Drip drop, drip drop.

A persistent sound echoed in her ears.

She hissed and turned over in her sleep.

Who or what was making that sound?

She turned on her side, reaching for her pillow, a strong unmovable object obscured her way.

Her eyelids fluttered open for a minute, then she bolted up straight.

She was alarmed by what she saw.

Who was this half-naked man in her bed?

She looked at the mountain of a man, how did he get here?

Wait!

This wasn't her apartment.

She looked around her strange surroundings, nothing here looked like they were hers.

Where was she and how did she get here?

"You're finally awake," a deep rich voice rumbled.

Her eyes swung to him and he looked familiar.....

"I was waiting for you to wake up," he said, propping himself up on one elbow.

She gasped as it clicked, he was the investor!

"What are you doing here?" she asked, raising the sheets to her chin.

He looked like he was barely managing to suppress a chuckle "Feeling shy? You could barely keep your hands off me last night."

She frowned, "What do you mean?" then just like de ja vu, the entire memories of the night before came crashing down on her.

Oh, my goodness.

Hot embarrassment flooded her veins, and her face paled in disbelief. "Don't tell me we..." she trailed off looking down at herself cladded in a silky red lingerie.

"Yes, we did," he replied promptly.

She balled her hands into fists as she cursed inwardly.

Damn you alcohol, this was not how the night was supposed to end!

She quickly sprang up from the bed, anger replacing her grief. "I never wanted this. How could you do this to me?" She thundered in anger.

He sat up abruptly, all smiles gone. "You wanted this; you were literally throwing yourself at me all night."

His words were a blow to her ego. It was true she tried to seduce him, but she was only trying to flirt with him, not sleep with him.

Well, she didn't have time for this.

Her goal had failed and she needed to leave, immediately.

Turning around, she searched for her handbag "Where is my handbag?"

He didn't respond.

"Where is my handbag?" she queried, growing impatient.

"What does that have to do with me?" he sneered.

"It has everything to do with you. I don't know what transpired between us last night after I drank that beer, but I came to that bar for business, very important stuff."

"I agree, and you did get the 'business' you wanted," he replied stiffly.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she began gathering her clothes that was strewn around the room.

Why bother explaining herself to this man when she could just leave?

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked, coldly.

"What does it look like? I am leaving. I have a job to report to. Obviously, yesterday night didn't go as planned-"

"I will not let you return to that bar," he cut me off.

"Why do you think I'll go back there-"

"I decided to play your little game last night and let it slide because it was me, but I will not tolerate you whoring yourself to men at bars. I forbid you from such a job." He commanded her, strongly.

Her brows creased with a frown, "Who told you I was whoring or whatever it is you just said about me now?"

She was really trying her best to stay calm. But, this man from last night had looked down on her from the first moment she met him, and now he was mocking her because he'd slept with her.

Yes, she desperately wanted his patronage, but it was costing her more than she'd been willing to give. Most animals when cornered lashed out in self-defense.

She was no different.

How in the world did she end up in bed with him?

It must have been the alcohol.

How could one glass of beer knock her out?

Did he spike it with drugs? What was this man up to?

Bernice had a lot of explaining to do. He looked normal on the outside, but he could very well be a psychopath.

Then slowly, very slowly like a lion rousing from its sleep, he began to rise from the bed. Muscles rippled, tendons strained, and bones stretched as a magnificent sight unfolded before her.

She couldn't help but stare, the sight was enthralling.

He was taller than most men she knew or usually came across. Chiseled abs flexed on a firm abdomen, chestnut-colored nipples dotted a broad expanse of muscled chest.

Her eyes dipped lower, down between his legs, a black mass of curly hair covered...

"Like what you see?" his deep voice drawled.

She quickly averted her eyes as her face flushed with embarrassment.

She was not just ogling his naked body, was she?

He was so stunningly gorgeous but with a shitty attitude.

"Is that how you look at your numerous bedmates with lust at dawn, after a long night of passion?" he asked in a mocking tone.

As water doused a flame, she felt her brief moment of admiration for this man melt away.

His annoying way of talking helped her remember to stay on topic.

She folded her arms against her chest and glared at him. "Tell me where my handbag is so I can leave," she demanded.

"Even if you had your handbag, you can't leave," he told her.

She was tired and all she wanted to do was go home, take a shower, get an aspirin for the throbbing ache in her head, before she set off to work.

But she couldn't do all this without her handbag.

"I remember having it with me at the bar last night, how come it's nowhere around here?" she grumbled as she knelt to peer under the bed.

Her handsome but strange male companion had finally had the courtesy to don a robe. He remained quiet, leaning at the far end of the wall, watching her scramble around the room looking for her belongings.

At least, he'd stopped taunting her.

"Why won't you just tell me where my bag is? Everything important to me is in that bag. My cell phone, my house keys, my wallet, and the documents for the development project."

"Of what importance is this bag to me? That you think I would keep it away from you?" he queried.

She put a hand to her throbbing temple and murmured. "I can't take this anymore," she rose to her feet from the bedside and walked up to him.

"Stop, just stop it!" she yelled at him.

He raised an eyebrow "Stop what?"

"Stop pretending that this is some sort of joke to you. Those documents are worth a lot in value and you can only get it approved if you go through our agency. Stealing them from me won't get you the bid proposal."

He frowned in confusion.

"And yes, I was going to play along and get you to seal the deal because my agency makes 10% off in commission," she said.

"So, you mean to tell me that you were at the bar for business last night?" he asked in a disbelieving tone.

"What else would I be doing in such a sorry excuse for a bar? You chose that bar for the meet-up, remember?" she responded.

A smirk turned up the corner of his lips, "Now isn't this interesting. So, from what you're saying, I set up a date with you last night and invited you over to that bar?"

She raised her chin and nodded.

He let out a bitter laugh. "Perhaps, if you told yourself such fabled tales you could sleep well at night."

"Oh, for Christ's sake. I am not a whore!" She yelled, "and stop talking funny."

"I talk funny?"

"Yes, you do. You switch from modern speech to some 18th-century medieval speech." She was growing really frustrated with this man.

"In all my years I have come to understand that I have to keep up with the ever-changing world," he said, casually.

She looked at him oddly, "There you go again talking like some ancient being. You can't be much older than 35 years."

"You think?" he asked, amused.

She rolled my eyes. "Can I borrow your cell phone? I need to make a call."

"I don't have one here," he told me.

"Why? Everyone has a cell phone," she insisted.

"Well, I do not have one here. Even if I did, it would not work on this plane," he simply said.

Who didn't own a cell phone in this time and age? He looked like he could afford one.

Was he just messing with me? Or was he really just a psychopath?

"I'm leaving," she announced, and crossed the vast room to the door, she had long worn her clothes, so she reached for the doorknob.

"You can't leave," his voice called behind her.

"You won't tell me what I can or can't do Mr Wayne. Goodbye, and I hope we never meet again," she threw the words over her shoulder, then cracked the door open and stepped into a corridor.

Her mouth fell open in awe at the sight that greeted her.

There was a long corridor made of glass walls with long white curtains knotted side by side, leading down a flight of stairs, that went into a major living area with vaulted ceilings.

But those were not what left her reeling on her feet.

The sight outside the windows...was stunning.

It was a clear blue sky, having some gray clouds encircling the sun, the house seemed to be on a cliff of sorts because just below, she could see the ocean, a crystal blue water that shimmered as the sun's rays hit the waves.

Beautiful flowers of every color adorned the surroundings with butterflies and birds flying around.

Where was she?

Then she began to notice her interior surroundings.

This house was big and luxurious, something that might pop up in a billionaire magazine.

The high walls were made of river rocks, from top to ceiling. The glass looked like clear crystals of the finest quality; it brought the outside environment into the house with its view. The floors looked to be made from granite and the linens looked soft and expensive.

Was this some sort of vacation home?

Bernice had said that Wayne Wyatt wanted to be kept under the radar about the bid, other than that, there was not much information about him.

Turning around, she walked back into the room.

"Where are we?" She asked, alarm ringing in her head. "Please, tell me we are still in Nashville, Tennessee?"

At that moment, he pushed himself off the wall where he'd been leaning, and straightened to his full height.

"Let me properly introduce myself. I am Wayne Wyatt, son of Warren Wyath. King and Alpha of the Royal House of Wyatt. Leader of the pack of the Grey wolves. The protector of the plane Woede and all its hinterlands. Welcome to your new home, my human mate."

Her jaw dropped.

Her breath ceased.

Her eyes burgled, and she felt a paralyzing fear creep up her spine.

What in God's name did she just hear?

How disappointing.

There was no better word to express how he was feeling.

After all these years of searching, of all the beings he could've paired with, the universe chose to give him a human mate.

Not just a feeble human, but a prostitute woman.

The lowest of the low.

He'd always imagined his Luna to be a proud wolf with the strength to dominate and command respect. Someone who would rule beside him and together, they'll be a formidable force. Conquering all his enemies, and exerting order in Plane Woede and all its hinter lands.

He could have gladly accepted other worldly beings like a shapeshifter, a siren, a fey, a phantom or even a nymph, if it meant that their life span was long and amortal.

Their strength was well matched to that of a werewolf and they all had their individual strengths. He would've still managed an Omega, the lowest of the ranks, the weakest in the pack. Provided she was a wolf, he would accept his fate.

But what was he to do with a mere human?

They could easily die from a cold, or just from food poisoning. They could dislocate an arm from exercising, or snap a femur just from running too much.

Damn it, she could die from childbirth.

How would she even birth his child?

Perhaps, he would not be this upset if she was a regular human girl.

Disappointed? Yes.

But not only was she human, she was selling herself to men at bars.

The lowest of the low.

It was downright upsetting as it was disappointing.

Surely, there was a mistake somewhere. She could not be his mate.

He thought to him self as he made his way through the stony path that led up to a thatched tree house.

Misty Plane was an alternate universe tethered to earth, just like that of the wolves. It shared celestial bodies with the galaxies, but existed within its own atmosphere.

The weather here was always cloudy, with no visible sunlight in the sky. Mists swirled around constantly, obscuring the general surroundings, so that only 100 meters could be seen within 360 degrees vantage point.

This plane was home to the phantoms, an ethereal spectral of beings that had the ability to switch their bodies between solid form and floating specters. They could pass through walls, objects or people in their spectral state and could create mists to hide themselves from their enemies.

He'd walked this path so many times in recent years that he could find it with his eyes closed in the dark. He heard the clanking of pots from this distance and a faint smile spread his lips.

Sabine was home.

Approaching the ladder that led up to the small thatched house tucked between two trees, he put one leg on the bottom step and jumped with ease to the door porch. Landing seamlessly like a cat, he turned the old door handle and walked into the old tree house.

The interior was nothing like the exterior of the house. While outside looked to be made of old wood and a thatch straw roof, inside was a specious house made of modern brick walls, a PVC ceiling and modern furnishings.

He was surprised the first time he'd set foot into this house; it was a total mirage from the outside. No one would expect such a lavish interior from an old tree house.

Sabine the Seer, was famous for her mastery in the magical arts of illusion, mystical potions and the gift of foresight.

"Someone doesn't seem too excited," she murmured from her position over the stove without looking over her shoulder.

He was silent as he went to sit on a bar stool in front of her kitchen island.

"I told you to leave a voicemail before coming to see me. What if I wasn't home?" she grumbled.

He shrugged a shoulder.

"I gave you the bead for a reason, Wayne Wyatt," she said, steering the contents of her pot for the last time before turning around to face him.

"I told you to twist the bead around and tell me your coming, it would turn red if I am home. Over here it will turn red indicating I have a visitor," she said pointing to a band of black beads around his left wrist.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay, whatever. Just barge in here whenever you like," she said wiping her hands on her apron and taking a sit opposite him.

"I assume you know why I am here," he said, leveling her with an unamused look.

"Wayne, I'm only a messenger. I told you what the gods revealed to me. You were to be at the bar on Wolven street, Nashville Tennessee at 7pm on the dot to meet your mate named Candice. All I got was a location, time and a name," she explained.

"Nothing else?" he urged.

"Nothing else," she affirmed.

"You could have made a mistake," he refused, feeling uneasy.

"The bones are never wrong Wayne Wyatt," she said dryly.

"But she is human! How can my mate be a human?" he got up, and began to pace the length of the room.

"It's only normal that she is human, considering the fact that her location was on the earth plane," Sabine said.

"But other beings travel the earth constantly. I travel earth too, does that make me human?" he argued.

"Don't blame me, I have no power in this matter. The universe makes the match, I only assist those who find it difficult to locate their mates," she sighed, softly.

"Ask the bones again, maybe there was a mistake the last time," he ran his fingers through his hair, his frustration visible.

"The bones would not speak unless it was sure!" Sabine countered, offended.

"Many years I have searched, visited many planes, sought out powerful witches and sorcerers. I have paid in gold and silver, in precious relics and rare antiques. All for what exactly? A human?"

"We each have our strengths, don't underestimate what the universe provides," she tried to soothe me.

"Then why has my wolf not recognized her? I don't feel it reaching for her, clamoring to claim her. Not even a flicker of feeling, what I only feel is disgust," he bit out in anger.

"If only you can put aside your dissatisfaction, perhaps you might see some nice qualities in her," Sabine encouraged.

"All I can see right now is a means to an end. I need her mortal body to birth me an heir, so I can solidify my claim on my throne. My position as Alpha will remain open to challenge if I do not have my Luna by my side, and an heir to carry on my line," he mused.

Waylon Wyatt, his exiled uncle, has challenged his throne twice already in the past years.

Two fierce battles filled with bloodbath and death. He lost good people in those wars, people he loved and cherished.

Just a year after the death of his father, his uncle, his father's younger brother had tried to oust him and his mother from the royal bloodline, to become the new Alpha.

He resisted him, despite being a young wolf with the help of his father's Beta, a high-ranking warrior. It was no secret that his uncle desperately coveted the throne.

The battle had been fierce, but victory was his. Sadly, I'd had lost his mother in the fray of the battles.

After that battle, his uncle was exiled out of the realm with all the other wolves who had betrayed them.

The second battle happened fifty years later, his uncle had managed to re-group and come back for another challenge.

This time around, he was now a grown man and had fought ruthlessly against him, but the attack was unexpected and he had little or no time to prepare. My father's Beta, who was the lead warrior, died trying to protect him, now his son had assumed that position.

After those bitter experiences, He'll never allow a weak link cost him the lives of those he loved, and have sworn to protect as the protector of the realm.

No mistake was allowed, He'll always be prepared for any and every attack.

He'll take precautions, if necessary, and would always be one step ahead of his enemies.

Over the years, he'd kept tabs on his uncles' movements and actions, hiding spies on every plane.

He was not ashamed to use magic, even though werewolves shunned anything diabolical. He would do anything and everything to protect his realm from malicious invaders.

So, when he heard that his uncle was looking for his Luna to capture her and use her as leverage against him, he intensified his search for her. Scouring the different planes of the universe to find her first before his uncle did.

Now he'd found her, but of what use was she to him or the pack?

Well, Sabine said he should look on the bright side.

The only benefit he was going to get out of this was having her play Luna until she births his child. Then he can set her aside, and take a more deserving wolf as queen who would rule by his side.

A chilling sensation of relief washed over him as he found himself grinning to the resolve he just made.

But an unwelcome question creeped into his mind, stalling his relief.

How would she birth his child when she was only human?

Wayne rose from the water and walked into the sea bank.

Waves crashed around his legs as his feet sank into the wet sand.

Water dripped down his body, his wet cloths clinging to his body.

He looked at his house on the cliff, just overseeing this seashore and stilled himself to listen.

Everything quieted around him, as his hearing strained toward the house.

He could hear voices from the staff within the house, footsteps walking up and down, smell of flavors from the kitchen, water dripping from a leaking pipe, werewolf scents carried in the wind. Nothing seemed strange or out of place.

Except for one thing, there was no human scent.

He felt a stir of unease in his chest as he strolled toward the house. It was possible her scent had been deemed by all the wolves around, after all she was the only human in the house.

Possibly on this plane, from what information he received daily from the epsilons (guardians) at the gates to this realm.

Apart from the official portal which was located at the center of the city, that served as the means of migration between realms for the community. He'd created a private portal solely for himself, located in the sea just under his house. This location was strategically chosen for many reasons which included:

Firstly, it was riverine and werewolves just like every creature with fur, hated soaking themselves in water. Secondly, Proximity to his house. it was a few meters away from his house. He could leave and come back anytime he wanted without anyone noticing his movements, in case he had traitors amongst his men. Thirdly, in the case of an emergency, he could escape with his people to safety or bring back re-enforcements to disarm the threat.

Lastly, no one could find the exact location of the portal in the sea bank except him. He'd made a deal with a mermaid to protect the portal, and keep updating the spell on it anytime he went through it.

Anyone who wanted to find it would have to find the mermaid first, to bribe her. That would mean descending to the bottom of the sea, using the Bermuda triangle to gain entry into the realm of the mermaids.

How many werewolves would be willing to take such a risk?

Well, only him.

Sabine had been instrumental in his quest to finding a mermaid, but he'd paid dearly for it.

No regrets though.

That was nothing compared to other dangerous feats he'd accomplished in the past. A rumor of his notoriety had spread across the various planes.

Some called him the grim ripper, others the angel of doom. To a few he was Armageddon, to his people, he was their protector. A ruthless and merciless leader who would do everything possible and necessary to secure his realm. A lot of lives depended on his every action or inaction; he could not afford to let them down.

Taking the steps edged into the cliff, he came to the landing of his house. He saw two sentinels (security guards) that were on duty. They immediately stood upright in attention when they saw him.

"Jason, Jordan," he acknowledged the twins with a nod.

"Greetings Alpha," they responded in unison.

"Where is Rojan? I have not seen him since lastnight," he inquired about his Beta, who was his right-hand man. Son of his previous Lead warrior. The man who gave his life for him.

"He just came to work a few hours ago. He has also been looking for you sire," Jordan replied.

"He seemed to be distressed, I believe the matter seems urgent," Jason added.

He gave them a curt nod and proceeded to enter his house, wondering what could be so urgent that Rojan was so weary about.

He took off his wet shoes at the door entrance and was about to unbutton his shirt when a voice yelled...

"Alpha, where have you been. I have looked everywhere for you?" Rojan exclaimed.

"I should be the one asking of your whereabouts when you left without a word last night," he casually, said.

"I went to talk with the gammas (elders) at the Assembly, informing them that we would soon have a royal bloodline added to the family." he explained.

"I'm not sure about that yet. I need more time to think," he murmured.

"But you have finally found her sire, it's been ten years of searching," Rojan stated.

"I'm aware of that Rojan, I plan to keep her a secret till I am certain on what to do with her," he replied.

"But you took her to bed last night," Rojan pointed out.

"Yes, I did, but it seems I was mistaken..." he trailed off, wondering if he could believe her story.

"You wouldn't be moved to claim her if she wasn't yours. Did you mark her neck?" he inquired.

Wayne stiffened at the question. He'd no desire to claim her when he bedded her last night.

He felt nothing. Not even lust. Just emptiness.

The claiming mark was an eternal mark, that male werewolves gave their mate to mark their territory and wade off every other male.

It was given during consummation and it remained imprinted on the female's neck, fading only slightly. Any other male who slept with another's mate with the mark was a crime punishable by death. It was a battle to the death.

"No, I didn't mark her," he finally answered, frowning when Rojan eyes widened at his response. "Why do you ask?"

"It's bad, it's really bad," Rojan said, his complexion growing pale.

"What is so bad about it? I still have time, what could be the rush?" he inquired.

"She's not in your chambers. We've searched everywhere. I believe she has fled the mansion," he reported.

As Wayne heard the words, he felt a jolt of lightening fire through his veins electrifying every nerve in his body. This was the first emotion he'd felt toward her since last night.

And it was a strange emotion he'd not felt in a long while.

It was fear.