I step away from him and scoff, looking at him incredulously. "You're not even the Alpha. Get a load of this guy."

"I'm related to him."

"No. You're not. Stop lying," I'm looking at him like he's the cause of my problems.

"Seriously?" He chuckles, revealing rows of bloodied teeth. He could be looking like art if he hadn't been beaten to stupor. "You do know the Alpha of Alton Ridge pack, right?"

Is he dense? Or does he think I'm dense? "Yes?"

"And you don't know me?"

"No."

"I'm basically his twin."

I suck a breath and say to him, "Do you want me to take you home or do you want me to leave you at the mercy of your friends?"

"They're not my friends," he spits and I know he's dense. Who thinks those were his friends? He tries to walk but he groans, his lower legs shuddering as if they can't support his weight anymore. "My house is not safe either."

"I'll take you to the nearest hotel and-"

"I have no money..."

I stare at him and he stares back. What? How can a grown man like him who claims to be the Alpha's brother not have a dime on him? Is today an April Fool's day or something? "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I can sleep in your house. It'll only be a couple of days and I..."

"No way." I say, my voice higher than I intend it to be. "I live with my mom and she doesn't like strangers in the house. Sorry."

"You saw those wolves," he says with wide eyes as if he's now starting to get scared of them. "They must have raided my home by now."

"Did they attack you from your house and chase you all the way?"

"Yep."

"You don't have any friends?"

"They could be stalking them."

"Tough luck." I folded my arms over my chest. He's barefooted and dirty and his lengthy fine hair probably needs a thorough wash. He must be a playboy.

«Leticia, let's take him home. We've nothing to lose. Even if you take him to bed, you-»

"Shut it!" I yell.

"Are you..." He chuckles again, "are you talking to me?"

I swallow. He's teasing me and I don't know why it's affecting me like this. Like it's a big deal. "No."

"Are you talking to your wolf?"

I choke when he calls me out and I yell, "no. Not your business." He looks at himself like he knows what I'm thinking and my face flush. It's embarrassing looking at this gorgeous man despite all the soot and dirt and he's starting to make me loose focus. "You've got no friends you can call for help?"

"Please, take me to your house. I promise to repay you in return. What do you need?"

I look at him like he's a clown and mutter, turning away, "I want gold."

"I've got gold. Just tell me how many ingots of it you want."

I pause and spin to eye him. "You've got gold."

♣. ♣. ♣

The taxi driver keeps glancing at us through the rearview like we're a bunch of kids who ran off and are caught. Of course we're weird. We're both dressed like hikers from the East. Aaron Turner looks at the trajectory of life through the window, his forehead locked on the pane like a little schoolboy. I turn to look at the moving trajectory from the left side of the car and he asks, "where are we going?"

"Home," I answer perfunctorily.

"Your home or my home?"

I turn to him, slightly exasperated by his playful attitude. He freezes and looks at me with amusement. I want to biff him right now. I think his eyes also need some blood too. He has to shed blood. "What do you think?" I snap and turn away.

"You didn't tell me your name."

"Leticia," I say, "Leticia Olsen."

"Very pleased to meet you, Leticia Olsen."

"I'm sure you are."

"Do you always come around the woods?"

"Sometimes, mostly when I'm upset."

"Does it mean you were upset when you're sleeping in someone's graveyard?"

"None of your business." The car whizz past Turner street and I throw a casual glance at him. He is fidgeting with the clothes I gave him. Is his brother really the Alpha? Is he really Regan Turner's brother?

The current Alpha's family. The Turner wolves. The legends of Alton Ridge pack. It's surprising that that family has had the best Alphas that led Alton Ridge throughout the storms that have shaken several werewolf territories. Several clans from these territories also belong to the Turners through the efforts of the previous Alphas. Alpha Cain Turner, Regan Turner's great grandfather who's now late, has ruled with a roar so powerful, it shook trees. He died in a victorious battle against the outlanders. Alpha Sage Turner, Regan's grandfather who's also late has achievements to his name. His wife, Luna Carolyn Reigns Turner was a powerful shaman who made her stand on equal footing with her mate, her husband. Alpha Torem Turner and his wife Lucerne Harvey Turner they ruled with grace and became a monarchy, crowning Regan Alpha. Regan Turner is currently Alpha because someone from Torem Turner's sons refused the title. Is he the one? Why did he reject the title? If he was chosen, it meant the moon goddess knew he would be greater than the great. Why did he refuse?

Not only just in werewolf territory. Regan Turner has taken the Turner business and has made it global in only four years, making him a sought-after businessman that even the humans always sought after him for collaborations. He is the face of Turner group. He's every girl's dream man, including me. A business legend admired by all. So where is Aaron Turner in all of this? I've heard that his two brothers and his two sisters are now married to their mates. Why is Aaron Turner different from his family if he really is a Turner?

I pay the driver and we come down on the pavement in front of a bungalow. Its faded yellow paint is peeled thanks to the sun and rain. Dying shrubs in flowerpots cluster around the freshly mowed lawn. An older woman with pale blue eyes sits by the porch, on a lawn chair, listening to folk songs from the radio in her hand.

"Mom?" I stop short when I see her rise, her eyes trailing the man behind me.

"Who's the gentleman with you?" She breaks into a grin that shocks me. My head tingles. What is she thinking?

Aaron Turner beats me to it and goes to my mom, proffering a hand, "Aaron Turner. Very pleased to meet you, Mrs Olsen."

Mom takes his hands warmly and sniffs it, "I recognize you. You're that big grey wolf that saved me from those damned outlanders. You risked your life... I thought you almost died, son."

Mommy shakes Aaron Turner's hand, "Are you the Alpha's brother by chance?"

"You could say that..."

"I see that. You're a matured version of him."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Come on in," she pulls him inside and I'm unwilling to let Aaron sleep in my house. Why is my mom acting like he is her best friend or something?

For the rest of the night, we eat pudding and bread mom made at the dining table, the light bulbs twitching as heavy insects blindingly jam into them. I listen to him crack jokes all night until 2 AM. Mom tells me to show him a room as she retires to her room.

I open the guest room and gesture inside, "this is your room now. Until you sort out your issue." The room has only one made bed, a nightstand and a wardrobe by the window. It used to be my sister's room but everything that belongs to her has been cleared leaving only the bed. Even the sheets were changed.

"You're too kind, Ms. Olsen."

Before he can pass by me and enter inside I grab his wrist and he pauses, looking at me with a raised brow. "I don't know if I'm doing the wrong thing here, Aaron. I don't even know if you're indeed Aaron Turner but if I'm right and you're lying to me, I will hunt you for the rest of my life. Do you get me?"

"Do you have a knack for threatening people or what?"

"It's hard to earn trust. I respect people who fight to earn one. You're a stranger and for all I know, you could be running from the Alpha. So forgive me if I up my guard against you."

"Can I go in? Or are you taking me to the bed?"

I unhand him faster than he can finish uttering those words and I stomp away, hearing him chuckle behind me.

♣. ♣. ♣

I twist and turn for the umpteenth time, my eyes wide without sleep. I grunt in frustration and jump out of bed, heading outside for some breeze. The fan in the room makes it harder to breathe.

Aaron Turner is out on the porch when I come out. He looks lonely and disturbed, hugging his knees like a little troubled girl. I go towards him and sit on the step beside him. He stretches his legs, resting his arms by his sides.

"Can't sleep?" I hear him say.

"Yeah."

"Me too." The breeze is chilly than normal.

"Are you the only child of your parents?"

I eye him and look away. "Yeah." Now.

"Must be fun."

"I do wish for a sibling sometimes."

"Trust me." He looks at me, "you wouldn't want one. You're better being by yourself."

What he says strikes a chord in me. A memory plays in my mind and it makes me long for something. Something unattainable. Guilt gnaws on me. "Why do you think like that?"

He opens his mouth. I only hear him breathing, then he stops and says, "nothing."

I nudge at him, "Tomorrow is a full moon."

"So?"

"Tomorrow, some of us will finally meet our mates. Might just make your life easier."

He chuckles, tilting his chin to look at me, his gorgeous green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "You're so naive, Leticia."

I scoff, "don't worry. I will pray to the moon goddess to make you meet your mate tomorrow."

He chuckles again-low and dark. Then, it turns into a full blown laughter. I have to remind him my mom is asleep.

"Don't tell me you've given up on finding your mate."

"I'm not.... Who knows if she's dead?"

"Don't think like that, Aaron Turner." I sigh, exasperated. Why is this wolf filled with melancholy? I should have left him at the mercy of those outlanders. Does he want me to cry?

"Can we... Can we change the topic?"

"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything."

He shifts so close to me that our bare elbows are touching. He is so warm that I almost melt beside him like candy. "What about your girlfriend?" It comes out so quickly and I immediately regret what I did. But I'm curious so I push forward, "surely, you must have a girlfriend." I downplay it with a pathetic giggle.

"No. I'm currently single."

"Have you even dated before?"

He chuckles, "Ms. Olsen is so invested in my love life. Should I be honored?" he sighs, "Do you have a boyfriend, Leticia?" He looks me dead in the eye and I fumble with my words. By God, what those deadly green eyes are doing to me and I don't actually hate it.

I open my mouth and say, "well, I just got dumped so I'm currently single."

"Your ex must be crazy to have let go of someone of your caliber." He says and my face burns. Did he just compliment me? Should I compliment him back?

"Boyfriends suck," I say, feeling more like basking in his pity party.

"Boyfriends don't suck. It's just that you haven't met the right one," and he drawls, "yet."

"Well, who knows? I might just find my mate tomorrow."

His face grimaces and I quietly laugh. I notice he's stopped talking and I look at him. He's looking straight at me. And, he's not smiling. There's something in his eyes. It's too thick for me to make out. I stop grinning and anticipation fills my core. Why is he looking at me like that? He leans closer, blocking the gap between us. His breath is fanning my face and I'm sure mine is fanning his. Is this happening? Is Leticia about to be kissed right here, by a stranger in front of her mother's house? His lips touch mine for a brief moment. An invitation. I open up to him and he takes me with eagerness, biting softly on my lower lip as I kiss him back, the flies jamming the lightbulbs have formed summersaults in my stomach. He brings down my walls and walk into my heart like he owns it. His hands connects with my body. One rests on my back. The other trails my thighs, my stomach, pulling on my wrist to hold him too. I feel his hard shoulders, his biceps. His hands squeeze my hips and I flinch. I feel his mouth curve up in mine. He's teasing me. I wonder if he's invested in this little act of intimacy like I am. I cup his cheeks and I pour myself into him. Maybe it's because I want him to want me. To take me. Not here. Somewhere better

I want him to feel my longing; how lonely I get sometimes. I want him to know all of me through this simple act of intimacy. However, he pulls away before I can go further. Our breathes are fast and come in rushed gasps. He looks at me like I'm the only one he sees. A vortex build up in the pit of my stomach and I don't know how to explain it for a moment.

"Has your ex ever kissed you like that?"

The sweet moment I am basking in pauses. "I don't know." I say honestly and I get to my feet and flee. I run back to my room and lock the door. I start to berate myself. What if he's a criminal? What if he is a villain? Why did I let him kiss me like that? He must think I'm easy. Oh, mother, I feel so stupid. I'm about to unite with my mate tomorrow and here I am daydreaming about another man. I feel around my mouth as if I want to retain some of that warmth he left on me. I can't stop thinking about that kiss. His hands on my thighs, on my waist. Ugh. I pull the duvet covers over my head and groan.

I wake up from a dream and I groggily stare at the alarm clock. I sigh. I'm late. I break into a scuffle; bathing, brushing, brushing, slipping into my clothes-a flurry of activities. I leave my room and go to the dining room, heading to the fridge for some fruits. I can't stay for breakfast since I'm so late. I'm greeted with my mom and Aaron sitting for breakfast, conversing. I mindlink my mom, «mommy, you're being too nice to a stranger.»

She eyes me, «it's called simple courtesy.»

«It's an eyesore.»

«Whatever.»

"Morning, Ms. Olsen." Aaron raises one fine brow at me. His brown hair is brushed and tied into a fine bun. Finer than the messy bun sitting on top of my head right now. "Are you going to work? It's already late. Should you hurry?" He's mocking me. I suddenly feel the need to skip work. He probably can't wait to see me leave. Scratch the sweet kiss last night. I don't trust him. I look at my mom, almost glaring. She merely nods. Reassuringly as if she understands my fear. I'll be fine. I'm still concerned but I leave.

It takes about twenty six minutes or so to get to my workplace. Thirty-five minutes later and I blame it on slow traffic. Today isn't my lucky day. My white t-shirt is marred with a child's tea during my wait for a taxi in the subway and all I can do is stare at him while his mother apologizes profusely. Now my sandals strap has snapped and I'm practically walking around in the store on foot. I can't help but heap all the blame on Aaron Turner. I let him kiss me last night and now I'm a bag of nerves.

"Whoa," Nicole Timothy says as soon as I step into the store on foot. "Baby, you're a mess. What happened?"

"Tell me about it. Today is just not my day."

"You've got to go clean up. You can't look like that attending to clients. Especially the VIPs. You know they like..."

"I know..." I go to the ladies bathroom, passing by a couple of coworkers and we're murmuring greetings to each other. I try to open the tap but it refuses to budge. I try a few times until I get impatient and miscalculate my strength and practically wrench it out, the water spraying all over me and I scream. I cover it with my hands, tilting my chin away, all to no avail. I suck my teeth and yell, "fuck! You've got to be kidding me. Someone!" I call out, "someone, help me!"

Someone does come to my aid. A beautiful man. He's dressed in a blue suit and his brown hair is cropped. His hazel eyes scans the situation and he chuckles. I'm displeased. He has a nose mask on so I don't recognize who this man is. I don't know if he finds my predicament funny or he's laughing at something else entirely. He goes under the sink and fiddles with the pipe and the water recedes. I look at my clothes and I feel like crying. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to think of something when I feel a hand enclosing my right shoulder. My eyes snap open and I growl, ready to charge. Instead, he takes his suit off his body and hands it to me. I look at him.

"You don't want it?"

What? Of course I want it. I take it from him and slip it on, then say in the smallest voice possible, "thank you." I sigh and regard him with utmost respect, "are you looking to buy a car, sir?"

"Yes. Ms. Timothy is finalizing the dealership contract." His voice is soft. Not too deep like Aaron's.

"Oh. Okay." I look down at my bare feet and sigh again. The clothes had been taken care of... Just the shoes. He peers at me. I can see him through my hair.

"What's your name?"

"Ah... um... Leticia Olsen."

"Leticia, you don't have a footwear?"

I cringe in embarrassment and try to retract my feet from his scrutiny. I feel like digging a hole and hiding there for the rest of my days. He looks at me with a smirk, his hazel eyes filled with amusement at my expense. Something about him reminds me of Aaron Turner. "Oh, uh... My footwear. Well... My sandals snapped. I can't..." I stop stammering and bite my lower lip, considering the option to run and never come back.

I see him take out his phone and he calls someone, "Nathan, can you go to a convenience store and get me some ladies shoes for a nice woman?" He takes the phone out his ear and asks me, "What's your size?"

"40," I say. I have pretty big feet for a lady.

"Her shoe size is 40. Please, hurry." He puts his phone right back in his pocket.

"Thank you. You're so nice." I want to kneel and pledge my allegiance too but I'm at my workplace. That'd be too low.

"That's no problem." He takes a breath, "so, what's your job around here?"

"A salesperson."

"So, why haven't I seen you before?"

I laugh nervously and scratch my nose. I've been working here every five days for four years now. Everyone sees me when they come into the sales store. Maybe he hasn't noticed me until now. I don't have a reply for this question.

His phone ringtone blares the bathroom and he takes it out and picks up, "I'm in the ladies bathroom. Hurry over before some women see me here and start screaming." He glances at me as if expecting a reaction from me. I hold a laugh. A laconic man hurry inside, carrying shopping bags. He stops short before him and bows. The man who gave me his suit gestures at me and Nathan hands me the shopping bags. "For you."

"I... I can't thank you enough..."

"Please to meet you, Leticia." And he is gone. Like a breeze. He's gone. I check the shopping bags and see the shoes. A black flat sandals worth a hundred grand. In fact, all of them are expensive. I suddenly feel like putting my feet in the shoes will be a sin.

♣ ♣ ♣

"Baby, looks like your boyfriend got you some clothes, huh?" Nicole Timothy says when she sees me approach my desk.

"Zephyr broke up with me. He doesn't care about my problems. A man was kind enough to give his suit. He even bought me shoes." I flaunt the shopping bags and the Zara sandals I'm wearing.

"Ooh. A so-not secret admirer." She nudges me, "tell me. What did he look like?"

"Cropped brown hair. Hazel eyes? He said you were processing his dealership paperwork. I don't-"

"No way." She's laughing, her voice high-pitched. "Regan Turner? Did The Regan Turner meet you in the ladies bathroom?"

I start feeling a sense of déjà-vu. Regan Turner. His name leaves an inexplicable taste in my mouth. Aaron Turner. Are these two related?