Exhausted, I let myself fall on the large bed in Adam's room. I was more tired morally than physically.

I had spent the whole evening with Tim and his wife Olivia. She was adorable. We had spoken only of light subjects, never of the past. Finally, for now. Given that she was Tim's wife, she knew the truth and so could help if needed. But I preferred to mix the nearest family with our revenge.

"Lulu, what should I do now?" I sighed.

"Take a rest. I could take over."

"I spoke of the feast in our honor."

"Later, Lucy. You think too much, you have to let things come. It would be useless to force fate," she cut me.

My wolf had always spoken to me about destiny. She believed in it as hard as iron. Little, I didn't speak to her knowing that she was only a beast sharing my body. She was discreet as a wolf soul, but after my sixteen years she had become closer to me and talked in my head more often. Her wisdom and reflections had finally jumped to my eyes. More mature than me. Not listening to her would be a mistake.

"All right," I said in a sigh.

When I thought about it, a day had passed since our last discussion. Therefore, I didn't give her control of my body as I did every day before coming in this new territory.

My mind was resting deep in my consciousness as I slowly released control of my body and left it to my wolf. My emerald-green eyes suddenly changed to a golden color.

The sky darkened was nevertheless sublime thanks to the many stars illuminating it gracefully and by the timid moon that dared to light us.

Rolling into a ball on my side of the bed, I felt a musky smell recognizable among a thousand. Adam had just entered the room. Back to him, I turned myself.

His grey eyes stared at me as I smiled at him. A smile belonging to my wolf. Maybe it was a bad idea to have my she-wolf take control? A feeling of fear gripped me thinking what she could do. I wanted to talk to her, but she cut me off.

"I wouldn't do anything you do not want, Lucy," she reassured me in a soft voice that relieved me.

"You're okay?" asked Adam, looking at me uneasily. I smiled at him.

"You ate?" asked Lulu.

"Yes," he replied, staring at me.

"My name is Lulu, short of Lucy," she said as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You're her wolf," he announced thoughtfully.

"Exact!"

A huge smile split my face. She was so happy. I could feel this joy through our intimate bond. Suddenly, the guilt overwhelmed me because the only obstacle for a future between me and Adam was myself, the human part. Even our wolves were close to one another.

"Lucy, I told you to rest, that is, in case you didn't understand, no useless reflections," Lulu scolded in a weary tone. I sighed softly, but obeyed.

"Are not you angry? Lucy is okay?" he asked, his anxiety devouring his features.

He approached me and knelt down so that our faces were only a few centimeters apart. Eyebrows frowned, my fingers touched his wrinkles dug by the doubt that adorned his forehead.

"Do I look angry?" I said, bursting into laughter. "Lucy is fine, she's resting a bit. You want her to be in charge? You know, I am a much better company than her."

She gave him a wink that made me embarrassed. I remained cloistered in the depths of my conscience to avoid murdering my wolf. Which would be annoying since if I killed her, I would die too. We were two distinct spirits linked to the same body, but we shared only one soul. We can't be apart.

***

Adam lay down on his side of the bed while I was lying in mine. Back to him, I took for a few seconds the control of my body which had stretched to his proximity. My brain remained awake until I heard his breathing become long and soft. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't erase the reflexes of my body. Months of ineffaceable torture in my memory. Even a long year in Jake's pack didn't allow me to suppress these stupid reflexes. I turned softly towards Adam to admire his sleeping face.

My wolf, again at the controls of my body, gently touched his jaw. A warmth passed over me with pleasure. I smiled and let my eyelids close again until the next day.

Awakened by the rays of sunshine passing through the window, I turned and stretched myself on the bed. My arm struck a heavy chest, which surprised me. On alert, I sat down suddenly to finally realize that it was my mate. He stared at me with astonishment and amusement. I sighed in relief as I ran my hand through my disheveled hair to get some order.

"Adam, where is the woman you captured?" I asked, staring at him with my green eyes. "You know the blonde one who was chasing Alex?"

"In prison," he replied, straightening up to find himself at my level. "Why?"

"I have to talk to her."

"You will not go near her! She's dangerous, Lucy," he snarled.

His eyes suddenly darkened. He was in a protector mode. A little too much. Inevitable for an Alpha.

"I know, but... Tim could accompany me," I suggested to calm him down.

To face his anger in the morning while I was alone with him was dangerous. He could take advantage of it to hurt me under the blow of this evil and destructive emotion. Anger could make you say and force you to do many things you didn't want. But it was also at this precise moment that secrets spread out to those who could hear it.

Perhaps I should provoke him to reveal his true personality to me?

"Stop thinking like that, will you?" My wolf whispered, irritated by my reflections.

He took a long breath and asked me why I wanted to see her. In order to avoid the question, I turned to the window to see that the sun had just risen.

"It's still early, you should go back to bed," I said as I walked into the bathroom.

Before I closed the door, I heard him sigh.

***

Finally, I had managed to change his mind but with a problem. It wasn't Tim who would accompany me, but Adam himself. It would have been better for Tim or even Alex to come with me. But I wasn't going to complain now.

Me and Adam walked side by side towards the jails where the prisoners were kept. As we advanced through the mazes in the basement, my hands became moist. My breathing was almost non-existent so much I suffocated by smelling too familiar odors. Each step toward the cells accentuated the smell of blood creeping through my nostrils. With clenched fists and teeth, I struggled against the memories that threatened to resurface.

I didn't want to throw up before Adam, it would show my weakness and he might take advantage of those moments.

The stone walls gave relief to this large room consisting of a multitude of doors each opening onto an intruder who had the misfortune to venture into this territory. By the light of the torches, our shadows danced on the rough walls.

The atmosphere became more and more heavy. The cries of the tortured couldn't be heard, the prisons in which they were locked had to be soundproofed.

Adam stopped in front of a door opened by a warrior with his key. He turned to me and had to see how tense I was.

"Are you sure?" he asked, worried for me.

I looked at him determinedly, nodding my head.

Inside the small room, two warriors were placed on either side of the woman chained to the wall. Head lowered, her long blond hair fell on her face. Her legs were folded under her buttocks. Like as she came, she was dressed in a simple dress that had become earth color.

"Why did you chain her?" I asked.

"She tried to escape several times as soon as the cell was opened," Adam replied.

When I thought about it, there were only men around me and that didn't help my condition. In fact, seeing this woman gave me confidence and helped me to forget some fears. So I focused on her.

I didn't need to see her eyes to know her state of mind. Her aura was of a deep red, mingling with black which was even repugnant to me. It was difficult for me to approach her without feeling disgust. I sighed then walked in her direction. The men staightened their back and put themselves on defense position in case she tried to attack me. What would surprise me as her two arms were tightly attached to the wall. Only her legs could move and therefore put me down.

I lifted her sticky, dirty hair and swung them back to see her face. She had empty eyes as if she were lost in her own world, but they lit up as soon as she met my falsely compassionate look.

She was pursuing Alex so maybe someone had sent her to eliminate us or else she just had no connection with the hunters. In this case, Alex had really had to do something unpleasant to her for being pursued like that. Which was unthinkable of Alex.

"Or she did it on purpose. She wanted to come to this territory and she thought that Alex was a good way to get there," said my wolf, who felt the danger in the presence of this woman.

"A manipulator then?"

"That wouldn't surprise me," she spat with a disdainful air.

She wouldn't tell me anything here and I assumed that the warriors had already tried to crack her. I had to talk to her alone. Lulu could kill her if she attempted an attack against me.

"What is your name?" I whispered, giving her a reassuring but false smile.

"Alice," she replied, her voice greasy and tired.

"Alice, don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Tears rose to her eyes and she burst into sobs when I took her in my arms. It was repugnant. The beautiful blonde played well the comedy, but she didn't know that I was also good at this game.

Perhaps she was genuinely relieved that I had put an end to her torture, but for me the suffering she had been through was deserved.

This idiot was surely a pawn sent to reach us, and I was now going to use this piece to my advantage. If it had any connection with the hunters, it could lead me to their chief.

But before that, I had to convince Adam to let her get out of here. Then I absolutely had to talk to Alex to get his version of the story.