I back myself all the way to the other wall and only stop when my body slams against it. They pay me no mind because I'm still vapor in this situation. Timothy leans forward and places his elbows on the desk, entwining his fingers together.

"What can a dog like me possibly do for you?" he hisses, specks of spit flying from his mouth.

Ameri merely scoffs a laugh as she presses her head against her palm. "You sniff, don't you?"

"Tracking!" Timothy exclaims, standing quickly from his chair. Bending his neck, he stares down at Ameri, holding his arms out. "No, we're not bloodhounds, we do not track. We're wolves and we have more respect for ourselves than following the word of bloodsuckers we thought were myths!"

Ameri remains calm, regality pouring from her in waves. She tilts her head to the side as if regarding a being far lesser than her. Standing, she places her hands down on the desk, eyeing him fiercely.

"I don't need you to sniff her out in literal terms, mutt," she spits, baring her teeth for a moment. "Wolves are renowned for their tracking skills, are they not?"

At his silence, Ameri laughs. She shakes her head and turns on her feet, heading for the door. Her heels sound louder than they had when she entered. Now, it seems like they're echoing as she slips from Timothy's grasp. For a moment, he watches as she begins to leave. Then he moves.

A thundering boom sounds through the room from the door that Timothy has slammed shut. He towers over Ameri, nostrils flaring and chest huffing. With his arm still extended to hold the door shut, he leans down.

"Let's make a deal, vampire."

"Good."

***

I'm convulsing as I wake up and the experience is different from the first time I appeared in the office. Now, my shaking is violent, as if I'm having some sort of medical reaction. Hands try to hold me down, but I'm moving too wildly. Only when I feel two sets of palms does my body stop. With a deep breath, I open my eyes and look up, searching for familiar circles of green and brown that will calm me down.

The first I see are emerald irises. They're full of concern as they drill into mine. Without thinking, I reach out for Alexei. She grabs me and pulls me up from the bed and into her arms. Further relaxing, I settle into her bosom. Her arms wound around me firmly.

"What happened, what did you see?" Rory asks as he comes to the other side of me. Quickly, I turn and pull him into me. As he falls into my chest, I lay back and allow myself to settle against Alexei's chest once again.

"It's not good." I grimace, thinking back to what they had planned. "I think we need to leave. Where's Cytherea?" I'm only now realizing she's absent from the room.

"Wait, what did they say in there?" Alexei brings the topic back to our impending doom. "It can't be that bad. No one should know we're here, this place is safe."

Shaking my head, I turn it slightly so I can peek at her. The angle is awkward since we're squished together, but it works somehow. "Ameri was there."

"Yes, that's good," Rory says. "We wanted to see her plans."

"No, you don't understand." Pressing a hand to my forehead, I sigh. "I mean... fuck! Fuck, fuck."

It's silent for a moment after my outburst. Normally, I'm not one to drop such words because I usually see no need, yet I couldn't help it. All I can do is curse since thoughts are racing in my head a mile a minute. There's something about what's happening that isn't sitting right, also. Like there's some big secret me and my mates don't know about.

"Calm down, doll," Rory whispers into my ear, nuzzling into me. This is a normal thing for mates, just as animals lick wounds when they or their family is hurt. I hadn't noticed it before, but Rory has been more affectionate and I need to remember to appreciate his comfort.

Taking a death breath and a moment to compose myself, I calm down. "When I woke up in the dream, I was back at the packhouse and I thought it was wrong at first," I explain once I'm calm enough. "But it was different, I felt like I needed to be there."

"Okay." Alexei rests her chin on my shoulder. "What happened next?"

"Ameri was there, she came in and she talked to Timothy."

"What!" Rory pulls away from me quickly. His mouth sits open and his eyes are wide. Blinking, he shakes his head. "Why was she there?"

Biting my bottom lip, I look down at my thighs. "She's looking for us, she wants us. She reminds me of Timothy in a way. I think if Ameri was a wolf, she'd be turning into a rogue, just as Timothy is."

The similarities between the two are uncanny. Both are obsessed with trying to capture people who want nothing to do with them. Powerplay plays a huge role in their egos and personalities. Without that, they'd be nothing. With it, they use fear and manipulation to get what they want. If Ameri were a wolf, her beast would be corrupt and there would be no hope for her. The difference is that she's more composed than Timothy. Having hundreds of years to accomplish that has allowed her time to perfect this facade. At least that's what I'm assuming.

"I think they know we're here," I mumble after no one else says anything. "At least, Ameri knows you have hideouts all over the world and she didn't say it directly, but I think she's always known. It all just depends on where she looks first."

Alexei hisses a curse, her breath blowing against my cheek. Rory is silent, his head shoved back into my neck. I wrap my arms around him and rest my chin against his skull. Arms wrap around my midsection, pulling me closer into the woman behind me.

Mates, connecting, sharing a breath. I don't think the three of us have ever been in a position like this before. A position that's intimate, even with the current conversation. Our auras are intermingling, I can feel it, even if I can't see them. They're wrapping around each other, getting to know each other and linking. Now if we could just mark and mate each other.

"They're going to track us. Ameri wants to send scouts to each different location and have our pack members track us. That means she's going to take every warrior, every tracker. She's going to be leaving our pack defenseless." My heart aches at this. Not everyone in our pack is a fighter. There are children, elderly, men and women who don't partake in training. If every capable wolf is taken to try and find us, the pack will be vulnerable.

"What do you want to do?" Rory asks, finally speaking after so long of silence. "We're with you, no matter what. So, what's the plan?"

The pressure of the world weighs heavily on my shoulders. Deciding to fight could mean the capture of the three of us and possible deaths. If we stay here, we'll likely get discovered and there's not really a place for us to run to. Even if we do run, that would mean persecuting a whole pack, my pack. If word gets out that the rightful alpha is gone and the standin is gone, packs from all over will try to ravage our lands. It'll be ten times worse if anyone finds out all the warriors are gone too.

"I think we need to return... before Ameri and Timothy get our family killed." My voice is hesitant and meek.

"Are you sure?" Alexei asks me. "There will be no turning back once we leave here."

Slowly, I nod my head. "Yes, I'm sure. I have to be sure."

The only option is to fight, but what are the odds that we'll win?