The next day, I hear a car park in front of the apartment building. I open the door and look at the black car as Rick gets out of the shotgun seat, and Cole gets out of the driver seat.

How many shits will I need to say before this is all over. I was expecting Rick to come alone. Why he had to bring Cole, too?

After they come in, Rick doesn't waste any time and starts to interrogate Nina, and just as we'd planned she doesn't give the names and acts scared.

But Rick continues to ask her, threatening to send her to the cell. Nina eventually gives the names of the two dealers at the Borac City.

Satisfied with her answer, Rick nods. "Okay. I'm going to let you stay with my sister for a while now. But if you cause her any trouble, even she won't be able to stop me from locking you up next time. Clear?"

Nina nods like a scared child.

I can see Rick is very upset about the whole drug business, understandably. I offer to make him lunch so he could relax a bit in my place before heading back home. Rick looks at Cole. Cole agrees.

Nina goes to her room. Luckily Peter is away on a trip with his friends so it's just me and the three werewolves in the apartment now.

Rick takes a nap in my room. Cole goes down to the parking area to smoke. He'd been smoking since school days. I wish he would let go of that habit.

I stir the rice in the pot and go back to the chicken legs and turn them on the pan. My brother likes fried chicken. I feel guilty for having Nina lie to him. But his stubbornness is also to be blamed.

"What are you feeling guilty about?" Cole says from behind. Startled, I turn around. I didn't hear him come back in. "What do you mean?" I ask.

He nods at the pan. "You're cooking his favorite."

I turn back to the stove to hide my guilty face. "Can't a sister cook her brother's favorite food when he visits her?"

"I guess she can. But he doesn't know your sneaky side like I do. You didn't stop his rough questioning to your friend even once, as if you wanted it to happen before she could give him the names."

I shift on my legs anxiously and end up burning my hand when it grazes the side of the pan. "Ouch."

In a split second Cole's hand holds mine and takes me to the sink.

He opens the water and shows my hand under the cold stream. "Can't you be more careful?" he says through his teeth.

I let my back rest against his chest as I gaze at his eyes. I feel warm. He realizes me staring at him.

His thumb rubs the back of my hand as his face comes closer and closer to mine. Then he stops, unable to come forward or move back, feeling hesitant. I grab his collar and pull him. He takes care of the rest.

Only when I smell the burnt chicken I push Cole away. I run to the stove, turn off the fire and turn on the exhaust.

Cole pulls me back to him to continue what we left off, but I put my arms between us. "No, Cole."

"No?" he says and lightly bites the nape of my neck making me suppress a moan. "You don't look like you don't want this."

"What about you? Do you want this?" I ask him.

He grabs the back of my head and looks at me. "You know what I want, Daisy. I want this. I want this forever."

My eyes look away. "I can't give you forever."

He lets go of me immediately. "Right. I forgot about that. It's my fault. It's just that I've a tendency to keep forgetting things when I'm near you. Things like your rejection. Like you moving away this far from our pack. Like my girlfriend back home."

When he mentions his girlfriend jealousy and pain hits my chest. "I forgot even what I wanted to ask you," he says, "What are you and your friend hiding from us?"

I shake my head. "You also have a tendency to imagine things, Cole. We told Rick everything we know."

He smiles. He doesn't believe me. "I'll let you get back to the chicken," he says before exiting the kitchen.

I breathe out in relief. Whether he believes me or not, I'm happy to be not questioned further.