Chapter Notes : Caleb's POV

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- '. . .hallucinate the tables are turning. . .' -

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"Yes, Chase?" I was more irritated than angry, though I'm sure my greeting to my beta didn't do much to convey the former.

"Ouch! That sounded like a 'you-interrupted-something-important' greeting. Sorry, brother. Just wanted to let you know that I followed up on that thing you asked me to check out. You good to talk?"

I stared down the hallway at the closed bedroom door, knowing now more than ever my mate needed me. But Ava-Rain was pushing me away. I should have stormed over there and demanded she talk to me so that we could finish the conversation we had started. I should have barged in there and made it perfectly clear that she was the only girl for me. That I was not pushing her away intentionally. That her suspicions were correct and there was a girl that I had lost. That I couldn't save. But if I were to reopen that scar, I knew for certain that no good would come from it. So, instead of going back to the bedroom, I walked away just as the shower turned on.

"Yeah, I'm good," I answered as I made my way through the living room. "Go ahead." I opened the sliding door that also acted as a ceiling to floor window, stepped out onto the spacious balcony and slid the door behind me. It couldn't have been earlier than seven in the morning, but it already looked like it was going to be a crappy day. The clouds were in abundance in the sky, keeping the sun heavily confined, I assumed, so that it couldn't interfere with their plans of gifting us with rain.

"Well, for starters, your instincts were dead on, man. She's definitely been in the company of a few pure bloods. Rickon was pretty positive that she had no idea about us or our world the whole time that they were together, which means they found her, which means—"

"They've been watching us." I sighed and shook my head, not so much out of anger but out of disappointment and hurt. Hurt for my mate and what this could possibly mean for her. "Damn."

"Roger that. From what I've gathered so far, there's only a few of them, but I don't like the sound of it, Caleb. There are still some details to be worked out, but I don't think it's too far fetched to say that she's definitely been tailing Ava-Rain. I don't think there was anything coincidental about that run-in they had at your place."

"Great, so her friend—a friend that she's known for years and has been nothing but loyal to—is selling her out? To goddamned werewolves, no less. And for what possible reason?"

I was pissed. Completely and undeniably pissed. My wolf stirred as the anger deep within rose to the surface, ready and willing to come forth as soon as I uttered the command. How anybody could betray Ava-Rain was beyond me. Her kindness, her kind heart and soul, was something to be cherished and praised. Respected, not taken advantage of. How the hell was I going to explain to my mate that her best friend, Jennifer, was possibly in cahoots with the pure bloods?

But all anger against Jennifer put aside, what the hell were the pure bloods doing enlisting humans to aid in their missions? Were they getting that desperate? Angelie had warned this would happen, that it wouldn't have been long before they found out about Ava-Rain as easily as she had. This whole time they've been sitting in the shadows, watching and waiting. Now, it was only a matter of time before they decided to step out of the dark and play.

In that moment, a thought—or, rather, an image, a memory—flashed inside of my mind, conjured by the yellow. The rogue pup that attacked her, whose throat I had ripped out and granted the gift of death for daring to go after my mate. Had it been more than a mere coincidence that Ava-Rain had been attacked that night? Or had it been planned? An execution? A test? If so, just how long had the pure bloods been watching us? Watching me?

"Well, we don't know what their plan is for sure. Maybe they're just—"

"What, friends? The pure bloods are the act first and ask questions later type, but even their actions are somewhat premeditated. They would never involve a human unless it was to their benefit."

"I think it's pretty safe to say that they don't know anything about you specifically, Caleb. Think about it, brother. They couldn't possibly know and neither would Jennifer. If so, you would have already been captured and delivered to The Council. This could mean something as much as it could mean nothing."

Chase paused and released a sigh of his own. He had always been the voice of reason. Stepping in when it was needed most. Always seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and living life believing that the good would always outweigh the bad. Chase was my glass half full brother, and with the green and blue coursing through his veins, he was not one who allowed his emotions to get the better of him. He was not in any way shape or form naive, he just lived life—our life—refusing to sacrifice his innocence, which was an attribute far too easy to lose in our world.

"So, when are you going to tell her?"

I began to pace back and forth on the balcony. "I don't even know. I mean, I know I have no choice but to tell her, but right now she's barely even speaking to me. I'm pretty sure she's probably plotting my demise as we speak." Chase's laughter tried to entice a smile out of me but I was too determined to remain in my foul disposition.

"Do I even want to know what you did this time?"

"This time? What the hell do you mean by 'this time'?" Clearly, I would have to put a stop to Ava-Rain and Chase hanging out when I brought her to the den. I could only imagine how much she's told him if he's already created a list of wrongs that I've committed against her. Seriously, was there anybody left in my pack that didn't always side with her? "I'm sure you could probably tell me before I can even begin to figure it out." He laughed again. "She infuriates me, yet makes me want to grab her and kiss her all at the same time. And I guess I have the same effect on her. It's just. . .different, you know? She's not a wolf. She's not from our world. She's not—"

"Submissive?"

"Exactly," I was finally able to release a smile. "Sometimes I forget that she's human, that she's entitled to ask questions and deserves answers. That she doesn't have to fall into step and accept my word as law. But sometimes I just. . .I just wish she wouldn't push so much, you know? She said something earlier after I sort of," I cleared my throat, "used the red to get her to tell me what was bothering her—if that's what your 'this time' was implying. She said that if I keep pushing I'll find out something I wish I never went searching for in the first place, and I can't help but feel the exact same way. But I don't care when it comes to her. There's absolutely nothing that I could ever find out about her, nothing that she could ever say that would make me not want her anymore, you know? But I don't think I could say the same when it comes to myself. If she keeps pushing, if she keeps asking certain questions, she's going to get hurt by the answers."

"Does she know. . ." Chase paused, ". . .about her?"

"Nothing more than what I've told her, which wasn't very much."

"I get it, man. And I get why you don't want her digging around that particular grave, but sometimes we use secrets as a form of protection when it's actually causing the opposite effect. If you're not ready then you're not ready. Plain and simple. But, I don't know, I guess you sort of just have to figure out if keeping this from your mate is worth losing her, even in the slightest. Just," he paused, "just don't count her out, you know? She's stronger than we give her credit for."

"Yeah. I hear you, brother."

"In the mean time, you want me to round up the boys and dig a little deeper? Find out what Jennifer's told them? 'Cause as bad as it seems right now, I highly doubt they've discovered that Ava-Rain is your mate. If so, they would have already made a move instead of lurking in the shadows. You're still positive that Ava-Rain hasn't told Jennifer anything?"

"She hasn't. And no, I think the worst thing to do right now is to continue digging. We don't want anymore attention brought on us, and if we show up at Jennifer's doorstep, banging on the door and demanding answers, it will only confirm whatever suspicions the pure bloods might already have."

"Lay low then?"

"Yeah. At least for now." I turned and headed back inside of the condo. "If we act like we're hiding something then that's more reason for them to believe that we are." I ventured into the kitchen after sneaking a glance down the hallway only to see the bedroom door still closed. "I'm sure they don't need reminding, but tell the rest of the boys to be careful and cautious. We've got eyes trained on us."

"Roger that."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later." I heard the bedroom door finally open and immediately my heart began to pound at an accelerated rate. I had not felt nervous in a long while, yet that's what this girl was doing to me. Turning me back into a scared little pup, hiding in kitchens and peeking around the corners to see if the coast was clear. "Seriously, if you don't hear from me in the next couple of hours, send out a hunt. And if you still can't find me, you're acting alpha."

Chase's laughter erupted through the phone. "I'm sure our boy Kane would love that! You and I both know he'd rather die than take orders from me. And then you'd know I'd have to kill the bastard if he dares to challenge my almighty command." I laughed, knowing the camaraderie between both Kane and Chase would never cease, at least not in this life time. "And good luck with telling Ava-Rain about Jennifer. I would definitely not want to be in your shoes right now, brother."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, just as Ava-Rain stepped into the kitchen. Her eyes immediately sought out mine, and when she gave me a soft smile as a greeting, it took all of my strength to refrain myself from crossing over to her and getting down on my knees to wave the proverbial white flag in surrender. "I'm going to need it." I hung up and placed the phone on top of the island.

"They'd never find you," she smirked. She pushed the long sleeves of her black shirt up her arms before crossing them over her chest. She ventured further into the kitchen and closer towards me. My own arms twitched to stretch out and welcome her into an embrace, but they remained positioned at my sides instead.

"Then you're underestimating my pack." I returned the smirk.

"Or, perhaps," she stopped a few feet in front of me, "you're just underestimating me. I know some pretty good hiding spots; they'll never find your body."

"Yeah? You think you've got what it takes to plot and execute my demise as well as cover it up? No, darling," I took a step forward, closing the little space she had put between us probably to enforce whatever control she felt she still had, "I don't believe you've got it in you."

I stared down at her, not with the intent to remind her of her place or to enforce my dominance upon her. No, I stared down at her with the need—the painful yet calming need—to look at the one true being that I believed, wholeheartedly, from the moment I saw her did indeed harbour the power to destroy me.

But Ava-Rain was not vengeful. She was not vindictive. She did not lash out when she was angry, nor did she use the hurt inflicted upon or directed at her to formulate ammunition in order to return that hurt tenfold. Ava-Rain was not spiteful. She didn't seek revenge. She wasn't a puppet controlled by darkness because her light—her innocence—kept her protected. And because she was none of those things, I would sooner destroy myself than ever allow her to fall prey to the alluring siren's song of darkness. And judging from the information I had just learned from Chase about Jennifer, it was important, now more than ever, that I preserved Ava-Rain's light.

She reached up and placed her hands on either side of my face. Upon contact, my eyes, by their own accord, closed in acceptance of her touch, her warmth, her light. "Because you're my alpha and you say so?" Her hands did not remain in place nearly long enough, but I accepted her choice to slide her arms around my neck. As long as there was some part of her touching me in some way, my wolf and I would be content.

With one arm encircled around her waist, I pulled her closer, believing in that moment more than ever that any distance between us to be offensive. I needed her close. I needed to protect her from the truth that, once revealed about her friend, would not destroy her, but rather destroy one of the few strings left that kept her connected to the world she came from. "I have to tell you something," I whispered, hoping my voice had not betrayed me by revealing the pain I truly felt deep within my soul. Pain for my mate and for the pain she was soon going to have to endure, which I already knew would cut deeper than if she learned the truth about Jennifer on her own.

Because I knew Ava-Rain.

I knew that, in some way—maybe not immediately but soon, maybe not consciously but subconsciously—she would resent me for handing Jennifer the knife that stabbed her in the back in the first place.

Because I made her choose.

I knew Ava-Rain would see this betrayal as a reflection of her own naivete, even though she carried none of the blame or its burden. I knew she would question why and how, just as I knew that the answers to those questions she would only find on a road leading back to herself. She would convince herself that it was her fault because she chose me.

Because I felt Ava-Rain's pain.

She believed that to love others was to invite the possibility to be hurt by them. And she had been hurt many times. By her parents. By her grandmother. By Jennifer and, probably to some extent, her friend Kasey, as well. By me. But despite all of that hurt, Ava-Rain continued to love. She loved hard. She loved easily. Not because she was a masochist, she just simply loved because to love was to not be lonely. To love was to not feel abandoned. To love was to feel like she belonged somewhere—anywhere. To love was to become whole.

So, how could I now shatter her into pieces?

"Wait, is it okay if I go first?"

I nodded then leaned in and touch my forehead to hers. "Yeah. Go ahead."

"I'm sorry about earlier. For being such a drama queen. It was stupid and immature and I promise that I don't typically act like a four year old throwing a temper tantrum."

My mouth curved into a smile. If that was what she considered a temper tantrum, I would gladly get on her nerves every day forever. It would be a welcomed vacation compared to the temper tantrums I was used to dealing with from the twins alone.

"And it was stupid for me to believe, even if only in the heat of the moment, that you don't want or desire me. It was stupid because I know better." She pulled her head away from mine and looked up at me. "You've never lied to me, Caleb. You may not always play by the rules," she smiled, "but you've never lied to me. So, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for bringing up things that I know you don't want to talk about."

My gaze lowered just for a second, but I guess it was a second too long because it was enough for her to take it as a sign that I didn't want to go there because she quickly apologized again.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to stop talking now, okay? I just wanted you to know that I'm with you. Always. And I know I've said this a billion times and probably sound like a broken record by now, but I choose you. I chose you the moment I woke up in your bed after you kidnapped me and instead of running for the hills, I trusted and listened to you rather than my own reason. No matter what, you're stuck with me by your side. Wherever you go, I go. Wherever you lead, I'll follow. Okay? Okay, good, that's cleared up. Now, what did you have to tell me?"

When I opened my mouth to speak, the moment was interrupted by a ringing phone, though this time it was not mine. A look of confusion flashed across Ava-Rain's face, which could have only meant that she was not expecting any calls. She slid one arm from my neck and pulled out her phone from the pocket of her white shorts I only just noticed she was wearing as they peeked out from underneath the hem of her—or rather, upon closer inspection, my—long shirt. "Not expecting a call?"

She shook her head. "No. I only have, like, ten numbers programmed in it since you gave it to me." Her eyes scanned the screen of the phone, and the confusion on her face quickly morphed into one of pure excitement. "Oh, my gosh! It's Kasey!" Her eyes lifted to mine, as if to ask me if it was okay to answer, to which I responded with a laugh.

"Answer it," I suggested and turned Ava-Rain around in my arms, which brought her back against my chest. I lowered my head and pressed a kiss to her neck before inhaling the aroma of body wash mixed with her own naturally sweet scent. That was simply me taking my own parting gift from her, something to hold me over as I gave her the necessary space that she had not yet asked for, but I would deliver without request nonetheless. "I'm going to go take a shower."

I knew how much hearing her best friend's voice would mean to Ava-Rain, since she had not seen her in a couple of weeks. Since Kasey had been with her family up north, the distance and lack of cell phone reception had definitely taken a toll on my mate. As much as I enjoyed being the shoulder that Ava-Rain could lean on—the person that she could always confide in and express her feelings to—not even I could deny that some things were reserved for only your closest of friends. Kasey would always be there for Ava-Rain in ways that I could never be, as much as I tried to dispute otherwise.

But damn did Kasey have horrible timing. Ava-Rain had to know about Jennifer as soon as possible, but how could I destroy the state of happiness she would be gifted with by this much needed phone call by following it up with news that her other best friend could possibly be spying on her?

Nothing in life worth having is ever easily obtained, and Luna was making damned sure that I remembered that. I went after my mate and got her. I would never regret doing so, but it was clear that the cost of having Ava-Ran was higher than even I had anticipated. If the consequences were to only fall upon myself, I could have dealt with that. I would shoulder the worst if it meant protecting Ava-Rain from the choice that I made to have her. This was my world and therefore my problems. But these problems had now crossed over into my mate's world and painted a bullseye on her back.

As I walked out of the kitchen, down the hall and towards the bedroom, I hated to hear the happiness in her voice as she answered the phone. And the brighter than life smile I couldn't see but knew was perfectly displayed on her face, for the first time ever, did not manage to conjure a sense of peace inside of me. Chase may have been the optimistic one, but I certainly wasn't. Ava-Rain's happiness and her smile were soon going to come to an end, and I didn't know when they would return, if ever.

Because if Jennifer was working with the pure bloods, and if they were planning to make a move against my family, then this would only end one way. And if that move in any way, shape or form involved Ava-Rain, well, I had already delivered death to one wolf that dared to harm my mate, and a similar fate would befall upon any wolf ignorant enough to make such a foolish mistake.

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Authour's Note: WOW! Can't believe Alpha has reached 18K reads & 1K votes (Shout out to SpeakingOfLove for vote #1000)! None of this would have been possible if it weren't for you amazingly supportive readers, so THANK YOU! :)

P.S. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all! Hope you all have an amazing week!

P.P.S It's my birthday tomorrow! Shout out to all of my winter/Christmas babies!