Author's Note: This is uber late, but I have been sick. Like I have been hacking up a lung for the last week. The last thing I wanted to do was type up a story. The chapter is finished but I didn't feel like typing it.
I had another surge of brilliance as I finished this chapter and started on the next. My plan was to cut this short at fourteen but the plot has thickened and I have to extend it a bit. Not that you guys mind. You'll love reading what I have planned.
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Leo found Dasha in the strangest of places.
On the roof.
The house was three levels excluding the attic and basement and she was on the roof. But she wasn't just on the roof. She was laying down like she hadn't a care in the world.
Like she hadn't just broken a man's neck in front of everyone.
She seemed completely at ease with her riotous curls flared out behind her head. She had one leg drawn up as her hands supported her head. Her eyes were closed as she seemed to be absorbing the sun.
Slowly she opened her eyes and stared at him. His heart stuttered. Not because he was attracted to her. That had been a given since he had met the woman. He had tried his hardest not to touch her when she had been near him, and sometimes he had failed miserably. But that wasn't the reason his heart was beating a mile a minute.
Dasha normally had a light shade of gold for her eye color. It was much lighter than Hyun Joo's but it was usually prominent. Since the days they had spent in Portugal, one eye had steadily started lightening. Last time he had seen it, it had been a pale, silvery blue. Everyone assumed it was because the two lineages that made up her genetic makeup had finally merged. No one was really sure.
So in the nearly three weeks he had known this woman, he had only ever seen her golden eyes. But what looked at him now was not human. The eyes were so blue they were almost white. They were her wolf eyes. They were cold, deadly and ever so watchful.
He sat down slowly but roughly. His backside stung but he didn't dare move. He didn't want to be a moving target, especially on a roof. That was a recipe for disaster.
Leo felt her stare boring into his back. The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stood on end. He was in a very dangerous position with his back to her. She could easily kill. All it would take was a shot to either side of his neck. In this instance, she was the predator and he could be the prey. With that being said, he was nervous but not scared.
He heard her move behind him but stayed as still as possible. She slid up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her front was pressed to his back and her hair tickled his neck. Her nail cut through his shirt and dug into his skin.
"Why are you hiding up here?" he asked.
"No one judges up here." Her voice was gravelly, almost like she was growling.
Leo loosened her hands then laced her fingers with his. "No one is judging you."
She snorted, warm air flashing across his neck. "Maybe you didn't see the same looks I did. The people in that room judged me the second I did it."
She sighed and nuzzled his neck. "We probably won't be here too long after this incident is dealt with. We have other obligations."
"Other obligations?" He didn't like the thought of them leaving. "How far does your telepathy work?"
"All over the world. I talked to Jin while in Morocco. I can talk anywhere." She poked her head around to face him. "Why? Are you scared you'll never see me again? Or is it that you think I'm going to another guy?"
Leo looked her square in the eye as his thoughts roiled. He didn't feel her pressing into his mind as he thought. He didn't want her to leave but he wasn't going to ask why. Something tickled his mind at the mention of another guy, but he didn't put it out there because he wasn't sure he wanted to really know.
Dasha disappeared behind his back again, nestling into his back. Leo tightened her arms around him and stared out over their neighborhood. Everything on the outside was so peaceful but inside their grounds was utter chaos with people milling about.
Dasha felt her other half rumble in discontent. The wolf at the forward was settled slightly and slipped beneath the surface. She was peaceful even though she was injured. This was a first for that even though she was alert.
The thought of leaving troubled her briefly but she knew staying was not an option. She had shown what a Hunter did. She was not a diplomat like Baye and others she knew. She hadn't been trained to be one. She was muscle when force was needed. There was nothing delicate about her.
"Dasha! Are you up there?"
Benji's voice echoed through the stillness. Dasha sighed and untangled herself from Leo. Without a care in the world, she slid to the edge of the roof and looked over. Benji sighed and shook her head.
"I don't even want to know why you're up there, but you need to come down. Lee Jung Min is here," she called.
Dasha sat up in agitation. "I really don't want to talk to him."
Her friend squinted into the sunlight. "I don't think you have a choice. You're the one who cause the mess. You have to clean it up."
The phrasing annoyed the woman on the roof but there was no other way to say it. Dasha had been the one to pull the trigger. She had created the mess. She had to deal with it.
The woman scratched her ear then stood. Leo hear Benji call something to her friend, but he couldn't make it out. His mouth dropped open when Dasha dropped from the roof. He scrambled over to the edge to see her walking across the lawn. She never ceased to amaze him.
He carefully dropped to the ground and hurried inside. The foyer and formal living room were packed with everyone in the house. The last time that had happened had been when Jenissi had gotten married. The kids weren't anywhere to be seen so they must have been taking a nap.
Leo pushed past the wolves and walked into the living room. Dasha stood defiant in front of a well dressed man. There was clearly animosity between them that permeated throughout the room. The twenty-five wolves in attendance were torn between standing at attention to this high ranking wolf or follow Dasha.
"Well I've never seen this," Ji Hoo muttered. Leo looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "In their society, two things are absolute. Blood lineage and dominance. Dasha's blood is tainted with Guardian blood but she's more dominant than this man."
"How do you know?" Baye asked. She was standing on the other side of the man holding on to his arm. Her other side was supported by Jeongmin.
"It's in the tilt of his shoulders. He's so much more on edge than she is. His hands are folded in front while his are in her pockets. This isn't her home but she's at ease even though many of us are scared of her."
"Will he attack her?" Jeongmin asked.
Ji Hoo shrugged, a slow rise and fall of his shoulders. "I don't know."
Across the room, Dasha stared at Lee Jung Min. He was the Korean diplomat for all the peninsula's wolves. He got his job by unsavory means but was good at it. He had kept a star who shall remain nameless out of trouble when he had changed on camera.
He and Dasha had only come in contact once before, and that was when Dasha had saved his life. He had been grateful and had given her one get out of jail free card. Now he was here to warn her.
The only problem with that was Dasha wasn't in the least bit fazed by the man. Yes, he was a powerful, powerful wolf, but his dominance level was way lower than hers. He couldn't force her to do anything. In reality, no Alpha really could.
"Did you kill him?" he asked. She gave him a DUH! look. He looked concerned. "Why?"
"He was under the assumption I was going to let him kill people in this house. He was sadly mistaken," she said. No emotions were relayed in her voice. It was like she didn't care.
Jung Min sighed heavily then stomped once. "Do you think about your actions? Do you know how much work this is going to take to clean up? I thought Hunters were supposed to be peaceful."
"Have you ever seen a Hunter who is peaceful? We may be peaceful in every day life, but we're business on a job. The most peaceful person on this team is probably Jin, but she's not to be underestimated. She can scrap if she needs to," Benji explained.
"Your leadership is considerably lacking, Dasha."
"Then take me out." Jung Min's face fell at Dasha's demand. She stared at him as his body reacted to the subtle command. "Take me out. Put someone else in my place. Half the people who even associate with you will leave."
Jung Min was baffled. "Do you know anything about politics?"
"I know blood buys more respect than money. How much of the former have you shed?"
The man just stared at her. "You're going to get killed if you do this. No one will protect you. Not even Shi Yoon. His hands are as tied as everyone else's. You're in this alone even with your dominance level surpassing everyone."
"She's not alone," Benji argued. She tossed her arm around the woman's neck. "She's got me."
"And me," Creed seconded.
"And me," Jin tossed in.
Donghyun pushed his way from the back and stood behind his sister in quiet vigilance. Kwangmin, Youngmin, Hyunseong, and Minwoo filled in behind him. Though torn, Jeongmin filled in the space to Donghyun's right.
Baye followed her husband, and F4 followed her. Slowly all the wolves and Dark Guardians stood at attention and in unison with Baye. Dasha didn't dare look around because at any moment any one of them could be ripped from their lives. She wasn't going to acknowledge this because if she did, it would mean how much she cared.
Jung Min's eyes begged her. "Dasha, you're bright and young. You're probably smarter than all of us by aligning yourself with the Wild Power, but you're also setting yourself and your team up to be a target. You're going to get killed. Rethink this. Please, please, please rethink this. If not for your team, then for Shi Yoon. Think of how he would have to live without you."
"Shi Yoon was fine before me and he will be fine after me," Dasha said. It was a bold comment that her emotions vehemently betrayed. Still she didn't budge.
He wasn't convinced. "You've been with him since you were fifteen. He's not going to be fine, but it's your choice. Don't be surprised if you're on the most wanted list."
He bowed to them and excused himself as discreetly as possible.
It took some time for emotions to settle down. No one left the living room, opting to find a seat wherever there was space. It was awkwardly quiet for no one wanted to interrupt anyone else's thoughts.
Dasha never moved from her spot. The look on her face was one of pure torture. Whoever Shi Yoon was, he had a profound impact on her life.
"Dasha," Baye coaxed as she sat down on the couch. "Who is Shi Yoon?"
"He's a high ranking wolf on the Hunter's Council," Benji answered instead, her eyes glued to her friend.
"That's not what I meant." The woman thought carefully about her next question. "Who is he to you personally?"
Dasha seemed to snap out of it, but the look she gave the other woman was very troubled. "Shi Yoon is the man I love the most in this world but he's also the one I can't have. So we've been friends who would kill and die for each other."
"You think I can read her mind? You should see Shi Yoon do it. One look is all it takes," Benji explained.
"What does it mean for Leo?" N wondered.
Benji shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything. If he wanted Dasha, he needs to go after her. Shi Yoon doesn't pose any threat." Dasha snorted. "Well, unless he tries."
"And if he does?"
"Then it's up to Dasha, but I'm not a telepath so I can't tell you what she'd say."
Leo looked at Dasha. She didn't meet his gaze like she normally would. She didn't say anything to him. The sting of those words was potent as she remained silent. She didn't defend herself. Not that she needed to. Not everyone could be that honest about everything. So far Dasha hadn't had an issue doing so.
After a few long and strenuous moments, Dasha strode from the room. Though her head was high, she wasn't her usual confident self. Benji never moved as her friend left, signaling that once again Dasha had to be alone.
"Leo," she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "Don't seek her out. Let her come to you. If you don't, all of this could be the end if it isn't already."
She didn't wait for him to say what he would do. She was gone in a matter of seconds, leaving them sitting in the living room.
Baye looked at Leo and her heart hurt for him. He had started investing in someone only to find out she had someone else on the side. She had no idea how this was going to go. If it went his way, he was going to be ecstatic. If it didn't, it may crush his spirit.