14 comments/ 13480 views/ 29 favorites Theft of the Heart Ch. 02 By: queey First of all I would like to thank Axelotl for his editing, both on this chapter and the previous one; don't know what I would do without the comma's ;). Also thanks to everyone who read, commented and voted on the 1st chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to leave a comment and vote. ***** "Ok let's make it first one to ten. I didn't warm up properly." Zavagne said pleading to her sister. Chella laughed out loud at her sister. She always made excuses when she lost. "Well neither did I Zanny," she replied. "Besides, you're three points down already, the longer we play the more thorough your beating will be." "It's not really a fair game though, you and Nicholas play all the time. I haven't played in months." Zavagne responded with a pout. Chella and Nicholas played almost every weekend, while she only played with them once in a while. She never let her small stature hamper her game, and even though they were the same size, Chella was always more skilled at the game than her sister. In Zan's view that gave Chella an unfair advantage over her and she wasn't going to stand for it. Chella took a break from bouncing the ball and looked at her sister. "I haven't played since the last time you and I played sis." "Really?" Zavagne asked, slightly surprised by that. "So you and Nic found something else to do with your time than play this silly game?" Chella turned around to take a free throw before responding. "Well I haven't spent a weekend with him since the club opened, haven't even seen him since then." Zavagne was shocked. Chella and Nic used to spend almost every weekend together, if she hasn't done that since the club opened, that would mean it's been more than three months since she's spend any time with him. After herself, Nicholas was the only other person Verochelle really spoke to. She has another friend, Jessica, but as far as Zan knew, she didn't stay in the same town any more. She's never been away from Nic this long since they met. This really worried Zan. "That was three months ago Chella, are you avoiding him or something? Did you two have another fight?" Zan asked her sister seriously. The last time the three were together, Chella and Nic had a small disagreement over something; well at least that's what Zan had thought. Now it seems like there might have been more to their little argument than she had thought. Verochelle turned from her sister and walked over to pick up the ball she just dunked. She didn't really want to talk to her sister about this, or anything for that matter. She was tired of talking; that's all Zan and Nic wanted to do, and she was tired of it. She wasn't a child, she felt she could deal with her issues on her own and all she wanted was to be left to do that. "I'm not avoiding him Zan, but that doesn't mean I have to see him every damn weekend, he has his life and I have mine." Since they had no idea who was born first, Chella always acted as the unofficial older sister. She took that role too seriously sometimes. She never wanted to burden Zan with anything, including the nightmares she has been having since their brother died six years ago. Zan knew about that, but had let her be because she knew that at least she was talking to someone. "Chella," she said seriously, waiting for her sister to look at her again, "You know, the only reason I let you get away with not talking to me is because you talk to Nic. You can't just stop and expect me to continue to ignore this sis. You need to talk to someone sweety." "Until when Zan? It's not like talking has helped me with anything so far!" she snapped. "I'm not going to spend the rest of my life talking about something that's obviously not going to change. I'm tired of it Zan, I don't want to talk anymore. I'm tired. Please." She said the last part in a pleading whisper. "Fine, I'll let it go this time," Zan said, "but we are still going to talk about this Chelles." Verochelle smiled with relief. She really didn't want to do this with her sister and even if she did, this was not the place to do it. She went and stood in the middle of the court getting ready to make another free throw. "If I make this shot,you go out with Grant." She said deviously, before taking the shot and scoring. *** Aleks was livid. He couldn't believe anyone had the nerve to break into his house. He could still sense the intruders. With the way he was feeling, they probably wouldn't make it out of the house alive. He hoped it wasn't the wolves, because there is no way in hell he could let this go. Not even their alliance with Nicholas Ferris could save them. This was his house, his sanctuary, and no one had the right to be here without an express invitation from him. Aleks made his way further into his house, fury blazing and almost forgot about his leggy companion. Now he was regretting having her here. He would have to take care of this little issue quietly and swiftly. "Stay here." He said to her in a tone that left no room for question. He didn't even look back to see if she would stay. He walked further into the house with purpose, but something was throwing him off, and he couldn't quit put his finger on it. There was something about one of the scents. It was a sweet strawberry scent and it stirred him in a way no other had before. He followed the scent all the way to his basement. Aleks froze as he saw possibly the smallest woman he had seen, make a free throw from the middle of the court and score. Even he had to admit to himself that it was pretty impressive, especially for someone so tiny. He couldn't help the smile that was now tugging at his lips. He had to remind himself that the impressive little thing had actually broken into his house and violated his personal space. She had to pay somehow, he couldn't allow anyone to think it okay to intrude on his life like this. From where he was standing he had a perfect view of her delectable ass as she bent over to pick up the ball she just threw. His body immediately responded to the sight. *** Chella giggled as she went to pick up the ball. She knew her sister would never go out with Grant. He was really not her type, but maybe talk of it would distract her from anymore talk of her going out with him. Chella picked the ball up and was ready to get on her sister's case, she froze on the spot as soon as she turned. She found herself staring at the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. She stood transfixed for a moment before it occurred to her that she should actually be panicking. * Aleks finally got a good look at one of his uninvited guests. She was stunning, with a youthful face and the most adorable brown doe eyes. But adorable is not the adjective he would use to describe the rest of her body. It was womanly and curvaceous but shapely, and her light caramel skin was absolutely perfect. He knew he couldn't just keep staring at her. He had to say something at some point. "Nice shot," he said, his deep voice almost echoing in the large basement. Zavagne turned around with a fright and stared at who she assumed would be the owner. She had never seen a picture of him even when she did her research on the place. She muttered a curse under her breath. He was huge, if this guy didn't kill them, then Chella would definitely end her life. "Hmmmm... Twins; interesting," Aleks said, crossing his arms on his wide chest. "While I do have a fondness for twins, I prefer to be the one who actually invites them into my house." He continued in a bone chilling tone. His voice sent a shiver down Chella's spine, and she took a sharp breath at the sensation. Her body was having an unexpected reaction to him that she didn't understand. Something about him terrified her and mesmerised her at the same time. Aleks stalked towards the pair. He noted that while identical, there were some differences between them. Most noticeably was the hair, while one girl wore her hair natural in a large curly afro, the other sister had hers straightened and tied in a tight pony tail on the top of her head. The one with the straight hair was the one that had Aleks' attention though. There was something about her. Something that called to him, he just couldn't put his finger on it. * Chella quickly made her way to her sister. Just like she did when they were young, she took a protective position in front of her. Not that it would help much. If this guy wanted to hurt them there wasn't much she could do deter him, considering he was more than a foot taller than both of them. "I'm sorry Chella," Zan whispered to her sister. "Not yet you're not," she whispered back to her. "Do we run?" "No." Chella replied in a harsh tone. The only way out of the basement was past the large man who just entered the basement. Running now may confuse the guy as to who to go after, but Chella was not going to risk him going after her sister. It was not time to run yet. If they ever made it out of this mess, she was going to give Zan hell for the rest of her life. * Aleks didn't show it, but even from as far as he was, he caught the entire conversation. Now he had a name to put to the face that had him so captivated. 'Chella'. Lovely. He wondered briefly what it was short for. He came to an imposing stance in front of her, and spoke. "You are trespassing." His tone was hard and dangerous. He waited for a response from his two intruders but they said nothing. "Have you nothing to say?" His question was greeted by more silence. When Chella didn't answer him he looked at her sister and tried to get a response from her. "Do you speak little girl?" he asked now in anger. He hated to be ignored. When neither answered him, he made a move to get in front of the other sister. But before he could get to her, he felt a sharp pain in his groin, enough to make him double over. Chella had kneed him. 'That bitch!' "Run Zan!" Chella shouted. They needed to get out of there, while they had the chance. * If Zan hadn't been so scared she would have stopped to chuckle at the hot guy hunched over in pain, but fear and adrenalin took over and she found herself moving faster than she ever did before. Zan was the first one to make it to the door. She wanted to wait for her sister to get closer, she wanted to stop to see if she made it out of the basement ok; but she knew Chella would not thank her for it. It would only infuriate her further, but she couldn't help it, she had look back just to be sure. She was relieved to see her sister was right behind her. "Don't look back, just run!" * It didn't take long for Aleks to regain composure. He did so before the twins even made it to the door, but it was the shock of what that little woman had done that kept him rooted to the spot. 'She has some balls,' he thought to himself. In his thousand-plus years of living, no one had ever done that to him, not even when he was still human. He was torn between being completely furious and being mildly impressed by being caught so off guard. He obviously underestimated his intruders. He would have to teach her a little lesson when he got her back. *** Joshua Auris got off the phone with Nicholas Ferris and sighed with relief. It was good to know that they wouldn't be getting any trouble from their vampire neighbor. Now the pack could fully settle into their new environment. He sagged back in his chair with relief. The pack had been getting agitated, not being able to roam around or go for a run. But as Alpha he couldn't allow his pack the freedom to go for a run before he could guarantee their safety. He was just about to go look for his brother and second in command when the big guy burst through his office door. "You know you really ought to knock sometime Danny," Joshua said to his brother. "Yeah I really ought to, but we both know it's not going to happen, unless of course you find a mate, in which case I might consider it." Danny replied with a smirk, then continued, "but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you." "A mate? I don't see that happening anytime soon. The pack needs my undivided attention right now, we don't need more change at the moment." "Yeah whatever, man. You and I both know it would be a blessing for the Alpha to find his mate no matter when it happened." "Well obviously Luna doesn't agree with you. Maybe I'm just not meant to have a mate. I wouldn't be the first, you know." Joshua said in response to his brother. "Speaking of mates, where is Lizzy?" Joshua knew one way of diverting his brother's attention from almost anything, and that was to bring up the love of his life. His plan worked perfectly. Danny gave him a toothy smile before explaining that his mate was in the pack hospital stitching up some pups that had been playing a bit too rough with each other. "They need space to run, Josh. They're just going to keep getting hurt, all cooped up like this, you know?" Josh smiled, he finally had some good news to share. "Well, I just got off the phone with Ferris. He spoke to Novak and we have the all clear. You just need to show the pups the borders of our lands. I don't want them straying on to that vampire's land." Danny beamed. "That's fantastic news. I'll get to that first thing in the morning. Tonight I think I'll take Liz for a run. She's going into heat soon, we need some practice, you know?" Joshua threw his head back and laughed. If his brother had anymore practice, he and Elisabeth would never leave their room. "Sure, just stay within our lands.It's too early for you to go causing trouble." "Yes Alpha, no trouble from me...For tonight anyway," Danny responded, then left before his brother could say anything more. *** Chella and Zan ran out to the back where they had parked. When they were young, their brother had always told them to split up after doing a job, "It makes it harder for the chaser to choose who to go after," he would say. Thank goodness they came with different rides to the mansion. Hopefully the confusion would cause him to pause a bit and give them a bigger lead. They separated as soon as they stepped out the kitchen and got to the back of the house. Aleks could have caught both of them before they even made it to the kitchen door but they would have surely realised that something about him was different. Since he no longer had any intention of killing his intruders, it wouldn't do to expose his secret to them, but they would not be getting away from him, especially not Chella. Chella was obviously the more protective of the two. If he caught her sister he wouldn't have to catch Chella, he had no doubt she would come to her sister's rescue. Aleks followed the other woman's scent and grabbed her by the waist just as she was mounting a motor bike she had parked around the side of the house. He knew he couldn't get to her sister without exposing himself, so he reached into the Zan's pants and fished out her phone and shoved it at her. "Call her!" he demanded. "Are you serious? She's escaping a robbery and you think she's going to answer her phone?" "Call her!" he repeated more severely. "Fine, but you should know she doesn't take calls when she's driving. It's illegal in this state you know?" Zan responded. She prayed her sister wouldn't take the call. * Chella got the call just as she got to the end of the drive way. Her heart nearly sank when she heard the special ring tone reserved for her sister. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking hell, fuck!" she cursed before pressing the answer button. "You left something," she heard on the other side of the line. "Shit!" she said as she slammed on her brakes. * Aleks didn't have to wait long for Chella. As he predicted, she came to her sister's rescue in record time. 'Surely she doesn't believe I would hurt her does she?' he thought to himself. Well if that's what she was thinking he would let her keep believing that, it could make her more obliging. "Do you have anything to say now, little girl?" he asked Chella. "Yeah, call the cops." "What?" Aleks asked in disbelief. 'That's not what burglars usually say when they are caught, is it?' "The cops, as in the police, you know, 911?" Chella stated tautly. There was something about this guy. Sure he was impossibly handsome and masculine, but there was something in his eyes that unsettled her. They were intense and other worldly, piercing right into her. He seemed to look at her with voracious hunger. Frankly she would rather be in a jail cell than to be standing here in front of him like this. Jessica was back in town, she would bail them out and Nicholas would never even have to find out. Then she can kill her sister for putting them in this situation. Aleks was confused for a moment, then he smelled it--fear. His favourite aroma, or at least it used to be his favourite. Now he found himself developing a liking to Chella's sweet strawberry fragrance. He was impressed that she could appear so calm even though her fear was reeking up his entire kitchen. He cocked his head to the side in amusement. This is certainly not what he expected to hear. "No." "What?" Chella asked in shock. "No, you and your sister will be punished by me, not the police." "You can't do that, you don't have that authority." Aleks gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and Chella's fear escalated. He moved one of his hands from Zan's arm and put it around her neck. "I have your sister's neck in my hand, I think you'll find I have all the authority I need," he said as he squeezed Zan's neck a bit to emphasize his point. He could no longer scent Chella's sweet strawberry. The fear had eclipsed it and Aleks wasn't sure if he liked it. "Follow me," he said as he turned to walk out the kitchen. Chella was almost paralysed with fear. Once again it seemed one of her sibling's life depended on her. She knew that this was not her fault but she couldn't help but blame herself. She should have refused to come here, should have listened to her gut, but she didn't and now her sister's life was at risk. Aleks didn't have to look back to know that Chella was not following. He squeezed Zan's arm painfully until she let out a little squeal. It was enough to snap her sister out of whatever it was that kept her from moving. ** Tiffany had enough of waiting for Aleks by the door. How dare he do that to her? No man treats her that way. She was sure he would have been ripping her clothes off as soon as they made it through the door, but he just gave her an order and disappeared. 'That son of a bitch,' she thought to herself, just before heading to look for him. * Aleks led the girls to his library. He needed to figure out what he was going to do with them. For the first time in his life he had no idea what he wanted to do. He knew he would not call the police, but what was the fitting punishment for breaking into his house? "Car keys," he said holding out his hand to Chella. "What, no, why?" Chella responded nervously. If they ever got out of here they would need the car. They were several miles from town, he would catch them before they even get out the drive way if they didn't have keys. "Because my dear, you are a woman, and I'm sure you double parked or something," he responded with a laugh. And for the first time since finding the girls, he smelled something else besides fear. Anger. He decided he preferred that to fear. 'He's such a dick,' Chella thought. "And I'll take your phone as well, thank you," he said eyeing Chella with some amusement. Chella dug in her pants for both her phone and her car keys. They were just going to have to find a new way to get out of this mess. She would think of something, she always did. Theft of the Heart Ch. 02 Aleks pocketed both Chella's car keys and her phone, then held the door open for her and her sister to walk into his library. He still had to figure out what he was going to do with the two women. He wouldn't mind taking Chella up to his room and ravishing her tiny body until she screamed his name in passion. Or even bending her over his office desk and taking her hard from behind. Or..wait, there's something he was forgetting; what was it? * Tiffany found herself in awe of Aleks' house. 'He is a son of a bitch with taste and a lot of money apparently.' She could definitely find it in her heart to forgive him for abandoning her. Men like him are in short supply in their little town and it wouldn't do for her to be so wasteful. She followed the sound of voices down a long hallway. Maybe Aleks was talking to his domestic staff, to make the night more enjoyable for her. 'Maybe some champagne and strawberries,' she thought with a smile. "What the fuck?" Tiffany cried out when she saw Aleks with Nicholas' precious twins. "What the hell are they doing here?" she asked Aleks. Chellas's heart skipped a beat. Now there was no way of Nicholas not finding out about their little escapade. This night could officially not get any worse for them right now. * Aleks had completely forgotten about his guest. He could kick himself for not hearing her approach, or even smelling that nasty overpowering perfume she was wearing. How could he have been so distracted? This was so unlike him. "I thought I told you to stay put!" he spat out in anger, only he wasn't sure if he was angry at the girl or himself. "I must stay put while you entertain the Winters twins," she responded sarcastically. She never understood what the fascination with the two women was. Nicholas and all his staff at Cloned and other businesses were absolutely fixated with them. Tiffany was also sure that they were the reason Nicholas could never take her seriously. "You know these two?" "Of course I do, who doesn't know Nicholas' precious girls?" "Ferris, Nicholas Ferris?" he asked more to himself than anyone else. He didn't need an answer because he could see by the looks on the faces of the two women that he was right. Aleks could feel his rage bubbling up. Nicholas had the audacity to summon him to make sure he respects the border lines and property of the dogs, and then he sends these two to violate his. He would make sure Ferris came to regret this. He didn't wait for her to respond to that last question. "Go wait for me outside Melanie, I'm going to drive you home," he said still not taking his eyes of the twins. "Tiffany." "What?" finally turning around to look at her. "My name; it's Tiffany not Melanie. Are you really going to send me home because of these two?" she asked snidely. Aleks' patience was rapidly waning. This is not how he had imagined his homecoming would be. He was too tired to deal with this and 'Tiffany's' little attitude wasn't helping much either. He took a deep breath and took a step to come to an imposing stop in front of her. "I said wait for me outside Tiffany!" he said in a tone that made everyone in the room shake with fear. Without saying another word, Tiffany turned on her heels and almost jogged back to where she was. Normally she would have said something about the way he had spoken to her, but this time even she could tell that would have been dangerous for her, she did the smartest thing she could do and retreated. * Aleks used Tiffany's retreat to try to rein in on his temper. He took another deep breath and turned to face the twins again. "Why did Ferris send you here?" It was Zan's turn to feel her stomach drop. The last thing she wanted was to get Nicholas in trouble. In one night she had managed to get her sister and herself kidnapped and to top it all off, Nicholas was about to be very disappointed in them. "Nicholas didn't send us here, we didn't even know you knew him,' Zan finally said. "And he doesn't have to know about this, you know. We didn't take anything, so I'm sure we can come to some agreement here." Aleks cocked his head to the side and considered Chella's twin sister. For some reason he believed her when she said Nicholas didn't know. "What sort of agreement?" he asked, slightly amused by the balls it takes to attempt a deal with an imposing figure who has so much leverage over them. "No agreement, just call the cops." Chella interjected. "Wait Chelles, hear me out.." "No Zan, there's no agreement to be made with this psychopath!" she said looking him in the eye. Aleks sneered at her, and it was all she could do not to cower away. There was something really creepy about this guy and there was no way she was going to make a deal with the proverbial devil. "But..." Zan started, before Chella cut her off again. "No Zan!" "Well seems like you two have some things to discuss. In the mean time, I'm going to take my guest home, maybe when I get back you will have thought of something, right Zan?" he said with a smile. With that he closed the door to his library and made sure it was locked. Before he got far, a thought came to his mind, 'if they could break into his house, that means they can break out'; and with that he turned and made his way back to the library to make sure they would be there when he returned. * Chella glared at Zan as soon she heard Aleks turn the lock on the key. She really couldn't believe her sister. She always knew she was a bit insane; but this is a new level of madness that she reached. She was just about to tell her that when they heard the key turn in the door and Aleks walked back in. Aleks went to a painting Chella recognised as one done by an 18th century artist that wasn't that well known. He pushed the painting to the side to reveal a safe. He pressed some buttons on the safe door and then pulled it open. The twins couldn't see what Aleks retrieved until he turned back around. Their faces paled as soon as he did. "Wait a minute now, I thought we were going to talk about this, make a deal you know. That is not necessary." Zan said to him. He spoke before Chella could say anything, "I know. These..." he said holding up three pairs of antique looking hand cuffs, "are just to make sure you will be here when I return." He pushed a chair to where Chella was standing and told her to sit. Chella would have resisted but figured the sooner he left the sooner she could figure out a way to get them the hell out of dodge. She sat down and watched as he locked two of the cuffs to the arms of the chair she was on. He held out his hand for hers. Chella hesitantly gave her hand over to Aleks. Electricity shot through her body when their hands made contact. She could see Aleks was also affected by it because he drew a startled breath just like she did. 'What just happened?' they both thought to themselves. 'Must be static,' she decided. Aleks moved quickly to cuff Chella to the chair. He needed to get out of there and think about what just happen, to decide what it means. He moved to her sister and tied her hands behind her back with the last pair of cuffs, then made his way out the library without saying a word. Aleks locked the door behind him once more, but unlike the first time he leaned his head against the door he just exited and took a deep breath. Sweet strawberry assaulted his senses again and he felt like his knees were about to give in. 'What is it about that girl?' If he were to be honest with himself, he didn't really want to know the answer to that question. Maybe the drive into town would clear his head. * It took a while for Chella to clear her thoughts enough to even think about escaping when Aleks left. Something about him affected her deeply, and that scared the hell out of her. Now it was even more vital for them to leave that house and never look back. They were a good fifteen minute out of town by car, so they had thirty minutes to get out the cuffs and out the house before he returned. Their best bet would be the woods behind the house since they didn't even have the luxury of a car or Zan's death trap of a bike. It would take them longer, much longer to get back to town but at least that way they could be sure they wouldn't run into him on their way back. "My hair pin Zan," Chella said once her wits finally returned to her. "I'm sorry Chelles," Zan said moving forward to where Chella was seated. "Not now Zan, can we get out of here first?"Chella said curtly. She didn't mean to come off so harsh, but she really didn't want either of them in that house any longer. There would be time for apologies later but right now getting out was the most important thing. Zan moved quietly to where her sister was seated. They were lucky she wasn't tied up in the same way Chella was, at least she had the advantage of movement even if she couldn't see what she was doing. Chella tilted her head backwards so that Zan could have better reach of the pin that was on top of her ponytail. As soon as Zan got the pin, she quickly worked on straightening it and then handed it to her sister. Chella wasn't even sure if she could get them out of these things. They looked like they came out some medieval movie set or something. 'What sort of a person keeps handcuffs in his study any way?' she asked herself. 'Could he get any creepier?' * Aleks had thought that the drive into town would help him put his thoughts and hormones into perspective where Chella was concerned. He soon realised that would not happen. He couldn't wait to get back to her, even though he had no idea what he was going to do with her. He couldn't stop thinking about how her tiny body would feel on top of his, or how beautiful the contrast would be between his pale skin and her beautiful golden brown skin. He groaned at the thought. He really hoped the deal her sister came up with would have something that would allow that to happen. That would certainly make things interesting. * "What's taking so long Chelles?" Zan finally asked. She had been working on her lock for a while now and she was sure Aleks would be on his way back now. "What, besides the fact that my hands are tied to a freakin' chair?" Chella responded sarcastically. "This shit is archaic, I may as well be working in the dark, I'd appreciate some patience right about now." "Yeah would love to give you some Chelles, but we don't have much time left, I'm sure he's on his way back by now." "You don't say, Einstein," Chella remarked snidely. "I said I was sorry Chella. I don't know what else you want me to do to make you accept that." "Just let me finish what I'm doing in silence, please Zavagne." Zan knew that anytime Chella used her full name, she had reached the end of her fuse. It would be better for the both of them if she just kept quiet, before they said things both of them would regret, which always happened when they got really mad at each other. "Yes!" Chella whispered through clenched teeth. It took her a little over fifteen minutes but she finally did it. One of Zan's cuffs was off her wrist. There was absolutely no time to get her out of both the cuffs right now, of that she was certain. And another thing she knew for sure is that she was going to have a hard time convincing her sister to leave her behind to get some help. "Finally, so how do I do it?" Zan said excitedly, "A little faster though." Zan had never been good at breaking locks, that has always been her sister's speciality, but she could take instructions well. She was sure she could get Chella out of her cuffs before Aleks got back, even though they would be cutting it very close. "You can't Zanny." "What? What do you mean Chelles? We need to get you out of here pronto pronto! Now what should I do, how do I get you out of here?" "There's no time Zanny, you have to leave me behind." "What?" Zan asked in disbelief. Her eyes started to glass over because she knew her sister was serious. But there was no way she could do it, especially since this whole situation was her fault. "I could break this chair, give me a minute I'll find a saw or something. There's no way I'm leaving you here with that crazy ass guy." "You didn't think he was crazy when you were trying to cut a deal with him," Chella remarked and then regretted it almost immediately. "I'm sorry Zanny, I didn't mean that. We don't have much time left honey, he'll be here any minute and you need to be gone by then." "No, I can't leave you here, this is my fault. I won't leave. I can't leave you here!" Zan said while shaking her head. "We can't both stay here, you have to get some help. Get Nicholas, he'll know what to do. We can't get to him if we are both stuck here." "No Chelles, I can't! What if he hurts you? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you." "And I would never forgive you if anything happened to you because you wouldn't listen to me. Get a fucking grip and leave Zan, NOW!" she said now screaming at her sister. They really didn't have much time left. They had no time for Zan to be having a break down. "Please honey, focus. You need to leave and come back with help, Zavagne." "But.." Zan started to say in quivering voice. "I'll be fine. Just go, please." "I love you sis. I'll be back, I promise." "I know honey, and I love you too. Now go, hurry!" * Daniel couldn't wait to take his mate for a run and almost broke the hospital entrance doors of their hinges to get to her. "Whoa, slow down there big guy, where are you heading off to in such a rush?" asked Maggie. She was the oldest pack member to have moved back with them. She was like everybody's surrogate mother. She grew up on these lands and was heart-broken when the Alpha at that time decided that the pack would move up north. She jumped at the opportunity to move back. "Oh, sorry Maggs," Danny said feeling like a little pup again. Maggie had a way of making even the largest pack member feel like a pup. "I was looking for Lizzy." "And that's a good reason to break down the hospital door?" "Uhm, I guess not, Maggs." He said running a hand through his long shaggy hair feeling appropriately contrite. Maggie smiled at the Alpha's younger brother and pack Beta. He was a large guy, but he always treated her with respect, and for that she would always love him like a son. He and the Alpha were the closest things she had to having her own children, and she cherished that. They thought that her reason for returning to these lands was that she missed it here, but in actual fact he came here for them. "You guess right there, young man. What's so important that you feel the need to break down the door anyway?" "Well I just wanted to take her for a run on the rest of the packlands.We just got the all clear from the Alpha, ma'am." "Wow, really? That's fantastic news!" Elisabeth said almost jumping into her mate's arms. He caught her by the waist and lifted her up easily and spun her around before planting a slow sensual kiss on her plump soft lips. "Yip, and I'm giving you the honor of the first tour sweetheart." "Mmm...lucky me," Liz responded, then gave her mate another kiss that seemed to melt the big guy into a puddle. "Ok you two, go on and get out of here. There are pups here that don't need to be seeing what you two are about to do right by the entrance here," Maggie said fondly to the couple. "Sorry Maggs," the two said at the same time, before leaving the hospital. * Aleks bounded up the stairs to his house eagerly. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was really excited to see his little Chella. 'Wait, did I just think of her as mine? Where did that thought come from?' he thought, them immediately pushed that aside. "Damn it!" he said as soon as he realised that one of the sisters was gone. The door to his study was open and he could no longer sense Zan in his house. He knew he should be pissed off that one of them had left. She would most likely return with the police but he was sure he could handle that. He would just have compel them to turn back; one of the many skills his age afforded him. On some deep level he was pleased that Zan had left her sister behind. Now he had the opportunity to seduce her without a third wheel. When he walked in to his study, Chella had both her legs up on his desk with her head thrown over the back of the chair. She looked so relaxed and at peace while thoroughly studying one of his favorite paintings in his study, but he could still sense some fear and uncertainty. She looked so beautiful. Her brow was farrowed and she was biting on her bottom lip in the most sexy way Aleks had ever seen. His cock responded to the image immediately. He imagined himself biting and sucking on that plump bottom lip till he drew some blood; the taste of which he was sure would blow him away completely. A groan almost escaped his mouth at that thought. 'Focus Novak,' he said to himself just before he walked into the room. * Zan was frantic as she ran through the wood behind Aleks' house. She had one thing on her mind, and that was her sister. How could she have been so stupid? It was all her fault that her sister was in that situation. She didn't deserve this. "It should be me the left in that house," she whispered to herself. If anything happened to her sister she would hate herself forever. "God I'm such a skrew up," she cried, then she heard what she was sure was animal noises. 'Could this night get any worse?' she asked herself. She could hear yelping and barking, then she heard a loud howl that almost made her piss her pants. "Wolves? Really karma, fucking wolves?" she whispered to the sky. At least she was upwind, hopefully they wouldn't be able to pick out her scent and they would just pass by, then she would be on her way again. She looked for a good tree and climbed up as fast as her short legs could take her. * Liz and Danny had shifted as soon as they made the tree line at the compound. Danny had given his mate a head start before he started hunting for his beautiful black wolf. His inner beast loved it when his mate made him hunt for her. His wolf loved the thrill of the chase and Lizzy knew that. She took off as fast as she could in the direction her mate had told her to take. She knew he would find her eventually, but she loved making him work for her. She could tell he was catching up to her when she heard him howl loudly behind her. The sound made her wolf instantly wet. Danny could track his mate just on her arousal. Nothing else mattered to him at that point, nothing but sinking his painfully throbbing cock into the tight confines of his mate's warm cunt. The thought made him run even faster till he could see her dark tail teasing him. 'I found you, submit mate,' he sent to her through their mate bond. 'You have to catch me first mate,' she responded. She couldn't wait for him to catch her. Her cunt was already twitching so was eager to have him in her. She had unconscious slowed down and in the process made it all too easy for Danny to pin her to the ground by her neck. 'Submit!' Danny repeated to his mate. After a bit of yelping and uninspired whining Liz finally submitted to her mate. * 'Oh great, I get to watch a canine porno. Really karma do you have anything else under your sleeve you evil bitch?' Zan thought to herself as a large grey wolf mounted a smaller black one. Well, relatively small. She was almost positive wolves aren't suppose to be that big, but her evening was already fucked up anyway, so what difference would two huge wolves make. Liz's pussy was literally dripping by the time Danny pinned her. 'You caught me mate, now fuck me!' she said just before shifting back into her human form. Theft of the Heart Ch. 02 Just as Danny was about to enter his target they heard something hit the ground hard from above them. It was a young human woman. 'So much for not causing trouble,' he said more to himself than to his startled mate beneath him. Theft of the Heart Ch. 03 Not going to bore everyone with excuses for taking so long with this chapter, what I will say is IM VERY SORRY and I will try to have the next chapter out in less time. Also thanks to everyone who emailed and commented, you guys are the reason I'm going to continue with this story. Hope you enjoy the chapter Thanks to Axelotl for making this readable and for all the help with this chapter ;) *********** Danny and Liz both stared at the human girl who just literally fell from the sky. She had a large mane of light brown curls. If not for the blood slowly flowing from a small wound on her forehead, they would have thought she was having a peaceful sleep. "So, what do you think knocked her out, the fall or my shifting?" Liz asked her mate in a slightly nervous tone. She knew the Alpha would not be happy about this. She was still very new to pack life, she had no idea what the punishment would be, and that scared the crap out of her. Danny could sense his mate's fear and anxiety, which in turn made his wolf want to rise back up to the surface. "Relax honey, this is my fault, not yours. I should have made sure the perimeter was clear before I brought you out here," he said, trying to soothe his mate. "And even if it was, you should know that Josh would never ever hurt you, he loves you almost as much as I do. He would die before he let anything or anyone harm you. You have to believe that." Elisabeth-Marie Glades was human until a little over a year ago, when she met Daniel Auris. It was as close to love at first sight as Liz thought was possible. In the space of one week, she graduated from medical school, fell in love with a werewolf, and transformed into one herself. She never regretted the choices she made. However, sometimes she wished she had taken some time to learn about her new world before taking the leap as fast as she did. It wouldn't have changed her decision, but at least she wouldn't have to second guess herself at every turn because she was unsure of the consequences of her actions. More than once, she found herself in a bit of trouble with some of the pack members because she was unaware of some of the pack protocol. Most of them were really nice and treated her as part of the family, but some still didn't like her much. Those who didn't like her, were some of the females who were holding out hope of mating with the Alpha or his brother and second in command. They tried, and often succeeded in making life miserable for her around the compound. She had succeeded in keeping that away from her mate, because she knew he would most likely try to help her, and with that, making her look even weaker in their eyes. "She's bleeding, we have to get her to the hospital," she said, trying not to dwell on the punishment that was probably waiting for her. Danny really wanted to make sure that Liz understood that no one would hurt her, but he could see the determination in her eyes. She wanted to help the girl, and she didn't want to talk about this anymore. He would play along for now, but eventually he would make her understand. She had to. "Fine, let's take her back with us. I'll deal with my brother. You just do what you do best, and I'll take care of the rest. Ok?" He gave her a reassuring kiss to her left temple that made her smile. Danny moved to pick the girl up, and noticed a pair of handcuffs on one of her wrists. He didn't have much time to speculate about that, as Liz shifted into her silky black wolf and took off in the direction of the compound. ************ Joshua Auris grunted the last remnants of his orgasm into Julia's warm cunt. He really needed to stop fucking her; but she was really tempting and always available. And a man, even an Alpha werewolf has needs. Julia was perfect at fulfilling them, but lately she had become complicated. Recently she was becoming increasingly clingy. Little things, like staying a little longer in his bed after sex, or wanting to cuddle afterwards. Josh knew most of the unmated females of the new pack were holding out hope of having him choose one of them as his mate, Julia more so than the others. Yes, she was his favourite fuck buddy, but she wasn't his mate, there was no way Josh was going to mate with her. He didn't want to admit it to anyone, not even to himself, but he really did want to find his true mate, and he wasn't going to settle for anything less than that. If finding her was not in the books, then so be it. But he wasn't going to mate some random female just for the sake of procreation. "That was amazing, Josh," Julia whispered into his ear, after coming down from her own bone-shattering orgasm. She didn't want him to move, he felt so good inside her. "Yeah, that was something," he said, as he rolled off her and headed for the shower. "Hey, why don't you stay in bed for a while? I like it when you hold me afterwards," she said, watching his tight ass as he sauntered across the room towards his en suite bathroom. He paused before he got to the door, and looked back at the tall, naked, blonde woman in his bed. "Don't do this, Julia. We've spoken about this, you know the perimeters of our relationship. There's no need to complicate a good thing with all this," he said, waving his hand to her laying on his bed. He saw the sadness in her eyes when he said that. Josh felt like a dick, but it needed to be said. He didn't feel anything for Julia beyond what he did, and he knew he never would. He would feel like a bigger dick if he led her along. Unlike the other pack females, Julia didn't just want the power that came with being the Alpha bitch, she really cared about him. In fact she may have even thought that she was in love with him. "How can I complicate us by wanting to be close to you, Josh?" "There is no 'us'," he said patiently. "I told you when we started, that this is just us having fun. You are not my mate, and I'm not going to treat you as if you are, just so that I don't hurt your feelings." Julia sat up in his bed. The sadness in her eyes being replaced by anger. "Is it too much to ask for you to not treat me like a piece of meat after you fuck me? Besides, it's been over half a century of us fucking, don't you think if you were going to find your mate you would have found her by now? Not everyone finds their mate, some of us only have each other for company." She swung her long legs off the side of the bed, then walked over to where Josh was standing and put her hands on his broad hard chest. "Maybe Luna meant for you and I to be together because we don't have mates. You said it yourself; we are so good together, Josh," she continued, as she placed seductive kisses across his chest. "We might not be mates, but who needs mates when we have what we have?" She got onto her knees and engulfed Josh's semi hard shaft into her skilled mouth. She moaned and she tasted herself on his cock. Josh let out a deep groan. For all her drawbacks, Julia always did know how to get him going. His cock quickly hardened inside her expert mouth. She drew back from him, her blue eyes locking seductively with his brown ones. Her tongue snaked out and licked along the ridges of his now fully erect member, all the way down to his balls. She licked and sucked his fleshy orbs, and popped one in her mouth as she slowly stroked his beautiful thick cock. She knew just the way Josh liked it, she knew she was the only one who could make Josh feel the way he felt right now. All she had to do was make him see it too. She left his balls in favour of his cock, and began to suck on him hard. Without taking her eyes off his, she took his entire length into to her warm wet mouth, and let out a long reverberating moan. "Fuck!" Josh cried out. She always had a way of making him lose control. He grabbed a handful of her long hair and drove his cock hard into her mouth. She let out a small sexy whimper. Her hands moved from his hard powerful thighs to her sopping wet pussy and rubbed her engorged clit at the same pace that Josh fucked her mouth. She could see he was close; his eyes were changing from their normal dark brown to a light, glowing amber. She shoved three slender fingers into her pussy and started fucking herself as hard as Josh was fucking her mouth. She wanted to cum with him. Josh's knees were growing weak as his orgasm approached. He forced himself even deeper into her mouth; then he exploded into her throat. His orgasm drove her to her own. As she swallowed his seed, her quivering pussy gushed, and her mouth greedily sucked off everything Josh had to offer her. It's always like that with them, their connection was so powerful. Why couldn't he see it? Nobody could make him feel the way she did. 'He'll see things my way soon enough,' she thought to herself. "See how good we are? We make magic every time we're together," she said looking up at him and seductively licking her lips. "Luna made me to be yours Josh, you have to see that." Just as he was going to respond to her, Danny barged in looking slightly dishevelled and with concern marring his rugged features. "Uhm," he said, noticing a naked Julia on her knees in front of his brother. "I hope you are done, because we may have a situation," "Fuck, how many times must I remind you to knock Daniel?" Josh helped Julia up, and watched as she made her way into the bathroom. "We spoke about the knocking thing already, Josh. I told you not to hold your breath." Josh walked across the room to retrieve a pair of sweat pants. "What's the situation, Danny?" He wouldn't tell his brother, but his timing was perfect. Danny just helped him avoid a very uncomfortable conversation. "Well, Liz and I kind of found a human." "What?" Josh asked turning to face his brother. "What do mean you found a human?" Daniel could see anger and concern in his brother's eyes. This really was the last thing they needed right now. The pack hadn't even fully integrated into their new homes and there could be some trouble. "Well, she kind of fell from a tree, she's in the hospital, Liz is giving her a check up." "Why is she in our hospital? Why is she not in town at a human hospital?" he asked, knowing there was more to this 'situation' by his brother's guilty demeanour. "Because she may have seen Liz shift," Danny answered hesitantly. "Damn it!" Joshua screamed and flung a lamp across the room. ************ Chella looked so sexy with her shapely legs up on his table. Her head was hung over the edge of the armchair, her back was arched and chest poking was out. Aleks could see her beautiful brown cleavage exposed by her tight black and top. His cock twitched at the sight. He wondered what the rest of her looked like. He planned to find out soon. "Don't tell me your sister had something better to do," Aleks said, coming around to sit on the dark mahogany table. "Let me guess; she's going to return with the calvary?" Chella ignored him and continued to study the painting in front of her. . It was a soulful portrait of a young girl. The girl's eyes reminded Chella of her own, in that she saw such pain and untold suffering in them. The girl was sitting over a lake staring at her own reflection on the surface of the water. It was so beautiful in its simplicity, she could get lost in it for hours. If it were under different circumstances she probably would, but unfortunately for her she had other things to deal with. She didn't want to look at the man who was holding her captive. She wasn't sure, but something about him was off. He made her feel way too open for her liking, it was as if he knew her deepest and darkest secrets. She didn't like that at all. She just wanted to get home and forget about this whole situation. For some reason, she knew that wouldn't happen. "So I take it there really is no deal," Aleks said, rather than asking. He wanted her to say something. "What do you think?" she replied, without taking her eyes off the painting in front of her. "I think you and I can come up with something on our own. I'm sure there's something you have that you can bargain with," Aleks said, eyeing Chella's body with intent. Chella glared at Aleks. He smirked at her when she did that, and that only infuriated her. She wondered if he knew how striking he looked when he did that. Maybe that's why he did it. She wondered if he knew what it did to her. 'He probably made every woman he met feel like this, the bastard'. She bit her bottom lip thinking about how his hands would feel on her body. Where the hell was her mind leading her? She should be thinking about how to get out of this situation, not about how it would feel to be held in her captor's powerful arms. Aleks suddenly caught a whiff of female arousal. His smirk turned wicked. So, little Chella was not as immune to his looks as she pretended to be. "The only deal I'll make with you is to promise not to call the cops if you let me go right now," she said with confidence she didn't really have. "In a few hours my sister is going to make it to town, and when she gets there, she's going to come back here with at least five squad cars all gunning for your ass. So trust me when I say it is in your best interest to let me go now, before she makes it to that station." Aleks' smirk grew into a full blown all-knowing grin. Even with the conviction with which she made that little statement, he could still sense her fear. But she was skilled at hiding her emotion. 'She would actually make an excellent vampire,' Aleks thought to himself. A delectable one too. Aleks crossed his arms across his chest and shrugged nonchalantly. It would be easy to get rid of the cops. The only problem would be if Chella's sister came back with Nicholas Ferris. Not that he couldn't handle himself against the elder vampire, but it would be a nasty and ugly clash, and if that that were what he wanted to do with his time he would have just remained in Europe. "I have one better than that. You and I, one on one on the basketball court. If you win, I let you go, I don't press charges and I'll even let you leave with that painting you seem so interested in," he said, nodding towards the painting he had found Chella studying when he arrived. Chella looked at him with disbelief. The painting was worth more than fifteen thousand dollars. It's really something she wouldn't mind having in her collection, she thought. She found herself actually considering the bet. Chella was used to people underestimating her when it came to basketball, because of her size. She was good, and she knew it. She could hold her own against Nicholas and he was just about the same size as this guy if not a little taller. It was always satisfying watching the disbelief in their eyes when they lost to her. He would be no different. Even though Chella had to admit that he had a very athletic body, he didn't really strike her as someone who actually played. He looked like one of those guys who got manicures and pedicures twice a week or something. He probably spends most of his time in one of those spa salons; that would explain why the man was so damn attractive. She was sure she could take him. "And what happens if you should win?" she asked. Not that what he said would make a difference in her answer, there was no way she would be backing down from the challenge anyway. That's just not who she was. "If I win, you spend the rest of the weekend in my house, and among other things, you answer every question I ask you truthfully." Chella's breath caught, "What do you mean 'among other things'? What exactly does that include?" "Whatever I want," he responded simply. "Whatever you want? And if you were to tell me to have sex with you, I should just let you rape me?" "I have never raped a woman in my life, and I don't intend to start with you, Chella. When we have sex, I can assure you, it will be with your full consent," he said, with a certain level of conceit mixed with confidence that sent blood rushing to Chella's pussy. "When we have sex? What makes you think I'm interested in having sex with you?" she asked, not believing this guy's audacity. So what if he was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on, that didn't mean she wanted to have sex with him...Right? Aleks smirked at her as if he could read her mind. "Just a hunch," he responded with a shrug. She really wished she had some witty response to that, but she had nothing. For a second she wished her sister were there, she would have something smart to say to that. "So, what do you say?" Aleks asked, looking to save her from her little predicament. "Fine, you're on. Un-cuff me." Aleks un-cuffed a confident Chella from the armchair and led her toward his basement. The decent thing to do would be to play fair, like an average human would, but nobody has ever accused Aleksander Novak of being decent. He would do what he could to win so he can call an end to this long day he was having. The game really was over before it started. Chella only managed to sneak one basket from the free throw line before Aleks could tear his eyes away from her body. After that he scored five successive baskets to win the wager. Chella had never been beaten so thoroughly and so fast before, now she knew how her sister felt. She didn't like the feeling at all. Not only that, she didn't like the idea of spending her entire weekend with a man whose name she didn't even know. Even if some crazy part of her found the idea undeniably thrilling. "I hope you are not thinking of reneging on our wager, Chella," Aleks said noting the pensive look in her eyes. "No, I don't go back on my word," she said. "You won fair and square." Once again, Aleks flashed her that knowing, gorgeous grin that sent moisture pooling through to her panties. Now she was convinced he knew exactly what effect he had on her when he did that. This was going to be a very long weekend if he kept that up. "Seeing as how I'm spending the next few days here, you think you could tell me your name?" "Aleksander Novak," he said before turning to head out the basement. Chella followed behind, noting how good his ass looked in his dark tailored suit pants. 'Oh god, I can't believe I got beat by a guy in a suit,' she thought. Her sister would never let her live this down if she ever found out. Shit, her sister. She should be getting close to town by now. "I need my sister's phone," she said suddenly. "No you don't," Aleks responded, without even looking back at her. "Unless you want the police down here, yeah, I do." "Really? What do you plan to do with it, call her?" he asked sarcastically. "No asshole, I think I know who she's going to. If you gave me her phone I could call him and tell him to tell her that I'm fine," Chella said, before crossing her arms over her lovely cleavage. Even though she had told her sister to get Nic, possibilities were that she would be heading straight to Officer Grant Taylor. Aleks looked at her sceptically for a few seconds before speaking. "And how do I know you won't be calling someone to come rescue you?" "I may be a thief, Aleksander Novak, but I'm not a liar. I said I'd stay, and I will. But if you'd rather have half a dozen squad cars on your front yard, then that's fine with me," she said, looking up into his dark green eyes. Aleks mulled over that idea, what's the worst that could happen, really? She could call someone to come rescue her, and he would get rid of them the same way he was planning on getting rid of the cops in the first place. Unless, she called Nicholas, that could cause him a bit of a headache. He really wasn't in much of a hurry to be seeing the other vampire again. Theft of the Heart Ch. 03 "And who do you plan to call, Chella, Nicholas Ferris?" he asked resentfully. For some reason, he didn't like the idea that Chella knew Nicholas. He wondered about the kind of relationship the two had. He would find out. Chella was baffled by Aleksander's sudden change in mood. One minute he was a condescending asshole, the next, he was all angry. 'Is it Nicholas that upset him?' she wondered. 'How does he know Nic anyway?' She really hoped he didn't do business with each him, she didn't want this to effect Nicholas' business in anyway. "No," she said cautiously. "My sister has a friend down at the station. I'm pretty sure she'd rather go to him before involving Nic in this." Aleks regarded her for a while, before moving to his office to retrieve the said phone. He handed it to her without a word. Chella looked at him for a while before scrolling through her sister's phone. She found the name she was looking for, pressed the dial button and waited. She didn't have to wait long. "Hey Zan!" "Hello Grant, it's actually Verochelle," she responded, without taking her eyes away from Aleks. She listened to the man on the other side of the line fumble his words before finally forming a coherent sentence. "Uhm...hey Chelles, I mean Verochelle," Grant said, remembering that Verochelle didn't really like being called 'Chelles.' Her sister and Nicholas were the only ones who got away with calling her that. "How are you? What's up?" he mumbled some more. "I'm fine thanks, I need a favour," Chella said, cutting to the chase. "Sure, anything. What can I do for you?" "My sister is on her way to the station. I need you to tell her that I'm fine, and she doesn't need to get help anymore." "Uhm, why would she think you needed help? Are you in some trouble?" "No trouble, just a little misunderstanding that I've just sorted out. Tell her I'll give her a call tomorrow, and that she shouldn't worry. Can you do that for me?" "Yeah, sure, I can do that. Are you sure you're ok though? I could come get you, wherever you are." "Yes, I'm sure. My sister knows where I am, if I don't come back, she'll know where to look for me," she said, staring at a smirking Aleks. "Uhm, ok I'll let her know," Grant responded suspiciously. "Thank you, bye Grant," Chella said, before he could continue, and promptly hung up. "So what now, Aleksander Novak? What questions do you have for me?" "Well, let's start with something simple, shall we, Verochelle Winters?" He gestured for her to have a seat on the same armchair she had been cuffed to not so long ago. "What were you doing in my house tonight?" he asked, as he prepared two glasses of whiskey for them. 'Wow, that is an easy question,' she thought. 'Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.' "We were in the middle of a burglary," she answered sardonically. "I thought that would have been kind of obvious." Aleks stopped what he was doing and glared at Chella. He was surprised to see her glare back at him defiantly. There weren't many people, human or vampire alike, who could look so determined when he had that look on his face. It was amazing how much confidence she possessed now that her sister was not in his house anymore. He expected her to cower like so many have at his feet. He had to admit, he was impressed by her show of tenacity. He smirked at her before he spoke again. "Perhaps you and your sister would have succeeded if you had not been so easily distracted by some balls." A small frown marred her perfect features. That was rather asinine of them. Had they not been so distracted by "some balls," as Aleks put it, they may have been able to avoid this entire situation. She shrugged at that, and didn't respond. It wasn't a question after all, and the only reason she agreed to stay was so she could answer his questions. Or at least, that was the excuse she made to herself. "And why did you choose my house specifically?" he asked, continuing his task. "My sister thought the house was empty and she found out from a reliable source that there are some interesting pieces here." "And you just went along for the ride?" "In a nutshell, yeah," she said, shrugging. Aleks crossed his arms over his chest, Chella could see the muscles straining beneath his black dress shirt, and had to stifle a moan by biting her lips. "Who's your sister's source?" "I don't know, you'd have to ask her. Unfortunately, you didn't have enough cuffs to keep her here," Chella said, smirking at Aleks. Her smirk fell away when she noticed his roguish sneer, like he knew something she did not. "Tell me about your sister." "The only thing you need to know about my sister is that she is none of your business," she responded defensively. "I think you are forgetting our agreement, Verochelle. I ask questions and you answer," he said patiently, before handing her the glass of whiskey. "My sister has nothing to do with this deal, if you want to know about her, then you can ask her. I'll answer any questions that relates directly to me, but my sister is none of your business, Novak," she reiterated. Aleks took a seat behind his desk, directly opposite Chella. He knew she was protective of her sister, he just didn't realise how much. "Very well, tell me about your relationship with Nicholas Ferris." Chella mulled over that question for a bit, before deciding how to answer. Her relationship with Nic was complicated. He had taken in Chella and her sister, and had taken care of them both during one of the worst times of their lives. He could have turned them in when he found them in his house ready to steal from him. But he didn't, instead he showed them so much kindness it broke through her sister's grief and came very close to breaking through her own. Without Nicholas Chella was certain she wouldn't have survived. If he hadn't come into their lives when he did the two sisters would have most likely ended up in jail, or worse. Nic was the father they never knew, the mother they didn't remember and the brother they lost all rolled up into one devastatingly handsome package. Aleks saw the obvious affection in her eyes at the thought of Nicholas Ferris and it pissed him off. He didn't like the fact that she held such emotion for him. "Nic is family," she said with clear adoration. "Family?" He asked sceptically. "Yes. Family doesn't only have to mean people you're related to by blood you know. Sometimes people come into your life and plant themselves so firmly in your heart that the only way you can describe what you feel for them is 'family'. I'd do anything for him as I would for my sister, so yes; he is family." "And how did earn the privilege of being claimed as 'family' by you," he inquired resentfully. His dislike for Nicholas Ferris increasing by the minute. "That's a long story." "Good thing you're here all weekend," he said pleased with himself. "Nic earned mine and my sister's trust and loyalty through his humanity and benevolence." Aleks threw his head back and laughed at that statement. He's heard a lot about Nicholas Ferris, but the words 'humanity and benevolence' have never been used to describe the elder vampire."I've heard a lot about your Nic," he said with a certain level of contempt. "But humanity and benevolence?" Chella was taken off guard by Aleks' apparent dislike of Nic and naturally rose to defend him. "Well obviously whoever told you about my Nic doesn't know him. Since he happens to be my best friend and I know him better than anyone else, I think you'd be better off taking my word over whoever it is that told you about him!" Aleks scoff at her as he drained his glass. He had no idea why he was getting mad. Why should her relationship with Ferris matter to him? So what if she loved the other vampire without really knowing him? Logically he knew that he shouldn't care what the little human does with her life or with Nicholas; but he did. Her relationship with the elder vampire bothered him. Subliminally he had a theory as to why the relationship bothered him, but he was not yet ready to admit it to himself. As much as vampires and other supernatural being were considered myth among humans, some supernatural being had things they too considered myth, one of them being the concept of a 'true mate'. There are plenty of mated vampires, but he always figured it was based on mutual fondness, as in the case of humans, instead of some external 'higher power' that decides the fates of each individual on the planet. He had lived far too long to believe that the gods spent their time picking the mates of every living creature. "You know him better than anyone else?" he asked with mocking sneer. "I'm pretty sure I know more about Nicholas Ferris than you do little girl. Things that could make you re-evaluate that little declaration you just made." "Really? And what would that be?" "I can tell you with absolute certainty that he is a very bad man," he said with a mocking smile. "While he may have showed you a more humane and benevolent aspect of his character, I can assure that is not who he really is. He's just like me, except he hides who he really is." Chella fear filled scent assaulted Aleks' nostrils once again. She had started to feel comfortable in Aleks' company until just now. The urge to go back on her word and try to escape beat down on her consciousness, but she callously shoved the urge away. "I don't think you and I are talking about the same Nicholas Ferris," she said with more confidence than she actually felt. "Like I said, I know Nic well and he is nothing like you, after seven years with him I'm pretty sure I'd have known if he were a complete asshole." "Are you fucking him?" he blurted out. That isn't what he wanted to say. What he wanted to do was actually end this conversation and head to bed to rest; but her defending of Nicholas was really grating on his nerves. Why would she defend someone like Nicholas, what is it about him that' making her put him on such a high pedestal? And if she knows everything about him why does she not know what he used to do to his own kind? "What?" Chella asked almost choking on her drink. She had never thought of Nic in that way. While she could appreciate that Nic's looks were certainly way above average; he was family in every sense of the word and even though they weren't connected by blood sleeping with him would still be tantamount to incest, in her opinion. "Not that it's any of your business but no! Nic is family." "Family and yet you don't really know what he is, what he has done," he said stalking up on Chella. "Do you have any idea the kind of things your Nic did to his own people? His own family?" Chella had stood up and backed away from Aleks until she found herself against the wall with nowhere else to go. Oh god what have I gotten myself into? She thought to herself. He mind was frantically searching for a way out off this situation she found herself in. But she literally felt like trapped prey and Aleks was the predator. The way he was looking at her was extremely unsettling, but she did her best to contain the dread that was bubbling just beneath the surface. Aleks would have been fooled by her calm exterior, if the scent of fear hadn't eclipsed any other scent in the large home office. He had to invade her personal space by bending down and sniffing on her neck to get even a tiny whiff of her strawberry scent.His close proximity both excited and terrified her at the same time. Her reaction to him was so confusing it was disconcerting. Her brain was telling her to move but her body had different ideas. Her soul felt safe even though the situation didn't really allow her to. "Do I frighten you Verochelle?" "Yes," she whispered breathlessly. Aleks growled at that. The way she said 'yes' made his cock stir. He wished she were saying that to him in his bed, in the throes of passion. "Does Nic frighten you?" "No." Aleks lifted his face from her neck to look into her light chocolate eyes that had gotten slightly glassy. He could hear the rapid beat of her heart and could clearly scent her fear and confusion. Part of him wanted to take her in his arms tell her everything will be alright. But he was angry and spiteful and couldn't bring himself to comfort her. Instead he brought his large hand to her neck and began to close it around her."Well he should Sweetheart; like I said he and I are exactly alike," he said with a sneer and extended his large fangs and allowed his brilliant green eyes to bleed black. "Oh god," she whispered before she lost consciousness. ********** Danny followed his brother and Alpha to the pack hospital. He had fucked up this time, and he knew it. The last thing the pack needed was attention from the town. If this woman saw Liz shift, she would have to be turned, and if she has family that could mean investigations. Investigations that the pack could really do without. "Where is she?" Joshua barked. "In the west wing, Liz thought it would be better if she was kept in a separate part of the building, as far away from the rest of the pack as possible. She didn't want her presence to upset them." "Well at least someone is able to use their brain instead of their fucking hormones, maybe she should be my second instead." Josh knew he was being cruel, but he really couldn't believe his brother had gotten them in this mess. Between this and his Julia situation, his evening really couldn't get any worse. "I said I was sorry Josh, it's not like I went out there looking for trouble, man. Shit happens." "Yeah, shit always happens where you are concerned." "Damn it, Josh, I said I was sorry, I don't know what more I can say! You being an asshole about this whole situation is not going to help anyone!" Joshua let out a deep growl and turned to face his brother. "Watch it, Danny, I am still Alpha here. The next time you speak to me like that, I will take it as a challenge. Got that?" Danny lowered his gaze and bared his throat in submission. He didn't want to challenge his brother, and he sure as hell did not want to be Alpha. "Yes Alpha." "Good," Joshua said, as he made his way into the building. "And Daniel, I'm sorry too, I was being an asshole. There's no one else I would rather have as my second than you little brother, we'll fix this." "Yeah, I know. Let's face it, your life would be boring as hell without me," Danny said with relief, knowing his apology has been accepted. His brother could never stay mad at him. The pair made their way into the building through one of the back doors. As soon as Josh walked through the door his wolf perked up and became restless. Subconsciously he knew what it meant when his wolf stirred like that but he couldn't allow himself the hope for fear that it wasn't really his mate in the far room of the hospital. His wolf would not be silenced though, he trusted his instincts more than Josh did and he knew. Josh opened the door and immediately his wolf mentally projected the most important word known to his kind through the minds of his entire pack. "MINE!" Theft of the Heart Ch. 04 Stepping into the shower, Alek's thoughts drifted to the girl currently cuffed to his bed. He had no valid explanation for anything he's done when it comes to her. Why did he make that challenge? He should have dragged her sexy ass back to Nicholas, not cheat his way into making her stay the weekend. It was only Friday evening, what the hell was he planning to do with her for the rest of the weekend? How the hell was he planning on resisting the urge to sink his already aching cock into the warm depths of her cunt, with her lying right beside him in his bed, tempting him to hell and back with that sweet scent of strawberries? And what the hell possessed him to reveal that not only is he a vampire but so is Nicholas? He knew that would not going to go over very well with the other vampire. That knowledge had the potential to cost her life. He didn't like the idea of her dying, hell he didn't like the idea of her being hurt at all. He would fix this though, he was old enough to have mastered the art of compulsion. Once he was done having his fun with her he would simply compel her to forget everything about him and whatever would be discussed over the next few days. He would wipe clean her memory and make sure she doesn't come back to his house again, then he would find her sister and do the same. They could all move forward with their lives and pretend that this whole weekend never happened, and even Nicholas would never have to find out. With his situation finally figured out, Aleks turned his focus to his throbbing manhood. It had been hard ever since he saw Verochelle in his basement the first time. Not even the twenty minutes it took to drive that annoying little blonde back to town was enough to settle it. He took the thick stalk of his cock into his soapy hands and began stroking it slowly while thinking of the little temptress on his bed. Her hands were so small he wondered if she would be able to wrap them around his entire cock. What would those full lips feel like wrapped around him? In his mind's eye he pictured her on her knees with those big doe eyes staring up at him as her little pink tongue snaked out to lick the tip of his throbbing member. He growled at the image and his hand began to stoke his swollen shaft in earnest. As the head of his cock appeared and disappeared around his fist he made up his mind to know not only how her mouth would feel around his cock, but also to know what it would feel like to be submerged inside her warm core. With a low groan, he came harder than he had in months. ***** Verochelle knew this alleyway, she knew exactly what was going to happen in it. She knew this dream well. She'd had it every night for the past eight years. And try as she might, she could never change the way it ended. No matter what she did, or how loud she would scream, it always ended the same way, she always woke up with a broken heart. She watched helplessly as her brother dragged the pretty brunette behind the dumpsters by her hair. "I'm sorry I have to do this," he would say to her. "He wants you to know you did this to yourself, I'm so sorry." Then he would beat her for what seemed like forever to Chella; until the girl's screams dulled down to nothing but pathetic little whimpers. Then he would start ripping her flimsy little blouse off. And this is the part where the younger more naive Chella would step out from the shadows she was hiding behind. The fourteen year old who believed her brother could do no wrong; the one who practically idolised the man who had so viciously brutalised the pretty girl. She had silently followed her brother when he left their apartment late that night. Unlike her sister, Chella was a light sleeper. She always followed him when he left the house, when he thought they were asleep. She wanted to know everything she could about him, she wanted to be just like him. Chella had watched him meet with a shady looking man dressed in a well-made suit. She thought that maybe it was someone who had a job for them to do, but something about him didn't seem right; and neither did Andre when he left their short encounter. She then followed him to a pretty shady part of town and watched as he stalked the girl who was presently bleeding beneath him. Chella didn't understand what she was seeing. How could he be doing this? Her brother was a good man. This wasn't the same man who had raised her and her sister when both their parents died five years ago. "We may be thieves, little Bunny, but we are good people at heart. We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't have to." She had believed him when he said that. But this wasn't what good people did. This wasn't part of their game of survival. "Andre? What are you doing?" she would ask him. "What I have to do, little Bunny. I'm so sorry. I have to do it, it's all my fault." His voice would be filled with remorse and shame, but his eyes were cold. Not the same vibrant hazel brown eyes that all three of them shared as siblings, but dead cold eyes that sent a shiver down Chella's spine. Then Chella would spot the shinny little revolver sticking out the girl's purse. She watched as the younger version of herself reached for the gun and pointed it at her brother. She could still remember the feel of the cold steel behind her fingers; as well as the weight of the pistol. Some nights she would scream at herself, try to convince her young self to not pull the trigger, to find another way to stop what Andre was doing. But no matter how much she pleads, the same thing happens every night. Two bullets to Andre's back. Then there would be blood everywhere. So much blood; and everything would go quiet. That was not how it had happened in real life though. After the shots there were police and ambulance sirens, they were so loud. And the lights, they were everywhere on that night. But not in her dream. In her dream she found herself in a white sterile room, with no other sounds except for the beeping machines keeping her brother alive, despite the two bullets she had lodged firmly in his back. They told her he would never wake up, that he was brain dead. He looked like the Andre she knew when he slept like this. So peaceful, but all she wanted was to scream at him until he woke up, just like Zan did to him every morning at home. Chella knew her screaming wouldn't wake him though. His eyes would never open. But just as she was about to walk away, differently from all her other dreams she'd had, Andre's eyes begin to flutter, so did Chella's heart. Her brother was waking up, she was finally going to be able to look into her brother's eyes, after eight years. She could finally tell him how sorry she was. "Andre?" Though as he opened his eyes something else was different. In the place of his hazels eyes were pools of black, so dark they almost seemed hallow. "Oh God!" Chella woke with a jump. She would have jumped clear of the bed if one of her wrist were not cuffed to post of a large unfamiliar bed. Instead she hung precariously on the side of bed. Just as she lost her handle on the post and was about to make contact with the hard wood floor, strong arms gently enveloped her small frame. She allowed herself only a moment of contentment as she stared into the brilliant green eyes of a man she knew was the reason for the drastic change in her dreams. It felt so safe being in his arms that she almost let herself enjoy the feeling. But this man was not safe at all. He was a dangerous predator. Undeniably beautiful, but a predator nonetheless. "You," she said accusingly. "You're a vampire." Aleks shifted his little temptress back on to the bed and adjusted the towel that now hung insecurely around his waist.He enjoyed the look of discomfort he saw on her face when she finally realised he was naked beneath the towel. "I am," he said arrogantly as though it were something to be proud of. If only his 'arrogant face' didn't look so much like his 'sexy as hell face'. Chella moved as far from the side of the bed as her cuffed wrist would allow. "You cheated, you bastard!" "In what way did I cheat?" "You're," she said searching her mind for the correct words. "Superhuman or something, that wasn't a fair game." She was trying so hard not to be distracted by the way his naked chest glistened from his recent shower. She was failing spectacularly. "Actually I'm not human at all Verochelle. And how is it my fault that you allowed your arrogance to lead you to your own downfall?" "My arrogance?" she asked, affronted. "Yes, your arrogance. You couldn't wait to get the opportunity to beat me on that court. You were so overconfident in your own skill that you didn't even spare a thought as to my own skill. Tell me, why do you think I would have a full court if I couldn't even beat a little 5'1" woman?" She hated to admit it, but he was right. She was so used to being underestimated that she didn't stop to think that maybe he could have been better than her. Her confidence in her own skills bordered on arrogance sometimes. She would never say that out loud though. "I'm 5'2"" she said, biting the inside of her mouth. God she looked adorable when she lied. "And I would have beaten you if you were human." "And we will never know that for sure, now will we, Chella?" It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him not to call her that, but is sounded so intimate coming from his mouth that she just couldn't get herself to do it. Aleks turned his back to her and walked to what she assumed was a walk-in closet. She couldn't help but notice how incredible his back looked. His shoulders glistened with little droplets of water from his wet hair. She couldn't help it, but looking at a half-naked Aleksander caused similar moisture to gather at the apex of her core. The man's body was so sinful, it made perfect sense that he wasn't human. She hated that her body was responding to him like this. Why couldn't her hormones understand that this man, this creature was dangerous? Aleks was once again assaulted by the delectable scent of Verochelle's arousal. It took every ounce of self control he had in him to continue walking in the opposite direction, when all he wanted to do is bury his face between her thighs and find out if she tasted as good as she smelled. Although he had just cum as hard a few minutes ago, he was once again hard as steel. This was going to be the longest two nights of his long life. Even though he was in the habit of sleeping in the nude, tonight would not be one of those nights. He would need every stitch of clothing between himself and his bed guest. He found a pair of silk black silk pyjama pants his sister had bought him a while back. This would be this first time he wore them and he hoped they could contain his throbbing erection. He put the pants on before going back into his bedroom. He walked around to the other side of his bed on got in; much to Chella's dismay. "Wait, wait a minute now, what do you think you are doing?" She would never be able to sleep with him next to her. Granted she could function on very little sleep, but this was ridiculous. "I'm getting into my bed to sleep, it's been a very long day," he said as he switched the bedside lamp off. "No, no, no, you can't sleep here, I'm not sleeping with you." "It's my house, my bed Verochelle, I can most certainly sleep here and I will." "And how am I supposed to sleep with you in the same bed?" she asked nervously. "With your eyes closed," he said with a finality that pissed Chella off more than anything or anyone ever had before. She had just been dismissed. The man was the most infuriating person/creature she had ever come across. There was no way she would spend the entire weekend with him. He may have cheated his way into this little agreement, but she had a plan. She always did. For now she would just bide her time. ***** Josh couldn't believe that he had found his mate, or more accurately, that his brother had found his mate for him. She was absolutely beautiful. She had shoulder length curly brown hair and impossibly long lashes. She was petite but had ample breasts, a perfect handful in Josh's estimation and smelled absolutely divine; like wild flowers. Luna had gifted him with a truly stunning mate. She was dressed in all black and strangely had a pair handcuffs linked to her left wrist. She looked so tiny on the hospital bed and he wanted nothing more than to fill the space around her with his own body. He wanted, more than anything to feel her body pressed against his. But there were more pressing issues at hand. Like why she was there in the first place. She was obviously injured, a fact that his wolf was not happy about. He could smell the dried blood behind the bandage on her head and it agitatedhis wolf, he found himself growling. "What happened, Liz?" Josh demanded. "I-I'm not sure alpha. She fell, I think he may have seen me shift, I'm not sure," she responded nervously. Danny, sensing the distress around his mate, answered the question more accurately, "I took Liz out for a run south of the pack lands," he said, heading toward his mate to offer her some comfort. "She must have been coming from down wind because neither of us managed to catch her scent. To top it off she was smart enough to hide in a tree. If she hadn't fallen from it we probably would have never known she was there in the first place." Josh turned his attention back to his mate. "Is she ok though?" he asked, hating the bandage wrapped around her head. He couldn't be mad about Liz possibly exposing the pack anymore. There's no question of her not being changed, there was no way he was letting his mate out of his sight now that he had found her. Hopefully she didn't have any family to leave behind and her transition into the pack would be a smooth one. Gods, he couldn't wait to make her his, he thought as he stroked her curly hair. "She's going to be okay, she hit her head pretty bad from her fall and may have a concussion. But aside from a really bad headache when she wakes up, she should be good," Liz said with a little more confidence now that she had her mate next to her. "Did she have any identification on her? And why the hell does she have fucking handcuffs on her wrist?" he asked, not liking anything about this situation. So many things didn't add up. The place they found her would have been a few miles away from the highway, it wouldn't make sense for her to have gotten off the main road if she'd had any problems with her car. Also, the only place south of the pack lands is Aleksander Novak's property. And if she did come from Novak's property, why the hell did she have handcuffs? What the hell was the vampire doing with a human; and not just any human, his mate? If he hurt her in any way he was going to have the vampire's head. Wars and territory boundaries be damned! "No ID or anything else to identify her; as for the handcuffs, your guess is as good as mine. I was going to ask Scott to run her finger prints to see if it would turn anything up, but I guess it doesn't matter much now since she's your mate and all." "No, have him run the prints anyway. I want to know everything about her by the time she wakes up." "I'll get right to it, but uhm, doubt you'll know everything by the time she wakes up, looks like she's coming to now. You might want to take the growling down a notch brother; you don't want to scare your mate." "Shit," Josh said quickly getting his wolf in check. His mate was waking up and he didn't want her first impression of him to be one of an angry wolf. Zan could hear angry voices and growling. Was there a dog in the room? Where was she? And why did her head ache so much? She slowly opened her eyes and the sight that greeted her all but took her breath away. Maybe she was dead, maybe this was heaven. It would explain the man standing over her. He was simply the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. But why did heaven smell like...like a hospital? Josh watched as his mate's eyes went from awe to bemusement and then to alarm. His wolf demanded he comfort his mate. "Hello, I'm Joshua Auris. You hit your head when you fell from a tree on my property." "Am I in hospital?" Zan asked trying to pull herself up, but her head felt like it weighed a ton. "Uhm, yes. My brother and his mate brought you here when they found you." Liz stepped up to try to calm the human girl down. "Hey, I'm Liz, I'm a doctor, you knocked your head up a bit. You need to lie back down a bit." "No, I don't need to lie down, I need to get out of here, I can't be in a hospital, I need to leave," Zan said in rapid succession. The room reeked of the panic and fear coming from Josh's mate. His wolf demanded that he calm his mate's distress. "You're ok, no one is going to hurt you here," he said, reaching out to comfort her, but before he could lay a hand on her, she rolled over the other side of the bed in an attempt to get away. In her haste to get away she lost her footing and fell, and lost consciousness for the second time that evening. The three wolves in the room stared at the girl on the floor, confused over what just happened. Josh was the first one to come to his senses. "What the hell just happened?" he asked as he bent down to lift his mate of the floor. "Nosocomephobia, I think," Liz answered. "What?" the brothers both asked at the same time. "It's the excessive fear of hospitals. I think that's what caused her anxiety attack." 'Nelly,' Josh projected to one of the omegas. 'I need you to change all the bedding on my bed and get my quarters ready for my mate immediately.' He heard an affirmative reply from the omega as he made his way out of the hospital room. "I'm taking my mate back to my rooms, you will have to check on her from there Lizzy. Danny I'm going to need you to send Scott over to my rooms with his kit to take her prints, and for god's sake, find someone to get rid of these damn handcuffs." "On it," Danny replied, and set off to find Scott, while Liz followed her Alpha to the main house on the compound. ***** Aleks woke to the feeling of cold steel on his throat. He opened his eyes to see a very angry looking Chella holding the sharp end of his letter opener against his throat. "It's silver," she said. "I know, it is mine after all." "I want the key to these things or I will bury this in your throat." "I thought you were a woman of your word." "I am, but you cheated, therefore the agreement we had is null and void. Now give me the damn keys," she said. Aleks noted the slight tremble in her hand."If you get blood on my sheets I will be very upset, Chella," he said with that arrogant tone that infuriated Chella. "I'm not fooling around, Novak, I will do it if I have to. Tell me where the fucking key is, dammit!" "Do it," he said, grabbing the hand that held the letter opener closer to his throat. "Do it or I'll punish you, I swear to god, Verochelle, I'll make you regret it!" he said angrily. This was not how Chella imagined this would play out, she thought as she watched Aleks' green eyes darken. Aren't vampires supposed to be scared of silver or was it copper? No she was sure it silver and holy water, she didn't have the water so this would have to do. And why the hell couldn't she bring herself to do it anyway? She's done much worse to someone she loved, why the hell couldn't she do this to earn her freedom from this maniac? Aleks watched as a myriad of thoughts whirled through her expressive eyes. He wanted her to do it. Prove to him that he wasn't what he thought he was to him, that they could cut all ties at the end of this weekend and not be tempted to look back. He wanted her to hurt him to prove to himself that she couldn't be his mate, that concepts like that are for fools and romantics. Theft of the Heart Ch. 04 The trembling in Chella's hand got worse and with glassy eyes she dropped the sharp object on the bed. "You may be incapable of keeping your word Verochelle, but I am, now it's time for your punishment," he said as he grabbed her and laid her face down on the bed and straddled her legs. The scent of fear saturated the air around him as he ripped the tight black jeans Chella was wearing. He threw the torn rags the floor besides the bed and did the same with the deep purple lace thongs Chella had been wearing. The sight of her exposed ass caused him to pause for a moment. She had the most amazing ass he had ever seen. It wasn't too big, but it was perfectly rounded and the light brown skin was free of any blemishes and Aleks just knew it would be soft to touch. "You said you wouldn't rape me," Chella said trying to suppress the shiver that was wracking through her entire body. Part of her relished Aleks' touch but a greater part of her feared it. Aleks leaned down on Chella's back careful, to keep his full weight off her, and whispered in her ear. "Like I said, my dear Verochelle, I always keep my word. When we have sex it will be with your full consent. But before that happens, you will get the punishment I promised you for your obstinate behaviour. Now be a good girl give and take your punishment," he said, and lifted himself back on to his knees to straddle Chella's legs. Even with the evidence of Alek's arousal pushing firmly into the inside of her thighs, Chella didn't doubt his words. But if he wasn't going to rape her, how was he going to punish her and why did he have to rip her... Before she could finish her thought, she gasped as she felt Aleks' palm land viciously on her exposed ass. Another one landed as she realised what was happening. She was getting a spanking! Like a little child, Aleksander Novak was spanking her. For some reason her body wasn't reacting the way it was supposed to. As Aleks rained slaps on her tender ass, instead of being incensed Chella found herself more aroused than she had ever been before in her entire life. How could something so demeaning and offensive cause her body such pleasure? Instead of screaming bloody murder like her brain told her to, all that came out of Chella's mouth were low sensual moans and whimpers. This wasn't supposed to feel so good. Was this really punishment? She was so lost in the feel of his touch that she didn't even realise his breathing had changed. Aleks' hand froze in the air as the scent of fear that had just minutes before surrounded him was replaced by one of arousal, Chella's arousal. He couldn't help his heavy breathing and every time he breathed in he was almost overwhelmed by her need. Looking closer at the space between her thighs he could see the moisture that was damn near dripping onto his sheets. It was enough to tempt even a saint, and he was anything but. Chella waited for the next slap, but it never came. She finally looked back over her shoulder to see why he had stopped. His gaze was rooted to the spot between her thighs. She could feel the wetness there and she prayed that he would do something about it. She turned so that she was lying on her back looking up to the vampire above her. The feat was made difficult not only because of the cuffs tying her to the bed but also the man straddling her. The sting caused by the sheets on her ass was so delicious it was all she could do not to moan in pleasure. Alek's green eyes were so dark they almost seemed black, but he was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen and she couldn't deny how much she wanted him anymore. Even if it was just for one night, she wanted the vampire to possess her. She had never wanted anything as badly as she wanted him at that moment. "You have my consent Aleksander." Aleks didn't need any further prompting. His pyjama pants met the same fate as Chella's jeans and thongs, her t-shirt and bra also joined the torn rags on the side of the bed. Aleks was mesmerised by the flawlessness of the woman below him. From the beautifully dark brown tipped nipples contrasting her lighter brown skin, to the perfectly trimmed curls between her thighs. He wanted more than anything to bury his face down there and taste that sweet nectar oozing out of her core, but his cock was throbbing painfully and would not be denied. There would be time later on for him to enjoy her unhurriedly, but right now he needed to be inside her as much as she needed her next breath. He leaned down and positioned his aching member and without warning he plunged himself as deeply as he could into the warm depths of Chella's cunt. He froze as he heard her sob of pain and realised what he had just done. His sensitive nose picked up the delicious scent of blood, Chella's blood, her virginal blood. He lifted his head slightly and stared down accusingly at Chella. Chella was in heaven. She had thought the pain from the spanking was good. This was even better. Even with the pain of Aleks ripping through her maidenhood, this felt so decadent, so perfect. The weight of his thick cock felt luxurious inside her tender pussy. She looked up and saw the remorse and shame in Aleks' eyes that she did not expect to see there. She could see the decision in his eyes to withdraw from inside of her. Her limbs moved on their own accord and wrapped themselves around his retreating body, it was awkward to do with one arm tied the bed but she would be damned if she let him go at this point. "Please," she begged. "Please don't stop." She was not above begging. She was desperate for him, for the release she knew he could give both of them. He pushed all doubt aside and buried his cock back inside Chella's warm cunt. He grinded his teeth as her tight walls squeezed his member almost to the point of pain. Nothing in his life had ever felt as good as being inside this little woman. He fucked her deeper and harder as she groaned out loud in undeniable pleasure. Aleks buried his face at the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent. He wanted to be covered in it. It did things to his inner beast, it calmed him and made him frantic at the same time. Aleks could almost taste the blood pulsing through her veins. He had to call on all his self-control when Chella's velvet walls flattered around him. He kept himself from coming, but there was nothing that could have stopped his fangs from descending and sinking into Chella's throat like a hot knife through butter. Nothing he had ever tasted or experienced could come close to what it felt like to have her blood run down his tongue. No words in all the languages he knew could describe the ecstasy he felt as she came apart in his arms. As Chella came she was aware of every single cell in her body. Every part of her was on fire, she didn't know if Aleks put a spell on her or something but she didn't want him to stop. At that moment she knew she would do anything to feel this way again. When Aleks' fangs bit into the side of her neck another orgasm tore its way through her body and caused a rapture so deep and thorough it threatened to strip all the air from her lungs. Aleks continued to drink from Chella until his own orgasm took over and he spilled a large amount of cum deep inside her core. When the final tremor made its way through him he retracted his fangs from her a licked the little wound closed. He looked down to see an unconscious Verochelle and he knew: he was stripped bare and there was no way of denying it- not that he even wanted to deny it anymore. He was staking his claim on Verochelle Winters. She was his and the gods help anyone who got in the way of that. Nicholas Ferris included. ***** Thanks to Axelotl for the help with this chapter, and thank you for reading. Please leave a comment (CONSTRUCTIVE PLEASE!). Until next chapter, hope you enjoyed... Qu Theft of the Heart Ch. 05 Hello to all and thanks for reading. Also thanks to everyone who read and commented on my previous chapters. I've had this one finished for a while but couldn't submit because I wasn't completely happy with it and the exams kind of snuck up on me so I had to get back to it. Hope you enjoy reading and please vote and comment, tell me what you think. Thanks to Axelotl for the editing and the help he gave me with this chapter, I changed some things after he did his job so any mistakes you find are all mine. Happy reading Qu ****** Josh thanked the petite omega who was walking out of his quarters. "You are welcome, Alpha. If there's anything else you need, please call me. Doesn't matter what time it is, I'll be here," she said, hesitating by the entrance. "Thank you, Nelly, you'll be the first one I call on," he said as he made his way to his freshly made bed. He knew why she wanted to be the first to be called. He knew the curiosity around his mate would be extensive, especially considering she is human and also the circumstances which brought her here. But Josh didn't care, as long as he had his mate in his bed where she belonged. He would figure out how to deal with the rest of the pack later on, he thought as he gently laid her down on the bed. He turned to see Nelly still hovering at the entrance casting inquisitive glances at his sleeping mate. "That will be all Nelly, please close the door behind you." "Yes Alpha," she said, seeming appropriately ashamed to have been caught staring. Liz giggled at that, "I'm pretty sure she's going to be grilled by the entire compound about what she just saw. They're probably all itching to find out all they can about the Alpha's mate. Most of the unmated females were hoping you'd choose one of them. A lot of hearts will be breaking tonight, you know," she said as she checked up on the sleeping girl one last time. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said, thinking of a certain blonde he had shared his bed with less than an hour ago. At least I never led her on, he thought. There was never a point in their long relationship that Josh had even hinted that what they were doing was anything more than fucking. He only hoped that she would also find her mate soon so that she could be happy, she at least deserved that. Josh was brought out of his musing by the sound of Liz. "Like I said, she will be fine, I'll send someone over with some mild painkillers for her in the morning. Her head will probably be aching something bad when she wakes up." "So why mild painkillers if the headache will be bad?" Josh asked, concerned for his mate. The thought of her in pain unsettled his wolf. "Because she's human. If I gave her the painkillers I give to the adult wolves, she would be knocked out for several days. I doubt you'd want to spend that many days with her unconscious. And besides, the ones we give the pups should be sufficient enough for her headache, if not all you need to do is tell me and I'll take care of her for you," she said, packing up her medical bag. "If that will be all Alpha," she said, waiting to be dismissed. Josh looked up from his mate and smiled at his sister. "Yes, thank you Lizzy," he said as he enveloped her in a tight hug. With a kiss to the temple he walked her to the door. She hesitated by the door and asked, "So you're not mad at me?" Josh looked down at her in confusion, "Why would I be mad at you?" "For potentially exposing the pack, if she hadn't been your mate..." "If she hadn't been my mate—" Josh said, cutting her off, "I still wouldn't be mad at you. It was Danny's responsibility as Beta and my second in command to make sure that the perimeter was clear, not yours. You did nothing wrong." "But I shifted, and she could have seen me," she continued nervously. "Hey, hey," he said, grabbing her by the shoulders in an attempt to calm her. "Liz, everything worked out for the best, just the way Luna meant for it to happen. You found my mate for me and for that I will forever be grateful and indebted to you. You have nothing to worry about, ok?" "Ok," she replied shyly. He kissed her temple once again before she left. He meant what he said about being eternally grateful to her. As her Alpha and brother she would be always precious to him, but for finding his mate and taking care of her like she has she would always have a special place in his heart. He heard a soft knock on the door as he was making his way to his mate. He could scent his brother and Scott on the other side of the door. "Come in," he said, sitting by his mate's bedside. He didn't want to be far from her anymore. As soon as the two men left he would finally do what he's been aching to do ever since he saw her, and that's to surround himself in her wonderful scent of wild flowers. "I'm glad you finally learned to knock," he said as he noticed his brother walk in ahead of Scott. "Well I did say something about learning to knock when you finally found your mate. And besides, I'm not stupid enough to barge into your rooms while your mate is here and you haven't mated her yet. Maybe after you turn her I can go back to my pleasant self." Josh scoffed at his brother's words. "Alpha," Scott said in acknowledgement, before approaching the Alpha and his mate. "May I?" "Yes, please. I want you to find out anything and everything you can about her and her family if she has any." "I'll try my best Alpha, I'll run her prints and see if anything turns up, hopefully I'll have something for you in the morning," he said as he took the human girl's prints. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sleeping woman was, Luna had really blessed his Alpha. "If she doesn't have a criminal record then we will have to wait until she wakes up and gives us a name." "Thanks Scott," Josh said to the young wolf. Scott quickly and quietly dismissed himself after doing what he had to do, leaving the two brothers alone. Danny couldn't help but notice how content his brother looked sitting next to his sleeping mate. Things were looking up for his brother. The pack was settling in nicely and starting from tomorrow would be able to freely roam and explore the pack land. To top it all off, their Alpha had finally found his true mate, if that didn't express Luna's blessing, nothing else would. He was happy that his brother would finally know what it's like to be complete, to have the other half of your soul with you. "Let me take care of those cuffs for you," he said, unlocking the bulky cuffs with a set of lock picking tools. "Do I even wanna know where you learned do that?"Josh asked his brother. "Ask no questions, hear no lies, brother," he replied mischievously. "And now I will leave you alone with your ever so lovely mate," he said with an exaggerated bow. "Until tomorrow, or rather a few hours. Good night my Alpha." Josh was finally alone with his mate. He studied all her features. She was stunning. She was a bit more petite than he was used to but she was perfect in his eyes. Everything and everyone else before her didn't matter. All that mattered was the small woman lying in his bed right now. He thought of maybe removing her clothes so she could sleep more comfortably, but he didn't want her to feel self-conscious about her nudity when she woke up. He knew humans had issues with their nudity, something that the Were communities embraced. But soon enough she would too. As soon as they mated he would turn her and hopefully she would also embrace her nudity. She would be a strong and proud Alpha Bitch, as Luna intended. He was happy that Luna had sent him someone to help with the burden and responsibilities of forming a new pack. He would have been able to run it efficiently before; with his brother as second in command and the brave Betas he has, the pack was set to be a success. But with his mate by his side it would be even better, any doubts that he'd had about heading back south to form a new pack melted away as he got into bed fully clothed and wrapped himself around his mate, the future Alpha Bitch of the Joshua Auris Pack. It took a lot for him to decide to break off from their father's pack up north and move down here. Only a few of the original pack were brave enough to follow the new Alpha to the old pack lands their fathers had left centuries ago. With about a hundred and fifty Weres from the original Vance Auris Pack, most of whom were unmated, Joshua moved back to the lands his ancestors had once roamed and hunted on until only a few centuries ago. They had left the original pack with full blessings from their father and some of the elders in the pack. It had taken a lot to get the support from his father. The old Alpha was set in his ideals and only another Alpha who had his respect could have convinced him otherwise. Josh remembered the argument he'd had with his father before he got his blessing to reclaim their ancestral lands. "It's madness Joshua, you would condemn your people to death? It's swarming with vampire vermin down there! Do you think we moved up here for the weather?" his father had said to him in anger. "How long would you have us hide from our birth right? That land belongs to our people, if we do not reclaim who do you expect will do it? We are not the same pack that ran from vampires all those centuries ago. We are stronger now, faster more fierce than ever before. Now is the time to take back what is rightfully ours." "You think yourself better than the pack that left there in the first place, those vampires will attack first chance they get." "Then they would be foolish. Father there is no coven that doesn't know the Auris name. It is enough to provoke fear in any vampire and any that do not fear us and are stupid enough to try to take us on will be made an example off. It is time for us to stop hiding father, do you doubt everything you've taught me? Do you doubt everything this pack has done? Trust that all the sacrifices you've had to make as Alpha are sufficient to offer to protection to any that bare your name." Josh said stubbornly. Vance Auris listened to his son and agreed with everything he had said but he still found it hard let go. He was right though. The thought of what could happen if they left his protection was enough to make him sick to his stomach. But he knew his son would leave anyway. Joshua was an Alpha and no command he could issue would make him change his mind. If he were to entrust the safety of his people to anyone it would be to him. The reputation the pack had fostered was legendary. The covens that had once terrorised his kind were now history all through the proficiency of Joshua, his Beta and second in command. There really was no one better to reclaim what was once theirs, it was just a pity he had to lose some of his best warriors in the process, since most of them would follow his son of a cliff if he led them there. "Very well, I will give you my blessing, only if you let this old Alpha help," he said in resignation. "I know a vampire you could talk to make sure that you are at least settled in before the first of the vermin come sniffing at your door." Nothing mattered to the young Alpha more than his pack, well until now that is. At over two centuries old he had almost given up on finding his mate, though he always hoped he would someday, which was the sole reason he never even considered mating with Julia. With their worlds expanding and travelling becoming so much easier for everyone, it was getting harder and harder for Weres to find their true mates. Most ended up settling for the sake of procreation; especially Alphas. A mated Alpha was seen as a strong Alpha, and a mated Alpha pair with pups was blessed by the hand of Luna herself, because pups were seen as a symbol of life itself. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of how their pups would look. Beautiful little girls with wild hair, and fierce little boys who would do anything to defend their families and their pack. Perhaps even the next Alpha will come out of their first litter. For now he could only dream. ***** Danny headed to his cabin anxious to be with his mate. He already knew she was naked because of all the images she had projected into his mind. It seems her heat was making her as desperate as it was making him. He opened the front door only to be assaulted by the wonderful scent of a bitch in heat, and on their own accord, his hand began ripping his clothes off his body. They would not be disturbed this time, not even wild horses could keep him from his goal. He left a trail of torn rags as he made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. The sight he came across nearly made him blow his load prematurely. "Took you long enough," Lizzy said from the bed. She was lying on her back with her legs splayed open and her fingers buried deep in her wet cunt. "I'm sorry I had to start without you, Baby," she said with a slow sensual moan. Danny was speechless. Only Liz had that effect on him. She looked so gorgeous lying there, her nipples erect, pussy glistening, cute little clit peeking from its hood and her back arching every time her fingers disappeared into her core. He could almost get lost just standing there watching her please herself, but his need for her was too great. He walked to the bed like the hunter he was and ran his hands up Liz's smooth legs before letting his tongue follow the same path. Gods, she smelled so good and tasted even better, he thought as his tongue found the wet lips of her pussy. She moaned and buried her hands into his mop of blonde curls to push his tongue further into her opening. His tongue already familiar with the contours of her pussy dipped and prodded her warmth in a way only he could. Liz's soft moans only encouraging him to go deeper to gather her sweet nectar. A tightening of her stomach warned her of her impending orgasm but she still wasn't prepared for the intensity and screamed to the heavens as she came. Danny moved up Liz's body with his tongue bathing every delicious inch her. He paid special attention to her sensitive pink tipped nipples and was rewarded with a low sensual moan from his love. His erection hovered over her entrance as he finally got to her plump kissable lips. Normally he would tease her until she begged him to fuck her, but tonight was not going to be one of those times. "I'm sorry Baby, but I'm not going to last this time, I'll make it up to you in a few minutes," he said as in thrust into Liz's depths with a passion past anything he had ever felt before. Liz screamed as he bottomed out inside her. Her body was once again shaken by another powerful orgasm, this time it come without warning and it caused her muscles to violently squeeze Danny so hard that he had no other option but to spill himself into her warm confines after only a few minutes of heavy thrusting. "Wow, you weren't kidding about the not lasting," Liz said with a quiet giggle when her senses finally returned to her. Danny chuckled and rolled them both over so that she was lying on top of him with his cock still locked inside her warmth. "Well, you made it hard to last, but don't worry, in a few minutes I'll redeem myself," his said nibbling the sensitive mating bite on Liz's shoulder. A few minutes later he did redeem himself, thoroughly and until exhaustion claimed his mate. ****** Josh woke to the beautiful scent of wildflowers. His cock responded by almost burning a hole through his jeans. His mate squirmed in his arms and it was all he could do not to let out a loud groan. Her curves melded so perfectly with his body, it was so obvious that she was made especially for him. Josh decided to get out of bed before he did something stupid, like kissing his mates beautifully pouted lips, or grinding his straining erection into her soft centre. It was still early, but if he wanted to keep his sanity, a cold shower was what he needed. With that in mind he headed for the shower and prayed that it would do something to calm his aching need. Josh heard a soft knock on at the door as he exited his en suite bathroom. He knew who it was. He knew she would come see him eventually, just wasn't expecting it yet, at least not this early. "Hey Maggs," he said as he opened the door. The plump motherly woman had her greying hair tied back in a tight bun. Josh could smell the bacon grease, flour and ground coffee on her plain frock. She had come from the kitchens, having risen early to organise breakfast like she did every morning. "Good morning Joshua. The whole compound is abuzz with chatter about the attractive young human being kept in the Alpha's quarters. Would there be any truth to that?" The young Alpha scratched his head managing to look appropriately contrite. "Well there could be some truth to that. Would you like to come in?" "I wouldn't be interrupting anything would I?" she asked eying his bared glistening chest. "Because I also heard that this young lady is the Alpha's mate." "You're not interrupting, she still hasn't woken up yet. And yes, she is my mate," he said as she stepped inside. The elder woman stopped in front of him and looked up into his eyes as a smile formed on her wrinkled face. "Well isn't that something? We've only just moved down here and your mate suddenly appears in your backyard. Truly it's a sign from Luna that we were meant to reclaim these lands." "That thought had crossed my mind," Josh said returning the smile. "Maybe you should try to make yourself more presentable then. Try running a comb in your hair for a change," she chided as she walked past him into the bedroom. Josh sighed, she always had a way of making him feel like a young pup again. "Oh my, she is pretty," said Maggie looking down at the human sleeping peacefully in Josh's bed. "Our new Alpha Bitch. I'm happy for you dear." "Thank you," said Josh walking up beside her. "You know, it's strange, I don't even know her name, but it feels... it feels like I've known her forever." "Maybe you have." Josh cocked his head and gave her a quizzical look. "We were all made incomplete. Only by joining with our fated mate do we become a greater whole. Souls are meant to be joined, but we are inevitably split apart through death," she said sadly, remembering her mate. "But once we are reborn we can find each other again, in another form and another time. Congratulations, you have found each other again, and now you can go on to do great things together." "I just want to make a home. To keep the pack safe and happy." "That's a great thing in my book," chuckled the old lady. Just then, Zan let out a loud sigh and rolled her head over the pillow. Both sets of eyes stared down at her as she continued to sleep. Maggie's expression had become more serious, "Have you considered giving her the bite before she wakes up?" Josh was visibly taken aback, "What? Without her knowledge or consent?" The old lady nodded. "It has to be done. She is the Alpha Bitch. When she is with her wolf she will understand." Josh slowly shook his head, " It's not right. she needs to make that choice for herself." "It's not a choice, you know that Joshua. She's your mate, she has to become one of us. You know what humans are like, he fears may rule her. She may be...difficult. What if she doesn't want to change? It would make things a whole lot easier if you would change her now. She will know she is meant to be with you." Josh looked down on his mate and exhaled sharply. "No. I hear what you are saying Maggs, and it does make sense. But that's not how it's going to be." He moved his hand up and gently grasped the older woman's shoulder. "She will make the right choice. We are fated to be together after all. We have to believe that Luna will guide her in the right direction." Theft of the Heart Ch. 05 "Okay dear, do it your way. But I'm here if you ever want to admit that I was right," she said with a wry smile. She then stood on her toes to give Josh a peck on the cheek. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and make sure this compound is still running while our Alpha is otherwise preoccupied." "The place would fall apart without you, Maggie." "Don't I know it," laughed the elder as she moved to the doorway. "I'll show myself out. Oh and Joshua..." "Yes?" "I'm so very happy for you dear." Josh gave her a bright smile as she left. She was right in a sense. The compound would fall apart without her. There was so much work to do. Years of misuse meant that most of the buildings had to be refurbished and new security systems had to be implemented for the safety of the pack. His betas and brother saw to most of that, but Maggie did the most important stuff. Like seeing to the comfort of the pack, making sure they were settling in and happy, things that Josh should have been doing if he weren't so busy trying to establish a truce with the local vampires. She managed to juggle being a nurse in the pack hospital and somehow managed to run the kitchens as well. The woman never slept, Josh thought as he got dressed. Before too long he heard another knock at his door. He had just put a fresh t-shirt on to go with the black cargo shorts he was wearing. He walked over to open the door for the little omega he knew was behind it. "Yes Nelly?" he said, a bit annoyed that he would be bothered so early in the morning, surely the rumour mill could wait a few more hours? "Morning Alpha," the omega said with a bright cheery smile. "Lizzy said to bring this for your mate; and painkillers," she said holding up a small packet with some tablets and a glass of fresh orange juice to her Alpha. As if right on schedule, Zan began to go squirm on the bed. She felt like throwing up and her head felt like it was filled with lead. She groaned out loud as she held her head and attempted to sit up straight. It wasn't the first time Zan woke up with a headache but it was usually from a long rough night with her friends, not from...wait why did her head hurt anyway? she thought. She couldn't remember what happened the night before. She looked around for a clue but was even more stumped. The room she woke up in was large and bright. In the corner of her eye, she could see a large blonde man and a petite brunette just staring at her. The man's face looked familiar for some reason, but for the life of her she couldn't put her finger on it. Josh approached his mate, noting the confused look on her face. "Morning," he said gently. "You look like you could use these," he said handing her the pills and a glass of orange juice the brunette had been holding. Zan looked at the man suspiciously. She had no idea where she was or how she had even ended up there and now a strange, ridiculously hot guy was giving her some pills she didn't recognise. Granted her head was killing, but taking the pills would go against her better judgement. Josh saw the apprehensive look his mate was giving the pills in his hands. His wolf was saddened by the fact that their mate didn't trust them, the man understood and tried to put her at ease. "They're painkillers. My doctor said you might need them when you woke up since you hit your head." "Your doctor? Where am I?" she said sitting up. "You are in my rooms, on my property. My brother and his, uhm, partner found you after you fell from a tree just a few miles to the south of my lands. They took you to the hospital but you kind of freaked out when you woke up, so I brought you here." Zan had no recollection of anything the man said, but freaking out in a hospital definitely sounded like her. She hated hospitals. "Why was I climbing a tree?" she asked. Considering how many trees she's climbed to get to second story windows, it didn't make sense that she fell. She was an excellent climber. Her brother had always called her Kitty because she always landed on her feet, just like a cat. "And how did I fall?" "I was hoping you could tell me that? You don't remember anything about last night at all?" Josh asked, a bit concerned for his mate. Zan ran both her hands through the curly mess on her head as she tried to remember anything about how she ended up there, but she came out blank. Last thing she remembered was having a glass of wine with her sister on Wednesday evening, or was it Thursday evening? Her mind was all jumbled up and it hurt to think. "I don't remember a thing," she said shaking her head and the cringing when she felt a sharp pain at the top of her head. She touched it and felt the thick bandage at the top of her forehead. Josh was concerned about his mate. He hoped the fall didn't do any permanent damage, but just to make sure, he quickly sent Nelly to call for Liz. "Tell her it's urgent," he added. "Yes Alpha," said the little omega as she ran out of the Alpha's rooms as quick as she could. Josh hoped that his mate didn't hear Nelly call him Alpha, it would be difficult to explain. "I really think you should take these," he said, offering her the painkillers once more. He hated seeing the pained look in his mates beautiful face. "I promise you there is nothing sinister about them." Zan heard the sincerity in his voice. Her bright eyes locked with his warm dark brown ones and she saw honesty in them and something compelled her to trust him. She didn't know the man, but somehow she knew he would not hurt her. Her sister had always said she was too trusting. She would kill her if she saw the situation she had gotten herself into right now. She tentatively reached for the pills in the guy's hand and swallowed them with the orange juice he gave to her. Josh smiled as his mate took the painkillers. He just hoped that they would work soon, and she would lose that pained expression marring her face. "I'm Zavagne by the way," she said after draining the glass. "Joshua Auris, but you can call me Josh," he said, with a smile that totally captivated Zan. "Well I guess you can call me Zan then," she said trying to be flirty. She was a bit disappointed that she woke up in the man's bed and yet nothing happened between them considering she was fully dressed, if she were honest with herself she wouldn't mind spending the night with Josh. Something told her if she had spent a night with his cock buried in her core, it would have taken more than a little bump on her head to make her forget it. For a few moments she totally lost her mind to the gutters; thinking about all the things she would like to do to the big man. She wondered if every part of him was as big. Probably, she thought. She had never thought she was into that kind of muscle, but looking at Josh she couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him. She blushed a bit when she realised how intently he was staring at her. He could probably see where her mind had led her. Little did she know how right she was, since Josh could smell her arousal. It was all he could do to convince his wolf to calm down and not mount her right where she was. He was saved from his argument with his wolf by the entrance of Liz. Her face was bright and cheery. Josh was certain his brother was not in the same kind of mood. With Liz in heat he would want to spend every possibly moment with his mate. "Hi," she said looking at Josh, then Zan. "I see our patient is finally up. I'm Dr Elizabeth Auris," she said by way of introduction. "Auris?"Zan asked looking back and forth between the two. "As in your wife?" The two looked nothing alike, in her mind the only other logical explain as to their relationship would be marriage. Try as she might she couldn't hide the disappointment she felt at that. "No," Liz said giggling. "As in sister." It was clear that she was attracted to Josh and could obviously feel the mating pull even if she didn't understand it yet. She remembered the feeling well. From the first moment she had met her Danny she had felt possessive of him, even though she had been with someone else at the club where they had met. She could definitely sympathise with the other woman. Josh's wolf noted the relief in Zan's eyes when Liz clarified their relationship. He was glad to see that the pull was there on her side as well. It was good to see that he had not been led astray by his wolf. "Oh, yeah of course, that was going to be my next guess," she said blushing. "Of course," Liz said with a knowing smile. "So how are you feeling this morning?" she asked, checking the bandage on her patient's head. "I've been better. Feels like I drank an entire bottle of whisky then washed it down with a bottle of vodka." "She also doesn't remember anything about last night," Josh added. Liz's brows knitted together in contemplation. "Is that so? Can you tell me what day it is today?" Zan thought about it for a few moments. The last thing she remembered was having dinner with her sister on Wednesday, if that was yesterday, that would make today Thursday. "I'm pretty sure I'm wrong but, is it Thursday? The last memory I have is dinner with my sister on Wednesday." "I'm afraid you are, it's Saturday morning, 25th April 2015. Seems you have a mild case of amnesia, more than likely caused but the bump you suffered on your head. The good news is it's very likely that you will get your memory back in a few days if not the next few hours." "And what's the bad news?" asked Josh. "She's probably going to have a few more of those headaches, but fortunately we've got enough painkillers here in the hospital and I'll send someone over with a few as soon as I get there," she said finishing her examination. "If they get any worse don't hesitate to let me know and I'll do some adjustments for you," she finished with a smile. Zan decided she liked the other woman. She didn't have any love for doctors but Liz was okay for a doctor. "Thank you Liz." "You're welcome," she said then faced her Alpha. "If that will be all?" "Yes, thank you Lizzy," Josh said. With a little bow of the head Liz made her way out of the room closing the door behind her. "What's with the bow?" Zan asked, having noticed that the girl who left before had also bowed her head slightly before she left. "Uhm, it's a long story, will have to tell you some other things before I tell you about that," he responded not really ready to tell Zan about that. What if she couldn't accept it? Despite what she told Maggie he wasn't as confident about this whole mating thing as he had made out to be. His wolf had no such fears though, she was their mate, of course she would accept them, might be a little shocked, but she would accept them. "Summarise," she said looking up at him. He couldn't lie to her, but he didn't know how to tell her the truth just yet. He sat on the bed next to her prepared to tell a story he wasn't ready to tell yet. As if Luna was looking down on him and took pity on his circumstances, his phone started ringing on his night stand. He breathed a sigh of relief as he grabbed the phone to answer. At least he could buy himself some time to figure out how to do it. Maybe even talk to Lizzy since she was human until just over a year ago, she might be able to give him an idea of how to approach this. "Excuse me," he said to Zan noting that the call was from Scott. Maybe he had found something about his mate. "Yes, Scott?" "I've got something, I think you need to see this Alpha." "I'll be right down." He smiled at Zan apologetically. "I'm sorry it seems I'm going to have to summarise for you a bit later, there's something I need to sort out downstairs. In the meantime you can make yourself comfortable in my rooms, I'll show you around when I get back," he said and stood up to leave. Before he did, he bowed down to give Zan a gentle kiss on her cheek. Somehow, Zan didn't find that objectionable, in fact it felt completely right. She was almost too distracted by the kiss to notice the relief on his face when he got the called away. If it had been anyone else she would have been wary of the fact that he clearly had something to hide, but as it was she couldn't bring herself to be that worried over it. Something made her believe that whatever it was that he was keeping from her would be revealed soon enough. She smiled as she openly ogled his ass as he walked out the door. I need some quarters to bounce of that ass, she thought. As soon as Josh walked out the door he ordered all the wolves not to change until he could tell his mate what they were and for no one who isn't authorised to keep away from his suits. He didn't want his mate overwhelmed but curious werewolves. Josh quickly made his way to the security rooms in the basement of the large Alpha house. He was intrigued to see what Scott had found out in such a short amount of time. He walked into the rooms and found not only Scott there but his brother as well. He noted the nervous look on the younger man's face. His brother on the other hand looked tense. It bothered Josh a bit. What could they have found out that brought about such a reaction? "Isn't it a bit too early for you to be up?" he said to his brother trying to lighten the mood. "It is, but you stole my mate so I decided to do something useful with myself. So I came here to see what Josh could dig up." "I see, and what have you found out about her?" he said, directing the question to Scott. "A lot actually," he said, heading over to the printer and handing over the papers that had just finished printing to his Alpha. "It was a really long shot running her prints. I really didn't expect to find anything on her that way, but fortunately for us, she has a record, breaking and entering. It was sealed, probably because she was a minor when the incident happened, and someone went through some great deals to hide it from me, but I found it anyway," he said proudly. Zavagne-Leigh Winters. She was the daughter of Darian and Elenor Winters. Father died when she was a year old and mother died eight years later in a tragic car crash. She and her twin sister, Verochelle were then immediately placed under the custody of the state for about four months before their nineteen year old brother won custody over them. He died when the twins were just fourteen. He was shot in an alleyway and pronounced brain dead when he got to the hospital. "There's a time gap between when their brother died and when they were adopted again. They weren't with the state and they have no other family, so I'm not sure what happened to her and her sister between those months. But five months after their brother's death, they were adopted." Josh looked up at Scott and saw the unease in the Theta wolf's stance. His own wolf suddenly came to attention and Josh's instincts told him there was something he wasn't going to like about who ever had adopted his mate and her twin sister. He hoped to Luna that whoever it was that adopted them hadn't hurt them in anyway, otherwise he would be liable to return the pain to them ten-fold. He hurriedly sifted to the appropriate page seeing as his unintended growling had suddenly caused Scott to go mute. His wolf fought to surface as he finally found out who had adopted his mate—Nicholas Ferris. Josh had to fight to contain his wolf. He wanted to rip into something. All sorts of thoughts whirled through his mind. Had Nicholas kept his mate as a pet? He knew some vampires kept humans around for feeding purposes, like livestock, a living breathing personal blood bank. Is that what Zan and her sister were to Ferris? How did that connect with Aleksander Novak? Did Zan somehow escaped from Novak? That would explain why she had the cuffs. If the vampires had hurt his mate and her sister, he would see to it that they were adequately punished, and by punished he meant his wolf would tear them limb from limb. At the idea of finally being able to punish the two vampires, Josh's wolf finally calmed enough to give over control back to the human. Danny handed his brother a spare pair of sweat pants he had brought down to the basement in anticipation of exactly this reaction. He knew his brother would lose it like this because he would have reacted exactly the same way had he found out his precious mate had lived with a vampire for over seven years. "Look at it this way, maybe telling her you are a wolf won't be so hard for her to accept seeing as how she's lived with a vampire for seven years," Danny said, trying to reassure his brother. Josh shook his head. "Vampires never expose their true nature. Not even to their feeding pets. They are more paranoid about exposure than any other supernatural beings. Even though they can eat normal food, unlike the rest of us, they would die without human blood. They would never do anything that could possibly mess with their food supply, especially not Nicholas." "I don't think she's a pet, Alpha," Scott said. "Vampire pets don't usually have jobs outside of feeding their masters. And not only does your mate have a job, but she owns part of the security company she works at and is also co-owner of a club in town together with the vampire and her twin sister." "So you think the relationship is purely familial?" "It wouldn't be unheard of. There have been some vampires who adopt humans because they are not able to have children themselves. They usually turn them when they become of age, though. Zan was almost twenty two years old and she was definitely not a vampire, so what gives? What was the purpose of adopting the two humans if he wasn't using them to feed and wasn't going to change them? "It's possible, but to be sure I think you would have to ask the vampire." ****** Zan looked around the room she was in. It wasn't real fancy or anything, but it was neat and very tastefully decorated. There was a comfortable, lived-in feeling about it that Zan liked. It definitely suited the warm nature of the man it belonged to. As she got out of the bed with the intention to explore, the doors suddenly burst open and two of the cutest little boys tumbled in. The older one hurriedly closed the door behind them. The younger one looked uncertain and maybe a little bit scared while the older one was confident and had a mischievous look about him. They reminded her of herself and Chella when they were younger. "Who are you?" said the older of the two boys. "I'm Zan, who are you?" He smiled as he confidently walked up to Zan and introduced himself. "I'm Brandon and this is AJ," he said, pointing to the younger boy. "It short for Aiden Junior, I was named after my dad," said AJ shyly from behind Brandon. "I was named after my father too but no one calls me BJ, my uncle says I'll thank him for that when I'm older," said Brandon with a little shrug of his shoulders. Zan smiled at the precocious little boys, they were too cute for words. "Trust me you definitely will." "What are you doing in the Alpha's rooms?" "The what?" Zan asked. It was the second time she heard the word today. "He means what are you doing in my uncle's rooms?" "Uncle?" she said, then noticed the same warm brown eyes and bright blonde hair as Josh. "I'm waiting for him, he went down stairs for something." "You smell funny," said little AJ. Zan gasped at the little boy's words. Sure she couldn't remember her last bath but she didn't think she would have skipped enough days to smell funny. "So I haven't taken a shower today but I didn't think I smelled that bad," she said sniffing herself. "You don't smell bad, just funny. I've never met anyone who smells like you before," he said walking up to Zan to get a better whiff of the stranger. "Do you make a habit of smelling people?" Zan asked in confusion. Theft of the Heart Ch. 05 "Yeah, don't you?" "Uhm, no. Some people might consider that rude." AJ's baby blue eyes glassed over a bit. He didn't mean to be rude and he certainly didn't mean to be rude to the Alpha' mate. "He didn't mean that in a bad way, right AJ? We are taught to use all our senses, that's just what he was doing. He didn't say it to offend you or anything like that," Brandon said in defence of his buddy. "Hey don't be sad little guy, I'm not angry with you, you just caught me a little of guard there." "You're really not angry?" he asked brightly. "Nope not all, promise," Zan said with a smile. "Can I touch your hair?" Brandon asked from the side. She never understood what the fascination with touching her hair was, maybe that was one of the reasons her sister chose to wear hers straight. But Zan couldn't be bothered with all the effort it took her to keep her hair straight. She usually hated the request, but she didn't mind it so much coming from the little boy. "Sure, go ahead, just don't pull," she said kneeling next to the bed to make it easier for the little boy to reach her curly afro. "No!" said AJ. "Alpha said we should stay away from her, Brandon, you shouldn't touch her." There's that word again, thought Zan. Why did they keep referring to Josh as the Alpha, and why did he want others to stay away from her? "No, it's you he doesn't want around her, you're the one with no control," "I have control," said AJ with a pout. "No you don't, you're too young. You shouldn't have followed me, go back," he said to the little boy. Zan could see the tears brimming in AJ's eyes once again and his bottom lip started to tremble. "Hey calm down guys, no one has to leave," she said trying to pacify the situation, but it was too late and AJ's face turn a deep red and he started to cry. Zan reached out to try to sooth the little boy but he moved away from Zan's hands and in a huff of anger transformed into a little wolf puppy in front of Zan's eyes. With a panicked shriek, Zan jumped onto the bed to get away from what she just witnessed. ******* Josh heard a loud scream coming from his room and ran in, only to find his nephew and a scared wolf pup whining with its tail tucked between its legs. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Zan screamed frantically from on top of his bed. "Calm down, you're making it worse, you're scaring him," said Brandon, heading over to the little boy/puppy to try and calm him down. "Scaring him? Are you kidding me?" Zan asked incredulously. "Brandon!" came Josh's booming voice from the door way. "I thought I told everyone to stay out of my rooms, what are you doing here?" The little boy almost shrunk at his Alpha's scolding. He could usually talk himself out of any situation, but he was having a hard time coming up with anything that would help his current situation. "I'm sorry Alpha, I just wanted to see your mate." "I'll deal with you two later." "It's not AJ's fault, it was me, please don't be mad at him," he said, and picked up the little wolf pup and walked out the door. Zan couldn't understand why she was the only one who seemed freaked out by what just happened. Brandon being in his rooms was trivial compared to what just happened. And what was that about mates? And 'Alpha'? She felt like she was in the freaking twilight zone. Josh walked calmly up to his mate. "This is not exactly how I wanted you to find out," he said sheepishly. "Do you want to get down from there?" he asked Zan. She had jumped on the bed out of fear, and frankly she still felt safer up there. "No, actually I think I'll stay here. I just saw a little boy turn into a wolf Josh, do you want to explain that?" Maybe the pills he had given her were drugs or something. God she hoped they were, at least that would explain what she just saw. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, but you really should calm down and maybe stop pacing on the bed," "Calm down?" she shouted. "I just saw a boy turn into a wolf, a real honest to god wolf, with a tail, and a snout and a tail and fur, with all due respect I think calming down is the last thing I should be doing. THE BOY HAD A TAIL JOSH!" "Look, I understand this has come as a shock to you, but freaking out is really not going to help. Please," he said in a soothing tone. "Trust me, I'll tell you everything, just please get down from the bed and come sit with me," he finished pointing to the set of chairs near his fireplace. Zan looked at his offered hand apprehensively. It didn't make sense that she wanted to take it. Everything in her was screaming at her to run, but some foreign insane part of her trusted him enough to take his hand and allow him to walk her to the chairs. She couldn't help but think about what Nic and Chella would say if they saw her now. Josh sat her on a chair facing his and contemplated the best way to explain, and decided on the most candid route he could think of. "AJ is a werewolf Zavagne, all of us are," he said sincerely. "And I am their Alpha." Zan shook her head in denial. "Werewolves are myth, just stories for little kids and Hollywood. They aren't real." Even as she said the words, Zan couldn't deny what she had just seen. Josh didn't reply to that, he just waited for her to believe what her eyes had seen. With a heavy sigh of acceptance Zan shook her head again and then asked, "What do you mean by Alpha?" "I'm their leader, like the president or the king if you will. I'm the highest authority in the whole compound." "Well that explains the part about the bowing and the Alpha. But what did Brandon mean when he said he wanted to see your mate?" "It means that you are my soul mate. It's like love at first sight, only since we are werewolves it's love at first scent. My wolf recognised you as our mate even before I saw you," Zan was reeling from this information. 'Love'? How could he be in love with her when he doesn't even know anything about her? "How can you think I'm your mate if we aren't even of the same species?" "You can become like me, when you give me your consent we will complete the mating, I will give you a bite that will infect you with the Were gene and you will be a werewolf just like me." "You think I'm going to consent to you biting me? Turning me in to a werewolf? Are you insane?" she asked incredulously as she stood up and walk to the balcony. She needed space from this man. The closer she was to him the more she wanted to believe everything he said and logically she knew it was crazy. "No Zan, I'm not insane. I'm your mate. Don't you feel the draw towards me? I know you do because I can smell how aroused you are from here. I know you want me as much as I want you Sweetheart. Your soul belongs to mine as mine does to yours. That's the mating pull." "Yeah I feel drawn to you, but that's only because you are really hot. I mean I don't know a lot of straight females who wouldn't be drawn to you," she said pacing the length of the balcony. "Well maybe my sister, but then again, I'm not entirely sure if she is straight." She said the last bit to herself more than Josh. "Look Josh you seem like a really great guy and everything and I'm really attracted to you for some weird reason, more than I should be considering I just met you less than two hours ago, and you can turn into a dangerous animal at will, but you're a werewolf and I'm not. And soul-mates is not really a concept that makes complete sense to me. I'm used to going out on a few dates, maybe a movie or two before I even decide whether I even like a guy enough to sleep with him. This is a very foreign concept. Everything you are about is kind of hard for me to swallow." Josh stood and walked towards his mate. His wolf couldn't understand why their mate was rejecting them. Part of him was wishing he had actually taken Maggie's advice, but he didn't want to start their relationship with what he considers a betrayal of trust. He had to believe that Luna wouldn't bring her to him only to have her reject him. He knew she needed space but at the same time he need to be close to her. He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up to stare into her beautiful honey coloured eyes. He was relieved that she didn't try to move away from him, it would have killed him. "I've waited almost two centuries to find you, Sweetheart. I can take it as slow as you need to. We can go on dates if that's what you want, just give me a chance," his wolf rebelled at the idea, but would go along with it if it was the only way to get his mate. His wolf howled joyfully as he saw the smile that graced his mates face. "But you are going to have to teach me seeing as how I've never been on a date in my life before." If she was smart she would run hard and fast and far from all this werewolf madness, but the thought of never seeing him again made her inexplicably sad. Besides she would definitely have fun teaching him a few things about being on a date, she thought with crafty smile. "You've never been on a date? And what do you mean two centuries, how old are you?" "Two hundred and thirty something," Josh said with a little shrug of his shoulders. Zan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, she was so shocked. She was about to ask him if he was joking, but figured if werewolves were real, it wouldn't be so farfetched to believe that they could live that long. She was about to ask him more on the age thing, but his phone rang from inside. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked into the room, much to Zan's disappointment. He had actually wanted to give her a real kiss but he knew if he had done that, he would have had to say goodbye to taking it slow. Zan followed him back into the room. She noticed the slight change on his face and heard a growl as he checked the caller ID. "Nicholas?" "You better not have harmed a single hair on her head or so help me Auris, I will destroy your entire pack!"