Now that Julius was finally home, in his apartment, it was clear that Ayla was not in the dark about who she was.
Not necessarily who she was, but what she was.
It appeared that Dominic was not the only one to come home to an unwelcome surprise that night.
The apartment was a wreck, as it was evident hurricane Ayla had made its way through.
Things that were once neatly placed on top of tables and bookshelves lay messily on the ground.
Thankfully, there weren't vases, flowers, or potted plants kinds of guys, or it would have been a real disaster.
This time, he was not cleaning up her mess.
Dealing with random men chasing her was one thing, but this, this was a whole different ballgame.
If she didn't know she was a werewolf, then someone broke in.
When that thought entered his brain, he had to check on her.
What if someone had found them while he was away?
After all, the town was swarming with wolves at the present moment.
It seemed like every time he blinked, hurricane Ayla was drawing in another werewolf.
All he needed was a little peek in their room.
Just enough to see two bodies lying on the bed, and he would be fine.
Sure enough, through the sliver he made, he used his wolf eyes to see two bodies breathing in harmony.
He may have lingered just a little longer than he meant to, looking over her delicate face, washed over with a gentle peace.
Secretly, he wished it were him lying with her.
Not that he coveted Ayla.
It wasn't her that he wanted necessarily.
He wanted the intimacy, respect, cuddling, and most of all the sex.
Since he didn't know anything about himself or his family, he decided to live a certain way.
Living without family is hard.
Even though he showed a certain persona, he refused to have sex with anyone unless he was certain it was forever.
There would not be a child left in his position because of him.
He thought that Alexander was set to do the same, until Ayla.
Maybe she would be his forever.
Regardless, he was happy, so Julius was happy for him.
Julius didn't realize that he had stood at the door as long as he had.
"Is everything okay" he heard a soft, sweet voice say to him.
"Yeah" he whispered, "go back to sleep".
Ayla couldn't, though.
She needed to know why he was there, watching her, them.
Sneakily, she wormed her way out of Alexander's arms and tiptoed through the door.
That girl resembled a fox more than a wolf the way she could maneuver.
If he hadn't seen it for himself, he wouldn't have believed she could move without a sound.
The tiny thing was even able to get out the bed without waking up the grown man next to her.
"Something clearly made you come check on us" she corrected herself, "or me".
It didn't take long for him to respond.
"Well, yeah. Do you see the apartment" he raised his hands.
Ayla looked around at their surroundings, realizing that she and Alexander had crashed the apartment, but that wasn't a reason for him to come to the room and check on them.
He was trying hard to divert the conversation, and she could tell.
"You were worried about me" and she wasn't trying to hide the fact that she knew it.
Julius tried to make it seem like it was no big deal, but he knew no matter what, it was.
"There are an unknown number of men coming after you, who wouldn't be concerned after seeing all of this" he said.
His words caught her just right.
"What do you mean by unknown amount? Last I checked, it was" and she paused to count her fingers, "Seven, I think seven had been seen in some capacity".
His face told her that more had shown up.
"How many did you see this time" she asked.
Julius didn't want to answer, but he knew that she wasn't stupid.
"Two more. It's not all bad, though. Some of the other ones seem to have left".
She pressed herself against the wall in the oversized t-shirt she was starting to really enjoy.
"How is that not bad"?
"We can talk about it in the morning, maybe after you and Alex clean the apartment" he looked around as he spoke.
"I won't be able to sleep now" she responded.
Hoping he could ease her mind, he searched for the right words.
"Sure you will, because I'm here, Alexander is in bed with you, and you're a werewolf" he smirked and then walked away.
She didn't realize it at the time, but he was trying to make her realize she wasn't weak or alone.
He was right.
"But what about..."
He interrupted her.
"Nothing to worry about tonight. Everyone is sleeping. You need to get some too. You can't be your badass self without sleep" and he disappeared to his room.
'Sleep, right! Like I could possibly do that now.
Why are all of the men popping up now' she thought to herself.
Knowing she couldn't sleep right away, she moved to start cleaning up some of the mess they had made earlier, in hopes she would tire herself out again.
Maybe then, when everyone woke up, she could get her answers.
Julius wasn't exactly right when he said everyone was sleeping, though.
When the group of four wolves had been spotted in the woods the night before, it wasn't good.
There was a pair of wolves that spotted them.
The light brown wolves had been up on a cliff that kept them concealed from those below them.
Unless a strong gust of wind blew through, they were safe to watch over the forest for lost animals.
They were lazy and used that as a way to cheat while hunting for food.
Never in their wildest dreams did they think that they would catch their General and his men in their trap.
With the last update that they received, they said that they were supposed to be days away.
At least that was the tip that had come through that all the other generals and groups were following.
So, why were these men running around just below them?
What was their general doing so close to home, and with some unknown wolf?
They recognized the dark brown, midnight black, and dirty blonde wolf.
The one they couldn't recognize was the one that seemed just a shade lighter than their General, and was just about the same size as him, leading the pack.
Geri and Hunter were thrilled at the opportunity presented to them.
They had always felt slighted by not only General Dominic but their Alpha, too.
Alpha Theo showed a soft spot for the long-time reigning General of the pack because of his son and his dedication to the cause.
Since he was favored, his stand in son, Raphael, was too.
With Raphael came his best friend, Phoenix.
That being said, it didn't leave much room for Geri or Hunter to hold one of the top three positions.
In an attempt to squash favoritism rumors, he made Phoenix his Lieutenant and right-hand.
Major and standing under that was Raphael, but it didn't matter.
Geri and Hunter still held the same positions as Colonels, waiting for their chance to rise.
Well, they felt like that just happened to be their lucky night.
General Mace lied about his whereabouts to the Alpha.
The two Colonels couldn't get back to their territory fast enough to tell their Alpha either.
Walking through the boundary lines, the first thing they did was call their Alpha for a meeting.
"If you are interrupting me, it better be good" Alpha Theo snarled.
The two men stood there with their bodies nearly trembling.
Their muscular physiques were not able to match those of the men ranking just above them.
In comparison, they looked slightly puny.
Alpha Theo wasn't known for his sunny disposition.
"We have news" Geri said, bowing his head, unable to move his beady eyes up to meet his leaders.
"Out with it then" he urged with his dominant hand in unison, from behind his desk.
"I know General Dominic reported that he sighted the girl days away. He said that he was trailing her. That isn't possible" Geri coward when he heard a growl from the Alpha.
The Alpha began leaning forward into his desk.
"How is it not possible" he spoke through his gritted teeth.
Nervous to continue, Hunter stepped in, his grey eyes peering just high enough to see his Alpha.
Hoping his friend's suspicions were right, he was going to back him up.
"Because we think he was running with her in the woods, just a half-day's run from here, sir".
Alpha Theo slammed his hands on his desk as he came to a stand.
"I need more detail, NOW".
"We know that it was General Mace, Phoenix, and Raphael running in wolf form through the woods where we hunt. The thing is, there was another wolf with them. It looked like they were coming this way, and they turned around", Hunter was interrupted.
With narrowing eyes, the Alpha asked one question.
"What color was the wolf"?
"A darker color, almost the same color as General Dominic but not quite as dark".
Alpha Theo's eyes got wide.
"That isn't the girl you fools. It's the wrong color fur. You wonder why you haven't been promoted any further" he said, sitting back in his seat, "You're dismissed".
"Alpha" Geri let out.
"Even if it's not her, that isn't where he is supposed to be" Geri pushed.
"How do you know that. You are not privy to his mission. Only I and the three involved know the details. Clearly, for good reason. I appreciate you coming to me so quickly with this information, but do not speak about it to anyone else".
The two wolves lowered their heads and left the Alpha's office in shame.
For once, they hoped to dethrone the men above them.
Now, they felt like they may be demoted.
They were sure they had solid information that would be the downfall of the three people holding them back.
Instead, they managed to show just how incompetent they were.
More than that.
It was directly to their Alpha.
The two men were so upset that they didn't realize two other Colonels were walking past them toward their Alpha's office.
Once they were in his office, it didn't take long for their leader to start speaking.
"I'll make this short and sweet, General Dominic trusts you, yes" he asked.
"Yes, sir. He left us in charge" one stated.
The Alpha nodded.
"Good, I need you to do something important" he smiled with a tinge of evil in his brow.
"Yes, sir" sounded out in unison.
Alpha was pleased with the response.
They were excited to be assigned a mission for the first time and ready for it.
Then the Alpha thought about it.
"You, he pointed to the one on his right, need to stay here and make sure that the others stay in line, particularly the two that just left this office" and he waved him out of the room.
Once it was just the two of them, he started talking again.
"Lucas, I have a heavy task" he continued when it was just the two of them alone.
Suddenly, Lucas wondered if he wanted the mission anymore.
"I need you to find General Dominic. I fear he has abandoned his mission. If that's the case, bring him home by any means necessary. There appears to be some leverage. He has a wolf attached to him. Either a lost male or his son. He should suffice. If he is on task, come back and don't mention it to anyone. Understood".
With understanding, he nodded.
"Yes, sir" he let out, missing the usual force.
"How will I know if he is on task or not" Lucas asked before leaving the office.
Alpha Theo smiled.
"You are smart. He is supposed to be trying to find a girl. That's all you need to know" and he dropped his chin once to let Lucas know the conversation was over.
'A girl. How was he supposed to know if General was on task and looking for one girl' he thought to himself.
Without a second thought, he was in his wolf form and trusting his instincts to guide him in the right direction.
Normally, pack members can get a general idea of whether another is close.
Being in the same tactical unit made Dominic and Lucas able to instinctively pick up on each other if one was in danger.
Lucas was hoping it would work in this situation.
Technically, Dominic was in danger.
As Lucas made his way to what he hoped was Dominic, morning was beginning to find the whole town.
"Where did you go last night, General" Raphael asked Dominic.
"Isn't that what I should be asking you" he said as he crept back to his room, slamming his door.
Neither of the young men even thought about bothering him again just yet.
Clearly, he wasn't a fan of mornings.
Over at the apartment, the conversation was going a different direction.
Ayla was putting the final touches on everything when the two men emerged from their rooms.
"Have you been up all night" Julius asked.
"Couldn't sleep. Told you I wouldn't be able to" she raised her shoulders, "Plus, everything is cleaned up" she added with sarcasm and a face to match.
"You literally stayed up all night" Alexander asked.
"Is that a problem? I feel fine. Actually, I'm ready for that one" she pointed a finger at Julius, "to tell us why he was creeping into our room so late" so said.
All she wanted was the attention off of her.
"What is she talking about? You were creeping in my room? I feel like I missed something here" Alexander said, starting to scratch his head.
Julius took a minute to have a little fun.
"You say it's your room, she said it belongs to both of you. I wonder if you should talk about that" he said as he went to grab food.
"Thanks for that" Alexander said, making a face at him like a child.
"I'm sorry, our room" he corrected himself.
After the room stayed silent for a minute, he piped up again.
"Oh, yeah, Ayla knows she is a werewolf" and he was showing a bright smile.
Julius made a knowing and irritated face.
"I noticed. That was the reason, well partly, that I was peeking into your room. The place was trashed. After everything lately, I wanted to make sure you weren't snatched. Duh".
He felt like he was done with all of it.
Drained of all energy, Julius plopped his head into his waiting hand that was held up by his elbow while looking at the pile of food in front of him.
Ayla felt the need to comfort him.
"I'm sorry" a soft, sweet voice met his ears.
Just as the sound greeted him, a warm hug wrapped him.
Ayla knew that her life was a lot to handle.
She was on the verge of tears because she knew it was her fault he was dealing with everything.
Now Julius felt guilty.
"It's not your fault all these Alphas are looking for you" he said as he returned the hug.
"Alpha's. What do you mean by all these alphas" she asked.
He had to give her an answer, but her hanging on his shoulders felt nice.
"That is who is sending all the men. Different alphas".
Deep down, he knew that his words were true, but he didn't want to scare her.
He also knew that she would never intentionally do anything to harm either of them.
Was it her fault that just breathing put people in danger?
That's when he realized what it truly meant to be cursed, because she was.
There were times he might have thought he was, but it didn't have a candle to what she faced.
Ayla pressed her sad cheeks on his shoulder, wishing she could do something to help.
Alexander was starting to feel jealous.
"What are you two doing"?
"Nothing" she scowled, "He has been through a lot because of me, and we are all that he has".
Julius raised a hand, holding his pointer finger up.
"Actually, that isn't true" Julius chimed in.
Ayla put her hand over Julius's to lower it.
"That doesn't matter. Alexander, do you really think that little of me" she asked.
Alexander didn't know what to say.
"No, I wasn't thinking" and he started shaking his head.
Ayla had the look of a girl who had a smart-ass answer on the tip of her tongue, ready to go.
"You were thinking. It was just with the wrong head" and the words spilled out as she pursed her lips.
He expressed how sorry he was, but he knew he was going to pay for it later.
Ayla was ready to move on.
Without hesitation, she was ready to hear what made Julius so concerned.
Just as he said the night before, he delivered, and it was everything.
Ayla now knew every detail.
Whether both of the home-bound partners knew it all before or not, it was all on the table now.
He wanted to make sure they both knew everything.
"No secrets between friends, right" Julius said.
That had been the motto for the two guys' whole lives, and it wasn't changing now.
Well, it changed a tincy bit, because Ayla was now a member.
There was one tiny exception.
She didn't understand the rules very well.
"How are you handling finding your dad" she asked.
"It's been okay for the most part. We went for a shift run two nights ago, and it was amazing. Other than that, he didn't ask anything about you. I think it's in respect for me".
She was suspicious still.
"He knows that it was Alex in the woods, though. Which means he knows that Alex and I have been staying together since then. Now, he also knows, essentially, where you stay" speaking out loud as if she was putting puzzle pieces together.
After that, she was quiet.
The three of them spent the rest of the morning munching on food, and Ayla napped.
Once she fell asleep, the two men snuck off to the roof so they could talk.
"Ayla is unusually quiet. Lately, she has a lot more to say when major information comes her way" Julius said, voicing his concern.
Alexander seemed to brush it off as her taking it all in.
"It wasn't that much information. A lot of it I had already told her. We had talked about the things you told me in your room, so it was just putting it all together in one big story with a bow" he said, patting Julius's shoulder.
Julius wasn't convinced.
"If you say so. It's still a lot to take in. After being on the run for so long, her alarms should be sounding off, but she is calm" and his shoulders went up as he finished speaking.
Alexander was sure she was fine.
"Maybe that is how she processes everything. She has been quiet before after being told information".
Across town, in their suite, Phoenix and Raphael had retreated to their rooms.
Dominic was in no mood for companionship that early, so without a sound, he leaped from the second-story balcony into the forest, shifting midway down.
There was no second thought, nor a worry about onlookers seeing him.
Plus, they would probably think they imagined it.
Like a flash, he was lost in the trees.
Dominic needed it.
He needed to feel the wind in his fur as he ran at full speed.
The trees were calling to him, and suddenly he knew he wasn't alone.
Dust seemed to fly up behind him as he came to a stop.
Whoever it was had a familiarity about them.
"Why are you here" he yelled through his wolf's mind.
"Alpha".
That was all he needed to hear.
Instantly, he shifted forms, and so did the other wolf with black fur.
"What do you mean, Alpha? I told you to guard the others".
Lucas was nervous, shaking his head like something was messing with him.
"SPEAK"!
"Sir, Alpha sent me. He...someone knew you were here. He wants to know where the girl is. I'm supposed to take both of you back, unless...".
"Try again" Dominic ordered.
"Geri and Hunter left his office before me. They saw you. I think there was another wolf with you. I'm supposed to use that wolf to get you home. Alpha thinks you failed or quit. He doesn't think you are after the girl anymore" Lucas said with a clear voice.
Just then, an extremely light blonde wolf darted across their path and disappeared.
"A word of this, and you won't make it back to the pack, understood" Dominic said sternly.
"Understood, sir" Not quite sure what he was not speaking of because it was clear he was chasing a female wolf.
The only thing Lucas knew was that the light-colored wolf was gorgeous.
He wanted to chase her to meet her, something serious.