missing, and he would figure it out.
With a feeling of defeat, Mason returned to his hotel room for the night.
The determination was stronger than ever to find answers.
Alpha Theo was a force, but Mason's Alpha was worse.
Mason's days were numbered, and he was told so.
Ayla was to return with him by the next full moon, or he was finished.
Unsure of just what Alpha Ulfric had in mind, he didn't want to find out.
Though he was constantly told that he would lose his head, so he was positive that it was his consequence.
There was no use worrying about it overnight, because there was nothing that could be done about it then.
Mason teetered with the idea, the next morning, of going to Dominic's room and being honest with him.
If anything, there were only two ways it could all end.
After pacing so much that he felt like he had worn a small path down in the carpet, he decided to wait.
Maybe he was just letting the fear of impending doom get to him.
It wasn't impending doom, though; it was certain death.
Alpha Ulfric told him that if his daughter wasn't home by the full moon, not one living soul could save him.
Mason could see him standing before him, his alpha's long, tall body that paled in comparison to his threatening him.
His old school suit draped over his body in an attempt to hide the fact that their alpha lacked the muscle to hold the position he held, with his long, white hair pulled back in a ponytail.
The feeling of his icy blue eyes staring back at him gave him chills.
How was he supposed to handle his mission, or the threat that loomed over him?
There was no way he could fail, because even if his alpha was weak, he never failed on a threat.
Luna Ylva stood stoically beside him, not saying a word as the order was commanded.
Her brown hair braided back, brown eyes matching her hair's tone, with light skin that appeared untouched by the sun.
She appeared to hold more tone in her muscles than alpha, which the whole pack feared, but it was never acknowledged.
Mason was at a loss, and he knew it.
Finally, he decided that he would wait for movement that day.
If Dominic took any kind of action, he would have a tail.
To Mason's surprise, his phone rang while he was waiting.
It was Alpha Ulfric telling him that he received a credible tip.
Alpha Ulfric was ordering him to go investigate a sighting that would take him nearly two days away from his current location.
That was two days if his wolf ran.
Mason wasn't buying it.
That wasn't the first time this same situation occurred.
He had been chasing his tail, so to speak, for years.
It was like someone was purposefully sending him everywhere to keep him busy.
That wasn't what he told his Alpha thought.
As far as his Alpha knew, he was taking in the information and following the command that he was just given, with a simple, "Yes, Sir".
Immediately, he went to his men's room.
He would send his men at a minimum.
Unlike Dominic, they didn't have that bond and trust between them, so he had no problem sending them to follow the lead alone.
That would at least give the impression that he left as ordered.
There were a few positives to this.
His Alpha would start looking for him days away from his current location if he failed, for one.
Two, it gave him time to butter up Dominic.
Most importantly, he had time to figure out what was happening right where he was.
Let's not forget the most important reason he wanted to stay behind.
He might need to come up with an escape plan for himself.
Mason had a feeling he wasn't getting his hands on Ayla by the full moon; he had never even laid eyes on the girl.
In addition, she wasn't making it all the way to the Deep-Fang pack by Alpha Ulfric's deadline.
It was time to start looking out for his own neck.
Alpha's daughter or not, he could only do so much.
'SLAM'.
Mason had been so deep in thought that he didn't realize how much of the day had slipped past him.
The door next to him brought him out of his thoughts.
Dominic would have slipped past him, too, if the door hadn't slammed so loudly.
He nearly jumped out of his chair as he caught the three men's voices.
They were on the move, and so was he.
Stealthily.
Back at the apartment with Ayla, it was decided that Julius would handle Alexander's shift of watching over the club for the night.
That didn't mean that Alexander was off the hook with work completely.
They had other work matters he would attend to from home, as agreed to, but he would stay in the apartment.
It would be better if one of them were there to keep an eye on things physically at Scarlett Fever, though.
That had always been their plan, Ayla or not.
At least one of the men needed to be at the club to make sure things were running smoothly nightly.
Ayla didn't like the plan that the men decided for her, but she understood.
She was used to being a nomad and roaming around freely.
The cage was closing in on her, and she felt like her enemies were too.
Both men thought it was cute how she pouted on the couch.
Neither thought it wise to mention it.
"Do you both have everything you need before I leave for the day" Julius asked, hoping they did.
Julius hated going to any stores, but he would if it meant they would stay put.
They nodded as he exhaled just a bit in relief.
Ayla caught it, though.
"Well, you guys don't really have any pastries. The really good flaky ones with the cream cheese. I would love you forever if you could get me some before you go to the club" she said as she attempted to flutter her eyes.
"Fine. Anything else" he asked with a deflated voice.
Alexander picked up on what was happening.
Realizing they basically polished off all the fruit and bagels for breakfast, he added those to the list.
Neither wanted to push him too far on the first day, so they left it there.
Once he walked out the door, they both started laughing.
If they were going to be prisoners, they had to have a little fun with it.
As he left, Alexander got on his laptop and knocked out as much work as he could so he could have the evening free with Ayla.
He was checking over reports, finances on businesses, mostly boring management things that she didn't seem interested in, so she flipped through the channels of the TV.
It didn't take too long for Julius to return with the food requested and disappear again.
After he left, Alexander seemed to get nervous.
Ayla's anxiety started to grow.
"What's wrong" she asked as he put his laptop away.
He was looking at her like he wanted to tell her something, but couldn't.
She could tell.
"Tell me what is wrong" she demanded.
"Nothing's wrong. I just love looking at you. I really do think you are the most beautiful woman in the world".
He kissed her cheek as his words stopped.
She thought he was going to initiate sex again, but he went in a different direction.
"Can I show you something" he asked nervously.
"Of course. Anything".
He hesitated for a moment before grabbing her hands and pulling her to the dark bathroom.
Almost instantly, both of their eyes lit up.
Even though she knew their eyes had done that the night before, she was still amazed.
"I saw this last night, but it's so beautiful" she exclaimed as her hands grabbed his face.
With their eyes illuminated, the touch between them almost felt different, like she could feel their connection.
Without saying anything, he opened the door.
While letting in the light, he managed to keep his eyes from changing, as hers fell back to the light blueish grey they typically held.
She noticed how her eyes were back to normal in the mirror behind him.
"But how" she asked cocking her head to the side.
"Can I make mine stay like yours" she continued.
He nodded his head.
"Just think about your eyes. Know that you can change them, and want them to show as your real eyes, your true eyes" he said.
"My what"?
He was even more nervous now.
"Just want to change your eyes, wish that they looked like mine" he said, irritated at her response.
He was trying to be kind, gentle, and sweet, but she made him feel like he was failing.
Taking a moment with her eyes closed to think about wanted to change her eyes, she opened them again.
Nothing.
Alexander was confused.
"Do you want to change your eyes to show me" he asked.
"Yeah, I do, but".
"But what? You have to want to one hundred percent, or it won't work. If there is any doubt, it won't work".
Ayla closed her eyes again.
She wanted to show him, but she was scared.
Why were their eyes different?
What made their eyes do that?
When she opened her eyes again, nothing.
"I don't want to do this" she blurted and went to walk away.
Alexander grabbed her hand.
"Why? There is nothing wrong with it. I can do it too. It makes us special. You can trust me".
When he finished speaking, her body was back to standing in front of his, and her eyes were glowing.
"Is that on purpose" he asked as she nodded.
The biggest smile he had yet was plastered on his face as he threw his arms around her in an extremely tight hug.
"I show you, and now you kill me by way of a hug" she gasped.
"Sorry, sorry" he said, letting her go.
He knew he didn't want to be the one to tell her they were really wolves, because he didn't want her to get scared and run away from him.
Ayla was a runner after all.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was probably the only one who could tell her.
For some reason, she trusted him.
At that point, he wondered if he should go further or stop there.
They had days to work through it all.
Then, Ayla spoke.
"Why do our eyes do this"?
He paused.
"Let me ask you a different question. Can you do things other people can't"?
She looked confused.
Pulling his lips to one side of his face, he thought, and then asked about all her heightened senses.
Ayla couldn't deny that she was gifted when it came to her senses.
There wasn't a person alive that she knew of who had a better set of them.
He started thinking about when they jumped off the waterfall and how long they were underwater.
When he asked her how long it was, she couldn't remember.
"It was way longer than it should have been, though, right" he asked.
"I suppose, but what does that have to do with our eyes" and she was clearly getting frustrated.
"Everything".
She was looking at him like he had lost his damn mind.
He told her the same line that both he and Julius had now heard about, having to see it for themselves, because words wouldn't work.
Then, he said, "I will only show you when you know that you are ready for the answer. Until then, it will only scare you. Since you promised to never run away from me, I'm not showing you".
Ayla was getting mad now.
"I demand that you show me, NOW"!
Alexander was getting a little excited as she started barking demands at him.
Her way of trying to control him stirred something inside of him that he liked.
"Make me" he giggled.
She walked up and started pushing him until he fell onto the couch.
As he fell, she landed directly onto his lap.
"Show me now" she demanded again.
"Well, I can't at the moment" he smiled as he was full on hard and pressing against her.
"Then we have nothing to do until you show me" she said, climbing back up off his lap.
His smile immediately drained from his face.
He began to leap to his feet, throwing himself in the air, shifting along the way.
The sandy-haired wolf landed at her feet, stopping her in her tracks.
"I knew it, we are wolves" she exclaimed with a smile on her face!