A/N: If I create a facebook page about the Dogs, Bats & Monkey series (that is YATA, WATA, Sentiments & Reason and all the other books with Rhys, Riley and Co.), would any of you actually visit that page?

I was even thinking about running a giveaway on it and naming some characters after the winners, maybe organizing a few contests too.

*****

We raced downstairs and Rhys was sweet enough to let me win. There was no doubt he did that; I was fully aware I wouldn't be able to outrun him even back when I thought he was human.

The kitchen smelled of bacon. A crispy batch of the source of that scent stood on a plate on the round table and the master chef - donned in an apron that was way too long for him and reached his ankles - was just turning the two eggs in the frying pan. The whites and yolks on both drooled down the wooden spatula as he did so.

"Riley only likes the yolks," Rhys informed his youngest sibling as we sat down.

"You can cut them out for him when I'm finished." The boy shrugged and shook the pan. "Which will be pretty soon. Put the bread in the toaster."

"I thought you wanted to make the breakfast all on your own," the older brother replied.

"I already took care of the bacon and now I'm making the eggs; you take care of the toast," the younger insisted.

"I can do that." I was barely off my seat when Kennedy shook his head.

"No, you are the guest of honor; you sit there and we'll take care of everything."

Rhys seemed to agree with him as he was already up and putting the bread in the holes of the toaster.

"And by we," Kennedy turned off the stove and took the pan off of it, "I mean that I cook and Rhys will clean the dishes while you and I take a walk, Riley. We have so much to talk about. Finally, we can talk." The last sentence was said with eyes narrowed at his brother.

"First of all, I couldn't just tell Riley 'hey, I'm a werewolf and you are my mate'. Second..." Two slices of bread jumped out of the toaster and he put them on a plate before placing another two in their previous spot.

"Second," my boyfriend went on, "you are cooking so you are doing the dishes."

"We'll see." The younger one shrugged again and put the eggs before me. He then brought two empty plates and left them next to the eggs. "Dig in."

"The toast isn't..." Just as Rhys was saying that, the next two slices leapt up. He sat them with the others and positioned himself on the chair next to mine.

"I hope we'll be alive and well after this," he teased his brother as he stabbed a bacon strip and sniffed it.

"Oh, just eat already so I can take Riley for a walk." The younger sibling slumped on an empty seat with his arms crossed over his chest.

*****

In the end Rhys agreed to wash the dishes in return for Kennedy's promise that he would take on that chore when it was Rhys' turn to do it so the youngest member of the Flemings family and I walked out of the house and into a new and unfamiliar for me world.

There were wolves everywhere.

There were mostly young ones, the adults sticking to their human forms. Cubs were playing where on my last visit there were children; instead of riding bikes, they were running around and the game of ball was now replaced with the wolves biting the same object on different sides, each pulling it towards them in an attempt to make their opponent drop it.

"Just like dogs, huh?" Kennedy asked as he watched me observe the shifters. He walked down the street and nodded for me to follow him.

"Wrestling and pulling ropes or sticks are good ways for us to build up our strength and for the young ones to get rid of the extra energy," he explained.

"Where was all this when I was last here?"

In one of the yards, a very small and chubby cub managed - with some effort - to climb on the back of an older grayish wolf, nipped him on the ear and shook its head with a growl.

"Behind closed doors," my companion replied and winked at a pretty girl in human shape as we passed by her; she answered him with a smile. "You didn't know about us back then."

A woman with light hair approached the fluffy cub and grabbed it by the nape. It grumbled when she separated it from the wolf, lifting it up.

"Enough of that, young man," she admonished as she carried him towards their house. "It's time for a bath and your grandfather could use a break."

The grayish wolf slowly got up - he looked hunched as he stepped - and followed them inside.

"How much time do you spend in your wolf forms?"

"However much we fancy." Kennedy shrugged. "Most children find it more entertaining when we are in our wolf forms. Our senses are stronger than, we can run faster and longer... It's just more fun," he summed up.

"That's something I don't think I'll ever understand." I sighed. Two small wolves ran by us, the tongue of the second one sticking out of its mouth.

Kennedy slowed down his pace and we eventually stopped. He looked at me with his bright eyes, eyebrows close to each other.

"I sometimes pity you humans; you'll never know the freedom that comes with the wolf form or how it feels to have a mate."

"We can love," I protested.

He shook his head.

"But you only have one soul to love with. We have two - one of a human and one of a wolf - and both need the same person with the intensity we need air, if not stronger. I hope that when I'm gone my human soul will ascend to Heaven and live eternally with that of my mate while our wolves will stay on Earth and become one with nature."

"Is that what werewolves believe in? That one soul ascends and the other stays?"

"It's what I believe in."

We resumed our walk in silence while I pondered on his words.

It was beautiful.

Complete devotion and eternal love - how can it be anything else but that?

I didn't completely understand the relationship between mates - and as a human I probably will never truly be able to - but beautiful was the only way I could describe something so powerful as the bond between mated werewolves.

"I get the werewolf falling in love with a werewolf thing," I began, "one person's human form falls in love with the other person's human form and the wolves fall in love with each other, but how can the wolf love the human?"

Kennedy halted once more and this time he was the one lost in thought.

"The reason we are not going rampant is because the human and wolf souls are in unison. Maybe that's how a wolf can love a human, because it feels the love the other soul experiences."

"And what if one soul falls in love but the other doesn't?"

"I don't think that's ever happened." He frowned. "I don't even think it is possible."

We'd barely commenced walking again when he froze, his eyes set on a nearby house. A man in a long brown coat was standing on the porch, pounding on the wooden door.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That's Callum," Kennedy replied, his voice cool. "And that's Keri's house."

"So?"

"He only visits Keri when there's been another murder."

My heartbeat sped up along with my breathing. Had there really been another victim?

Had yet another innocent person lost their lives in that gruesome manner?

"Stop scaring the boy, Kennedy."

We turned around to see an irritated Keri approach us.

"Callum doesn't only visit when there's been another kill; he sometimes simply comes by to tell me what a lousy leader I am. That patronizing son of a..." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Anyway, it's good to see that you are amongst us, Riley." She placed a gentle hand over my shoulder. "I'd hate to have to look for another dealer," the girl joked and Kennedy raised an eyebrow, his eyes darting between me and his Alpha. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have to go and deal with that jerk before he breaks my door."

A series of obnoxiously tumultuous knocks sounded just as she said that.

"Dealer?" Kennedy asked as soon as Keri stepped away.

"I'm a barista and she's addicted to coffee."

My gaze followed her as she walked with confident strides towards her home, her hands balled in fists. She either told the man something or the detective heard her steps because he turned around. He spoke - loudly enough for me to hear, but too quietly to make out the words - and waived his hands, pointing at the door before crossing them over his chest. Keri was in front of him, turned sideways towards us and I saw her pinch the bridge of her nose before she reached into her pocket, took out her keys and the two went inside.

"They don't like each other much, huh?" I mused aloud; both Kennedy and I were looking at the now empty porch.

"Not really. Callum isn't a people's person and he's even less of a werewolf's person. Besides, he thinks Keri is too young and inexperienced to lead." He turned around. "How about we head home? I wanted to show you the training grounds and my wolf form, but now..."

"... Now you want to find out what Rhys might know about the detective's visit." I finished for him and the bright-eyed boy nodded.

"Heading home it is," I said and we turned around and walked back to where we came from.

*****

A/N: I think there should be naughty time soon, don't you? What kind of naughty chapters do YOU prefer: explicit or more subtle ones? Maybe something in between?

Anyway, back to this chapter: did you like it? If so, please support it with a VOTE!

Do you prefer chapters with Rhys & Riley time or the ones with werewolf folklore or do you think it is time to learn more about this mysterious and elusive murderer?

Do you think the he/she has returned?

Have a great time wattpading, you funky monkeys!

PS: Tell me would you be interested in that facebook page and the giveaways and contests!