Ileus continued, "You can't understand the attraction I feel for you. My wolf wants you madly and every time I am with you, I am crazed by the mere touch of your skin."

She gulped. Was he trying to seduce her? But there was so much genuineness in his eyes. "So you changed your plan after seeing me?"

"Yes. And I changed my plan the first day I saw you. My wolf had smelled your presence and I wanted to go near you as quickly as possible. So I endured all the tortures given by Maple only to get near you. Till the day I hadn't seen you, my objective was to abduct you only to get back to Aed Ruad, but when I saw you-" he shuddered. "Gods Anastasia! The moment I saw you, only one thought tormented me-I wanted to abduct you, but for me."

"I don't understand when you say that your wolf smelled me..." she asked. "Vokudlaks have a keen sense of smell."

He looked intensely in her eyes and said, "It is different." He wanted to press a kiss on her lips, take her tonight, get lost in her, but if he lost control tonight, she wouldn't trust him.

"Sometimes I feel like a bastard, so guilty of the fact that I don't want this mission for Iona. Because I am too selfish to leave you!" He spoke with regret. "That being said, I won't stop searching for her." He took a deep breath. There was resolution in his demeanor. "But I will never let you out of my sight. I can't..."

Her lips quivered and she wanted to reach out to him. There were a thousand more questions in her mind and she also wanted to tell him about Iona, but this was not the place. But should she discuss Iona? "What about the letter that Darla gave me?" And why did her heart tug towards him? So much confusion.

He frowned. "I don't know about that letter. I have absolutely no idea about the letter she gave you."

"Then how did you come after me?" This was surprising.

"I had gone to arrange to go to Draoidh, and when I came back, I found Darla sitting in our room. She was waiting for me, wearing lingerie." His body had repulsed at the sight. He stifled a curse. "Without speaking a word I knew you were not there. So I just rushed out and asked Kaizan to find you. We sniffed you all the way to that desolate place."

Oh my! "So you don't know anything about the letter?" He came after her because he wanted to.

"No," he shook his head. "You have to tell me about it."

Anastasia bit her lip. She looked at the men who were gambling and at the light skirts who were merrily necking them. The whole atmosphere was jovial, but she wanted to be in private with him. And he looked tired... spent. She was sure he hadn't had his dinner. She touched the wall around them and it came crashing down like a ripple. Her hair tousled in the waves. "Eat your food Ileus," she said. "I will tell you about the letter once we reach the inn!"

He had a feeling of satisfaction when he looked at her. Once he had finished eating, they walked up to the inn.

"That lion out there-weren't you scared of him?" he asked. He was holding her hand tightly as if he wouldn't leave it even if his hand were severed.

She shook her head. "No! I- I don't know how to explain, but I had this indescribable feeling when he touched me."

Tilting his head towards her, he asked, "Can you explain the feeling?" Was he getting jealous of Seashell?

"I don't know..." she shrugged. "But I am surprised as to why the lion came to rest upon me. I have never seen that kind of behavior from beasts!" She shot him a glance. "Except werewolves!"

"Hey! Werewolves are smart wolves." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Sly. Wolfy. That's what they are," she rolled her eyes even as her entire gait melted with that kiss. Gods, she missed him even for that brief period and she hoped against hope that he didn't know about the letter.

He jutted his chin out smugly. To the others, they looked like lovers under moonlight, but only they knew that they had too many knots to be untied before they could get closer.

When they reached the inn, it was quite late. Kaizan was sitting on a chair in the lobby, his neck moved sideways, as he dozed. As soon as he sensed them, his eyes shot open. He got up. "Anastasia!" he gasped. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she assured him with a faint hint of approval.

He rubbed his hand over his mouth and looked at Ileus. "Darla is waiting for you. You have to talk to her."

Ileus stiffened. "Not now. Maybe in the morning," he said curtly and then pulled Anastasia along with him to their room.

They heard Kaizan sigh. He walked behind them. "I am there in my room, if you need me. And if we aren't talking now, then we will talk tomorrow. This needs to be sorted!"

Ileus didn't reply. They turned to the right when they reached the landing and Kaizan turned left towards his room. They crossed Darla's room and found that she was leaning against the door. She was wearing a robe over her lingerie this time. Her eyes became wide when she saw Anastasia walking beside Ileus. And her mouth fell when she noticed that they were joined at hands. Anastasia gave her a side-glance and saw that she was visibly flushing in the face and neck. There was a sudden stillness on her face but also a visible tension in her jawline. She held her breath as she directed a burning stare towards Anastasia.

Anastasia rolled her eyes and ignored her completely. When Ileus opened the knob of their room, she walked in first. Ileus banged the door close after him. The first thought that came to Anastasia's mind - Burn bitch!