A Wolf's Cry

by Serenity Angel14

A perilous Immortal War. The sake of all mankind. The burdened waning soul of an Immortal warrior Lycaon prince. Everything rests in the hands of one mortal girl who wants only to live a normal life.

6. Chapter 4 Family

Hi Everyone!

I'm still writing but I'm still without an editor and it takes me FOREVER to edit my own work. On this note please excuse any spelling and grammar mistakes, if you find any that drive you completely nuts, feel free to let me know!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 4 - Family

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Before midmorning the next day, Serena had had enough! She was going stir crazy locked in the dreary gloomy bedroom. Yesterday, while she'd been in the library – under guard – the bedroom had been cleaned and everything she'd damaged had been replaced. The room looked almost exactly as it had before she'd trashed it.

It had been tempting, but she hadn't re-trashed it, even if it would be something to do. It was a nice room and a lot of the stuff in it was more than nice. God knows the total cost of it all had to be somewhere in the range of ludicrous.

It was going to be a bright and sunny day – not that she would really get to enjoy it, being locked inside this gloomy bedroom all day! – and Serena was enjoying her breakfast that had been brought to her. The day before yesterday she'd been asked by the nice young woman who delivered her meals to the room what it was that Serena liked to eat, and since then she'd mainly been served what she'd more-or-less asked for. This morning her breakfast included fresh fruit, vanilla and blueberry yoghurt and home-made strawberry pop-tarts with real strawberry filling, served with caramel flavoured hot chocolate and orange juice.

Whoever planned and prepared her meals really provided her with a variety as well as what she'd asked for while at the same time providing her with all the vitamins and nutrients her body needed.

However Serena suspected that it wasn't a coincidence that her breakfast was an equal balance between what she had asked for and what her body needed to stay healthy. It seemed that Darien was taking his promise to keep her safe and sound so serious that it even stretched to her diet.

It was irritating the hell out of her that she was finding it difficult to remain mad at someone who was taking such great an interest in her health and wellbeing. Oh well, she'd just have to try harder to stay mad at him; there was no doubt that Darien would do something soon enough to refresh her dislike towards him.

Serena was halfway through her breakfast when, without warning, it had finally hit her like a tonne of bricks; she'd been at the mansion for the better part of a week without contacting anyone. She had family and friends, not to mention her midterms that started in a few days!

Oh hell!

Serena put down her caramel hot chocolate she'd been serenely sipping and hurried to the doors. The doors weren't locked anymore, but her guards now – and at all times – included a woman who wouldn't hesitate to stop her from leaving, unlike the men who seemed unwilling to actually lay a hand on her, although Serena was beginning to suspect that it was more due to their orders than any chivalrous morals.

Her two guards weren't startled when Serena opened the door rather purposefully – they always seemed to know when she was near the door. It was as if they knew she was about to open the door, as if they could hear the smallest sound she made within, and since she wanted any little noise to break the bone-chilling silence of the mansion, she made no attempt to be quiet.

Her two guards, the woman who had escorted her back to her room when she had first tried to bolt and the man she'd ran passed the first morning she'd woken in the mansion, were already facing her, patiently waiting for her to speak, but at the same time they remained vigilant in case she tried to bolt again. They treated her like a delicate but mischievous child that did not know any better.

It was just one more item to add to the long list of things that were grinding down on her nerves – and she hadn't even had such a list a week ago. A week ago, everything had been simple and ordinary, and then she had fallen into a Joss Weldon paranormal production.

Where was Buffy when you needed her?

"I need to see him." Serena addressed the both of her guards in a firm tone that left no room for argument or doubt that it was important.

They didn't need to be told who 'him' was.

"Of course." The man with the short wavy blonde hair and blue eyes said with an elegant bow of his head as he indicated with his arm for her to follow the woman who was already leading the way down the corridor.

The woman remained a step in front of her while the blonde man followed a step behind, the end result being that she was encased in a circle of protection in the corridor. Her warden had trained her guards well; she was as effectively imprisoned as she was when she was locked in the bedroom.

And even though she was virtually surrounded by immortal shape-shifting super-strong werewolves, strangely Serena wasn't afraid at all. She was intimidated by them – what human wouldn't be? – but she didn't fear them. They protected her too carefully, too devotedly, as one would a precious breakable treasure; it made it easy for her to trust that they would never hurt her.

It was then that Serena realised that she'd never asked names. It was rude of her but under these circumstances she could forgive herself, and since it seemed that she was going to be there for a while, she might as well introduce herself to them and learn the names of the people whom she was continually coming into contact with.

"I'm Serena, by the way."

The woman in front of her looked at her over her shoulder with a surprised but friendly smile, as if she was pleased that Serena had spoken but hadn't been expecting her to do so.

Serena sensed her female guard was a nice caring person; when she overlooked the fact that this immortal woman was helping the big dominant jerk to hold her against her will.

"Believe me, we know." The woman said with amusement in her bronze coloured eyes, "I'm Summer, Calcite's mate."

Serena had no idea who Calcite was.

The man walking behind her spoke with a genuine smile in his surprisingly light easy-going tone. "I'm Zoicite, young miss, Darien's third Beta."

Serena looked over her shoulder and gave him a quizzical look, silently telling him that she had no idea what a Beta was. She let the 'young miss' slide – this time – as her curiosity was greater than her irritation at the polite and out-dated term that made her feel as if he was addressing a small child.

Zoicite's smile widened; he really was instantly likeable – once Serena gave him the chance. "A Beta is the Alpha's second in command, so to speak. I am third Beta; I rank fourth in command of our pack."

Alpha. Well, no points for guessing who the Alpha was.

"Zoicite?" Serena repeated, his name was unusual – and sounded just a little bit girly. "Isn't that a kind of rock or something?"

Zoicite's smile broke into a beaming grin. "Yes, miss. Being named after elements of the earth is a tradition amongst the pack. The younger of our race isn't always so conventional, but most of the elder of us have names of the Earth. It was never a rule or anything like that, just a tradition that has never been obligatory."

"Drop the miss, it's Serena." Serena told him before turning her attention back to what lay ahead of her, considering that newly learned fact about the Lycaon race.

Behind her Zoicite chuckled softly, and replied with what could almost be fondness in his tone, "As you wish."

One minute and a staircase later, Zoicite knocked softly on the door and announced them all through the thick wood.

"Enter," Sounded back through the door and they entered in single file with Summer leading the way and Zoicite closing the door behind them.

Serena looked around the room, unable to help being impressed. The more she saw of the large mansion, the more she came to respect just how much money the inhabitants had; not that money was of any importance or concern to her, but wow, what could be done with a large quantity of it to a personal dwelling was impressive and eye-opening.

The room was an office pure and true, unlike the library office next door to the bedroom on the floor above. This room had no book cases or visible books of any kind; but the desk was an exact replica to the one in the library except twice the size. Open folders and files and sheets of crisp white paper lay scattered across the surface in front of Darien where he sat behind the desk, an expensive looking gold pen held in his right hand. Behind him were floor to ceiling windows that spanned the entire wall, giving view to the neat well kept grounds of the estate and the spanning wildness beyond the high white wall. And in the centre of the room, between the door and the desk, sat four two seater black leather couches surrounding a glass coffee table with a vanished black wooden frame.

This room was for business, official, no-nonsense serious-as-a-heart-attack business.

Darien looked up from his paperwork – that seemed never-ending, even to an Immortal such as himself – turning his full attention to Zoisite for an explanation as to why his mate had been brought to him instead of him being summoned to her, even though he had left no orders to the contrary. He had heard her from a floor above demand to be brought to him and had expected for Zoicite to instead ask Darien to come to her.

Whatever his mate wanted to say to him would this time have the audience that consisted of Summer and his three Betas, as Jadeite and Nephlite had been in his company before Serena and her escorts had entered. There was no doubt though that the four would keep out of his business with his mate, but whether they were in the room or not, their highly tuned curious ears would witness this conversation.

Zoicite lead the way across the room to his Alpha's desk, where he immediately bowed his head respectfully to his Alpha and stood tall beneath his steady authoritative gaze. "Your mate has requested an audience with you, my Lord."

Darien's eyes narrowed in on his third Beta at the "my lord". Normally, his Beta's didn't address him so formally outside of formal company. They left it for formal occasions, such as when in Anami company or Darien's royal parents visited.

Instead of questioning the formality, Darien turned his attention to his mate who seemed unafraid but impatient and stressed. Something was worrying her but she seemed to be relaxed in his presence.

This pleased him to no end; his mate was starting to become accustomed to them, although he had made it easy for her. He had strictly ordered that she was not to witness any of his pack in the wolf forms or see them do anything out of the ordinary for mortals. He had even acted to assure that she did not lay an eye upon the twelve Anami Andrew had sent to protect one who wasn't his own mate.

Not in the mood to show the same good manners that his own showed him, Serena walked straight up to his desk, laid her hands on the smooth almost icy surface and stared straight into his eyes, which was only possible because he was sitting. She wasn't going to submit to him, she still wanted to be let go and she would take any opportunity that presented itself to get away. She just didn't see the sense in provoking the wolf until then, especially now when she wanted something from him that she wasn't sure he would grant her.

"You have to let me go." Serena told him steadily, deciding to aim high so that she could turn her true goal into the "negotiated middle ground".

Darien slumped back against the cushioned high back of his black office chair and sighed heavily, like a loving father would when he was being endlessly pestered about something by his beloved child; and his tolerant indifference was pissing her off!

Serena bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming at him at his tolerating attitude; she wanted something from him. She would wait to hear his answer before she started screaming at him.

"We've been through this," Darien told her with calm tolerance. "Even if I was willing to let you go, it isn't safe."

Serena simultaneously released the delicate flesh of her inner cheek from between her teeth and the delicate hold she had on her tempter, freely giving her temper free rein over her mouth. "I don't care what you're willing to do! I have friends and family that are, without a doubt, worried sick about me! Not to mention my studies! I have midterms in two days!"

As Serena fumed at him – as adorable as a hissing kitten – Darien considered her point. He had been so preoccupied with her safety and everything else that he hadn't considered the other mortals in her life. By now, she would've been reported missing by her friends and the mortal police would be looking for her. They wouldn't find her here, Darien didn't worry about that, but the fact that her friends and family would be worried about her seemed to be distressing his mate and he could not let that continue.

Mortals were such delicate and emotional creatures; her distress could affect her health if it continued to mount. He would have to let her do something to ease her distress.

As the silence wore on, Serena continued to glower at him. He wasn't going to let her leave, that much was plainly written across his calculating face, but she had to do something to reassure her friends and her brother that she was safe; at least until she could get away from Darien and his pack.

Serena couldn't let her friends and her brother, all of whom she loved dearly, worry themselves sick over the horrible thought that something terrible had happened to her. She never should have left it this long! She should have done this the first morning! There was no excuse for forgetting about her friends, and by now her brother would know something was wrong.

Swamped by a tide wave of guilt, Serena's anger deflated. For those she loved, she was going to have to set her pride and tempter aside and give Darien whatever he wanted in order to get word to her loved ones.

"At least let me call Sammy, reassure him I'll alright." Serena beseeched him, reaching for below the middle ground even though her pride was offended that she was negotiating with him so quickly. Her tempter was well and truly deflated beneath the worry and anxiety her brother had to be going through. He'd already lost his parents – their parents – losing her would destroy him.

Serena couldn't let that happen.

"Sammy?"

Serena was wrenched from her worried thoughts by the single hostile sound that was more of a snarl than a word. She snapped her gaze that had fallen to the desk while she'd been thinking back to him to see his eyes ablaze with jealous hostility.

Baffled and cautious, Serena watched as Darien slowly, menacingly, rose to his feet, his entire body tense as if he was barely restrained from doing something violent – not against her but against Sammy, of that she was certain.

Serena took a fearful step back, not taking her eyes from him. He was ready to do harm, maybe kill, and she knew very little of what he was capable of.

"JUST WHO THE GODDESS'S NAME IS SAMMY?!" Darien all but roared at her, his eyes blazing with obvious lethal jealousy that he made no attempt to disguise or control. His entire body was tense – battle-ready. His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his neck were visibly tense and corded in his enraged state and his hands were clenched tight into fists, but the most menacing thing about his was his dark eyes that would have looked black had they not been filled with the furious fires of hell.

Zoicite sensed Summer tense, readying for conflict, beside him at the same moment he did – the moment Serena had spoken the other male's name and of her need to contact him – both of them ready to leap into action – whatever that action might be. Any Lycaon male would naturally be enraged and jealous when his newly found mate – who was fighting him every step of the way – mentioned another man's name with such affection.

Zoicite knew Darien could, and would, never hurt his mate, but Lycaon kind were overprotective, possessive and highly competitive and as Alpha – royal Alpha at that, which meant that he was stronger and had greater capabilities than the average male Lycaon – Darien was the most deadly of all Lycaon warriors. He was overprotective, obsessively possessive and dangerously jealous right now. If there was another male in Serena's life – who wasn't related to her – whom she cared for then right now that said male was in grave danger.

Unaware of anything other than the fuming immortal shape shifting man raging before her wide frightened eyes, Serena had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on! Darien had just exploded into a murderous rage at the mention of her brother's name.

Wait! Darien evidently didn't know that Sammy was her brother! He had obviously assumed that Sammy was her boyfriend or something, but even if Sammy had been the name of her boyfriend this reaction was way over the top! He was acting as if she'd just demanded to be released so she could go into the arms of the man he despised most!

Maybe she'd made a grave mistake in becoming too comfortable here, after all they weren't human. They were werewolves and they were a hundred times stronger and faster than she was and they were DANGEROUS!

Just look at how little it had taken to set Darien off! He had seemed so controlled and so much older – but she wouldn't go as far to call him wise, he was far too arrogant for that – beyond the limits of normal human, that she hadn't seen his out-of-control emotion driven behaviour coming.

Without any warning at all, Darien suddenly leapt up onto the top of his desk with the ease a normal person would use to climb a single stair, knocking the various things sitting on the polished surface flying in all directions.

Serena instinctively flinched, fearfully taking a step back as she warily watched as Darien crouched down onto his toes and finger tips, as steady and as weightlessly as if he were held upright by invisible wires, as he continued to glare frenziedly at her.

Serena took a second wary step back, keeping her eyes glued to him where he crouched on his desk in perfect balance as if ready to pounce. He was in his human form but right now he looked every bit the dangerous wild predator Serena knew he really was. His eyes were almost black with barely-contained fury and a low ominous growl escaped his parted lips as he bared his teeth.

"Brother." Serena squeaked fearfully. She wasn't sure if she was more fearful for herself or her brother; a part of her – deep within – had been certain that Darien would never hurt her but now even that part had doubts. "Sammy is my brother."

In the blink of an eye, Darien's demeanour changed, calmed. His rigid battle ready body visibly relaxed and he gracefully leaped backwards off the desk and returned to his chair, calm and composed, as if the past minute had never happened at all.

Wow. Talk about blowing hot and cold. Serena made a mental note to be far more wary and attentive of him in the future. Darien was calm and controlled and civilised – to a point – but the beast within was unpredictable, impulsive and dangerously explosive. It seemed that the wild creature within had far more control over Darien than she'd originally thought. It was entirely possible that in a fit of anger he might unintentionally hurt or attack her.

Serena realised then that she really didn't know anything about him; yes, he was a man who could shift into an impossibly large wolf and kill vampires, but about him and his Beast she knew so very little.

Maybe her trust in that he wouldn't hurt her had been premature and foolish.

Darien silently cursed himself and his rash behaviour in every language he knew – which was most. He had scared his mate and had made her feel threatened; fear was the last thing Darien wanted her to feel towards him. He needed her to trust him but she couldn't if she feared him and was constantly wary that he would explode at any moment.

To top it all off, Darien was disgusted with himself. He was the Alpha Prince, one of the most powerful and eldest surviving of his kind outside of the High Lycaon Royal Court, and he had lost control like an adolescent pup. He was better than this; he was a fierce and feared warrior with unmatched control and skill. He had to get a grip on himself around his mate before he ran the risk of causing his mate harm, physical or emotional.

After a long silent minute passed in which no one in the room dared to move, Darien looked up into his mate's fearful and wary eyes as she watched him like a defenceless baby rabbit caught in the hungry murderous gaze of the great timber wolf. She wasn't shaking in fear, instead she was completely still except for the subtle in and out motion of her chest, but it was obvious that she would bolt if he so much as twitched.

He had to repair the damage he'd just done.

Darien briefly took notice of Zoicite and Summer standing battle-ready and watchful at Serena's back, ready to act, he knew, to protect Serena from him.

Darien made a mental note to reward them later. It took great courage and dedication for those so loyal to their pack to be willing to stand against the man who was their prince and Alpha, for the good of the innocent. They would protect Serena from any threat, even from their own Alpha prince.

Moving with exaggerated slowness, Darien picked up the black landline phone from the floor at his feet and gently placed it on the far side of the desk from him, in front of his mate before he leaned back in his chair, intertwined his fingers in his lap and waited patiently, all the while displaying his calm state on his face and in his eyes.

At some point later, after Serena had overcome this little incident, Darien would have to explain to her the wild impulsive nature of the Beast his kind carried and he would apologise for his actions; he could be dismissive about his behaviour when acting in her best interest, but not when he was being irrational and jealous. The Lycaon kind were fiercely competitive, possessive, protective and easily overcome by stabbing jealously around one's own mate; to hear one's mate even say another male's name with such caring can trigger the possessive fury of the temperamental Beast within.

But still, there was no excuse for one as old and as practised in his control as he was and Darien intended to tell her so – just not now.

As fearful and wary as she now was of him, Serena was not going to let this chance to call her brother and friends to ease their worrying for her pass. Keeping her eyes fixed on him Serena picked up the phone and using her peripheral vision to keep a watchful eye on him, dialled her brother's cell phone number as automatically as she would her name into a computer keyboard.

It rang four times before Sammy picked it up, and greeted with a detached, "yeah?"

Serena drew a deep breath and forced calm casualness into her voice; the point of this phone call was to calm and reassure, not to make his worry worse by sounding freaked out and scared. "Sammy, it's Serena."

"Serena?!" Sammy all but yelled through the phone so loudly that Serena was forced to pull the receiver away from her ear for a brief moment for the wellbeing of her eardrum. "Where the in hell have you been?! Where are you now?! Do you have any idea how freaked me and the girls have been about you?!"

It pained Serena's heart that they loved her so much and she'd caused them to become so worried about her; she really should've demanded to make this call days ago.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Sammy." Serena soothed him the best she could when she didn't feel calm at all herself. "I haven't been able to call before now." She glared darkly at Darien because he was the reason she had disappeared without a word in the first place.

Serena knew Darien was listening to every word said but there wasn't anything she could do about that; she was just thankful that Darien was allowing her to contact her loved ones.

"Why?" Sammy asked with concerned suspicion.

Serena looked to Darien for an answer. She couldn't very well tell him the truth now, could she? For one, Sammy would think she was crazy and for two Darien would most likely end the call prematurely and permanently.

A stern expression appeared on Darien's face and he shook his head no twice, wordlessly telling her not to answer. So much for probably.

But no matter what, Serena was not about to lie to her brother or her friends, especially not after everything she had put them through since she had disappeared.

Serena turned her attention back to her conversation with Sammy. "I can't tell you, Sammy. I'm sorry, I just can't."

There was heavy silence on the line for a long moment before Sammy asked in a hard serious tone, "Serena, are you in trouble?"

Serena closed her eyes and placed her hand over her face to hide her expression from Darien, not wanting him to read her emotional anguish on her face. She couldn't lie to Sammy but she couldn't tell him the truth either.

Serena could feel tears filling her closed eyes; it was so hard talking to Sammy, trying to reassure him that everything was okay when there was the possibility that this might be the last time she got to speak to her brother.

Serena swallowed thickly and spoke, her voice trembling with emotion, but comprehensible. "Sammy, I want you to listen to me. I'm safe, I'm okay, but I'm in the middle of something that I need to handle on my own. I need to be by myself for a while. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you or anyone else, but believe me when I say that I had too." Serena drew in a deep shaky breath and forced herself to go on before she lost her nerve. "But I love you, Sammy. You know that, don't you? You've always been the best little brother any girl has ever had. You're going to be okay, Sammy. You're strong and stubborn, just like dad was."

There was a long pause before Sammy spoke again. "Serena, this sounds like goodbye." Sammy was really worried now, his voice was thick with fearful emotion.

"Not goodbye, Sammy." Serena promised him, even knowing that at any moment so many things could make a liar out of her. "One way or another, I'll always be with you, Sammy. Always, just as mum and dad are with us."

"Serena-."

"Please Sammy." Serena begged him as tears continued to flood her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Don't worry about me, you know me. You know that I'd never do anything reckless. I promise you that everything will be okay. I just can't explain anything right now."

"Promise me I'll see you again."

Serena's grip tightened on the receiver as she lowered her hand from her face and opened her eyes to look into Darien's dark penetrating eyes. He was staring at her with sympathy in his dark blue eyes.

Serena had never felt so conflicted in her life. She wanted to hate Darien for putting her through this, for forcing her to inflict this pain on her brother, but if it hadn't been for him then her body would've been found cold and lifeless in the park over a week ago. If it hadn't been for Darien, then her brother really would have lost her forever. As much as Serena wanted to hate him, it wasn't until now she realised that she owed Darien more than her own life.

Serena owed him her brother's. At least this way Sammy knew she was alive and safe, wherever she was and he would continue on with his life as he had before instead of taking a turn for the worst that inevitably would have lead to a premature lonely death. Serena knew her brother well, she had raised him and taken care of him since their parents had died; her death would be something he would never recover from.

"I promise you'll see me again, Sammy." Serena told her brother with complete sincerity, her piercing tear-filled gaze telling Darien that he would not make a liar out of her, that she would see her brother again no matter what. "One way or another, we'll see each other again."

At the sight of her miserable tear-filled eyes, Darien wanted to take her into his arms and promise her that everything was going to be alright, that he would make certain she kept her promise to her brother, but he forced himself to remain silent and still where he sat. He had just scared greatly; he knew she wouldn't appreciate him near her right now. He knew she blamed him for this, for keeping her away from her brother, but it was for the best. Not only would going to her brother endanger her, it would undoubtedly endanger her brother as well.

Once the Damned found out about Serena – if they hadn't already – they would want her and they wouldn't stop until they had her, they would do everything and anything to get their hands on her.

Darien listened, his heart tight at the sight his mate made as she told her brother that she had to go and that she loved him. She didn't say goodbye before she hung up, but she did tell her brother that she would keep her promise, hell or high water she would see him again.

Serena was the one to end the call by using her finger to press the little black button in the receiver's cradle, but she didn't replace the receiver.

"I'm sorry."

Serena didn't know what Darien was sorry for and right now she didn't care. Instead of making things better by getting in touch with her brother, she'd just made things ten times worse – for herself and her brother. She should've lied to him, told him that everything was fine, that she'd just taken off for a brief break from the stress of everything.

Or something! Anything would have been better than the half truths she'd just told him! Now he was more worried about her than ever!

The only consolation was that if something did happen to her and she couldn't keep her promise to her brother, at the very least she'd had the chance to tell him how much she she loved him and to say goodbye.

If this was her last chance to say goodbye, then Serena wasn't going to miss the chance to call the other people in her life she loved.

Before Darien could utter an objecting word, Serena was dialling Mina's cell phone number, again straight from memory.

This time the phone on the other end only rang twice before it was picked up with a frantic and timidly hopeful, "Serena?"

Serena blinked, startled and baffled as to how Mina knew it was her; she was calling from Darien's landline, there was no way that the display screen had come up with her name.

Serena closed her eyes against the logical truth; Mina hadn't known it was her, no doubt Mina answered every call that way in the hope that it would be her."

It's me, Mina."

"SERENA?! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Serena winced and quickly pulled the receiver away from her ear as Mina's high pitched screech exploded though it.

It appeared that Mina had been worried out of her mind about her.

"No, screw that," Serena could hear Mina say, a moment before it was followed by, "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE PUT US ALL THROUGH DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT WITHOUT A WORD NEARLY A WEEK AGO?! WHEN YOU GET HOME I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Serena hastily looked up at Darien for his reaction to Mina's threat, but he was calm and just slightly more than a little amused. It seemed that fortunately the Lycaon Alpha knew that Mina was kidding about the killing part.

At least Serena hoped so, she would hate to see what would happen if Mina actually tried to ring her neck with Darien in the vicinity.

Her money would be on Mina. Mina wasn't immortal with superhuman strength or speed or anything, but when it came to those she loved, she was downright terrifying in her cunning and determined Defend-a-Friend mode.

"-AND THEN I'M GOING TO CLONE YOU AND KILL ALL YOUR CLONES!" Mina continued to rant as loudly as she was physically able.

"Listen, Mina. I don't have a lot of time." Serena said quickly, but calmly before Mina could say another word, and maybe just send her completely and permanently deaf.

"Serena, what is it?" Mina's terrifying fury was gone, completely replaced by worry and concern for her best friend. "Girl, are you in trouble?"

"Mina, I'm okay. I promise." Serena quickly reassured her. She wasn't going to repeat her mistake with Sammy by revealing too much. In this case it seemed that less would be better. "I can't tell you anything right now, but I want you to know that I'm safe and I'm alright. I just can't tell you anything specific right now. I had to go away suddenly and I didn't have time to tell you. I'm sorry I've had you worrying for so long, but please believe me when I tell you that it couldn't be helped. Just know that you don't have to worry about me."

"Serena," Mina really sounded concerned and distraught now. "You're scaring me. What have you gotten yourself into? Whatever it is, we can help."

Like the opening of a flood gate, Serena's tears ran free of her eyes and travelled in parallel paths down her face at the love and devotion Mina demonstrated with so few words. "You can't help Mina, please just tell Lita and Amy that I'm alright. Stop looking for me. I'll come back, when I can."

On the other end of the phone line, in her dorm room on the University Campus, Mina heard the tears in Serena's shaking voice, and fear wrapped its icy squeezing grip around her heart. "Serena-."

"Bye, Mina."

"Serena!"

But the only response Mina got was the beeping engaged tone. Serena was alive, but Mina was certain that in no way was Serena alright.

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Darien couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand watching his mate cry so wretchedly that her violent sobs shook her entire tiny form as she fought to breathe through them. He sat uselessly frozen in his seat, unsure as to whether or not he should go to her, to offer her comfort.

What if by going to his mate he only made the situation worse by scaring her even more than she already was?

There was only one thing he could do under these circumstances, a strategy that had proven effective before in the short time they'd known each other.

"Now that you have your calls done with, I'll make mine." Darien told her with a steady but telling voice as he reached over the desk and picked up the receiver. His fingers swept over the keypad fast and efficiently and when the computerised voice on the other end of the telephone line asked what number he wished.

Darien looked straight into Serena's teary eyes and told the Information line he wanted the number for the university, and then he purposefully rotated the computer chair until his back was mostly to Serena and he requested that he be connected to that number. Out of the corner of his eye, Darien saw that he had succeeded in catching her attention.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked thickly through her sobs.

When Darien gave her an innocent quirk of his eye brow with a soft "Hhmmm?", Serena knew he was up to no good.

"What are you doing?" Serena repeated, her teary red eyes zeroing in on the receiver he held to his ear.

Darien opened his mouth to reply, but when the phone was picked up on the other side of the line, he instead raised his finger at her in a "wait one moment" gesture, leaving Serena glaring at him and listening intently.

Unlike him, Serena couldn't hear what the person on the other side of the line was saying, but she knew that it was someone at the University; even through her sobs she'd been able to hear the loud-mouthed jerk request the number from Information.

Serena's instincts told her that Darien was up to something, and as much as she wanted and needed to cry right now, she knew that she'd better be alert because he was up to something.

That damned failing-to-appear-innocent jerk quirked an eyebrow that just screamed he was up to something; he might as well have the proverbial devil dancing on his shoulder whispering naughty suggestions in his ear.

"Yes, hello. I would like to speak to someone about a certain student who unfortunately has suffered a family emergency and can't participate in her exams. I would like to excuse her from the rest of the semester on her behalf."

Serena's jaw dropped opened speechlessly. Serena knew she looked like a gapping fish out of water but she just couldn't believe what the arrogant, self-centred, high and mighty jerk was doing! Was he seriously trying to sever all her ties with anything that resided outside of his walls?!

Just how long was he planning to keep her there?!

With her tears and her heartache momentarily forgotten, Serena slammed both of her hands down on the desk in front of him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Darien was being transferred to the member of staff who could help him and the phone was ringing, so he ignored his glowering mate in favour of getting this done as fast as he could – before she came to her senses and tried to stop him.

"Yes, hello." Darien greeted when the phone on the other end was picked up and he re-explained himself – omitting most of the details.

"I'm sorry," the official middle aged sounding woman told him from the other end in an official tone, "such requests can only be submitted by the student themselves. Not to mention it would be extremely difficult with how late in the semester it is. If she can't attend her exams then I'm afraid there will be little choice but for her to be marked down as a non-compliance in her studies and she will fail. However, she may repeat the semester, if that is her choice. If not, then she should think seriously if this is where she wants to be."

In another life, Darien would have been furious at the woman's unwillingness to help him, but he had been raised a prince who would one day be king. In the Immortal world, as crown prince he mostly got his way, but in the mortal world he always got his way. One way or another.

"Under normal circumstances," Darien started smoothly, adding just a half measure of charm to his tone. "I would completely agree with you, however Miss Steven's absence can in no way be helped and I would understand that this would be a great inconvenience to several. I am asking leniency in this case. Leniency I would gladly compensate for. Say for example, in exchange for Miss Stevens to pick up where she left off in the next year, I would be willing to make a substantial donation as compensation for any and all inconvenience this will cause."

After a long pause, an icy voice sharply asked, "Are you trying to bribe me, sir?"

"Not at all," Darien lied smoothly; bribing her was exactly what he was doing, but he would not allowed the University to labelled it as bribery; he wouldn't let anything tarnish Serena's name. "I'm willing to show my gratitude for leniency shown to a student who has suffered a rather unfortunate and tragic event in her life."

"Look, sir, I'm sorry, but I cannot-."

"Would five million dollars suffice?" Darien asked, remorselessly cutting her off in mid-sentence.

Serena was dreaming. She had to be. Things like this happened in real life! Here was Darien, as calm and as naturally as breathing, offering millions of dollars just so she could take a year off university so she could-.

Hang on. A year. A whole year before she picked up where she left off?

Rather than continue to glare or scream at him again, Serena instead chose to lunge for the phone receiver. She lunched herself straight across his desk, arm reaching for the phone but at the last moment her hand only grasped air.

Blinking in battled confusion, Serena found herself looking into the black leather of the empty office computer chair.

"Excellent," Said the familiar pleased voice from her right.

Serena turned and saw Darien leaning up against the wall to her right with the phone in his hand, leaning up against the wall as if he had been there the entire time. He looked calm, relaxed and very smug as he stared into her eyes standing there against the wall like he was at a casual family barbecue.

"I will send someone to pack and collect her belongings, please notify the relevant staff. Thankyou."

Darien hung up the phone making a mental note to call his mortal secretary and send her to have Serena's things packed and sent to the manor.

Serena had been gob-smacked before, not often, but she did know the feeling, but this was something else entirely.

This . . . this . . . jerk had just paid FIVE MILLION DOLLARS to her university so she could be excused from her exams and defer for a year. She just couldn't believe it, just how arrogant could one man be?!

And how rich was he that FIVE MILLION DOLLARS was nothing to him? He'd shown as much indifference to that large sum of money as most people did to the loose quarters buried in their couch!

If he could spend that much money on something so superfluous then this extensive extravagant mansion was well and truly below his means. This was a man who had cash – and a lot of it – to burn, but the money obviously meant so little to him that he hadn't even battered an eyelid in donating millions to her university.

What kind of man had that much money but didn't care about money?

One who planned to keep her prisoner in his posh mansion indefinitely, a little voice promptly reminded her.

Serena closed her mouth, endeavouring to forget about the money he'd just used to bribe her university, and returned to glaring at him. She couldn't undo what he'd just done – for that amount of money the University wouldn't let her if she tried – but what she could do was take her sense of powerlessness and her frustration out on him.

God knew he more than deserved it. Just how long was he planning to keep her there? He'd pulled her out of school for a year! Her brother and her friends were already out of their minds with worry, what would that become if she was gone for a full year?!

Serena couldn't image not seeing her brother or her friends – whom she loved and thought of as her sisters – for that long. She needed them in her life, she needed those she loved and she needed to know that they were alright, not worrying themselves sick over her. It didn't help either that she felt so guilty at not contacting them sooner. They'd been worrying themselves sick over her for days, until now when she'd finally thought to contact them.

When she got away from the jerk and out of this mess, Serena was going to have to make it up to them – maybe give each of them one of her organs, or something just as meaningful.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Serena demanded, feeling heat rise in her face and neck as she became red from the heat of her blazing fury. "Bribing the university to deter me for a year?! Just how long do you think you're going to be able to keep me here?"

Darien leaned back in his chair, considering her through his amusement-filled deep dark blue eyes – damn! Serena was as furious as hell with him but she just couldn't seem to stop noticing how drop dead gorgeous he was! The man had sex appeal oozing out of his pores!

"I don't think anything." Darien told her self-assuredly. "I know that I'm going to keep you here for as long as I must to keep you safe."

It took all of Serena's self control to keep from screeching loud enough to stir the dead in sheer frustration. The jerk's arrogance knew no bounds.

It would've given her nothing but the greatest pleasure to tell him just where he could stick his arrogant oversized ego, but Serena could see it in his eyes that her fury was only succeeding in amusing him and she refused to keep giving him the pleasure.

Serena narrowed her eyes on him, glaring at him wishing more than anything that looks could kill. "That's what you think."

And Serena spun on her heel and stalked across the room with all the dignity and grace of a reigning Queen.

---

The thunderous boom of the door slamming echoed through the office as its occupants continued to stare after her, even after the door had been slammed closed behind her.

After a brief moment of silence, a loud enraged feminine screech from down the hall had them all turning their incredulous gazes back to the Lycaon Alpha prince, who still sat behind his large desk.

Darien had the inkling that if Serena had been able too, she would've at least attempted to inflict some form of harm upon him. If she had been able, then Darien had no doubt that he would've been left licking his wounds for days.

There was a strength, a will, in his newly discovered mortal mate – so alike that which Rei possessed – that made every male in the vicinity – mortal or no – wary of her. As he had just witnessed, even frustrated and captive in his house, Serena had still stalked out of the room with the poised air of an infuriated Queen.

No doubt about it, Serena was a woman who more often than not would get her way in life, and in the manor; it was only Darien's fear for her safety that prevented her way in some things.

Darien, ignoring the accusing eyes on him, turned his thoughts back to more serious concerns. There was much to do and he had to get it done as soon as possible.

Looking up, Darien turned his attention to Summer, who was the only female in the room and the only one bluntly glaring irately at him.

It appeared that his mate had a knack for quickly gaining the affections of the members of his pack.

"Summer, I need you to assist Rei in gathering everything my mate needs," Darien instructed her, waving his hand dismissively in her direction. "Clothing and personal items. Anything and everything she may need."

Without saying a word, Summer bowed her head stiffly to him, and turned on her heel to leave the office, no doubt she wouldn't fail to fill Rei in on recent events. As with the mortal race, the Lycaon women tended to stick together when the men of the pack acted "inappropriately" – or at least that was the correct term. The actual term that was mainly used by said women was one he would not repeat.

The battle of the sexes did not just rage in the mortal world. In the pack, when a man enraged a female bad enough, he more often than not had to go to proverbial war with every female in the pack.

"Don't go too far overboard," Darien added as a disclaimer to Summer. "When Serena settles I'm sure she'll go shopping herself."

Money was of no importance to him – he and his entire family secretly owned and ran several multi-national, multi-million dollar companies – but if he had to move Serena he didn't want more than a few suitcases. The less she had right now – personal possessions wise – the better.

Summer closed the door behind her with much more force than was necessary.

Darien turned his attention to his Betas, who were still and practically standing at attention. They were friends and brothers but even when they were without formal company, there were times they had to remember that there was a hierarchy in the pack.

"Tonight I want the three of you to take two units comprised of our best and find Sapphire." Darien's tone was hard with authority and icy with deadly implication. "He saw Serena; no doubt he already knows that she is of some importance, to me at least."

"And when we find him?" Jadeite asked without emotion.

Darien knew that Jadeite was asking for a direction order; he already knew what Darien wanted him to do. They had been together too long, fought in too many battles, not to know each other well enough that for most things words were not needed.

"He is a danger to my mate."

Jadeite bowed his head in acknowledgement of the order, and the three Betas turned and left him alone.

Darien leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. There was so much he had to do or see done, and the feeling that time was running out was growing stronger around him, ever since the night Sapphire had escaped him with knowledge of Serena.

If Sapphire learned of just who and what Serena was – correction, when he learned – Darien had no doubt that Serena would become the most targeted woman on earth, mortal or Immortal. Other than his sister, the princess of the Lycaon race, who had always been kept safe at all costs Darien had never had a known weakness before, especially one so venerable.

It would only be a matter of time before the worst of the Damned, who Darien had been hunting for over eight hundred years, learned of Serena and would come for him, either to take what was his or to kill him.

Probably both.

Darien couldn't let either of the events occur. No matter what happened, he couldn't let Serena fall into Diamond's hands, especially not if Serena was what Darien secretly hoped she was. As for his own death, Darien had stopped fearing death by the end of his second century of life. He had a reason to live now, one unlike any he had ever known before, but his life was inconsequential to him against that of his mate and his pack.

If his death was coming, then no matter what Serena would be protected for the rest of her natural days.

Half-heartedly, Darien picked up the receiver of the sleek black landline telephone on his desk and pressed the first speed dial. He had been dreading this call, but it had to be made. No doubt word had already reached their ears, even though they were on the other side of the world.

Goddess bless the communications age. Technology was one of the very few things that the mortals bettered immortals at; their limited time at life gave them unlimited potential and imagination.

The phone only rang twice before it was picked up.

"Darling, you finally called your mother."

Darien softened at the sound of his mother's loving melodious voice. He did miss her, but even after nine centuries he was still just a pup to her.

"Hello, mother." Darien breathed gently, as he turned his office chair to look out the window at the manor's grounds and his thickly wooded territory that stretched beyond. "I only called you not two weeks ago."

For the past fifteen hundred years the power of the Lycaon race had resided in England, but before then it had resided in what was now known as Ancient Persia."

Two weeks is a long time to some," His mother told him wisely. The Queen of the Lycaon race had only recently celebrated her two thousandth birthday; the Lycaon King had done so two centuries before his Queen.

His mother had no idea how right her piece of wisdom was. Look at all that had happened in his life in the last week.

"I have news." Darien wasn't fooled for one moment by his mother's impeccable restraint at waiting for him to approach the subject.

As far away from his parents as he was, the Lycaon King and Queen still knew most of what happened to and around their only two children who had moved to the new world long ago, and they knew it well before Darien or their young daughter reported it to them. Unlike royalty in the mortal world, the royalty of the immortal world had absolute power over their kingdom and their people. When it was said that the power of the Lycaon race resided in England, it was nothing but pure truth.

"Hold on one moment, my darling." The Lycaon Queen purred before Darien could say another word. "Your father is here, I will put you on speaker phone."

Not even a moment passed before Darien heard the telling click that his mother had indeed put him on speaker phone.

Darien resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His parents were over two thousand years old, the oldest of the surviving Lycaon kind, but they had never lost touch with the latest technology and inventions of both the Immortal and mortal worlds.

"Darien, boy," His father's voice all but boomed through the phone receiver. "I expected your call two days ago."

In other words, his parent's had learned of Serena three days ago but had been waiting for his call, no doubt to demonstrate to him that they had accepted that their only son was his own man now, one who stood on his own two feet.

There was no point in beating about the bush. His parents loved him and so often they checked in on him, even though he was half a world away. Of course they knew he knew that they did but they all continued to pretend that Darien was ignorant of their watchful eye.

But maybe their eyes would not remain so watchful over him now that he had finally found his wolfmate.

"I've found my mate in a mortal woman named Serena." Darien told them in one breath.

"How wonderful darling!" His mother chimed joyously at the exact right moment, but Darien heard the worrisome edge to her tone as clearly as he could picture it on her beautiful flawless face – as old as the King and Queen were, neither looked to be over the age of thirty.

Darien didn't doubt that they were relieved that he had found his mate at last and in doing so had found peace, but they were worried. Within minutes of hearing the news, they would have already considered the implications of their son's mortal mate.

"Your mate has long since been owed to you by the Goddess." The King of all Lycaon kind proclaimed proudly to him. "I'm proud of you, my son, for holding on for as long as you did."

"We're coming to the New World to see you both!" The Queen of the Lycaon kind was excited. She hadn't visited the US – which they both still referred to in the old manner as the "New World" – in decades.

But now was not the time for them to come. Things needed to settle down before his parents come to see her. Things are complicated and dangerous enough without having his royal parents there as well – along with no doubt, the entire Lycaon Royal Court.

"I would be overjoyed to have you and father in my house," Darien said truthfully, "But not yet. The Immortal world worldwide has been stirred, especially here in the States. I need to focus on protecting Serena now and-."

"Our presence will only stir it up all the more." His mother finished for him, she sounded disappointed but understanding.

"What of the Damned?" His father asked, his tone all hard serious business.

"I have reason to believe that Diamond will be returning to the region again soon." Now that Darien voiced his suspicions, it seemed all the more likely. "No doubt news of my mortal mate will reach his ears shortly, if not so already. He will come, for one reason or the other. He will come for her."

"What can we do for you, my darling?" His mother asked, concerned for her children.

Darien had known even before placing the call what he needed to ask of his parents. "I need numbers to protect my territory. As long as the borders of my territory hold, the Damned will never get near my mate."

"Then numbers you shall have," His father promised sternly, his word would be so as the King of the Lycaon kind considered his word bound by his honour. "I shall send my Beta with two units of my best. They are yours to command, with more if you wish."

"Two units is all I hope I will need," Darien would have taken every man his father could offer, but he would not risk the safety of the Royal Lycaon Court. It wasn't a complete impossibility that with all the strength of the Royal Lycaon Family in the States that Diamond would take advantage of the Court's fewer numbers and attack them instead.

Diamond was just cunning and devious enough to do it.

"What of Rei?" His mother asked him inquisitively, her voice lace with the worry of a loving mother. "Will you be sending her to us?"

"Not at this time, mother." Darien had already considered his sister and what was safest for her. It was true that the Lycaon Princess would be safer under the protection of the Lycaon Royal Court, but with all the Damned activity, the danger she would be in on the commute outweighed the risk than if she remained.

For the time being, Rei was safer inside his walls.

"Rei is safe enough here." Darien assured them. "I will not risk her safety as long as my territory remains un-breached."

"If that is what you think is best." His mother said with a heavy sigh that spoke of her disappointment at being denied the chance of a visit from her daughter, but still she respected and trusted her son.

It was known by all that the Lycaon Prince guarded well that which was in his domain.

After drawn-out goodbyes between the three of them Darien hung up the phone feeling as he always did after talking or visiting his parents, exhausted and grateful. His parents, even with the conversation as serious as it had been, always made him feel proud to be who he was. His parents loved him; in all his years, not once had he felt unworthy of being their son. He was just as proud to be their son as they were to have him as a son. But on the other side of the same coin Darien always found himself feeling mentally drained after long periods of time in his parent's company.

It had been so since he'd reached his first century; it was part of being a Lycaon, especially Lycaon royalty. Darien had been born to be an Alpha, to be a leader, and the blood of kings flowed thickly through his vines and living under the rule of the supreme alpha that his father was stirred his Beast's natural instinct to challenge in battle for the right of leadership.

In a Lycaon pack there could only be one alpha. It had only been his human half's iron will that had held his Beast so tightly that had prevented him from spontaneously attacking his father for the right of leadership.

Darien was buried deep in his thoughts and memories of his childhood when the shrill tone of his desk phone pierced though him and snapped him abruptly back to the present.

For a moment Darien considered not answering the call, but the responsibilities and duties that rested on his shoulders as Prince and Alpha weighed too heavily to let a call go unanswered without a justifiable reason.

Drawing in a deep breath, Darien picked up the receiver and put it to his ear, "Shields."

Listening silently for a moment, Darien had to fight to resist the compulsion to bang his head repeatedly on his desk, feeling the weight of his responsibilities grow that much more crushing upon his broad shoulders.

By the Great Moon Goddess, this was the last thing he needed right now.

---

Jadeite had a good hour before he needed to leave to embark on the hunt for the Damned Anami named Sapphire and everything was all organised; the two warrior units had reported for duty as ordered by their Alpha, their mission directive had been made clear and their weapons had been cleaned and inspected.

While Jadeite had been handling everything in preparation for their hunt tonight, Zoisite and Summer had returned to their posts outside of their Alpha's bedroom in which the mortal woman had remained for the remainder of the day.

No doubt Summer and Rei had already organised everything Serena would need and what needed to be delivered to the manor was on it's way.

It didn't take Rei – or Summer – long to organise and obtain.

With a quick peek into his mate's mind, which forever dwelled alongside his own consciousness when their link was not in active use, Jadeite saw that he had been right; Rei had just gotten off the phone with her mortal personal assistant in the city and what she had ordered would be there before eight o'clock tonight.

The few women of the pack were nothing if not efficient in ways that only women could be.

Satisfied that everything was as it should be – his Alpha's orders being followed and Rei, his wolfmate, safe and content – Jadeite turned his mind to other matters just as he reached his destination.

Jadeite did not know what had brought him to his Alpha's door; he had moments before believed that he'd been mindlessly walking the manor's long dim halls, but he found himself looking at the large double doors as if at will he might see through them.

Beyond the thick heavy wood, Jadeite could hear the young mortal woman's healthy beating heart, her soft breathing, and her rhythmic footsteps; she was pacing back and forth and she was in no way happy. In fact if Jadeite had to put a descriptive phrase to her current demeanour, he would say that she was royally pissed off.

Mates always tended to bring out strong emotional reactions in each other, ranging from fury to passion, from joy to frustration. Normally in time, both man and woman of a mated couple learned to control and manage their strong emotional reactions to each other, but newly coupled mates, no matter their age, were at constant emotional heights when they interacted with each other.

The young mortal woman needed guidance and Jadeite found himself willing to be the one who offered such to her as one mated being to another. The young moral knew nothing of their world and even less of what it was to be a mate, to be so blessed by the goddess as to be given such love, happiness and inner peace.

Jadeite indicated his head towards the doors which Zoisite promptly opened without so much as a raised eyebrow, and the three of them stepped inside – Summer for many reasons, but mainly because no male would dare to be unchaperoned while in the presence of another's mate, no matter how trusted.

And Zoisite had most likely entered because he was curious and unwilling to be the only one to wait outside.

At their entry into the room, Serena turned and after a moment of silence in which she considered them, her eyes narrowed until she was glaring wrathfully at the three of them.

"Don't tell me," Serena snapped venomously in their direction. "You're here to stick up for him."

Jadeite held back an inappropriate chuckle that he deemed would only enrage her further. He liked this young mortal woman; she was spirited and even though she had a tempter that was as wilful and unpredictable as that of Mother Nature, she was extremely likable and amusingly zealous, even while she believed herself to be a prisoner here in the mansion.

"Not quite," Jadeite replied, his amusement not completely masked in his tone.

Serena narrowed her eyes on the one named Jadeite. She didn't believe him for a moment. Everyone in the mansion seemed to think that Darien was some kind of messiah or something.

While Serena only allowed herself to think of Darien as an arrogant controlling jerk who refused to take no for answer – on anything!

"Then why are you here?" Serena felt a little bad that she was being rude to the people who continued to be the nicest to her, but they were still helping that jerk hold her prisoner, damn it! If that didn't give her the right to be at least a little rude, then what did?

"To offer company you aren't livid towards," Jadeite answered his tone good-humoured as he gave a small smile at his own half-joke. Half because even though he meant the quip in jest, his words still held truth.

Serena couldn't help it; most of the people in the mansion she'd met so far – all except for the alpha domineering jerk – she helplessly found herself liking.

Serena gave him a small smile which she didn't have to force. "You assume a lot."

"One of his many flaws." Zoicite quipped with a huge grin, his deep green eyes twinkling with innocent laughter.

"Like you're one to talk." Summer teased Zoicite with a teasing roll of her eyes.

Jadeite was delighted to see Serena's smile reach her eyes. She really was a beauty to behold, especially when her eyes glittered with mirth and joy, something Darien himself had yet to witness firsthand. His Alpha seemed to have a talent for antagonising his mate which was a real shame because to those she favoured she was a beaming jewel. It was a delightful experience to be around her when she was in a good mood; she as delightfully charismatic.

Serena couldn't remain angry and frustrated at Darien – at least while he wasn't even there – when she was surrounded by such likable – and funny – personalities. It was a con that they were friends with the arrogant jerk but it was a plus that they could make her laugh so effortlessly.

But at the same time, Serena knew that they were there for a reason. No one here had come near her without a purpose. If they were here to plead their Alpha's case, then they would be wasting their breath, but if they had come to cheer her up, then she was grateful for the pleasant company.

"Why are you here, Jadeite?" Serena asked evenly. In a matter of a few minutes, thanks to the three of them – her guards – she'd gone from feeling frustrated and angry to feeling at ease and relaxed. She hoped that the answer to her question wouldn't spoil her newly acquired good mood.

"Not to plead Darien's case," Jadeite assured her. He could sense her suspicion and had confidently assumed the reason for her suspicion; anyone who spent any amount of time amongst the pack could see the loyalty and respect the pack had for their Alpha.

But as much as Jadeite wanted to defend his Alpha to her, he knew that no matter what he said, nothing was going to change the young woman's attitude towards his Alpha, at least not at this moment in time. Instead he chose a different course in aiding his Alpha and this young mortal who now dwelled in a world where danger would forever stalk her. "But to explain to you the situation you have come to be in; one that you cannot see because you simply do not know our world."

What was it about logic that made it hard to argue against? Serena found herself wondering. Jadeite had come with calm logic while his arrogant jerk of an Alpha had come with commands and expectations.

If Jadeite – whom Serena helplessly found herself liking all the more – wanted to sit her down and calmly explain the situation to her, then she wouldn't stop him. It wasn't as if she had places to go and things to do.

The truth was that Serena was bored out of her skull and being angry at Darien did help to fill the hours a little bit. What could she say she was only human, which was more than she could say for him, but regardless of everything, being constantly angry at someone was exhausting, especially someone who wasn't even there.

So with that in mind Serena walked over to the bed and took a seat, wanting to be comfortable because she had the feeling that this was going to take a while.

Jadeite smiled, grateful that Serena was willing to at least hear him out – so long as he didn't try to plead Darien's case as he was mildly tempted to do.

Darien had waited too long for the gift of a mate and Jadeite loved his brother dearly and wished him only all the good things he deserved.

"We're not the typical creatures of your mortal legends," Jadeite began as he watched Serena settle down on the bed to listen as a child would for a bedtime story. "We are Lycaons, not werewolves. The moon holds no sway over us; we choose when we shift, and we can only change into a wolf, not some creature in the in-between. Even the Anami – vampires – are different than those your race writes legends and movies about."

"Anami will not burn into cinders if they are exposed to the light of day; if they remain too long in the light of day they suffer, and will eventually die, but not by fire." Jadeite considered the description for a moment, wording his next sentence in his mind before speaking it. "To express it in a way you would understand, their life force is drained away until their bodies no longer have the life force left to live."

Serena couldn't help herself, she found herself fascinated by what Jadeite was explaining; she was being pulled in just as Jadeite had no doubt intended. He was helping her to understand her situation and for a few moments forget her anger towards Darien by distracting her and Serena was thankful for the – if only temporary – reprieve from everything.

"The two Immortal races, the Anami and we, the Lycaon kind, are nearly as old as the human race itself. We once lived in the open, in the light, with mortal kind, guiding and nurturing the mortal race but then came the birth of the Damned."

The tone of Jadeite's voice changed, becoming solemn, telling Serena that the birth of the Damned kind had in no way been a good thing.

"Those who would become the Damned fed on the life force of mortal kind and in the taking of life's blood, they became mad in their ignited ravenous thirst for more, and so they fell into forever lasting madness, and became creatures that are forever at the mercy of their raging thirst."

"To protect the mortal race and ourselves from an everlasting existence in fear and terror, the Immortal races faded from the mortal world and into the darkness of night, but our sacrifice came at a high cost, so say to high a cost. Life became harder for us Immortals, for in our Immortal lives in truth it was the goodness and love of the mortal race that kept us strong, kept us true to ourselves. But living in the darkness, almost becoming a part of it, took its toll upon us and it became harder for us to see the light, even within ourselves."

"To make matters worse for us, we were forced to kill the Damned to protect mortal kind, but the Damned are those who were once part of us, our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. Our kin. To kill a Damned was to kill one that others of the Immortal races loved. This sparked the war between the Anami and the Lycaon people. A war which raged for millennia."

"With two wars to fight, and even more Immortals becoming of the Damned, our numbers fell until we barely lingered in the low thousands. Facing the extinction of the Immortal kind while the Damned grew stronger, the Anami and the Lycaon kind were left with no choice but to decree peace by signing a peace treaty not even two hundred years ago."

"Now all that remains is the war against the Damned, who grow increasingly stronger every year with each Immortal who gives up hope and feeds on the lives of mortal kind. The Damned are ruthless evil creatures without mercy or compassion. They kill without regret and they kill many. That is what we do, we fight to keep them from overrunning the Earth and turning the mortal race into an all you can eat buffet."

Serena stared into Jadeite's profound eyes, speechlessly. What could she say in the face of such long-lasting hardship?

---

It was really beginning to irritate Darien that his mate was patient and pleasant to his own Betas while she continued to find him insufferable. He didn't blame her because he was keeping her in the manor against her will, but that didn't mean he had to like it damn it!

For the past few minutes Darien had been listening from the floor below as Jadeite had outlined their history to his mate – highly edited of course – until he'd been unable to stand it any longer. He stalked up the stairs and without conscious memory of arriving there, Darien stood in the open door way of his own bed chamber.

"-all you can eat buffet."

Jadeite fell silent when he finally noticed his Alpha's presence, looking at him warily, not knowing whether or not he was in trouble; he had done what he could to minimise any risk of angering his Alpha. He had assured that a female was present so that he would not be alone with another Lycaon's mate – which could often lead to a violent physical battle – and he had edited their Lycaon history down almost to the point of becoming disrespectful to those in the past who had lost their lives or their loved ones.

Darien gave all three of them a hard glare from the doorway. "Don't you have duties to attend too?" The sun was setting; the assigned Units had to embark on their hunt for Sapphire within a quarter of an hour.

Without a word Summer and the two Beta's quickly left the room, and were out of sight within moments. His Beta's would prepare for the hunt while Summer would remain close enough to return to her post outside the bedroom door once Darien left.

Once they were alone, Darien entered his bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind him, his steady gaze on Serena.

Who was glaring wrathfully at him from where she still sat on the bed.

"You seem to be settling in." Darien stated conversationally.

Serena snorted. "You wish."

Oh, how he did, but Darien saw the wisdom in not saying so out loud.

"I am needed in the city for a few hours. I have business I must attend to that cannot wait." Darien informed her, regretfully. He in no way liked the idea of leaving her, but his mortal personal assistant had called from the company headquarters in the city. Apparently his board of directors were trying to bankrupt the company through some really very poor business decisions that only he could put a stop to in person.

But it was Darien's company, he owned eighty percent of the shares and as a result he had the undisputed ruling vote. If he didn't want something to happen, it didn't; even when they attempted such in his absence, they were unsuccessful, largely due to the several members of staff, all whom were unquestionably loyal to him, who reported to him of such things.

His personal assistant was only one of many who reported to him.

"I'll only be gone an hour or two." Darien added; he wouldn't be leaving her at all but he had to protect his pack's income.

Serena raised a questioning eyebrow, simultaneously asking him without words what it had to do with her and conveying to him that she really didn't care what he did.

Again, Darien wisely decided to let her irritating indifference to him pass. For now. One way or another, her difficult attitude would soon come to an end. There was only so far she could push him before she would be forced to face the consequences.

Briefly, Darien considered offering her the chance to come with him, but he didn't trust her in public not to run from him, or scream high heaven at the first opportunity. On top of that, the city wasn't safe at the moment, not for her.

The safest place for her, until Diamond and Sapphire were far from the city and his territory, was here at the manor.

Due to his unforeseen absence, Darien had already amended his orders for the night. He had left instructions with Nephlite that he and Jadeite were to leave the hunt for Sapphire to Zoicite and remain at the manor to protect the pack and watch over Serena.

Zoisite and two units would suffice for the hunt; Zoisite may have been the third in line of his Beta's but he was no less capable than his two brother Beta's.

"You are to stay in this room and you will not cause any trouble," Darien instructed her in a mildly warning tone. "I have left orders that under no circumstances are you to leave this room, so don't even try. You will not get far, I promise you that."

Serena opened her mouth to colourfully blast him with anatomically impossible suggestions but before she could say a word, Darien was gone in a blur of black and the doors closed firmly behind him. He had left in the blink of an eye before she could get her own two cents in!

Ooh! That really ticked her off! If the jerk was going to order her about the least he could do was stay for the argument to follow.

Serena was really becoming sick and tired of the jerk's commanding attitude and his expectations that she should jump to his exact specifications.

The jerk really needed to be knocked down a notch or two.

The jerk had finally allowed her to contact her loved ones who were worried sick about her – again, that was his fault – and now he was informing her on his whereabouts as if she should actually care!

Serena had never thought herself a saint, but she had always believed that she had a reasonable level of tolerance and patience - that had been before the jerk had kidnapped her and dragged her back to his enormous mansion of Immortal werewolves.

No, not werewolves, Lycaons.

The jerk was pushing every button she had without even trying and it was driving her fury to new heights. And what was worse was that Serena could feel herself gradually becoming more and more comfortable here and she didn't want that.

Serena had to get out of there before she became too complacent and now that Darien was leaving, this was her chance. She wasn't going to stay one more minute in this mansion as his prisoner! She had had enough of him and his possessive obsession with her.

What's more, Serena was afraid that she would soon forget all about getting away from the jerk, that soon she would lose her will or even the notion of escaping. She was a prisoner here and she couldn't afford to forget that. Not for anything. Darien and his kind were dangerous and it was only a matter of time before he lost his temper again.

There was no telling what he would do when pushed to limits – and she had no intention of either ceasing her pushing or being there when his infuriating control finally broke.

---

Not thirty minutes later, Serena watched from the fourth floor balcony of the jerk's room studying the outer wall of the mansion and the immediate grounds in the dimming light of twilight.

Fifteen minutes ago Serena had watched as the jerk and the one she knew as Zoisite, along with at least a dozen others, load into a black stretch limo and the two black SUV's that looked like something out of a modern gangster movie, and drive out like they on their way to a shady business deal in the middle of nowhere, safe from the eyes of the law.

Serena wanted them – the jerk especially – to be as far from her as possible.

This was her chance. She waited only a few minutes knowing with each passing moment the jerk was further and further away before she threw her leg over the balcony railing, turned around and drew in a deep breath for courage.

As far as Serena could see it, her only real way out of the mansion undetected was over the balcony as the door was well guarded; she wouldn't make it passed the two guards again. If they guessed her intentions, they would merely avoid the ordeal by locking the doors and sealing her inside.

The last thing Serena wanted was to be locked in.

The fortunate thing was that there were two other balconies directly beneath hers, the three perfectly aligned like semi-circled shelves on a wall.

In high school, Serena had been something of a klutz. After her parents had died, as part of her resolution to continue on, she'd taken some dance classes where she'd learned to move her feet without falling or tripping over. The dance classes had been the kind that included all kind of dance from ballroom to ballet to jazz to modern dance. There had even been one or two classes of exotic dancing that had involved explicit dancing on a stripper pole – which not even the girls knew about and never would, not without some serious torture.

The first year of the dance classes still made her wince at the memory; she'd endured bumps, bruises, strained and pulled muscles and even a mildly sprained ankle, but in the end it had all been worth it. She hadn't exactly become graceful, but the lessons had left her with a better awareness of her body and her body's capabilities.

And at this present moment in time, Serena was thankful for every minute of the weekly classes she'd attended for two years in which the dance teacher could have doubled as a combat instructor for the Marine Corp. In the end she'd been sad to drop the classes, but after two years she'd accomplished what she'd come for and on top of that she needed to focus on her studies at University and she couldn't afford the classes and her textbooks.

As she'd been taught in class, Serena closed her eyes and pictured what she wanted to do. She needed to get this right, if she fell the fall probably wouldn't kill her but she was more than high enough to break bones if she slipped and fell.

Holding onto the balcony railing, Serena crouched low – this was the most difficult part – and while holding onto the railing, she slid her hands down until she was holding the absolute bottom of the rail beams, only an inch above where her feet were perched.

She would only have one chance at this, and to top it off she had to be as quiet as possible or else the Lycaons who inhabited the mansion – all with superhuman hearing – would hear her.

This was the moment of truth; the hardest part was dropping her body without losing her grip on the railing. If she did this right, then with a little bit of gymnastics, she'd be able to drop onto the balcony below.

If she didn't do it right, then it was going to hurt.

A lot.

Her entire body was tensed, her pale hands grasping the runs in a death grip and her feet. Serena knew it was now or never. She couldn't hang around on the outside of the balcony railing forever.

Swallowing, Serena allowed her feet to slip from the balcony floor beneath her and just like that she was falling down through the air, until an instant later her arms caught and she winced under the jarring strain of her death grip on the railing ending her descent.

The scariest part was over. Now she was dangling two and a half stories above the ground, her feet hovering only six or seven inches above the railing of the third floor balcony below.

Now all Serena had to do was find the courage to let go and pray that no one saw her while she took a little time to find said courage.

---

Jadeite, Nephlite and two of the Anami guards watched from below, hidden in the shadows of the large tree by the manors near single story high wall, unable to be seen by mortal eyes as Darien's mortal mate was determinedly attempting to escape Darien's room by means of using the balcony and those below it as a giant ladder.

"We should stop her," Nephlite growled edgily, his voice so low that no mortal ear would have been able to hear even if they stood where Jadeite stood directly beside him.

Immortal hearing was far greater than that of mortals.

Jadeite shook his head no. "If we startle her she could fall." He turned his head to give Nephlite a piercing look. "Do you want to be the one to tell Darien that his mate suffered harm by our direct doing?"

Jadeite knew what would happen as it would be exactly what he would do if he was in Darien's place. If he left Rei in the care of another and she was hurt because of that person's actions, there would be blood to pay.

"If she falls anyway-."

"Then we will have time to catch her," Jadeite interrupted as he turned his gaze back to the manor in time to see their Alpha's mortal mate swing her body back and forth enough that when she let go the momentum of her swinging body sent her falling down and forward, to land safely on the balcony below.

They all heard her hushed triumphantly whispered, "yes!"

Moments ago Nephlite had heard Serena step over the balcony and had immediately alerted Jadeite. They had then quickly hastened out into the gardens where they could monitor her unseen.

Jadeite had been left in charge of the manor and Serena's safety. For a moment they had feared she was going to try to make some ill-conceived suicide attempt, but then she had lowered herself until she was grasping the runs of the balcony railing and they had realised her true intentions. Jadeite had then decided to reframe from acting until she either needed their help or she made it safely down.

He couldn't risk Serena hurting herself in this impressive – but very foolish – mortal method of escaping the manor – even though she wasn't at risk at the moment as any of them could catch her if she fell – or endangering herself by leaving the grounds therefore their protection. But at the same time Jadeite didn't want to cause more conflict between Darien and his mate by having this little adventure turn into an incident which he would be forced to report to Darien.

None of them liked keeping secrets from Darien, but this one would be for the best. The last thing the Darien and Serena needed between them was another argument as Darien would definitely have something to say to his mate about this little escapade – that wouldn't be delivered in a calm logical manner – and the friction between them would only worsen.

Darien needed his mate, in all ways, but in truth Darien had Serena in so few ways. There would be times when Darien would need the comfort and soothing touch of his mate; he would need to feel that connection between them that all mated Lycaons knew. Soon, this situation between then would not be enough for Darien – as it stood Jadeite knew the Lycaon nature well enough to know that from the moment Darien had laid eyes upon his mate in recognition of what she truly was, his Beast would have been strongly demanding Darien to take her, completely and in all ways, to claim, to mark her as his for all time. To forge the unbreakable link of mates between them that would bind them permanently.

But that could never happen if Darien and Serena continued to butt heads as they were, driving Serena even further away and strengthening her resolve to keep her distance – physically mentally and emotionally – from him.

Jadeite hoped that he could talk Serena into returning to her room under her own steam without fuss – if any of them even got too close to her, Darien would smell them on her and he would not be pleased.

Unfortunately, young mortal women were not known for being logical and cooperative; as most of the daytime soaps on television attested too.

In his mind, Jadeite heard Rei's warning growl at the offending thought.

Jadeite suppressed his smile and once again told his mate to keep out of this. She was currently hunting on the far side of the manor, and only remained away at his request. No doubt before this night was out, at least one woman would raise her voice to him, he did not need his mate added to the equation.

'I can get her back to her room much easier than you can!' Rei snapped irritably – with a sardonic edge to her tone – into his mind from fifteen miles away.

Jadeite did roll his eyes. 'I know you far better than that, my darling. You would side with her the moment she made the argument that Darien is mistreating her by keeping her here against her will.'

Rei's only response was another warning growl.

---

Now that she was only the third floor balcony, Serena had a decision to make. She could repeat the process until she reached the ground or she could take the easier option of using the door as it was unlikely that it would be locked or guarded as hers was.

Going over the balcony again would be the harder of the two options while going through the mansion increased her chances of being caught or cornered.

An easy choice, especially now that she knew she could do it.

Serena swiftly threw her leg over the balcony railing once again and carefully but more confidently this time repeated the process. She crouched low holding onto the runs of the rail, allowed her feet to drop from the balcony floor until she was dangling in the air, holding on tightly and then she swung her body back and forth until she had enough momentum and then she let go, landing solidly on the second story balcony below.

Only one more floor to go.

Serena drew in a deep breath to prepare herself and threw her leg over the rail, when the glass doors behind her caught her attention.

Caught between her curiosity to have a look and her need to get away from the mansion of the arrogant jerk, Serena hesitated for a long silent moment before her curiosity caught the better of her and she left the railing and went to the doors that lead out onto the balcony.

The doors were made of glass and thin golden trim, they reached from barely an inch below the third floor above to the floor at her feet; the entire wall and the large arched double doors were made mostly of smooth clear glass.

But it was lay within that caught her breath and made her eyes open wide in wondrous awe. It was gorgeous! Like something magical from a dream or a fairy tale!

It was a ballroom but one unlike any she had ever seen except in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. What was it with that movie?! If the mansion hadn't obviously been older than the movie Serena would've believed that they'd seen the movie and endeavoured to design their mansion in a close as fashion as possible – although she had yet to see a talking tea pot or even a suit of armour.

The ballroom was two stories high with a landing going around the interior level with the second floor, opening up onto the balcony. The walls were ornately designed like something from a grand palace with cream white and gold, while the floor was marble, but instead of smoky grey through the white marble, it was a golden pattern in the exact same design as the traditional smoky grey and white marble. The staircases and the second floor landing were covered with long rolls of golden carpet, exactly like the endlessly long red carpet royalty were known for using.

The ceiling was marvellously and skilfully painted just like the Sistine Chapel, only the images were of great grand and proud wolves standing on grassy cliffs, wolves howling at the moon and running through a fairy tale forest of perfect tall vibrant trees. Hanging from the ceiling in the centre of the room was an enormous sparkling chandelier of crystal and gold. It was the side of an up-side-down Christmas tree that was three sizes to big to fit into the living room of the normal household.

What was a room like this doing in such a dreary mansion? It didn't belong here, not this room of white and gold and glistening crystal. It belonged in some royal castle somewhere far away in an exotic land. Or in a fairy tale, but not here in the middle of the forest in the dreary mansion of the arrogant Lycaon who kept her prisoner.

Before Serena even knew what she was doing, her hand was on the delicate thin curved handle of the door and was pushing it downwards, more than half expecting the door to be locked.

But it wasn't locked. The door handle went smoothly downwards and when Serena stepped back, the door came without the slightest resistance, as if the door weighed nothing at all.

It was as if someone else had taken control of her body, Serena didn't think about entering the room, or anything else, but she was suddenly inside the room, walking along the landing towards the wide golden carpeted staircase that lead down to the ballroom floor. She wasn't aware of her own feet taking one stair down and then another, but suddenly she was standing on the ballroom floor that felt smooth even beneath her shoed feet.

And that's when she saw the last detail of the room that she hadn't been able to see from the second floor.

Beneath the second floor landing that lead out onto the second story balcony, was a single stair dais that was draped in golden carpet and surrounded by matching golden drapes that were pulled back to reveal the glass wall with golden trimming and wide high arched doors that made up the wall behind the two solid gold thrones that sat in the centre of the dais.

The largest throne sat in the dead centre of the dais was nearly twice the size of the second that sat half a step behind the largest throne, slightly to the left.

Serena was astonished to realise that she was really looking at two thrones. One that she knew without doubt belonged to Darien, the Lycaon Prince, while the second was that of a Princess who sat beside the prince.

What was this place? What was she in the middle of? So many times by many she'd been told that Darien was an Alpha, a prince. That he and those with him were immortal shape-shifting wolves.

There was the grandest of grand throne rooms in this dreary mansion of an Immortal Lycaon prince who kept insisting that she was his mate.

His mate . . .

And in the blink of an eye the reality of everything that she'd been denying for days hit her and she couldn't breathe beneath the crushing weight of the terrifying hand that gripped her that was this impossible reality.

Darien intended for her to sit beside him here as some kind of Lycaon Princess. This is where he wanted her to be, beside him on a throne that did not belong to her that she did not want. She didn't want to sit beside him on a golden throne like some fragile decoration.

Serena wanted a normal life, she wanted to be free. She didn't want any part in any of this.

She had to get out of there. Now. If she stayed another moment, then she may never have what she really wanted – to be free with her normal safe life.

Refusing to look at the thrones, Serena ran for the doors behind them, praying that they weren't locked either. She had to get out of there, not just the ballroom but the entire mansion and its grounds.

The doors opened just as easily as the one above and Serena ran out onto the terrace below the second floor balcony, the cool night air hitting her like icy water and finally she felt as if she could breathe again.

The ballroom was just a room and she didn't have to be anyone she didn't want to be. She was going to get out of there and get back to her normal life and forget any of this ever happened. She didn't have to be the mate of anyone she didn't want to be, she didn't have to be some kind of werewolf princess or sit on a golden throne beside an Alpha prince.

When she finally got back to her normal life, this would be nothing but a bad dream that she could forget.

Drawing the cool night air repeatedly deep into her lungs, Serena allowed the logic her mind was comforting her with to wash over her and cleanse her of everything that she'd just endured.

She chose her own path, made her own fate. No one else. What was in that ballroom was of no concern to her.

Looking around, Serena firmly forced her mind back on track. She needed to escape. She had made it out of the mansion, which was the first step. A mansion that in truth had left her a little disappointed because escaping from its wall had been easier than she'd anticipated.

Now all that was left was the story high stone wall.

Serena edged closer to the edge of the terrace, searching the darkness for any sign of movement. She had gotten out of the mansion without being discovered, now all she had to do was traverse the gardens that stood between her and the wall, which she had to then climb, and then all she had to do was make it through the woods for what could be several miles before she reached the closest sign of human civilisation.

No sweat.

Of all the good fortune she'd had so far, Serena had no illusions that the Immortal Superhuman inhabitants of the mansion would simply open the gates for her and let her walk out of there. And while she was fantasising the impossible, why not ask them for a car she could use to drive back into the city?

She had a better chance at sprouting wings and flying over the wall.

As far as the gate went Serena had no idea how to do it herself; there was no key pad or anything on the inside of the gate that she'd been able to see during her stay and she wasn't going to waste any time searching for one in the dark.

Instead Serena went in the opposite direction, out into the open in the cool night air and she bolted as fast as she could towards the one place she knew she could get over the wall. She had planned her escape – what she could anyway – for the last half an hour from the balcony on the fourth floor, before she'd launched into action.

The towering solid stone wall surrounded three sides of the mansion while the fourth side was protected by a several story drop in the form of a sheer cliff face. Barely three feet from where the wall ended at the cliff, there was a large old tree with thick branches that overhung the wall.

Serena had dressed knowing that it may very well be pre-dawn morning before she made it anywhere. Hell, she didn't even know where she was! But she couldn't be too far from a highway or small town, or at least she hoped that was the case. Darien and his people seemed to like their privacy, but Darien had gone into the city with the expectation of being back in a few hours. Knowing Darien had things to do in the city meant that they couldn't be that far from it.

She wore a pair of tan brown jeans – that were so expensive they felt like silk against her skin – a simple white cotton blouse and a heavy dark brown jacket that would keep her warm, at least until early morning if she was still outside. And on her feet she wore the most comfortable pair of running shoes she'd ever put her feet into.

Everything she wore – even her underwear – had been brought for her but even though Darien had paid for them it was obvious he hadn't picked them; the style was too fashionable and the sizes were too exact to have been chosen by a male, no matter how old.

A flash of dark chocolate brown was Serena's only warning as the large shape whirled passed her so fast that it was only an indistinguishable blur, pulling her abruptly from her thoughts.

Serena came to such an abrupt halt that she almost toppled forward. She only just managed to catch her balance in time to prevent herself from falling flat on her face.

And just like that, in the space of a blink of an eye, Serena was surrounded. She stood in the middle of a wide circle, surrounded by four men and three gigantic wolves. They made no move towards her and most of them stood tense and ready, watchful but without hostility in either their body language or their expressions. Their intent in their expressionless demeanours was obvious, they endeavoured to appear as non-threatening as possible; even the wolves appeared in no way threatening. Their goal was not to harm her, but to keep her from running.

The only one of them Serena knew was Jadeite, who stood directly in front of her, staring grimly and silently at her, as if waiting for her to be the firth to say or do something. The three wolves watched her with predatory intensity, but stood silent and still, only their eyes showed the human intellect beneath the animal surface. One wolf was the chocolate brown wolf she'd caught a brief glimpse of as he'd shot passed her. Unlike the other two wolves, he didn't have a white belly or face, but he did have deep jade green eyes that watched her with a penetrating and potent note of sadness and heavy burdens.

Serena knew that this wolf was Nephlite; she'd heard Jadeite say his name the second time he had taken post outside her door when she'd opened the doors to ask for her breakfast. There was no forgetting someone like Nephlite, especially his sad black eyes filled with barely controlled violence and the aura of danger and blood thirst that hung around him like a smoker's cloud.

The other two wolves Serena had no idea who they were, but they were equal size to Nephlite so she assumed that they were both male. One was cloud grey on the top half of his body from his nose to the tip of his tale while his belly and under his neck and tail was pure snow white. And the third wolf was a mixture of colours, from creamy brown to dark grey, even a glint of red beneath the last glimpse of the evening sun that would be gone from the horizon within moments.

Two of the men, however, were different from the Lycaons and Serena recognised what it was that made them different. Unlike Jadeite, like any of the people in the mansion, they didn't have a healthy tan or any colour in their skin. They were deadly pale, like death, and their eyes were dark and ghostly. They weren't malicious eyes as those who had attacked her had had; these eyes held soulful sorrow and despair within.

Jadeite immediately understood the panic in the young mortal's eyes at the sight of the two Anami. There was no mistaking them, even being the mortal that she was. Both times she'd been attacked at least a number of them had been Damned Anami.

"They mean you no harm." Jadeite told her in his most soothing, calming tone, assuring her that everything was alright, that there was nothing to fear. "These Anami – vampires –." He added quickly, preying that she remembered what he had told her just a few hours ago about the Immortal Races – in retrospect he should have told her a little more.

Jadeite saw but chose to ignore the glare from the two Anami – Anami found the term "vampire" insulting and inaccurate – and went on, "-are not of the Damned, the evil killers of the Immortal Races. They mean you no harm. Their purpose here is to protect you."

Jadeite took a measured step towards her, holding his hands up as if he was surrendering to her, showing that he meant her no harm himself. "They were sent here by their Prince to help protect you."

The more Serena learned, the more mystified she became, but it didn't matter. She didn't want to learn more about the werewolves and vampires! She wanted to get away from them, forget them – yeah, like that was ever going to happen – and get on with her life! She didn't want to be protected – or attacked – by werewolves and vampires. Most of all she wanted to get away from a certain Lycaon Prince who was determined to keep her prisoner here.

She was surrounded – she didn't take her eyes off the two vampires – but fortunately Serena knew she still had a chance to get away, as long as Darien wasn't there. It also helped that all who surrounded her were male.

"Let me go." Serena directed the demand at Jadeite, who seemed to be the leader of them when Darien wasn't there.

"I can't." Jadeite's eyes were apologetic and sincere. "You don't know the great danger that awaits you outside of these walls. You would not last the night before you fell into Damned hands."

"I don't care!" Serena cried despairingly, she just wanted to get away from there – from Darien – and get back to her normal life. It was too dangerous for her to stay there because if she stayed much longer she wouldn't want to leave when she eventually had the chance. "I can't stay here! I just want to go home."

"You are a part of this whether you want to be or not," Jadeite told her straightforwardly, willing to give the different approach a try – the cold hard truth of her situation. "No matter where you run, how far you go from here, you will always be in constant danger. What's more, you'll put those you care about in danger just by association."

Serena wanted to scream at Jadeite that he was wrong, that they were all nuts and impossible, but she couldn't. She didn't have it in her because she knew he was right; she just hadn't been able to face the truth of it until now, until he'd forced her too. So she wouldn't contact her friends, she'd run, as fast and as far as she had too.

It was time to put her assumptions about the men who surrounded her to the test. Serena knew just what to do. She was only twenty feet or so away.

Jadeite knew she was going to try something – that would not make their job any easier – the moment her eyes became hard with decision and determination born of desperation. She wanted to escape and she was going to try her damn hardest to do just that.

He expected her to bolt, to try again to get to the tree that she could climb to scale the wall and escape.

What he wasn't prepared for was for Serena to walk calmly but purposefully passed Nephlite, not to the tree but to the cliff's edge. It was because he hadn't expected it of her that she actually made it to barely two feet from the cliffs edge that was a sheer drop that would certainly kill her.

Jadeite froze, the action simultaneously mirrored by the rest of those who stood with him.

Serena looked straight into Jadeite's eyes, allowing him to see the seriousness within. She wasn't about to jump, but she wasn't about to let Jadeite know that. All she had to do was remain calm, keep her heartbeat steady and her breathing even and with any luck at all they might just believe she was willing to jump.

They had yet to even come to close to her. That told Serena that they were under strict orders from their Alpha that no harm was to come to her; she wouldn't have even put it passed the arrogant prince to give the order that no male was to touch her.

In fact, Serena was counting on it.

"Back off," Serena ordered them all but kept her eyes steadily glued to Jadeite's alert wide eyes. "You're going to let me go or I'll jump right now. Some women can live under the thumb of an arrogant domineering jerk, but I won't."

Jadeite took a single exaggerated step backwards, demonstrating to her that he wasn't going to come near her, just as she wished. "Serena, you don't want to do this. Think of those who you love."

"Let her go."

Serena gasped, startled, as she moved her gaze from Jadeite to the female figure with long black hair who now stood just behind Jadeite, to his left. She hadn't been there a moment before. If they could move that fast, then it had to be solely Darien's orders that kept them from snatching her up before she could even realise that the ground was no longer beneath her feet.

"Rei-." Jadeite spoke to his wolfmate and wife but kept his eyes glued to the mortal woman who was standing on the edge of a cliff.

Serena recognised the woman – who looked to be her age but since they were Immortal Serena wasn't going to even guess her real age – with blue eyes and long thick black hair that reached her knees, from the entrance hall when Serena had tried to escape the first time she'd woken in the mansion. She was dressed in a medieval styled ruby red gown with black trimmings that had extra long sleeves that one side of almost caressed the ground at her feet and a neckline that was an inch away from revealing. She stood tall and proud, like a woman who was accustomed to being listened too and obeyed.

Regal was the word.

The beautiful woman's eyes continued to stare back into Serena's own and she found herself unable to look away. The woman had the most penetrating all-seeing gaze that Serena had ever known, it was almost as if this woman could see right down into her soul to see all that she was, all that laid in her past and in her heart of hearts.

"Let her go," Rei repeated commandingly, cutting Jadeite off before he could say another word other than what Serena assumed was the woman's name. "You are free to go, Serena. If that is your choice, but go knowing that my brother will come for you. From him you will never be able to escape; one day, when you come to truly understand, you won't even want too."

Not about to let her chance slip by for anything, Serena turned on her heel, ran to the wall and quickly scaled the tree, landing heavily on the other side. She didn't know how long it would be before they came after her, but she knew she didn't have time to waste.

Running as fast as she could through the trees until she couldn't run anymore, Serena slowed to a jog as she weaved through the trees, not once hearing any sound that would hint she was being followed.

Time passed, how much Serena had no idea, but when she finally did reach the two lane road, Serena was exhausted, hot and sweaty.

Fortunately, Serena only had to walk for a few minutes before a car approached, and at seeing her – a young woman alone after dark in the middle of no where – the old couple within stopped and offered her a ride into the city.

Even as she slid into the back brown leathered seat of the pale blue station wagon Serena knew that it wasn't over yet. The woman Rei wasn't wrong. Darien would come after her, and if Serena wanted to truly escape, she needed to be long gone from the city by sunrise.

As the car pulled back onto the road, Serena looked back and saw a glimpse of a thick bushy tail disappear back into the trees.

The wolves were already on the hunt for her.

---

Chapter End Notes:

Chapter 5 will be posted by June, promise!