The kiss of the sun on my skin is hypnotizing, the warmth of the sand under the long towel upon which I'm laying comforting. I breathe in the deep hot salty air around us and listen to the calming waves a few feet away from us. My eyes are closed under large black sunglasses. The breeze tickles my skin as I'm wearing a two-piece swimsuit. I try to ignore everything else. The word is trying. Which I'm completely failing to do.

Everything was perfect until half an hour ago. I woke up early for once and decided to go down to the beach to relax for once, without thinking of anything, especially not about a particular alpha I will not name. I emptied my mind of everything that happened until now, I forgot about that new menace hanging in the air, about the past and its pains and about all the tension between Nate and me that is bound to explode anytime now. I can feel the electricity in the air, the unanswered questions he has and that are frustrating him more and more as time passes. I've tried to avoid him ever since the incident with the vampires, always finding an excuse to flee the room when we are left alone. That's also why I'm here right now, so early in the day instead of under my comfy covers. The weather is nice and there are only a few people around because this particular beach is kept a secret around here. No one wants it to turn into a touristic spot.

So, here I was, minding my own business, ignoring the fishers and surfers and enjoying the calm when everyone decided to join me. At first I thought it was only the two girls but when my skin started prickling and buzzing with tension I knew he was here two. I started tow swear under my breath and refused to look at him. This became difficult when he decided to sit his towel next to mine and when I discreetly opened one eye I almost choked on air. He was wearing trunks. That's. All. How do you want me to react to that seriously !

'Dear lord !' My wolf whistled enjoying the show just as much as I was denying to be.

And here we are now, twenty-nine minutes and forty seconds later with me absolutely immobile, my jaw clenched and my muscles tense, in a state of complete disarray.

What did I ever do to deserve to suffer so much ?

'You were born.' My wolf cackles inside my head making everything more difficult as always.

'What are you talking about, I'm a ray of sunshine.'

You're a pain in my rear.

'You need to let out some steam, you're becoming an hold hag. Look at him with his glistening abs and strong arms...'

Can't you see I'm trying to ignore him right now.

'I don't get why you would.'

Of course you don't you crazy voice in my head.

I sigh and sit up, running my hands in my hair in frustration. I freeze when I hear him growl and sense a surge of power coming from him. Hidden behind my dark frames I glance quickly at him and he's staring at me with eyes shining brighter than ever.

'You're in so much trouble !'

What did I do this time ?! I want to throw my hands in the air in exasperation and throw a tantrum at the same time.

Life is so unfair !

'And you sound like a child.'

"What ?" I ask him when I'm sure I don't want to know what's really going through his mind that's making him so mad.

"Don't you think you're showing off too much ?" He asks back sternly.

"Excuse me ? Is it 1863 again and I wasn't made aware ?" I say incredulously.

"Do you see what you're wearing ?" He tries again when I think he should just stop.

"I hope so since I bought it."

"Everyone is looking at you." He hisses in frustration.

"That's because I'm hot !" I groan exasperated. "Just because you can't appreciate beauty seeing as you're blind doesn't mean that everybody else can't either."

"You're impossible." He spats.

"Me ? Then what about you !"

I look for Leila to come to my rescue but she and Noriko decided to go scuba diving and Xavier is chatting up two young women a little further down the beach.

"I'm not the one keeping secrets and lying every time I open my mouth." He counteracts.

Here we go.

'Why couldn't you just shut it ?'

Because I'm God.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I pretend looking straight into his eyes without showing anything, that's how good I am at lying.

"Sure you don't. You appeared out of nowhere, saved my people and beat rogues on your own, won against Jared, my beta in seconds, won against a kitsune who can control electricity and refuse to tell me how, and let's not forget you lied about your Identity"

"For the last time, my name is Hope Mickaels. If you make me repeat myself again I'll kill you."

"See ! You're threatening me, an alpha, without a second thought ! You don't even flinch !"

"I'm just not afraid of pups." I grit my teeth and he growls louder. "I've been on my own since I was a child. I won't apologize for being strong enough to survive."

"I saw your eyes." He blurts out.

"You obviously hallucinated." I deny.

This is bad. This is neither the time nor the place to have this conversation.

'There isn't a time to have this conversation. It can't happen. Ever.'

I'm aware of that.

That's when I finally see my escape walk nearer to the shore with his board under his arm.

"I have to go." I tell him without letting him reply.

I stand up swiftly making sure to let everyone around see my curves especially the five men on our left. I even wink at them for good measure and make my way to the blond surfer.

"Pierre ! Attends." I say loudly to be heard before he jumps into the water.

"Clarisse ? Ça fait une éternité que je ne t'ai pas vu ! La dernière fois c'était à Ibiza je crois. Qu'est-ce que tu fais ici ?"

He stops talking when he recognizes the scent of the two wolves standing behind me and his eyes flash a translucent green.

"Sorry about them." I apologize on their behalf.

They are standing there glaring at him and I think it's their animal instinct that's taking control. I might have omitted a thing or two when I presented the idea of an alliance with the merepeople.

'Like the fact that they've been at war for centuries when they were created because they all wanted to control the earth.'

Yeah that.

'Or the fact that it's in their blood to hate each other because once upon a time a mermaid fell in love with a werewolf and the conniving hag in the sky was jealous and it wasn't in her plans so she cursed them so that the simple scent of each other would repulse them.'

That too.

'Maybe you should have started with this.'

Next time I will.

'I can't wait to see you introduce the phoenixes.'

Don't know what you're talking about.

"Look guys, how about you let me do the talking and wait over there before someone drowns." I shoo the two of them away but they don't move an inch.

"Je me casse." Pierre spats with anger.

"Wait ! I'm really sorry about this, I didn't think it would be this bad. We're not here to harm you, any of you. We just want to talk."

"About what ?" He glares at me.

"About the attacks." I try and he pales instantly.

"How did you know ?" He whispers as if talking about it out loud might bring more danger.

"Because they attacked us too."

"You mean merepeople came to your lands ?"

"No, wolves attacked us. But it wasn't just us. The vampires were hit too by their own."

"Good riddance."

"Come on, things have changed. We don't pose a threat to each other anymore."

"You mean the ships full of wolf trash fishing us aren't of your concern ? And the vampires hunting us for our blood are right ?"

I frown.

"When did this happen ?" I ask.

"Last week. Last month. Last year. Last century !"

'Someone has a grudge.'

"How many ?"

"Dozens. But now we know how to fight back. They are going down with us." He says proudly.

"I'll take care of it." I tell him as I feel anger seeping through me.

"Sure, what can you do ?"

I turn to Nate without answering him and glare at him.

"Give me your phone." I order.

"What for ?" He inquires as he takes it off his pocket and I snatch it away before turning my back on them. "Hey !"

I dial Jared's number and he answers in seconds.

"Yes sir, anything wrong ?"

"I want to speak to Isanov." I answer without preamble.

"Hope ? What are you doing with Nate's phone ? Is everything okay ?"

"Dingo, go fetch me that soon-to-be-dead alpha before I lose it." I warn coolly.

"Well someone is PMSing pretty bad right now." He grumbles as I hear him start to walk.

"Not in the mood." I reply curtly.

"Sheesh. I haven't heard from you in days and that's how you treat me. I don't think I want you to come back anymore."

I ignore his banter as I hear Isanov's voice in the background.

"Give him the phone."

"Alright, alright !"

I hear the conversation stop and the sound of shuffling before the alpha's voice greets me.

"Isanov." He answers in a thick Russian accent.

"Listen to me and listen to me carefully you stupid prick." I seethe. "I know about the bears and I know about your little trades at sea. It stops now."

"Who do you think you're talking to ?!" He shouts in the receiver, I don't react.

"It stops now or I come hunt you down and this time you won't end up with a simple scar." I say so low, in such a threatening voice that I hear his short intake of air as fear seizes him and even the three men behind me flinch involuntarily.

I cut the call without warning and turn back around. They are all looking at me with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Done. I'll call the vampires later too. If anyone even tries to swim with you again I'll take care of it."

"What did you want to talk about ?" Pierre asks finally more relaxed.

"We are all under attack and we are trying to form a coalition with the entire supernatural community to fight against it. In your situation I also think this could be a good opportunity to lay some ground rules that would protect you in the future. Like stupid people not being allowed to hunt you for no goddamn reason." I growl showing my canines to Nate and Xavier and both nod in agreement.

"Tell your king about it" I add. "And tell him I might have something of interest to him."

"What is it ?"

"He'll have to come and meet me to find out." I shrug.

If I don't keep a few aces up my sleeve they might decide to disappear into the depths of the ocean for a few centuries until things cool down up here.

"I'll let him know." He nods.

"We'll be in town for couple more days." I inform him.

"Alright." He agrees before jumping into the water with his surfboard and swimming away.

"I'll go back to the house." I tell Nate still pissed off with the situation.

I mean come on everyone know merepeople scales aren't fashionable anymore.

'I recall a dress...'

Don't know what you're talking about.

They all take their time before coming back probably walking down the streets of the small town a few miles away trying to avoid my temper, staying clear of the house. After a call full of threats to the vampire elders promising them to come back immediately if they don't start to grow up and that I might start selling their blood around if they don't get smarter I finally start to relax. And then as I start to think of Liam again I hit the alcohol stack.

Too bad I can't get drunk.

'You wouldn't appreciate it anyway.'

I'm on my third bottle of bourbon, the brown liquid warming my throat, when the door opens and Xavier walks in alone.

"Where are the others ?" I inquire.

"They wanted to sightsee a little longer." He explains as he joins me in the kitchen, pulling a chair beside me next to the counter.

I nod and offer him a glass. He starts to sip on it and we fall into silence. I don't really want to talk anyway so I don't mind. After awhile he starts the conversation though.

"My dad talked a lot about you when I was a kid. You were kind of a legend at home, his savior."

"I didn't really do much."

"That's not what I heard. He said he thought he was a goner, the next meal of that beast and then you appeared suddenly out of nowhere, grabbed the cheetah by its tail and threw it in the air. According to him you sent it straight to Antarctica."

"I only pushed him a little further." I roll my eyes.

"Still, we are all thankful to you. Heck ! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"You'll have to be an amazing alpha to live up to our expectations." I joke.

"Believe me I'll try but it's hard to succeed my father."

"He set high standards."

"You have no idea. Everyone loves him and respects him. I don't know how to be even better."

'Start by knowing you can't be better than him.'

"I know what you mean, sometimes parents can ask too much of you. And when you are afraid to disappoint them you make mistakes." I answer honestly.

'What are you talking about ? We did everything that was expected of us.'

Are you kidding me ? We tried to please him too much.

"Tell me about it." He laughs.

I simply smile in response not knowing what else to say. I empty my glass and fill it again.

"This house is really nice." Xavier offers.

"I like the view." I admit.

"Do you come here often ?"

"No." I answer so low in a tired whisper that I'm not sure he hears me.

"Who's the boy ?" He asks in a small voice not pushing me to answer.

"My son." I sigh closing my eyes.

"I didn't know you had one. " Xavier tries.

"I adopted him."

"What's his name ?"

"Liam."

"Where is he now ?"

"He died." I almost spat feeling the anger resurfacing inside all this sadness.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He apologizes.

I don't have the time to thank him as I hear the door crack in its hinges. We both turn around to find Nate in a state of insane fury, his eyes a glowing yellow and his whole body shaking under the tension.

"So you won't tell me anything but you tell him !" He shouts his eyes sending daggers my way.

"I think I'll go out for a while." Xavier announces awkwardly as he sprints to the front door and exits the house.

I wait until I hear him walk down the hill before I finally acknowledge Nate on the other side of the room.

"Well. That was nice." I groan.

"Don't try to be smart with me right now." He cuts me off.

"Hey cowboy stop talking to me like that before I get angry." I warn him feeling my temper rise.

"Oh I see, I can't talk to you or ask question but he can. And you'll answer !"

"I don't owe you anything." I shout back in frustration.

'He's got a point though.'

You stay out of this.

'He's your mate, you owe him the truth. I can't believe you told that ugly mushroom instead.'

"You said you were on my side !" He growls angrily.

"I am. I will help you find help as much as I can but that's it. You have to stay out of my business."

"So that's it. And then you'll leave, just like that."

"I told you I was never going to stay." I sigh.

"Let's have sex." He blurts out and I'm so chocked my mouth hangs open. "It's all your fault." He continues pacing the room. "You got into my head. You never listen to me, always doing everything you want, going against each and every one of my orders, challenging me." He breathes heavily running his fingers in his disheveled hair. "This is insane, I can't think straight anymore, I can't concentrate. I can't stop thinking about you, about touching you, your scent, your eyes, your silky raven hair, your mouth, your body..." His eyes are a bright green, shining with a new determination. "I just need one night. To get you out of my system. It'll be better that way, I'll go back to my life and you'll go back to yours." He nods frenetically convinced by his own conclusions. "I wish you were my mate," He whispers, "but you're not, I don't feel the bond, my wolf either. So that's the only solution I found."

I knock him out cold with one punch square in the face. I'm tempted to end him but don't against my better judgment.