Was it possible to be aroused in the midst of a threat?

He couldn't decide.

It didn't help that his wolf found the woman utterly alluring. He was captivated. Truth be told, the man in him wasn't far behind from sharing the same sentiment.

In truth, he hadn't noticed the woman at first when she entered the Pack. He made it a mission not to get involved with anyone in the Pack. However, those hot pink highlights always tugged his attention, forcing him to notice her at every turn.

Like a fool, his gaze always found her in the end. He couldn't do much but take in his fill of the woman and look away at the end. He couldn't afford getting tangled up with her.

He wished he could say it wasn't because she had been a Rogue.

But that was only a part of the reason.

He used to hunt after Rogues in his past.

Usually, they'd done nothing but cause him pain time and time again.

And when he saw a hint of those pink highlights woven into that thick brown hair, he felt something heavy, like guilt settle into his chest.

He had used his hands to snap the necks of Rogues.

When he glimpsed his big palms, the mere idea of wrapping his hands around her delicate neck made nausea rise in the back of his throat.

He couldn't imagine ending a life as sweet as hers.

Yeah, he thought she was sweet. It didn't matter that she had been a Rogue.

He wasn't lying when he said her wolf was beautiful. He'd never seen a wolf with a lush golden and white fur coat before. She looked...fluffy. He had the urge to rake his fingers along the silky coat, but he had a feeling she would bite his fingers off without remorse. Clear brown eyes watched him with unease. It was the only reason he didn't do anything rash. He needed her calm and trusting.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He made his voice so painstakingly soft, his men would've raised a brow at him.

He shook away the thought and approached the wolf on silent feet. She barely reached his thigh, but she was still bigger than most she-wolves he'd ever encountered. Her jaw pulled back, showing a wide display of white, sharp teeth. A low rumble vibrated in her throat, warning him to back off. He stilled, almost holding a breath.

Attraction congealed low in his belly, stunning his wolf still.

He mutely cursed his wolf. Now was not the time to be lusting after a female, especially if the said female still looked at them as if she were contemplating which vein in their body to rip for maximum blood loss.

She snapped her teeth, eyes flashing in beautiful defiance he couldn't help but be slightly in awe of it.

"Easy." He whispered.

He could sense the wildness in her animal. Maybe it was because of the years she'd spent as a Rogue. He would've asked but he had a feeling that she would throw him some sass with an order to 'mind your own damn business'. He'd seen her shout the same line to someone else in the Pack and ever since then, some Pack mates had steered clear from the loud-spoken female.

Some of the girls in the Pack had grown to almost worship her because she found absolute glee in teasing the boys who found fun in causing mischief in the Pack.

The longer they stared at each other, the more difficult it was for him to sense her human beneath that golden white fur. She was barely detectable. He knew right there and then that the wolf in front of him was all animal. Pen was somewhere buried deep under those enchanting brown eyes and satiny fur.

He doubted that his human would have much sway over this powerful she-wolf. Hence, he let his hold on his own wolf loosen just enough until his eyes bled black.

He found it satisfying as her wolf craned her neck, fascinated.

"If you want to play with me, I promise I'll let you with unsheathed claws."

Now that caught her attention. She ambled right to his side, skimming his leg. He stood still, holding out a hand. Her snout bumped into his fingers before she huffed, wiggling her head away from his grasp.

He'd forgotten that his hands were still streaked with spilt blood that long cooled on his skin.

He disappeared into the kitchen, surprised when the wolf followed him on nimble paws.

Jamison spied the wolf, shaking his head in disbelief. "You do realise that she isn't in control of her wolf right now. You barely can sense her human."

"I know."

"I was going to knock on the door, but I wasn't sure if you two were doing something I didn't want to walk into."

Alexei sighed, massaging his temples. "For someone who doesn't talk all that often, you're awfully chatty right now."

"It's the boredom."

He approached the sink and let the water run as he soaped up his hands until suds appeared. Pink streams of blood dripped off his hands as he scrubbed off the evidence of their earlier fight.

Once he was done, he shook off the water droplets and spotted Pen lounging in front of the fireplace. Her wolf completely ignored Jamison who was watching her with a hint of curiosity he failed to conceal. Those brown eyes flickered to him, communicating something. She motioned to the fireplace and yipped.

"I'll go get some wood." Jamison stood.

Once he was out, Alexei turned so the tail end of his spine rested against the sink while he had a full view of the wolf who was now sprawled on the rug, tugging the plastic bag that was filled with Penelope's things. The wolf began gnawing on it and when she wasn't satisfied enough, she shook it like a toy.

The contents spilled.

He went to retrieve the things that had fallen out, just as the wolf went scarily still as he approached, watching him with caution. He picked up a toothbrush and some snacks. He snorted when he plucked up a cotton pair of underwear that his babushka would wear. He couldn't help but chuckle as he examined the piece of fabric. No, he was sure his babushka would have at least better taste. Knowing Pen, she would've purchased the thing to spite him. He shook his head with a grin and went to collect the last item. He spotted the piece of blue silk near the leg of the table and barked out an astonished laugh.

The infuriating woman had actually brought the item!

He swiped it up, staring at it in disbelief. The material was still as soft as he remembered against his fingers. Whoever invented such a thing-

Jamison entered, alarming him. The man's gaze instantly dropped to the silk dangling in his hand. "You're a sick, sick man." His friend shook his head, meandering toward the the fireplace with a stack of wood piled high in his arms.

Alexei closed his fist around the scrap of material, hiding it from sight. "I did nothing wrong."

Jamison didn't bother with a response as he calmly set out the shards of wood he managed to gather. He dumped a few inside in pit and moved to the disjointed shelf that had been pushed against the wall. Dust covered the surface. Jamison ran a finger across the few books, and flicked one out, reading the title. Without a word, he returned to his steady crouch in front of the hearth and proceeded to rip several pages out.

"Jude is going to kill you."

The man just shrugged, ripping a few more for good measure and adding it to the pyramid of wood he constructed.

Alexei shook his head, still surprised that this man had lived so long in the Pack without inspiring Jude's wrath.

From his pocket, Jamison drew out a golden zippo, striking a small flame he let spread across the pieces of dry paper. It wasn't long until the flames ate into the slabs of wood, creating an aroma of roasted pine.

The golden white wolf watched Jamison with serene eyes. Her eyelids slowly drooped as her body relaxed from the woodsy fragrance that slowly began to circulate through the air.

Jamison lightly blew on the fire to help it spread a little faster before he brushed away the glowing sparks that flew around his cheeks. "I have enough wood to last the night. I'll take a shower before I hit the couch."

"You take the bed; I'll stay in here with her." Alexei said. He didn't want the she-wolf out of his sight or alone with Jamison in the living space.

For some odd reason, the wolf found the scintillating fire cosy. He couldn't fault her. He felt his own body respond to the flame with lazy admiration.

This made his friend hitch up a brow. "Ok."

Once the Enforcer left with his things to the room, he heard the pipes squeak in a sequence of noises before the sound of water spluttered out from the brass cylinders, hitting tiles.

Alexei took the plastic bag from the ground, tucking Penelope's things back inside. He set the bag on the table and quietly knelt beside the sleeping wolf. Soft puffs of air fell from her dark lips, he could see it in the air. It would be a chilly night. His fingers twitched, wanting to pet her coat but he refrained himself. Barely. Instead, he took a quick scan of the room and found a dark green throw draped across the back of the couch. He tugged it off the furniture and arranged the material over her body. He did this without taking his eyes off her, afraid those brown eyes would wake and catch him in the act.

The wolf merely breathed softly, curling into the warmth the throw provided.

Alexei lingered for a couple of seconds before he stood and got ready for the night.

***

What time was it?

I shifted onto my side, blinking in the dimness.

Where the hell was I?

I tried to sit up, but my back protested. I quickly went back down, trying to decipher what had happened.

I glimpsed the blackened wood in the fireplace where amber flecks still glowed, it offered enough light to make sense of the room.

It took a few seconds but images from last night stole my breath away.

I flinched when I realised that I had told Alexei about my wolf. Speaking of...I had shifted last night. In front of Alexei. I could recall feeling panic, but Alexei hadn't been afraid. No, the man had been amused and somewhat playful, her wolf reluctantly deemed him harmless. I couldn't remember slashing his head off from his shoulders, so that had to be a good sign that the man was alive and breathing.

I noted sometime during the night, my wolf must've retired her control back to me since I was naked under a green throw that felt bristly beneath my fingertips. I ignored the ache in my limbs and sat up, holding the scratchy fabric against my chest.

Where were the others?

For a split-second, I imagined that they had left me up here in the mountains. Pure anger and distress heated my veins, but the turbulent emotions winked out in a flash when I caught sight of a slumbering body sitting against the base of the couch.

Alexei.

The man was caught in a deep sleep, breathing softly.

I froze in surprise as the golden flickers in the fireplace cast a faint glow on him.

He had to be uncomfortable with the way he sat against the couch. Why didn't he just spread himself on it? The man didn't make sense sometimes.

He still had those shorts on and hadn't even bothered with a shirt. If it weren't for the fire, he would've frozen to death.

His sculpted arms were loosely folded across his chest and his head tilted to the side. There was no doubt it was going to leave a catastrophic ache when he woke up.

I silently crawled to his side, holding the throw around my body. Before I could tap his shoulder, his eyes fluttered opened. His body was tense as he assessed the room with alarm but when he caught sight of me, he visibly relaxed as his eyelids drooped again with fatigue.

"What are you doing?" His voice was pure huskiness against my jaw as I reached behind him and grabbed a cushion from the couch, depositing it on the ground.

"Sleep Alexei. It's still dark outside." I coerced the man to place his head on the round cushion. He didn't require much encouragement. He hunkered down, groaning in relief as he felt the softness of the cushion against his cheek. His breathing became deeper as his eyelids lowered again.

I searched the room for something to cover him up in and found another throw hanging off the side of the armrest. It was a lot smaller than the one I had, so I exchanged the two, laying the larger one over his body. He instantly dipped his nose into the material, snuggling in.

Something twitched in my heart as I loitered by his side, watching himfall into a deeper sleep.