More days had passed, and the doves still hadn't returned. Finn had said a week at most, and as the days dripped by, it was closely edging closer and closer to the one week mark. He'd said that it would only reach a week if there was trouble. My stomach sunk; what kind of trouble were they in now?

Finn was strong I knew; quick, intelligent, and fierce when he needed to be. Even knowing that he must be safe, I couldn't help but worry that he might not be just the same. I couldn't assume anything; it was a fifty-fifty chance.

I'd tried to ask Secta about their mission, but he seemed hardly keen on sharing the details with me. The only words I'd gotten out of him were that they were safe for the time being and the entire team was still in one piece for the most part. There were injuries and casualties, but that happened with nearly every mission; demons were only ever sent to kill.

I hardly felt more assured of their safety, his safety, but I didn't ask anymore questions. Secta was unbelievably private and extremely stubborn if you tried to pry. So I left him be, wondering if I could find out more from other higher ranked guardians about the mission.

So far I hadn't found out much of anything. Until I talked with Samaria. At lunch, she was practically radiating information, all the knowledge she'd learned pouring off her tongue like a waterfall.

"Alright, Kitty Kate, they're in the town of Jano apparently dealing with a dragon or two. Damn Felix knows how to move those bad boys like no one else in the universe." She retorted, spearing a piece of chicken before chomping into it with the snap of her jaw.

"Dragons?" I choked, nearly flipping my plate into my lap. "What... why?"

"They've been looking for a few demons in particular. Apparently that info is classified. Anyways the dragons are brought in obviously to kill as many winged friends as possible, but with Cybele they won't get far." She said with a smile.

"Cybele?" I said in surprise. "Cybele deals with the dragons?"

"Yep. She's pretty badass." Gabriel commented.

"She's the best shot with a bow and arrow." Samaria added, "and they've created some different kinds of arrows that act as a perfect distraction to get the beast out of the area. Cybele also is the fastest because of her larger wing span so she can outfly many of the smaller breeds, which are typically what Felix imports for the demons. He can't seem to catch the big boys as quickly as he can the smaller ones."

I swallowed, "so this is what you all train for? Dragon warfare?"

Gabriel shrugged, "that's a part of it. Doesn't happen as often as usual demon hand to hand."

"Dragons are happening more frequently than usual just because obviously they are able to destroy things faster and are much stronger than we are. They're a bigger threat than a demon, but not by much. Demons have all sorts of abilities and dark meraki that can make them just as lethal."

"Fantastic." I said, resting my forehead on my hands. My mind danced back to my meeting with Nocen, remembering his ability to teleport and his sheer strength. He was nearly as lethal as a dragon?

"You see, dragons like the smaller breeds lack in intellect so they are very prone to being amused by other things during attacks. You don't really know what you'll get with one of them especially considering they are only loyal to themselves. They don't fight for one side so the demons run a risk of being attacked as well. That's how we can usually outsmart them by distracting the dragons like how Cybele plays with them or by turning them back on the demonic troops themselves. Demons are smarter and extremely loyal to authority if that authority has proven itself to be stronger than the demon itself. Hence how Noxia can control them all with ease since she too is one strong bitch." Samaria finished, taking a long sip of water.

"I can't believe you all fight dragons." I let out a breath, looking up at her.

"Well, we don't yet." Samaria said with a smirk as she stood to her feet. "Us trainees still have to complete the Mimic before we are allowed into combat. Now, if you'll excuse me dear friends, I am off for a run."

With that she took her tray and hurried off, my eyes lingering on how her ponytail swished back and forth in the air with each of her steps.

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me then." Gabriel said, making my head turn towards him. He gave me a smile, sipping his coffee with a twinkle in his eyes. 

Now every time I looked at him Finn's words echoed inside my head, making me wonder if Gabriel truly saw me as something more than a friend.

"Actually," Gabriel muttered as he glanced down at his watch, "I have to go. The crates outside the kitchen aren't going to be moved by themselves."

"Aren't you a kind volunteer?" I offered him a smile as he stood up.

"Well, I like to help out so why not?" Gabriel patted my shoulder, twisting a piece of hair in his fingers. "See you later, Kate."

I tapped my fingers against the table as he left, glancing at the shoulder he touched specifically that stray piece of copper colored hair. Interesting.

"Can I sit?" A voice asked. My eyes shot up, catching sight of the familiar mountainous figure in front of me.

"Of course you can, Rufus." I smiled at him. He nodded, looking a little more comfortable now as he took a seat across the table from me. "How have you been?"

"Fine." He replied, taking a bite of his first piece of chicken breast. Several more strips rested on his tray, more food than I could ever imagine eating in one sitting. "I started lessons yesterday, and I think I'm doing well."

"That's wonderful! I'm glad you're settling in so well."

"It's been an adjustment." Rufus shrugged, "at times I feel like I'm going insane. It's so weird to be in this place, remembering that I once lived somewhere else and now am living a completely new life again."

"It must be really odd. I haven't thought of it that way before."

"A part of me wishes I could go home, but I'd be younger than anyone I used to know. It wouldn't feel right, especially now with the wonderful second chance I have. I know many of my friends at home would want me to seize the opportunity." He said, eyes glancing up to me.

I nodded my head, "yeah, I think being a guardian is such a fulfilling opportunity. So many guardians I know love being able to make a difference even at the expense of being away from their past life loved ones. Then again I think lots like that they have a fresh start."

Rufus only gazed at me, leaning forward to rest his head on the palm of his hand. "Was that man your boyfriend?"

Sipping on my glass of orange juice, I paused, nearly choking as I looked at Rufus. He only watched me with a blank expression, taking a bite of his vegetables.

I cleared my throat after I swallowed, "no, he isn't."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I don't." I replied, watching him as he cut off a piece of chicken with his knife. "Why do you want to know?"

"Never mind." He said quickly, keeping his eyes on his plate.

"No, really." I prompted, "tell me."

Rufus looked up at me, holding his fork in his hand with the meat dangling before him. "I can tell that you're lying." With that he opened his mouth and ate his food, pulling out the fork against his teeth so that it made a shrill noise that made me flinch.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "you think I'm a liar?"

"I'm good at reading people." He responsed calmly. "I can tell that you're being dishonest by the fact that you couldn't look me in the eye, started to fidget with the hem of your shirt, and how the pace of your breathing changed." Rufus eyed me with interest before looking back down at his plate.

"That makes you seem like a creep."

"I can't help it." He replied softly, "psychology was a subject I was extremely interested in when I was alive so I studied it intently. Reading people and understanding habits was part of it. I liked seeing how a person reacted to situations, specifically stressful ones and how they adapted or struggled in that moment. I apologize for intruding, but I guess my interest for how you'd defend your secret was too intriguing to pass up."

"You still don't know if I have a boyfriend." I replied sharply, my nostrils flaring. Why couldn't he just drop the subject? Did he not know what Secta would do if he found out about Finn and I?

"But you do. Your behavior suggests otherwise."

"Stop saying that so loud."

"Because I'm correct? It is a secret?" He asked, "why is it a secret? Are you ashamed? Will something happen to you if you are revealed?"

"I don't want anyone getting the idea that I have some mystery secret admirer!" I replied under my breath. "My friends will harass me for forever."

"But you do have some mystery lover." Rufus replied, still speaking in a louder tone than I'd have liked. "I'm correct; I usually am. I'm sure I can guess who he is as well."

"No, you can't guess him because he doesn't exist."

"You're saying the Commander doesn't exist?"

The entire world around us seemed to freeze as Rufus continued to eat his meal, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the man in front of me. My stomach had dropped like a broken elevator, the air feeling cold on my skin. I opened my mouth to say something, anything to disagree or fight with him about his claim, but nothing could come from my lips.

"Bingo." Rufus said with a chuckle. "I told you that I'm very good at reading people. And anyways, you're especially easy to read."

"How did you know it was the Commander? That it was Finn? He hasn't even been here."

Rufus looked up from his plate, taking a sip from his cup as he watched me. "Because I can smell him on you."

My eyes widened as I gripped the edge of the table. "You... what?"

He seemed nearly annoyed with me in this moment. "Smell, Kate. You know, with your nose?"

I glanced around, looking to see if anyone else had noticed the temperature drop. But everyone continued to eat calmly, talking with one another and making jokes. No one seemed to notice this table or how the atmosphere had changed between us.

Looking back at Rufus, I realized that he was studying me. Now, his plate was clean. But what really caught my attention was not his posture or his lack of food, but his eyes. They seemed to slightly glow, a golden color I'd seen before. Except that had been under red lights.

My veins went cold. I knew now exactly what he was, and soon his eyes went back to their original green hue.

"Let's step outside." He informed me, leaving his tray on the table. Rufus practically pushed me out the door with his strong arm, but he remained calm and affable to any onlookers. No one noticed how dark the situation had turned.

I whipped around when we were outside near the trail headed down for the combat hill. He only watched me with a cool look on his face. "I know what you are! I know you're a wolf!"

"Correct. Your time with Finn has obviously taught you enough about what we are, especially it seems what our eyes can do."

"How do you know Finn?" I snarled.

Rufus gave me a smile, "who do you think tortured him?"