I didn't know I fell asleep on the stairs until a shiny light flashed over my face. My eyes flickered open, and I felt my mates close by. Both of them. Eleanor was had a tiny flash light pointed directly into my eyes.
"Finally." She laughed lightly and Taylor was smiling while shaking her head. The front door was open because of commanders walking in and out of the house. I also saw from here, Kale, Kingsley and Ashton having a heated conversation in front of the house. Ashton and Kale's back was facing me but Kingsley was standing in front of them with his arms folded over his chest, staring at me. I gave him head nod which he returned. We would talk later.

"So what's the news?" I asked the girls. They both saw me watching my mates outside. The mood around us suddenly got serious. "They didn't find Sarge, but they did kill a lot of his connections along the way. That's what Ashton just told us." Taylor sighed. She was watching them talk outside right along with me.

"Well we are going to head out, tomorrow let's have breakfast since they ar

I gently closed the door, locked it and flinched at my mates voice that snuck up behind me.
"I'm sorry about earlier-."
"I'm sorry too." I flipped around toward Kale standing right in front of me. Kingsley was sitting on the stairs just watching us. He had a smug look on his face. I wondered why but focused on Kale. "I shouldn't have tricked you into drinking my blood, you are a 300 year old vampire. You lived enough long without it. I was silly to think you suddenly needed it." I rushed my words out. I didn't want us to be in fight or have unresolved issues right now. I needed us to get pass this and from now on, try our best not to fight about things that can be fixed. Kale shakes his head and closes his eyes momentarily. "You did nothing wrong, please do not apologize." He stepped forward and pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around my entire body. My face snuggled into chest, savoring the moment.
"Just tell her Kale." Kingsley was shaking his head. Then I heard his loud footsteps going up the stairs. My eyes were wide open, I gently pushed myself out of the hug but Kale didn't let me go so I had no choice but to just look up at him as he held me. "What is it?" I asked him. He was struggling with something. The look on his face was torturous. Obviously him and Kingsley knew something that I didn't know. Something was bothering him that he really didn't want to talk about. He shook his head and changed the subject.
"Go talk to Kingsley, he has some things to update you on with what happened today, and I have a few phone calls to make in the kitchen." He nonchalantly nods his head to the stairs like I'm just going to say "Okay" and happily skip to Kingsley. "Kale what is going on? Just talk to me." I whispered. It physically hurt to see him battling with something mentally and I had no idea what it was. Kale shook his head again, and tried to look normal. He leaned his head down and softly kissed me. "Go talk to your mate, he's waiting." He gave me a tap on the butt and stepped away from me. I turned and walked to the stairs feeling the weight of his stress wash over me. The look on his face was telling me everything I needed to know. Something was very wrong. To have a mate so transparent and easy going to suddenly not want to tell me what's bothering him was not something I was use to. I could stand in his face and beg him to tell me but I knew he wouldn't. I also didn't want to pressure him to tell me something he wasn't ready to tell anyway. I pondered running to a empty bedroom to cry about it but I was all cried out. I guess I just had to wait for him to come around. Kale stayed in the same spot just watching me walk up the stairs while I just held back the urge to scream. I was useless in this. I felt like he needed me but I didn't know how to help and he wouldn't let me help. From the corner of my eye I saw him rub his hand over his face but I forced myself to keep going up the stairs. I had to accept the fact that Kale and Kingsley lived by protecting me, if Kale thought keeping what's wrong with him away from me to protect me then he will do it effortlessly.

Kingsley was in the shower when I entered his bedroom. The steam from the shower seeped into the room from the bottom of the door. I was about to sit on his bed when a sudden urge hit me. I walked straight to the bathroom and opened the door to see Kingsley standing in the walk-in shower with the glass door half open. He was soaking wet of course, with water streaming down his face. His once curly hair was flattened by the water and his wash cloth that he held by his waist was slightly covering his private. He nodded his head for me to get into the shower and I felt the urge in my body again. I striped from my clothes and hugged my stomach while approaching the glass door. He took a step back as i entered the shower and then he leaned behind me to close the door. Once inside I couldn't help but smile at him and he returned a giddy smile back. My mate was so intensely beautiful that it shocked me everyday that him or Kale were actually Mine.

Kingsley reached for my hand and led me to the shower head so I could get wet. I slowly stepped beside him and stood under the shower head while he took my earlier place and stood behind me. The heat from his body sent chills down my spine when I felt his strong hands in my hair massaging it. My body then shuddered when bent my head to the side a little so he could sneak a kiss on my neck. I closed my eyes as his wet mouth lingered there, savoring the taste of my skin. "We couldn't find Sarge, but we have lead." He whispered to me. I nodded with my eyes closed, feeling him step closer to me. I felt his dick lightly press again my butt and my lip immediately went into my mouth. "I don't want you to worry about any of that though okay?" His hands wrap around my waist and they find their place on my stomach right about my wetness. "Mmhmm." I responded to him. If he wasn't reading my thoughts right now he probably had no idea how crazy he was making me feel right now by just his touch. I wanted him to take me right here in the shower but with everything going on with Kale, I felt this was not the time for sex. "He'll come around, don't stress yourself about it Ariel I mean it." Kingsley warns me in the same whispering tone. He was now resting his chin on top of my head while the water cascaded down the both of us. "This isn't like him Kingsley, and I don't like being kept in the dark about things which you guys already know that. Why won't he tell me?" I opened my eyes and gazed at the shower head. "You already know why he won't." Kingsley points out. Well yeah I did know. Kale won't tell me because me not knowing, is protecting me.

Kingsley left me in the shower after begging me to get out with him I told him I wanted to stay in a ew mins longer and just relax. The water was so soothing and I needed this right now, considering I wasn't able to shower the entire time I was held captive. When I got out, it was completely dark in the Kingsley's room but he sat up and turned on the bedside light. He laid there starting at me while he was shirtless in bed. He couldn't wait for me to get in there with him. "Your clothes are in my drawers." He adverted his eyes to his black dresser the opposite side of the bed. I nodded and with my towel tightly wrapped around my body I got out one of his t-shirts and a pair of grey sweats pants that he got me. After finding a pair of under and a bra and I smirked at Kingsley who thought I was getting dressed in front of him but instead I went to the bathroom.

"So no show?" He comments in a sad voice as I was shutting the door behind me. "Not tonight!" I laughed and quickly slipped the clothes on. I needed my head clear because I was going to go back and talk to Kale. If I stayed in here with Kingsley any longer i would probably end up never leaving his room tonight. When I opened the door again Kingsley was sitting all the way up and bed and gave me a thoughtful look. "If he doesn't want to talk about it then just talk to him about how much you love him. If I know anything about my brother, it's that he never wants to lose you. Reminding him that you two can fight through every obstacle in life together will make him feel about it."

I smiled and crawled across the bed to my mate. I put my hand on Kingsley's cheek and gave him a long kiss. The fresh smell from his shower filled my nose instantly. When I pulled back, I looked into his eyes and wanted to kiss him again. His stormy blue eyes were shinning. He looked so happy.

"Thank you." I smiled. Here I was worried about his brother and he was trying to help me with Kale. He wasn't jealous or angry. Kingsley actually understood. He put his fingers in my hair and gazed into my eyes. "I love you." He whispered. He continued to stare at me, slowly moving his finger around my cheek. "I love you so much." He suddenly looked like he was in pain as he said the words. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders. He held my waist with one hand, while the other one went  into my hair. "I love you too Kingsley." I whispered back. I felt him slowly breathe into my neck in response to me. We just sat there. Holding each other so tightly. I fit with his body so well that I was convinced I was made for it. There was no better feeling than being wrapped up in him, feeling the love that I had for him being reciprocated right back to me. We sat there for so long that I felt myself dozing off. My eyelids were becoming so droopy that I couldn't control the sleep that was taking me in.

I woke to the growling of my stomach. I don't think I've ever been this hungry in my life. As I opened my eyes the sun was brightly shinning into Kingsley room because he had no curtains, just two big windows in his room. The fact that the sun was out made me feel good inside, sometimes good weather really did that to me. I sat up and my guilt immediately sank in. I never went to check on Kale last night. I was suppose to sleep with him last night, not Kingsley. After doing my usual bathroom routine I dressed myself in blue jeans and a plain black shirt. I needed to go find Kale now and speak with him. As soon as I walked out of the room I heard voices coming from downstairs but they were not my mates.

I jogged down the stairs and made a left turn from the stairs. I passed the two living rooms to see they were empty so I walked straight to the kitchen.
My face lit up when I saw Taylor sitting at the white kitchen island and Eleanor standing at the fridge. "Good morning" Eleanor and Taylor said in unison with smiles. I ran to give Taylor a hug and then Eleanor too. I sat down at the island with Taylor but pushed my stool closer to her. I've missed her and Eleanor more then usual these past few days and it felt good to see them right after waking up. Taylor wrapped her arm around my waist and smiled at me. She must have missed me just as much.

"Kale and Kingsley got a lead on the witch." Eleanor tells me. My eyes widened. She bit from her Apple that she got from the fridge and leaned over the island across from Taylor and I. We were crouched together at the island as if Eleanor was telling us a big secret. "Really? What's kind of lead?" I looked between her and Taylor. "An alpha from one of the packs who came here during the peace treaty ceremony, he knows someone who knows the witch. So the twins went to meet that 'someone'. "Eleanor added. I nodded "So this could be a hit or miss?"

Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah basically. But it's something so thats why when Kingsley got the call from the alpha, Kale came and told us to come here with you." Taylor smiled and rubbed my back. I was happy that Kale did that but I was a little annoyed that it felt like I was some young kid who couldn't be alone. "So now we just wait I guess." Taylor adds. "Let's go get some breakfast? This Apple isn't doing it for me." Eleanor scrunched her face up after bitting into the apple a second time.
"Yeah I've been wanting to try some food from the lunch hall." I told them while standing from my chair.

Walking outside felt good. Even though I had to ignore the fact that there was a commander standing right outside of the pack house doors I knew I would have to just get use to these things. Kale and Kingsley were really serious about protecting me this time, hence the 24 hour commander who is always watching out, right outside of our door.

"See they love you!" Taylor teased me, squeezing my hand in the process. I laughed and followed the girls down the stairs. It only took about two minutes for us to walk from the pack house into the village. I watched many pack members roam around talking to each other. Young couples, older couples, teenagers and little kids. People who noticed us smiled and waved, some even stoped and bowed their heads to me. I was never formally introduced to the pack but they had to know who I was by now. I reeked of their alpha and Kale. As we approached the lunch hall I almost got the feeling of walking into lunch at school. I knew that feeling too well, approaching the lunch room cafeteria and hearing the many conversations of students all around the room. Watching people stand in line to get food and other people sitting at the tables together eating their food. The only difference was this place was bigger and nicer and it wasn't just teenagers. It was regular people of all ages. People were eating on one side of the room while the other side of the room had a big stage and open floor.

"Wow this is nice" I mumbled as we walked in. The lunch hall looked more like a huge diner then a cafeteria. The tables were round and had white table cloths on them. I would of never imagined a place like this being in the middle of the woods. I followed Taylor and Eleanor as they maneuvered throughout the room looking for a table. I smiled at everyone I saw but had to do a double take and a young guy who was throwing a food food container in the trash across the room from us. My head turned and followed him as he walked toward the doors that we came in. "Guys I'll be right back." I was already walking away as I said this. My eyes stayed on the guy while I got closer to the door. He had already walked out so I hoped he didn't get too far by the time I got out. When I got to the door I looked out and saw a group of three guys standing together talking. The one with his back facing me is the one who looked familiar. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with red around the neckline. His pants were dark blue as well, but what gave him away was his golden hair.

"Theodore!" I waited for him to turn around and when he did, he smiled. Even though his eyes looked sad, from here I could see they were shinning when he smiled. Theodore separated himself from the group of guys and walked towards me. I met him half way, getting a little distance from the commander who was guarding the doors to the lunch hall because I knew he was watching my every move. Theodore stood tall with broad shoulders and short hair cut. He had a gloomy look to him. If his brother didn't just die yesterday I would've assumed his red lazy eyes are from smoking pot, but I knew better. Regardless of that, I always thought of Theo to be very handsome. He cleaned up nicely. I was so use to seeing him with a lab coat over his clothes.

"Look at you! All better I see." I smiled and checked him out. He nodded and looked down at himself. "My wolf can take all the credit for that, I would've died if I were all human." He smiles again but his eyes don't. "Humans suck." He shrugs and I shake my head at him while laughing. Theo's smile slowly starts to turn into a frown while looking at me. When I noticed it I immediately stopped laughing. "How are you doing so far?" I held my breath after asking. Theo dropped his head and looked at the ground, shoving his hands in his pocket. I stepped closer to him and hugged his waist. "Theo?"

"Not so good Ariel, not so good." He clears his throat and raises his head. Staring at me like he's trying to keep it together. "I'm so sorry about everything." I shook my head. I knew exactly how he felt right now. He lost his only family and now he was alone. He had no one. Theo frowned at me and pulled me into his chest. "Don't be." Theodore whispered. "It's not your fault." He added and I lifted my head to look up at him. His green eyes were talking to mine. Telling me secrets that he couldn't say. I didn't know what it was, but I still understood. Before I could explain to him a second time of how everything was my fault I noticed the guys standing behind Theo were just staring, watching us.

"Let's go somewhere privately and talk." I advert my eyes from the guys back to Theo. Theodore nods and slowly moves his arms from being wrapped around my back. "Not a good idea." His body tenses while he stares at something behind me. "Why?" I whispered, confused. Theo clears his throat and slowly straightens his back. His eyes were still focused at something behind me.

"Because your mates are watching."

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