📎A/N. Hello my lovelies..

Next time I decide to try and write two stories at the same time as well as edit two more, someone please shoot me!

This week we have @hmariepugh (Marie) making her debut... and let me tell you she does absolutely fab. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Don't forget to vote...

Now for something completely different... What if you could write a letter to, love, death or time? What would you say?To promote the upcoming release of the movie Collateral Beauty, Wattpad have nominated Imaginator1D, krazydiamond and LDCrichton to write their stories to these powerful themes. They have also encouraged everyone else to do the same. All you need to do is write a letter to Love, Death or Time and share YOUR story with Wattpad and rediscover the spirit that connects us all. Head on over to the Romance Profile and see what these fantastic writers have come up with. #CollateralBeauty.

I thought it was such a good idea that I've given it a go. Check it out and let me know what you think, I've put the link in the first comment. Otherwise, you can head over to my profile and check it out.

Thanks so very much for your support...

Take care,

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Joe checked his watch and shook his head. Happy hour was only one minute in. "Struth mate, you are going to find yourself on the sharp end of a divorce if you keep this up."

Darren leaned against the bar and grunted. "In-laws are over for dinner. Just wanted a little Dutch courage to get me through her father go on about how well the other son-in-law is doing."

Joe chuckled and poured Darren a craft beer. At least he wouldn't need to take the man's keys again.

Slowly, the bar began to hum as the regulars and not so regulars filtered in. It was still a tad early for the large crowd he expected later. A local band had been booked to play. The groupies always ensured a bumper crowd.

Ester, one of the part-time barmaids, had just clocked onto her shift when Joe noticed a woman take a seat at the far end of the bar. As soon as she settled on the barstool, her eyes darted around the room as if nervous. From the way in which she attempted to melt into the background, she was going out of her way to remain invisible. Her mousey brown hair, which covered half her face, reinforced the overall impression.

He threw a dish towel over his shoulder and ambled towards the woman. "G'Day, what's your poison?"

Startled, her eyes grew wide, and he heard a sharp intake of breath. Frightened doe eyes swung around to face him. "Um, coffee? Do you do coffee?"

"Coming right up," he said.

Joe poured her a cup and placed it on the counter top in front of her. Her scent told him she was Werewolf. However, for some reason, she was overly cautious.

"You okay, love?" he asked.

She nodded and pulled the cup closer. Joe placed the canister of sugar and creamer towards her. When she emptied the sixth sachet of sugar into her cup, he raised an eyebrow. "Bloody oath! You have a bit of a sweet tooth."

The woman grimaced and said, "Not normally, but lately, I get all sorts of strange cravings." She stopped short as if she'd said something shouldn't have, dropped her head and focused on her cup.

Joe tilted his head and took a closer look at her. "You're not from around here, are you?"

He felt sorry for the woman. She looked like a small town girl out of her depth in a big city. She shook her head, and a hint of a weak smile pushed through. "It shows, does it?"

He shrugged. "In my line of work, you sorta pick these things up. I'm Joe by the way," he said, "welcome to Philly. You passing through or here to stay?"

She bit her bottom lip, and her expression became pensive.

He held up his hands. "Hey, don't mind me. I'm a bit of a gabber, comes with the territory."

The woman's fingers curled tighter around the cup. "Marie," she said in a soft voice. "I'm Marie."

Joe gave her a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Marie. You look a little lost. Anything I can do to help?"

At first, Marie said nothing. Instead, she fidgeted with the empty sugar packets. "My mate's missing and I heard that this was the place to get information on—you know—our kind."

Something about the way in which she blurted out her reasons didn't sit well. There was more to this story than met the eye.

"How long's he been—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Bradley strode through the door with two other Werewolves he'd not seen before.

Joe rolled his eyes and muttered, "Bloody Nora," under his breath. The man got on his nerves at the best of times.

He glanced around the pub. Apart from a couple of curious stares, no one had paid much attention to the new arrivals. At over six foot, it was difficult not to. However, most people avoided him like the plague. He was too opinionated and too quick to lash out. Most gave him a wide berth and chose to ignore his tirades when he'd gotten worked up about something—which lately, happened more often than not.

"Next round's on me," Bradley called out.

A small cheer went up around the bar, and Joe scratched the back of his neck. This was a first. Where did he get that sort of moolah? The man was forever skint.

There was a flurry of activity as he and Ester were barraged with orders. No one was about to pass on a free drink.

"You strike it big on the lottery?" Joe asked when Bradley finally made his way to the bar.

"Nah just wanted to buy my friends a drink before I head out of town."

Could they all be that lucky and the trouble maker was leaving?

Joe pulled the tap, and beer flowed into the glass. "Oh?"

Bradley puffed out his chest. "I've enlisted to help out with the cause," he said, "it's about time we take back what's ours."

This wasn't the first time Joe had heard this over the past few days. Alpha Lauzon had made a compelling argument. They needed a change. But what she was suggesting? He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. However, he couldn't see how her method was any better than the Alliance's, nor the packs which were protected by them. He set the beer down on the bar.

Bradley slapped a few notes on the sticky surface. "That should cover the tab."

When he picked up the money, Joe let out a whistle. Five one hundred dollar notes. That would more than cover the round—as well as the next four. For a man who was as stingy as Ebenezer Scrooge, this was out of character. He couldn't help but think there was more behind this than a farewell drink.

Bradley picked up his glass and swung around to face the small group that had gravitated to him. He lifted his beer into the air and, in a booming voice, said, "To purity and taking our rightful place."

Another cheer erupted across the room from the Werewolves. The humans, not understanding what was going on, looked at each other, shrugged and went back to what they were doing.

After he had taken a long swig of his drink, Bradley raised his glass once again. Joe grimaced in anticipation.

"To Alpha Lauzon, who will show us the way."

The moment the words flew from his lips, Marie froze, and her eyes widened in shock. She resembled a rabbit cornered by a fox. Thankful that Bradley's words had gone over most customer's heads, he leaned over the counter towards Marie. "Don't mind him, he's just a drongo."

This didn't appear to make a difference. Instead, she visibly shook. He glanced around to make sure no one took notice of her. Something had set her off, and it probably wouldn't do to draw attention to her. Joe reached out a hand and placed it on hers. She had gripped the countertop so tightly, it was in danger of snapping.

"Hey, love, you okay? Did you need me to call someone?"

Marie took a few deep breaths and shook her head. "No, I'll be fine."

He glanced at her now empty cup. "Fancy something stronger? You may as well take advantage of the open tab."

Marie's hand slipped down and splayed across her stomach.

From the protective way in which she held her midriff, there could only be one explanation—she was pregnant.

Joe scratched his chin. Hooley Dooley. Poor woman's been abandoned by her mate.

He'd heard of cases like that before. It was rare, but it happened.

Not sure what or how he could help, Joe glanced around the bar to make sure they couldn't be heard and lowered his voice. "Are you sure you should be in a place like this—in your condition? Is there anyone I should call for you?"

Marie stared at him blankly and blinked twice. "I'm pregnant, not disabled."

"Sorry, love, I meant no harm." Joe quickly retrieved the coffee pot and poured her another cup. "You said you're looking for your runaway mate?"

She shook her head. "He's missing, not run off." Marie slipped off the chair. "It was a mistake to come here. I thought that someone might have seen him."

As she spoke, her voice cracked, and he was struck with the amount of pain she was clearly in. Marie's gaze hovered towards Bradley and the group he was with. "I didn't realize things had spread this far."

There was something in her vulnerability that called out to him. His mum had brought him up to be better than that. He was supposed to help those in need if he could.

I'd better not regret this.

Joe lifted the bar flap and called out over his shoulder to Ester, "Be back in five. Cover for me."

He reached for her arm and raised his voice a fraction. "I really don't want anyone being crook over my bar. How about you lie down in the back room for a bit."

Marie's brows knitted together. "I told you—"

"Look you silly chook, I'm not going to have health and safety on my back," Joe said as he pulled her towards the small office in which he did all the paperwork.

He was thankful she complied and followed his lead. He didn't fancy a Werewolf listening in on their conversation—not that they could. The office was soundproofed. A necessary evil when you worked in a place as loud as a pub.

"Okay love, I think you'd better tell me what's gotten you spitting the dummy," Joe said once the door was closed, and he'd made sure she was comfortable.

Marie pulled her phone out and swiped at the screen. "Larry sent me a message that only I'd know what it meant. He must have heard it on the news."

She turned the phone around, and he scanned the contents. Do not go home. Dangerous. Meet me at worst holiday.

"What news?"

Marie chewed on her thumbnail and stared at a bald spot on the carpet. Something had her running scared. Before he could prompt her again, she made an attempt to get up from the couch. "This is a bad idea. I don't know what possessed me to say anything in the first place. For all I know, you are one of them."

Joe stopped her from rising and squatted down to her eye level. "Look, Marie, I know you don't know me from a bar of soap, but you look as though you need a cobber... a friend," he said before taking a deep breath. "I don't know if I could help, but sometimes talking things through gives us clarity."

Marie bit her bottom lip, and she looked at him for the longest time. "A few weeks ago, Larry, my mate, got a call from Rediet. He needed a favor. There was someone that needed our help."

"What sort of help?"

"Nothing illegal, if that's what you mean."

"Go on." 

She cleared her throat and fidgeted with the strap of her handbag. "Boris turned up two days later. I don't know the full story, but he was on the run. All he wanted to do was to get home."

"And home is?"

"Russia. On the night before he left, I overheard a conversation between him and Larry. From what I could gather, he and a few others were taken from a remote part of someplace called Novgorod, and have been prisoners ever since."

Joe stood and ambled over to his desk. "So why would Werewolves get involved in human politics. If the authorities ever found out you were harboring a criminal, we could be exposed," he said as he leaned against it.

Marie shook her head in an abrupt motion. "I think you misunderstood me. He wasn't being held by humans. It was Elise Lauzon and her thugs that took them from their homes and experimented on them. And I'm not sure, but I think he said something about being turned into lethal puppets."

Joe stilled. This wasn't making any sense. However, it did explain why she had gotten so frightened at Bradley's words. "But why would an Alpha abduct and keep werewolves' prisoners. It doesn't make sense," he asked.

"That's what's so weird. Boris is not a werewolf." She scrunched her face as if deep in thought. "He wasn't totally human either, but he was not one of us. I don't know why she kept them prisoner, and Boris's English wasn't very good. All he would say was that it was important he got home before the next full moon."

"Did he tell Larry why he was taken?"

"No. The only thing he did say was that some doctor had managed to trigger something they shouldn't have, and it could only lead to disaster for both Werewolves and Humans. He also said the oddest thing when he left," she paused and placed her hands over her stomach. "He said a blessing for our baby, asked for forgiveness and said they had tried their best to stay hidden."

Joe crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think he meant?"

"I don't know. They got in the car, and Larry drove Boris to someone he knew in Kansas. From there, he was supposed to head south to New Mexico, then across the border. After that, he didn't say."

"Do you think he told Larry anything else?"

Marie nodded. "I think so."

"What makes you say that?"

"He was really quiet when he came back. Wouldn't tell me why, just that maybe it was time for us to move countries."

"Okay, so what makes you think that your mate's disappearance has to do with this Boris person?"

"Because I can't get hold of Larry's friend in Kansas and Rediet, the Were that sent him to us in the first place, was part of the pack in Wisconsin that was slaughtered a few days ago."

"You mean the Ethiopian one?"

Joe's eyes widened in shock when she confirmed. "Let me get this right. You're saying that anyone who's come in contact with this mystery Russian is ending up dead or missing?"

She nodded, and her eyes became glassy. "I don't know what to do. I'm too scared to go home, and I have to find Larry."

Joe raked a hand through his hair. Perhaps he should have shown her the door. He scratched his scalp and considered his options. On the off chance, she wasn't a complete loon and was telling the truth, she needed to stay out of sight. With any luck, no one had paid much attention to her.

"Right. You hang five until closing," Joe said, once he'd come up with a tentative plan. He pointed to a small door on the other side of the room. "There's a dunny through there. I know you up the duff Shiela's need one close by, and you won't need to show your face out there. I know someone you can bunk in with tonight. She's not one of us, but she's good people. Tomorrow, we can work out your next step."

***

"Where've you been?" Bradley asked once Joe had made his way back to his spot behind the bar.

Joe tossed his head back towards the back room. "Paperwork, you know how it is."

Bradley tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Someone said you were with a woman."

"Showed her the door, didn't want her throwing up all over my bar."

"Stupid humans." Bradley snorted in disgust. "They just don't know their limitations."

"I hear you there." Joe picked up the empty glass on the countertop. "What can I get ya?" he asked, changing the subject.

Just as he had poured Bradley's lager, Malcolm rushed in the door and made a b-line for the bar. He glanced from side to side and leaned over the countertop. "Did you hear about the attack in New Mexico?"

The panic in Malcolm's voice wasn't lost on Joe.

"What attack," asked Bradley.

Joe groaned inwardly. Too bad if the news was sensitive. How did that saying go? Telephone; tell a girl; tell a Bradley.

"Another pack has been attacked," Malcolm said in a low voice.

"Are you sure?" asked Joe. He indicated towards the big screen TV. "There was a segment earlier about some tourists on a night tour. They'd been attacked by a bear or something and rushed to the hospital. You didn't get your wires crossed, again, did you?"

Malcolm held up his hands. "No word of a lie, I have it from a very reliable source. Half that hippie pack was taken out."

Joe stiffened. Bloody oath! New Mexico.

Marie's mate had taken the fugitive to Kansas, from there Boris was headed to New Mexico.

What have I gotten myself into?

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📎A/N. Hmmm... what has he gotten himself into indeed...

Another pack has been slaughtered... this does not bode well. The packs will start to panic, there's no doubt about that.

...and I wonder what Joe saw on the news? It couldn't be related.. could it?

Can anyone guess who this Boris was that Marie and Larry were helping? And have we worked out yet what may or may not be happening?? No?? I'm sure more will be revealed in the next chapter *evil laugh*

Don't forget to check out my #collateralbeauty Letter to Time, Death and Time. 

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