His brows lifted in surprise. "That is sudden."

"What is?" I tipped back my coffee, humming at the flood of taste in my stale mouth. "My sudden desire to talk?"

He propped his elbows on the table and his coffee cup look tiny in his grip. I could see the cream ladened on the top, sprinkled with a thick, orange sugar. My nose wrinkled. Too sweet. It took him a moment to respond, "Yes."

Over his shoulder, a gaggle of nurses stared at him. His head turned slightly, lifting as he caught what they were saying. His mouth pressed into a grim line.

"They're talking about you." I set down my cup, keeping a grip on it.

"They usually do," He tasted his coffee, grimacing, "Too bitter."

"Why?" I titled my head, eyeing the nurses again. "You're the Alpha Supreme, surely you can cease their whispering." It only served to remind me of whispering doctors beyond an unbreakable barrier, staring at me, whispering about me while I only dreamed of tearing out their throats.

He touched the edges of the scars that curved around his face. As if he always reached to touch them. His gaze flickered to me and his fingers curled, his hand dropping to the table. "People will always stare."

There was a tinge of embarrassment to his voice. I picked up on it, a frown pinching my brow. Strange. "So, what were you and Lux avoiding to tell me?"

He took his time, letting the silence settle like an ugly weight between us. I bit my tongue. Testing me? He watched me still, his expression stoic though I could hear the rapid patter of his heart-beat.

Finally, he said, "You're not safe anymore. I don't know how the Ravi found about your position so quickly, but they will be hell-bent on capturing you."

I blinked at him. "My position?"

"As Alpha-Female," there was a dark tinge to his cheeks now and I was starkly reminded of that day eight years ago. He had not managed to shed that awkwardness even after all this time. "You are a prime target for the enemies of the Lycan state. It took them hours to find you...which means that there could be a mole inside my network."

He didn't suspect.

I could have laughed if my body didn't hurt so much.

"You must know that I was there with Darren and Sunny." I pointed out. "In the Tube, as they called it."

"I thought about that," He admitted. "But we managed to pull some of the patients out of that asylum and they've been placed in programmes to help them to adapt to normal society again. The Ravi have never come for them."

I bit down on my inner lip, taking another slow draw of scorching coffee. "So, what does that have to do with Lux?"

His golden-brown eyes flickered. "I'm sure you know that the Ravi are ruthless. They strike hard and they fight dirty. Your friend, by being associated with you, will be hunted. She will hurt you, which will affect me. They thrive off of that. I made her an offer."

That dread curled in my gut, like a rotten husk. "What kind of offer?"

"Safety," He said the word softly. "And as much freedom as I can provide with it. There is a town, a haven of sorts. She will be safe there. As you could be too."

My nails prickled. "That sounds like a prison!"

"No!" His brows shot up, his shock turning his voice vehement. "There are all the trappings of a good life, just with guarded patrols and security. I- I live there."

"Ah. A ploy to get me to live close to you." I said scathingly.

He glanced down at his hands. "Well, I won't lie. That's partially the reason."

"And Lux agreed?" I cocked a brow, curious at that. Lux had always made it clear that she wanted a good, wholesome life. Not one where she scraped her pennies to buy a half-price can of peas some days and lavished love on her cat. She and I had worked to get there and because of me, the Ravi had torn away her little haven of green plants. "I don't blame her."

"She agreed on one condition." The Alpha turned his good ear slightly towards the trio passing us, all balancing trays of coffee and plastic wrapped sandwiches. "That you go too."

"Sounds like something Lux would do." I blew out a sigh, glancing down at my hands. I wasn't sure if Lux had done that on purpose- I couldn't leave until I knew she was safe. The Ravi would be hunting her now, but I don't think she fully understood how badly they would wanted me.

I teetered on a decision, meeting the Alpha's burning molten gold gaze. He seemed taken aback by the severity of my stare. "I need you to make me a promise, Easton."

He took a sharp breath, those eyes flashing. "What is this promise?"

"That I am not your prisoner, nor a prisoner of the Lycans. If I want to leave, then I leave. If Lux wants to leave, then she leaves."

"You don't need ask for that to be a promise." He told me quietly. "That right has been written into law and signed in blood."

"I've been hearing a lot about these new laws, but I'm asking you here and now. I'm not going for you, or for even for me. I'm going because I've seen what the Ravi do to people and I would do anything to make sure that nothing like that happens to Lux."

He examined me critically. "You care for her."

"She's been good to me." My throat tightened and I took another swig of coffee, keenly aware of his unwavering, adoring attention. "Very few people have been."

The inherent, natural harshness of his face melted and he held out a massive hand to me. "It's a promise."

There a was a challenge in the set of his face, an inherent show of strength that was so natural for a Lycan. Not one to back down, I reached across and slid my hands into his. The feel of his hand, rough and calloused, only mad may own skin began to prickle, like pins and needles on steroids.

I shook his hand. "I will hold you to that."

Waking up once more in a too bright hospital room and the ensuing panic-attack was enough to convince Doctor Helia that my recovery would be better suited away from the hospital.

My wounds were healing, but not quite as fast as I was used to. Lux was there to escort me to the cars that were waiting for us at the front of the hospital and as I stepped out from the hospital room, the Alpha sat there, folded into those tiny chairs.

"Nova," He greeted me softly, his voice warm and deep. "Did you sleep well?"

"No." I eyed him critically. "Why are you here?"

"I'm travelling back to the town too." Upon seeing my frown he said, "In a different car."

"You're a Lycan. Surely you could run?"

"Alpacina is quite a journey in the car. Never mind running. Besides...it would be unseemly for me to run everywhere." He said easily, reaching to take the bags that Lux had strong-armed me into letting her carry. She let him take them without protest.

"Alpacina..." I murmured. So close. I hadn't noticed a compound when I had been there, but I had gone for only one purpose.

"Do you know it?" The Alpha walked alongside me. Further than arm's distance, but still too close for me. This time, we took the elevator.

"No." My throat closed over when the metal doors banged shut and that clang of metal seemed to reverberate in the small space.

All around me was my reflection. Glass walls flashed my gaunt and severe face back to me, my greasy hair scraped back into a purple-tipped pony-tail.

I didn't care that I looked like a mess.

It was the eyes that bothered me. The cold, inhumane eyes. Gunmetal cold and so blue and wrong. It was like keeping the memory of what I thought I was for eight years and re-emerging with just an imitation of that face. This wasn't me.

When the doors opened, I nearly flung myself from the metal contraption, my chest heaving. He lingered, unsure and I caught the question budding as a low rumble of discontent in his chest.

Lux put a hand softly on the back of my arm. "I already asked the drivers if we can stop for coffee on the way. I know a good place on the way that sells gorgeous cinnamon buns."

"Yummy," I forced a smile, knowing that it was too much teeth to be believable.

"This way," the Alpha finally croaked, striding ahead. The foyer of the hospital stilled in the undeniable aura of his presence, many twisting to catch a good look at him. Those who knew him called out to him and he took the time to pause and greet them in return.

"He seems very uneasy," Lux murmured in my ear.

"He can probably hear you," I said, following him.

"Good," Lux grinned.

The sun was blazing outside and I said a quiet 'hello' to her, before turning my attention to the roundabout fringed with heavy trees that shaded the driveway. Fancy. The smell of nature, sweeping up into my system was enough to clear my senses of medicine and death.

Two large black jeeps waited with tinted black windows. Hesitating for a moment, the Lycan motioned to the second one and held the door open for Lux and I. Lux slid in without question but I lingered, eyeing him distrustfully. The thought of being in a confined metal box with him for any period of time was not a pleasant one.

"I'm only holding the door open," He explained gently. "I'm taking the other jeep."

Wordlessly, I slid into the jeep after Lux. The driver, a guard dressed in black, greeted us quietly but said little else as the door was clicked shut behind me. Through the tinted windows, I watched the Alpha walk to the other jeep. The driver handed a large plastic cage back to us. "Your cat isn't happy."

"Muffin," Lux cooed as she took the cage.

The cat just yowled at us.

"I would advise keeping it inside the cage," The driver croaked. "I've been bitten twice."

Lux and I shared a look. She popped open the door and Muffin snuck out, rightfully angry. Still, she couldn't remain angry at us for long and after a few bats of her paw, she settled on the leather between us when the driver set the seat warmer on.

With a jolt, the engine purred and we were off. I tried to tuck myself tight into the leather seats, uncomfortable with the box of metal around me. We drove smoothly down a tarmacked drive and back out into the bustle of a town I didn't immediately recognise. True to Lux's word, we did make a pit-stop for coffee and cinnamon buns – which were delicious – but the majority of the ride was spent in relative silence.

I was too wired to sleep, but even with coffee, Lux passed out and I took some joy in the discomfort her chainsaw snores gave the driver.

We passed into open countries and these sleek cars covered the roads far quicker than my two legs had. I let the window roll down and peeked my head out, grinning into the rush of wind even as it tugged my hair from the braid.

We passed forests and then farms and the sun shined beautiful and bright. Then, on the horizon, the expanse of old stone encircled a town.

"That is a large town," Lux rubbed her eyes, leaning in between the two front seats.

"A Lycan town," the driver rumbled. "For Lycans, their moon-bounds and trusted friends. We call it Lunar."

"Very fitting," I snorted.

Great gates opened to a sprawling luscious green and great stately houses. There were children darting back and forth, chased by errant mothers.

"If you go straight, you'll eventually come to the town centre," The driver took a right, "And every Saturday morning, we have a market. The farmers come in and sell their wares. It's a lovely sight – when the weather's right."

He drove us to a cul-de-sac of grand homes with porches that wrapped around the front. I rolled down the window again, blinking up at them. It had hard to imagine people needing all this space, but it would've been very fun. Planted gardens only made the air heady with the scent.

"Oh," Lux breathed. "They're rich, rich. Muffin, you're going to get so spoiled."

Uninterested, the cat continued to snooze.

I squinted at the houses. I had spent my life living in poky apartments or tiny cells – these houses might as well have been castles.

I popped the door of the jeep open and swung myself out, ignoring Lux's order that I at least grab my crutches. I hobbled onto the paved sidewalk, eyeing the bloom of neatly kept flowers. The Alpha exited his jeep, his attention shifting to me immediately.

"How was your journey?" He asked.

I felt like I was being examined and as he moved closer, I felt inexplicably uncomfortable, shifting so that I could keep my full attention on him.

"Who lives here?"

Unwillingly, he looked at the house. "It's a big space. A lot of rooms. Ehm, you could find plenty of places to hole up and not encounter anyone else."

Lux exited the car behind us, hefting her bag over her shoulder. Muffin had been confined to the plastic cage again and peered out at us unhappily.

Seems like that cat was as much of a flight risk as me.

Almost unconsciously, the Alpha moved to take the bag from her and I jolted at the sharp movement, jaw tensing. He caught that, but didn't comment on it. Clearing his throat, he said, "My second in command has a room in this house, but he's often away. So do Darren and Sunny when they are in this area."

"You're avoiding the question," I shot back. "But it's probably because you don't want to say that you live here too. I'm onto you."

He was a terrible liar.

Sheepishly, he took the second bag that the driver held out to him. "I am gone for most of the day. It's quiet here. The fridges are stocked. The town centre is a ten minute walk and it's safe here."

I bared my teeth are him. "We're house-mates?"

"I guess so," He risked a small smile at me – one that did not falter when I didn't respond to it. He just turned and walked up the path to the house, popping open the door and motioning into the hallway. Lux and I followed him inside into a wide, light filled hallway. A pair of boots were discarded by the door and on a small wooden table, I caught sight of discarded sticky notes.

One read 'Buy milk for coffee,' written in blocky cursive.

I wondered if the Alpha Supreme wrote notes to himself in this big empty house, or left them for the people who passed through sporadically. He set down the bags, smoothing his hands down his thighs. The thud of his heartbeat became nervous, but I ignored his spike of nerves, wandering further down the well-light entrance hallway. A grand staircase swept up, curving right and left at the top.

"Would you like something to eat? Drink?" The Alpha Supreme clicked the door shut.

"Oh that'd be great Easton." Lux pipped up. "And do you have cat food? Muffin needs to have a roam. Oh! Er- sorry , Alpha."

"Easton is fine," His tone coloured with amusement. "I had your things brought in earlier."

I left them behind, wandering down a hallway. I would tackle the stairs another time. This hallway was an explosion of colour – the walls had been painted with murals of sprawling open land, meshing onto forests with sunlight streaming into clearings and then, crystal clear streams that crossed the entire expanse. At the end of the hallway, sat a set of heavy doors.

Curiously, I pushed the doors open.

And stopped.

It was a music room. Opposite me, grand bay windows overlooked an expansive and well-kept garden. The curtains were pulled back so that sunlight shone in through immaculately kept windows. Everything looked untouched, from the grand piano to the violin set aside. A settee was tucked in the corner and another fatly cushioned chair sat to face out the window, it's sole purpose for viewing the garden.

My gaze flew upwards to the ceiling. My breath caught. The sky had been painted with painstaking detail across the domed ceiling. From the orange of the rising sun, melting into a summer's wispy sky only to fade darker until it was just an expanse of glittering stars.

Tears blurred my eyes. Beautiful.

I was unworthy in this room. So much beauty surrounding me Still, I forced myself forward to ghost my finger-tips over the violin. I could almost remember the countless lessons I had endured. We had been poor, but our school had been good and I had been talented. Once.

I wandered to the piano- it had always been my preferred instrument. Shakingly, I pressed a note and listened to it swell in the high room.

I felt him like a knot inside my chest before any of my five senses picked up his arrival.

I pulled my hand away from the ivory key and faced him. "I didn't peg you for the kind to play music."

His soft smile made his eyes crinkle. "I only play a little here and there. Painting is more my style." He admitted and he examined the room, that smile pinching. The next words came out softer now – like a confession. "After you ran, I thought it would only be a matter of time before you were found, or you came back. I had already found and secured your family, so I tried to make this big empty house into a home where you would be comfortable when you came to live with me. This music room was built. Then, a few months slipped into a year. A year slipped into two and this music room still lay untouched by the person I built it for."

I sunk back, uncomfortable with the knot twisting inside of me. A sort of grief? Fear? "This wasn't what I expected."

"Of me?" He didn't step inside the music room, but lingered at the door. "What did you expect of me?"

"Honestly, not a lot based on my first impressions of you." I had expected violence and overbearing control. Maybe this calm façade would shatter soon and his true nature would be revealed. I didn't trust this, or him particularly.

"First impressions can be changed." He glanced back down the hall. "The coffee should be ready. Why don't you come and get something to eat, and I'll show you to your room."

He left me then, alone in the grand music room.

I stayed for a moment, and then followed. I didn't shut the door behind me. I would be back.