The Alpha Wants Everything Book 1 The King's Queen

When they pulled down the road for the back of the warehouse, she saw Johnny’s truck sitting there.

“Uh oh!” She’s in so much trouble if Kane’s there.

“Maybe it’s just Johnny” Damon offered, but his face fell when Kane stepped out from behind Johnny’s truck.

“You’re gonna slow down right?” Carter had a death grip on the armrest. “You’re gonna slow down?”

“They’re coming awfully fast” Kenneth and Johnny moved away from the oncoming vehicle. Slamming on the brakes, the SUV skidded to a stop inches from Kane. They both stared at each other through the windshield.

“Were you trying to hit him?” Damon asked from the backseat. For a brief second she thought about throwing it in reverse, Kane arched his eyebrow and shook his head. She put it in park and killed the engine instead. The locks popped and he moved to the driver’s door opening it. He held out his hand and she reluctantly gave him the keys.

“Get out!” Carter and Damon scrambled to get out of the vehicle as fast as they could. She moved to get out but he blocked her path.

“Phone” he said still with his hand out, she placed his phone in his hand.

“You and I are gonna have a long talk after this” she swallowed hard, shrinking back inside the SUV.

“Ok” her voice sounded small, she looked at her lap. I’m in big trouble! She thought. What did you expect? Her subconscious asked her.

“Now, what are we doing here little mouse?” The sharpness of his tone caused her to flinch a little. He covered her hands with one of his and lifted her chin to look at him with the other.

“Looking for a name,” she said,

“And we will find it in the warehouse?” He tilted his head to the side.

“I think so” she shifted her gaze from him to the warehouse.

“What name?” He asked, she slipped her hand out of his and gave him the business card. She turned it over to the name she pulled from Justine’s phone.

“That name, I know that name, I know I know that name, I know the voice, and I have seen photos like that before, I jus…. don’t remember where. And it’s in there, it has to be.” She pointed at the warehouse,

“Then let’s go find it” he backed away from the door and helped her out.

Walking towards the warehouse Kane gave Kenneth the card and told him to have Marco look into both names on it. He didn’t doubt that she knew it, but maybe Marco could uncover something about this man that she couldn’t. Unlocking the door they walked in, Dax moved quickly to the office, the name had to be here, if it wasn’t then she fucked up big time and not only was she in a world of trouble but all this was for nothing and she let him down. Pulling everything she could from the filing cabinets she went over it. She searched in the drawers to the desks, when she couldn’t find it there she moved into the break room searching all the drawers and on top of the fridge. Checked every drawer at every workstation she had in the warehouse, still couldn’t find how she knew that name. In the far recesses of her mind, her nightmare was stirring to life.

The more she searched and came up empty handed the more doubt seeped into her, the louder his voice became. You stupid waste of skin! Running upstairs into the loft she started going through the kitchen drawers. Her body was starting to shake and her mind began to spiral. Bahahaha! You can’t do anything right! No, no, no, shut up! Her heart was beating faster. You fucked up….like always! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Pathetic little girl! It’s here, it has to be here! He should just cut you loose! Panic clutching at her, she searched frantically, finding it harder and harder to breathe. Quick short gasps and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t catch a full breath. Fucking idiot! She ruined everything for nothing. The tears fell as she slumped to the ground, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms. Stupid, stupid girl! You wreck everything! She did! They would all be better off! Her nightmare was right, it would have been better had he….strong arms wrapped around her.

“Don’t listen baby!” He whispered, bringing her close to his chest.

“But he’s right, I just wrecked everything.” She felt defeated, she was counting on it being here and she searched coming up empty handed. She let him down.

“He’s not right, he’s a liar” he said into her head.

“I crashed into your lives and you’d all be better off if I didn’t.” She covered her face again, wincing at the pain she felt.

“You didn’t crash in, I pulled you in and if I knew then what I know now, I still would have done it. How could I be better off without you, when I am better with you?” He sat her on his lap holding her tighter cradling her head between his neck and shoulder.

“But it’s not here, it had to be here and it’s not, all this was for nothing. I let you down and made you mad for nothing” she sniffed into his neck.

“I’m not mad, and I tried to be, I tried when you told me to get over it or magically poof you some fucking pants, I tried when you stole my phone, and my truck. I was a little upset when you snuck out of the office unnoticed, contemplating putting a bell on you. Was a little worried when you tried to hit me with the truck, didn’t think you were gonna stop in time. But I’m not mad.” It was the truth, he didn’t understand it, anybody else and he’d be furious, but he wasn’t with her.

“As for letting me down, how did you do that? You got us a name, someone for me to scare” he massaged the back of her head.

“How di….“ she looked up at him, he saw the sadness in her eyes and the pain she was feeling. She was pushing herself too hard, she needed to stop, before she hurt herself worse.

“Carter called Johnny, when he got in the truck, we heard the whole conversation. Truthfully you did us a huge favour. Neither Johnny nor I wanted to have a conversation with the blonde, and honestly we never would have thought to check her purse or phone, so I guess your incentive worked” he said,

“No it didn’t. I pinged the picture to everyone in the bar and she freaked out and attacked me, I hit her with a napkin dispenser.” She wiped her eyes.

“And you’re scary’s less intimidating cousin? I think you’re scarier than I am. You’re impulsive, impatient, unpredictable and the mouth on you….” he lifted her chin to look at him. “You’re not like every girl, or some girls, or other girls. You’re one girl, my girl, and my girl is perfect to me, and perfect for me, including her mouth, it was created for me to do this” he pressed his lips to hers. She moved her mouth with his and as much as he wanted to if he deepened the kiss it would lead to something else and they were not alone in the warehouse.

“KANE!” Kane groaned as he heard Johnny calling his name, though it was probably for the best. He could feel his skin heating up, and the raging fire burning within him was getting out of control.

“We called Marco, he probably found something on the name” he said when they parted. She just nodded her head.

“Don’t think for one second, you’re off the hook, I’m not done not being mad at you, we’ll have to figure some way for you to make it up to me.” He kissed her again “One thought, just focus on one thought. Come down when you’re ready” she smiled and nodded again. He was right one thought, not every thought, but which one does she pick.

Kane walked downstairs where Johnny met him at the bottom, Kenneth was on the phone with Marco, while Carter and Damon were sitting on one of the work tables.

“How is she?” Johnny asked,

“Frustrated, every thought in that head of hers is working over time. I have no doubt she knows that name, but until she can remember it, how she knows it is stuck in there” Kane said, his own frustration showing.

“It’s a post traumatic stress response” Damon said they all looked at him. “What? Don’t be so shocked that I know shit”

“What the fuck is a post traumatic stress response?” Johnny asked,

“We can all agree she’s had a pretty traumatizing past. Her brain is suppressing memories so she doesn’t have to relive them. It’s trying to protect itself and her so she can somewhat function normally, unfortunately it’s stressing itself out, she’s trying to force herself to remember them. Would explain a lot of her anger actually and lack of impulse control.” Damon explained,

“Debra?” Johnny asked, arching his eyebrow,

“Carla, she was a psych major, helped her write a paper on narcissistic personalities, picked up a few things” Damon grinned, Kane rolled his eyes “What? I like the ladies!” Damon shrugged at Carter who just laughed.

“Ok, so how do we release these memories?” Johnny asked,

“Hypnosis” Damon suggested,

“I spoke to her doctor about that, he said she wasn’t physically stable enough to undergo hypnosis, the emotional turmoil could cause her lungs to collapse.” Kane interjected,

“Then you have to wait for them to be triggered” Damon responded,

“But she remembers everything that happened when she was young, why would her brain suppress memories?” Kane asked,

“Does she remember what was said, or what happened? If you went up there right now and asked her to tell you all of her past, would she be able to do it? She remembers the words he said, and the aftermath of the beating, but does she remember the actual beatings themselves?” Damon inquired,

“So every flashback and nightmare she’s had is a recovered memory?” Damon nodded “Holy fuck! She has 15 years of them stored in her head” Johnny ran his hands through his hair.

“So something happened the day she met this Shane?” Kane asked,

“Probably, but considering her history, her brain could construe anything as an attack and suppress the memory of it” Damon stated,

“FUCK!” Kane growled out.

“What about the bond?” Johnny asked, Kane glared at him, but his attention was drawn back to Damon when he started laughing.

“Oh fuck, you were serious! Hate to break it to you brother, but as strong as the mate bond is, it isn’t strong enough to recover memories, no bond is” his laughter subsiding “Well unless you’re a Fated Soul!” Kane and Johnny shared a look then turned back to him.

“What do you know about the Fated Souls?” Johnny asked,

“I am more than just another pretty face, I do read as well” Damon grinned at him.

“Yeah, that‘s great, pretty boy, what do you know about them?” Johnny asked again.

“Aren’t they the two souls created by fate and destined forever or something like that?” Carter asked, looking at Damon.

“That would be them. Safe to say you know the legend One born of light with untold power the other born of darkness from untold pain. Two souls created by fate written in the stars and destined for eternity” Damon said.

“Eternity, like forever, forever?” Carter looked at him.

“Forever enough, they would eventually die! Werewolves already age slower than humans, Fated Souls age way slower than that, we’re talking near immortality baby” They all looked at him.

“That would suck, they would live almost forever while everyone around them died” Carter said,

“If they were of a lower rank, sure. But, if one were, say….an Alpha” Kane’s eyes snapped to Damon waiting for him to continue “A pack’s power comes from the Alpha, if the Alpha was ‘eternal’, then so would every member of his pack, and he would stop being an Alpha.”

“What would he be instead?” Johnny asked,

“The fucking King! The pack would become the most powerful pack on earth” Damon answered.

“But there’s a catch!” Kane said.

“There’s a catch? Carter asked.

“Ain’t there always though, they have to prove themselves worthy of eternity” Damon replied,

“How do they do that?” Kane sat in one of the chairs and listened as Damon explained to Carter.

“They go through three trials, essentially challenges. The first challenge is for the Soul of Light they have to find their other half. Seems simple right, except one could live their whole life before the other was even born. The chance of both souls being on Earth at the same time, that’s a gamble, but that’s fate right? That being said, they would know the second the other was on Earth and would spend their life trying to find them. The bond is that strong. No other would compare to having their one true beside them. Here’s the fun part, the Soul of Darkness doesn’t know it’s the Soul of Darkness until the Soul of Light finds it.” Damon explained,

“So the Soul of Light could for instance have a full happy life with someone else until their other half was born?” Johnny asked,

“They could!” Damon answered,

“What’s the second challenge?” Carter asked,

“This is where it starts getting tricky, the second challenge is for the Soul of Darkness, they need to reciprocate love. Being born of pain, torment, torture and deep seeded hatred can they break those chains and accept that they deserve to be loved? Are they capable of loving someone in return? They need to vocalize it.” Damon explained,

“They have to say it to them?” Carter asked,

“Actually no, they just need to say it out loud and mean it. When they do that, both souls will be flooded with a warmth they have never felt before and a fire will ignite within them. One that is inextinguishable. It will burn forever, an eternal flame, and be reflected in their eyes in emotions that express extreme passion like love or hate.” The first time Kane felt a warmth like that was the day he brought her home, the day he had to rescue her from the bath. She must have said it! Ky mused.

“The third trial is completely out of their hands, they have to overcome, conquer, or avoid a tragedy that could mean anything from the death of a loved one, to the past catching up to them. Usually it’s something big and significant.” Damon continued.

“There is a loophole though” Damon went on “The cycle only starts once they have marked each other, granted if they don’t they will be possessive as hell, and won’t be able to be around others, but they could avoid the whole fucking thing” Kane and Johnny looked at each other. It wasn’t an option for him, he had no choice but to mark her.

“Some loophole” Johnny commented,

“Might beat the alternative for some,” Damon shrugged,

“What’s the alternative?” Carter looked from Johnny to Damon.

“If the trials are not completed from the time of marking to the Blue Moon, the alternative is death. If the souls are on the second trial, the time of the Blue Moon, they will be hell bent on destroying each other. Love will turn to hate and they will not be able to put enough distance between themselves to avoid it. The bond will keep bringing them back to each other. If they are on the third trial, they both die.”

“Has anyone taken the loophole?” Kane asked,

“We’re werewolves. It’s in our nature to mark our mates, I have read about some that have tried but eventually our need to mark them wins out. This has been going on since our creation, no one has completed the trials or come close for that matter” Damon said,

“Let’s get back to the Fate Bond recovering memories?” Johnny switched thoughts.

“The Soul of Light and The Soul of Darkness are exact opposites, for every ounce of pain comes an ounce of power, one’s weakness is the other’s strength. However one ultimately is stronger than the other. The stronger of the two can evoke the bond and use it” Damon explained.

“Who’s the Soul of Light and who’s the Soul of Darkness?” Carter asked.

“Well in the past the female is light and the male is dark” Damon answered.

“What if the roles were switched?” Johnny asked, Damon looked at him quizzically,

“Um….use Kane and Dax as an example, it’s clear who falls into which role, would that make a difference? And which one would be the stronger one?” Johnny asked, sitting at one of the workbenches. Again Kane shot Johnny a look that didn’t go unnoticed by Damon.

“Alright, it could potentially make a difference. Fate is not responsible for the things we do, it’s the obstacle in the way, the curveball life throws at us. How we react is on us, a semi is barreling down the road and you either swerve to miss it or plow head on into it. Fate is the semi, what happens is up to you. Everything that happened to her, that’s not fate. Don’t get me wrong, fate can be fucking brutal, but only humanity is that cruel, fate never saw that coming. So going by what we know, every ounce of pain she went through is an ounce of strength he received. The stronger he became, the stronger his wolf would be, hence the blood hungry monster in his head. Her demons are dark and it would take someone with a hell of a lot of strength to deal with them and show her the life she deserves to have, to make her want that life and fight for it.” Damon said, Johnny was nodding, this was making more and more sense to him.

“As for which one is stronger, I have no clue, but my best guess would be….”

“Luna” Carter cut him off. They all turned to look at him. “Sorry Alpha,” he bowed his head.

“Explain your thinking” Kane said standing next to the table Johnny was sitting at.

“If the Soul of Light is born from power, power is often associated with status, money, class or a rank. But power also comes from strength. However strength isn’t always physical, and it would take someone who is both mentally and emotionally strong to pull themselves out of that kind of darkness” Carter explained.

“Actually I would agree with that. The Soul of Light is what gives the Soul of Darkness strength, also allowing them to see the strength they already possess” Damon nodded agreeing with Carter. Kane thought about it, he couldn’t disagree. He could only show her the life she deserved, but she had to want it bad enough to pull herself out. Damon watched as Kane absorbed all this information, he had a suspicion that Johnny using them as an example was a little more than that. It also got him thinking, if fate was a curveball, where was she supposed to be when fate threw it?

Kenneth joined them at the workbenches after he got off the phone with Marco, he looked a little grim.

“What did Marco say about the name?” Johnny asked,

“Sadly, not much, Shane Kragmuawit is a registered photographer, has a studio in a warehouse in Garrison, but other than that, nothing. He is not known for anything, no photos are attached to his name, no jobs, no nothing. If he’s a photographer he’s not an active one. DJLOVIT is a little more known however, but not much. Made a splash a few years ago at an art show with a highly controversial piece”

The all too familiar cold feeling seeped into Kane, he tried to show little reaction to it as his skin prickled and began to crawl. His fists clenched and he fought against the urge to flinch as flames engulfed his vision and then quickly vanished. He noticed Damon watching him, but he turned away to listen to what Kenneth was saying.

“However, the art gallery where the show was held….”

“Burnt down” all eyes turned towards her as she stood at the top of the stairs. Kenneth nodded, confirming what she said.

“Arson was suspected, they thought whoever did it went after his art piece, but they could never prove it and the case is still open” Kenneth finished. She started down the stairs and Kane met her at the bottom, taking her into his arms, the remains of the memory she just had still visible in her eyes.

“How do you know it burnt down?” Damon asked since no one else did, both Johnny and Kenneth glared at him.

“I was there, it was an art show the gallery held for upcoming artists two and half years ago, I sold a few pieces made enough to put down a deposit on this place” she was running her fingers over the scar on her ear “I was talking to….” Confusion crossed her face and she was starting to pull at her arms.

“A customer, client, commission, art dealer” Damon fired things off at her, the memory was right there and she was losing it.

“No” she pulled at her arms even more

“A snobby rich bitch, a deep pocketed asshole” Kane released a growl, but Damon ignored him.

“No” she gritted out.

“A server, the bartender, a cat” Damon kept pushing her.

“No, he was an artist” all movement stopped “Artist, he was an artist, not a photographer, he was introduced to me as an artist” she moved away from Kane and ran towards a shelf with binders on it.

“The memory was right there, she just needed a push,” Damon said.

“A cat! Really?” Johnny looked at him shaking his head.

“She could have talked to a cat,” Damon shrugged.

“What about this artist?” Kane asked her. She was pulling binders down and flipping through them.

“There was something about him that weirded me out. Then I talked to him, the more I did the more freaky it became. His piece pissed a lot of people off, but that’s the art world, as an artist you want to evoke an emotional response, but his piece went beyond that”

“What was his piece?” Kenneth asked.

“He photographed himself having sex with women, then he would take different body parts from them and piece them all together. It was his way of saying that no matter how different women were they were only good for one thing” she stopped flipping through the binders and took a deep breath.

“I can see how that would piss a few people off,” Damon said. She was searching the shelf for the right binder, when she spotted it on one of shelves higher up and she went to reach for it. Kenneth, Johnny and Damon all looked in the other direction

“Not hard to finish what those say” Damon said.

“I didn’t see anything,” Johnny claimed, looking at the roof.

“Alpha” Carter was looking at the floor, he was the only one not bothered by it but it was disrespectful.

“Yeah Carter?”

“Luna” Carter was just pointing, Kane looked over at her and the back of her hospital gown had come undone and her charcoal panties with ANK M were on display.

“Fuck!” He was behind her in a flash pulling her back into his chest, she looked up at him confused. “Carter go find her a shirt”

“Yes Alpha” Carter took off running.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Your hospital gown came undone” Kane whispered, she went to move but he held her in place.

“I need that binder, the red one” she said pointing at it, Kane looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking. Before he moved from behind her quickly and grabbed the binder off the shelf and gave it to her. She put it on the desk and started flipping through it, while he tied her gown shut.

“What are you looking for?” Kane asked when he was finished.

“The program, most of them burned up in the fire, but I have one with a picture of his work. Pretty much looks like the one my face was stuck on” Kane stiffened at the memory of that photo.

“You said you spoke to him” Kenneth called over his shoulder.

“Some of the things he said….he has a tattoo on his back of a bunch of random letters. I asked what it meant and he said it was his name and I had to figure it out, but I would know it if I heard it. I called him Shamus. Then he said….” She hesitated and looked at Kane, he saw her left hand clench as her fingers searched for the cuff of her shirt. He took her hand in his.

“What did he say?” She pressed her lips together and moved closer to him.

“That he and I should do a piece together, it would be fun, and that I would enjoy it if we did” she pulled the gown tighter around herself, suddenly feeling very exposed.

“Did he put his hands on you?” Kane asked her, she looked away from him, her fingers going back to the scar on her ear. When she didn’t answer his question, she heard a chorus of low growls echoing around the warehouse floor. Kane tugged her into his arms and held her tight to him, making sure she was covered.

“I was sitting alone at a table, when he sat down beside me and I….felt his hand moving up the inside of my thigh. I pushed it away and went to get up, when he grabbed me and pulled me back into the seat. I looked around for someone to help me, but he just laughed, said ‘go ahead tell someone, no one would ever believe a little street rat like you’ and he put his hand back on my thigh” she clutched his shirt and buried her face in his chest.

“Did he….did he tou-” Kane couldn’t get the words out, the more he thought about someone else touching her there or anywhere the more angry he became. His body shook, he could feel the fire in him burning hotter, brighter and stronger, the growls around them became louder. Damon looked over his shoulder at Kane confirming his suspicion, his eyes engulfed in flames telling of the inferno that was raging inside of him. Feeling eyes upon him Kane looked in his direction, his top lip curled, and blue rings flashed behind the white flames in his eyes.

“He’s a dead man!” Damon just nodded.

She clutched him tighter, pressing closer to him, she shook her head.

“No, I….I….hit him” Johnny’s head snapped towards her

“You punched him in the throat?” He asked.

“No,” shaking her head again. A smile crossed Damon’s face when he turned to look at her.

“You hit him with a napkin dispenser!” It was more of a statement than a question, but she nodded her head.

“How many times did you hit him?” Kenneth asked,

“Once….twice….more than twice” the more Johnny asked the more she bit her lip.

“Until it broke. They’re sturdier than they look. I told him to go ahead and tell someone, no one would believe him, I’m just a little girl.” She said, Kane wrapped his arms tighter around her and a deep chuckle shook his body.

“And here I am thinking you need protection” He kissed her head.

“Clearly she doesn’t. Just arm her with napkin dispensers and things she can throw at people” Johnny chuckled, a round of laughter erupted through the warehouse as the tension began to ease. She picked up the red binder and they moved back towards the others, Kane stayed behind her though, it seems the hospital gown didn’t want to stay tightly closed anymore.

“Then what happened?” Kenneth encouraged her.

“I packed the pieces that didn’t sell, put them and my bag in my truck. I went back inside to make sure I didn’t forget anything, cause I didn’t want to have to come back and pick anything up. The fire started in the main room and spread fast. I ran to the door I came in, but I guess it locked when it closed behind me. The only other exit was blocked by the fire. I heard someone saying they got everyone out and the fire trucks were on the way. Going unnoticed is both an advantage and disadvantage. I stayed as low as I could to the ground and banged on the door. I must have passed out when I came to, I was in the hospital. I was treated for a small burn on my arm and smoke inhalation. They wanted to observe me overnight, but I didn’t want to stay there so I did what I do best.” She put the binder on the table and continued flipping through it till she found the program for the art show.

“You ran” She nodded her head.

Carter came back and handed a shirt to Kane while Dax opened the program flipping through the pages until she landed on a picture of his work and they all cringed.

“I think I need my eyes gouged out” Damon covered his eyes.

“There is no unseeing that.” Kenneth agreed. It was a black and white photo, taken in a back room of a building. A man stood naked in the center between the legs of a woman who was made up of body parts from many different women. Under the picture it was titled, Only Good For One Thing. Flipping the program closed, Kane had seen enough. He escorted her to the break room and handed her the shirt to change into. He untied the back of the gown for her and closed the door. He walked back to the workbench, Johnny was flipping through the program making sure he skipped the page with his work on it until he landed on a page that had a picture of all the artists. The only photo missing was hers, but there was a photo of DJLOVIT.

“Who does he look like?” Johnny said, holding up the photo. Kenneth pulled out his phone, opened an email and held it up beside the photo.

“They’re the same person” Damon replied,

“I think we just found Carl’s son,” Kane said, looking over both photos.

“Not everyday you get to kill the same person twice” Johnny grinned looking at Kane.

“Well aren’t I the lucky one” a wicked smile spread across his face.

“Wait, why would she talk to him if he looks exactly like her nightmare?” Carter asked.

“They have done case studies where they have asked kids to identify their abusers but they weren’t able to, because they only ever saw them as monsters, not as their true selves. Which is why a lot of kids don’t testify. Her abuse started at two and he’s only ever been a nightmare to her, so she only sees him as a nightmare. She has probably seen him a dozen times but it has never registered what he actually looks like. I have a bad thought” Damon said,

“What is it?” Kenneth asked him.

“She said the fire started after she walked back into the building, and spread fast. Maybe they used an accelerant to spread the fire around. But the door locked behind her. Maybe whoever set the fire wasn’t after his picture, but her. I mean a year after Carl’s incarceration seems a little fishy to me” Damon speculated.

“That is a bad thought, we need to take a look at the art gallery crime scene photos. See if Marco can pull anything about the fire” Kane said. Seemed a little fishy to Kane as well, especially when they knew Carl was talking to someone.

“We don’t know anybody in Garrison.” Johnny looked at him.

“Is the property for sale? The owner would have a copy of the report he would have to disclose it and for insurance purposes, so we could be interested buyers” Kane countered.

“We also know he’s not gonna be at his art studio on Tuesday and he said there were more photos that would be ready, so we could take a look there as well.” Damon offered,

“Road trip to Garrison on Tuesday.” Kane said “You and Marco won’t be staying in New York when we head there on Saturday, you’re both needed here for the next foreseeable future” Kenneth nodded.

“Can’t leave New York without a lieutenant!” Johnny stated.

“Tell Charles to pack for New York, he’ll come with us on Saturday and we’ll leave him there, see how he does. Leaving Damon to fill in for him in his absence.” Kane replied.

“Here’s you chance brother, don’t fuck it up” Johnny looked at Damon and grinned.

Dax walked out of the break room, the shirt fell well below her knees and with her slippers pulled up the only skin showing was her head and neck. Johnny howled out with laughter when he saw her.

“Seriously Carter, I think this is a bit much” she said standing there with her arms out, the long sleeves hung a good foot past her fingers

“Couldn’t find a bigger one?” Damon asked Carter,

“No, and I looked” Carter replied,

“It looks like it ate her,” Damon said, causing Johnny to laugh even harder. “Alright what am I supposed to do here, while you are off in New York having fun?” He asked, turning away from her. Kane smiled and Johnny gave him a knowing look.

“It’s simple really, keep her out of trouble for 24 hours” Kane said pointing at her. Both their eyes went wide and started talking at once.

“What? Are you kidding me? You want me to/I don’t need a babysitter/her. That’s bullshit! This is your fault, my fault….”

“You know watching them fight reminds me of how you used to fight with your sister when you were younger” Johnny observed. Damon and Dax used the same mannerisms, the same facial expressions. Their voices raised the same pitch when they got more heated.

“If you didn’t know them you would think they were siblings” Kenneth added watching them bicker with each other.

“Yeah! It’s scary how they have the same mannerisms” Johnny agreed.

“Ow! Did you just kick me?” Damon growled at her.

“What are you gonna do about it?” She growled back, taking him by surprise.

“Stop kicking me!” Damon yelled at her.

“Ooo! Look at you, the big bad wolf, go huff and puff somewhere else.” And she kicked him again.

“Did she just make a Three Little Pig reference?” Carter asked, Johnny fought to control his laughter.

“ENOUGH!” Kane bellowed, holding up his hands and they stopped.

“Kane you can’t be serious that I have to watch her” Damon started but stopped when Kane levelled him with a look.

“You’re the one that let her hit someone with a napkin dispenser” Kane stated.

“Let her! Let her! I didn’t let her do anything. You need to put a bell on that girl, she’s like a tiny little ninja” he referenced her size before he went on “We walked into the bar, it was packed, we told her to stay right beside us and next thing we know she’s on the other side of the bar breaking a serving tray over the bleach blonde bitch’s head.”

“She did WHAT?” He looked at her, she pressed her lips together and shrank back a bit. Uh oh! You’re in for it now! Thanks for stating the obvious! She snapped at her subconscious.

“I think it’s time we get back to the house and have that chat” He said looking at her.

“I can explain!” She started.

“This should be good” Kane rubbed his forehead and sat in one of the chairs, he couldn’t wait to hear this.

“I was just gonna talk to her” she raised her hands, the sleeves flopping down.

“You were just going to talk to her,” Kane repeated.

“Yes!” She nodded,

“So you hit her with two inanimate objects?” He was finding it hard to hide the smile that was pulling on his lips, Johnny and Kenneth’s snickerings were not helping either.

“Yes…..No!” She blurted out after she realized the question.

“I just wanted to get her attention” she shrugged a bit.

“So you hit her” Kane couldn’t believe it.

“I needed her phone” she defended herself.

“So you instigated a fight?” he questioned.

“But I got her phone,” she said triumphantly.

“You took her phone,” he countered.

“Borrowed her phone” she corrected him.

“Where is her phone now?” Kane asked.

“In a sink full of dish water at the bar” she bit her lip. “Wait! I’m not explaining this very well.” He put his hand up to silence her, she pressed her lips together slightly lowering her head and looked at him through her long lashes.

“So let me get this straight, you snuck out of my office, with my phone, stole my truck, headed to a packed bar wearing only slipper socks and a hospital gown, ignored the boys when they said stay close to them. Broke a serving tray over someone’s head to get their attention, because saying hey apparently doesn’t work anymore. You instigated a fight, knocked someone out with a napkin dispenser, stole their phone, then destroyed it and tried to run me over with my own truck. Did I miss anything?” Kane looked at her, she stood there looking like a small child that just got scolded. She went to say something, but he pretty much summed up the night’s events.

“No!” She shook her head.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” He asked her.

“You’re very pretty when you’re upset” She smiled at him, but when he didn’t smile back it fell from her face. Kane stood up and walked over to her, she looked up at him as he stared down at her.

“You think I’m pretty when I’m upset” Kane could hear Johnny snickering louder behind him.

“Very pretty” she was taking small steps backwards, hoping he wouldn’t notice the distance she was putting between them.

“Don’t run little mouse, it’s time to go” before she could react he reached out and wrapped her in his embrace. Her back pressed against his chest he held her tight to him. “You have a lot to make up for” he whispered so low in her ear that only she could hear. A small gasp escaped her lips and she swallowed hard. He started walking them towards the exit.

Once outside, Kane ushered her towards his truck and opened the door.

“Get in!” He instructed.

“Um….I want to ride with them” she went to move towards the others but he blocked her escape.

“Get in!” He repeated with a bit more force, he bit back the growl that threatened to escape, growling at her never worked for him, but he put a sharpness to his tone, letting her know he was serious. Get in the truck, before he eats you! Her subconscious yelled at her.

“The shirt Carter picked is too big” she huffed, as she tried and failed repeatedly to get in the truck. He had to control himself to prevent the smile that was threatening to wreck his whole facade. Lifting her up he placed her in the passenger seat and buckled her in. Closing the door before she could say anything else he crossed in front of the truck.

She watched him the whole time, waiting to see if he would crack, but he wasn’t cracking, he kept the same displeased look on his face. So much for not being mad at me, big liar! She huffed again and slumped in her seat. You can’t be mad at him! Why not? What did he do? I’ll think of something! That’s not fair! Fuck! Just say sorry! But...but! You did almost hit him with his own truck! That was unintentional! Don’t think he sees it that way! No kidding! You need to learn how to drive! That was mean! Don’t pout! I’m not pouting! Yes you are! Kane had to readjust his seat before he could even climb into the driver’s side. Sshhhh! He can’t hear me! He sat there for a few seconds before he started the vehicle. He stole a glance at her, she sat slumped in her seat staring out the window.

“I’m sorry I almost hit you with your truck.” she looked at him, he could see that she was sorry she almost hit him, but she had no remorse for anything else she did. He just nodded and she turned back to look out the window. The others all piled into Johnny’s truck and followed them back to the house.

He would glance over at her periodically, her mind must be running a mile a minute. Trying to figure out how she’s gonna talk her way out of this! She does have a quick tongue! You’re not really mad at her right? And if I was? Then you’re an idiot! Good thing I’m not really mad then! Just letting her think that! Pretty much! You’re proud of her! Damn proud! Something we agree on! We seem to be agreeing on a lot more things lately! Yeah….I don’t like it! It was true, him and Ky seemed to be a lot more in sync working together then as two separate beings. He could feel himself getting stronger because of it. He glanced at her one more time, she was fidgeting with her fingers as she shifted in her seat, she seemed to be having a conversation with herself. She also looked really tired, today might have been a little too exciting for her.

“She’s going to be ok right?” Carter asked from the back seat of Johnny’s truck, his concern was evident in his tone.

“Your concern for her is touching but she’s going to be fine!” Johnny laughed “Kane’s not mad at her, if it were anyone of us that did even half of what she did, then blood would have been shed the second he saw us”

“What the fuck’s that about? Why can’t he get mad at her?” Damon asked, he was sitting beside Carter in the back.

“Were you really mad at her in the warehouse, even after she kicked you….three times?” Kenneth asked instead of answering his question.

“Can’t really say that I was.” Damon replied.

“Why?” Kenneth asked.

“I….I don’t know, just wasn’t” Damon replied “There’s just….”

“Something about her” Johnny finished for him, Damon nodded. They all felt it, they couldn’t bring themselves to be mad at her, but when she was upset, hurt or mad, they wanted blood.

“So what is it about her?” Silence filled the cab of the truck, no one had an answer or could pinpoint one thing, it was just her.

“You meet her, and you just want to know her,” Carter said.

“No, you have to know her” Damon corrected “Sunshine and fucking rainbows, until she’s not, then she’s a tornado in the middle of a fucking hurricane.” Johnny cracked up laughing.

“That has to be the best description of her that I have heard”

“Better to stand at her side than be in her path, kinda like….” Kenneth started.

“Kane” Damon finished for him, they all pretty much agreed.

“So she weaseled her way into our lives….” Damon was saying.

“Except no she didn’t, she’s the piece none of us realized was missing” Carter interrupted him.

“I would agree with that. She feels like family to me, pretty sure I would pick her over my own sister.” Kenneth admitted.

“There’s just something about her,” Johnny repeated as he pulled into the garage after Kane and Dax.

Kane killed the engine, looking over at her one more time, the events of today had taken their toll on her, she fell asleep halfway home and was now curled in a ball in her chair. He climbed from the truck and quietly as he could shut the door so as not to wake her.

“Where’s feisty pants?” Johnny asked, walking up to him.

“She fell asleep halfway home,” Kane answered.

“Well I’m fucking starving, let’s go Carter hopefully the animals left us something to eat” Damon announced walking towards the house with Carter nodding following behind him.

“I better go find Lacey, she’s probably 50 shades pissed at me for something” Kane arched his eyebrow at him “She always seems to be pissed at me for something”

“Maybe stop telling her what she can and cannot do,” Kane offered.

“Fuck! Is that what she told you? I did that fucking once….once, because she was trying to lift that stupid trunk of hers, the fucking thing weighs a ton. She threw something at me and hit the other side of the room and it was my fault. Figure that one out” Johnny threw his hands in the air.

“Pregnancy hormones make them crazy,” Kenneth said.

“You fucking tell her that, I am not telling her that. I said sorry I wasn’t standing on the other side of the fucking room. I apologized because she drank her fucking juice, she did it not me, her, I fucking watched her do it, but I caught shit and I apologized. But do you think she apologized when she realized she was the one that actually drank her juice….fuck no! That was my fault too and I did what you ask? That’s right, I fucking apologized. I apologize….a lot, I swear she calls my name and the first words outta my mouth are, I’m sorry.” Kane and Kenneth both broke out laughing.

“Keep laughing. When it’s you tell me if you still think it’s funny, yours has aim” Johnny said walking towards the house muttering under his breath. Kane could only hope that one day it would be him, he would happily apologize for everything.

Moving to the passenger side he quietly and carefully opened it, unbuckling her seat belt he gently lifted her out. She grumbled a bit but snuggled into his chest, holding tight to his shirt. Kenneth closed the door to the truck and opened the door to the house for him. Kane debated taking her up to their bed, but knew she was to have an eye exam tomorrow. He would talk to the doctor about getting her released from the medical ward for Saturday, she would sleep better in their bed without him, than she would in the hospital room. Nodding a thanks to Kenneth he moved silently through the house carrying her, picking up bits and pieces of conversations as he went.

“Are you kidding? She laid the bitch out”

“One hit bam, she was down and did not get back up again”

“She was awesome”

“Total fucking badass”

“Tiny little ball of fire”

“Have you seen her art”

“I know right, breathtaking”

“Think she’ll make me a piece?”

“Me too!”

“Think she can make skulls?”

“A rainbow one would be sweet”

The more he heard the prouder he became, she was making quite the impact on the pack. A smile tugged at his lips that by the time he made it to the medical ward he was pretty sure he was a grinning idiot. His mate was a tiny badass ball of awesome fire, but this is something he already knew. He laid her down in the bed and pulled the covers over her. Kissing her head, he stayed beside her for a little while, not quite ready to let her go. He wanted her in his arms, but there was no way he was sleeping in that damn bed again, and he was fucking starving, hopefully Damon and Carter saved something to eat.

Walking into the kitchen, Johnny, Kenneth and Damon all looked at him.

“What did you do this time?” Kane asked Johnny.

“She’s hungry and it’s my fault,” Johnny replied.

“It kinda is,” Damon laughed at him.

“Fuck you!” Johnny growled at him, causing the others to laugh.

“Feisty pants?” Damon asked Kane.

“She’s sleeping and I’m fucking starving” he replied.

“Pizzas in the oven” Kenneth offered. Kane moved to a cupboard and pulled four glasses then grabbed a bottle of whiskey. Filling each glass he handed one to each of them, before placing the bottle on the counter.

“Might as well, she’ll be pissed at me for something I actually did, it’ll be refreshing,” Johnny said, accepting the glass, causing another round of laughter.

“Hang in there brother, she’ll tone down the crazy in a few weeks” Damon smacked him on the back. They all looked at him.

“Debra?” Johnny asked.

“Sarah! The pediatric nurse, baby crazy but she was a lot of fun” Damon replied.

“Which one was Debra?” Johnny asked.

“The accountant, boring job, but a dynamo in the sack” Damon answered, taking a drink.

“Well brother, I do believe you’re a man whore” Johnny said causing everyone to laugh.

“I like the ladies” Damon defended himself with a shrug, making no apologies for the way he lives his life. “And if I’m not mistaken brother, there was a time when you had a new girl every other day before you found your mate” Johnny’s face dropped as he looked at Kane.

“Those that live in glass houses brother” Kane said, taking a drink.

“Don’t even start with me. You have your own history in high school” Johnny fired at Kane.

“Oh hey, I may have had a new girl all the time, but I never slept with them all” Kane fired back.

“Yeah, just the ones that lasted long enough,” Damon commented.

“The only one to have three different girls in one day” Johnny laughed.

“The threesome in the janitor’s closet,” Kane reminded him.

“Yeah, that was me” Damon confessed with a grin “Johnny was the supply room, and got busted by the principal”

“How the fuck was I to know she was a screamer?” Johnny said.

“Quiet ones usually are,” Damon told him.

“She bit me when I tried to cover her mouth” Johnny confessed, Damon doubled over howling.

Kenneth stood back listening to the three of them. The sense of camaraderie between the three of them was intense. They all knew each other’s secrets, and though they laughed and joked about them, Kenneth knew they would have each other’s backs no questions asked.

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet over there, care to add anything to the conversation” Damon called to him.

“No, some things are better left buried,” Kenneth replied with a smile.

“Yeah, like Lana,” Johnny blurted.

“JOHNNY!” Kenneth stared at him wide eyed.

“I’m sorry” Johnny apologized immediately like he did with Lacey, Damon broke out laughing.

“The dancer from that club you took us too” Kane cracked up laughing.

“Wait, who the fuck is Lana?” Damon asked.

“She was a pole dancer from this strip club and she stole his wallet, ran all over New York trying to find her to get it back. Managed to track her down to an apartment building, and while I waited outside he went in to go and retrieve it. Like 20 minutes later Kenneth jumps the fire escape telling me to fucking run, his pants are barely up and he has no shoes, but he got his wallet back. She neglected to tell him she was dating the biggest fucking bouncer in the place, and he was coming over that night” Johnny broke out laughing

“That’s what happened to your shoes, you lost them at the strippers place” Kane howled,

“Where the fuck were you while this was happening?” Damon barely choked out through laughter

“He was smashed, he went shot for shot with some members of the New York Faction and ended up passed out in the backseat” Johnny replied wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Some by the way never made it off the floor that night and Marco disappeared” Kenneth added.

“Learn something new everyday,” Kane laughed.

“Yeah, Kenneth here likes dancers,” Damon teased.

“Not all of us can be saints,” Kenneth said laughing.

“We’re all sinners here brother. Cheers!” Damon finished his drink and they poured another.

A few more drinks. and three pizzas later, their boys club broke apart. Johnny had to get back to Lacey and Kenneth went to bed. It was just Damon and Kane left in the kitchen, a silence fell over the room as they both stared into their drinks. It was Kane that broke the silence first.

“What would you do if you ever found your mate Damon?” Kane asked, picking up his glass and downing the last swallow before he poured another.

“Hypothetically speaking, be fucking shocked” Damon downed the rest of his drink, and poured the last remainder of the bottle in his glass. Kane furrowed his brow, that was an unusual response most werewolves wanted their mates.

“Hypothetically, say I already found her, and say she hypothetically rejected my ass.” Damon took a drink from his glass.

“When?” This shocked Kane, Damon took a deep sigh.

“When you took over the pack. I found her and she thought I was to be the third in command, but when it went to Charles, she rejected me. I accepted, didn’t even fight for it, and I took off. Put as much distance between her and I as fucking possible.” Damon looked at his glass.

“You never said anything, everyone thought you left because you didn’t get the rank” Kane said.

“What was I gonna say, Kane? I need the rank so my mate will accept me. You were dealing with enough shit. Your parents died, you had your sister to worry about, taking over the pack and you already felt guilty when Charles got the position. I didn’t want to burden you with that as well. Brother, you were 16! Your fucking world just crashed. Fuck, your first act as Alpha was breaking Carter’s fathers neck on the front steps of the pack house, Johnny got his arm snapped, Edward killed Chester, at that point the only way I was getting the rank was if you broke Charles’s neck as well. Did me a favour in the long run though, I wouldn’t want to be mated to someone that shallow. So yeah, if I found my mate I would be fucking shocked. Second chance mates are rare, they only go to the most deserving. You and I both know that ain’t me” Damon looked back down at his glass.

“Some fucking curveball” Kane took a drink from his own glass, as silence filled the room once more.

Kane could feel Damon’s eyes on him, there was a question burning a hole in him and he wanted to know for sure if he was right.

“Ask!” Kane said not looking up from his glass on the counter

“When did you find out?” Damon asked “When did you find out you were a Fated Soul? And don’t you fucking lie to me, I saw your eyes in the warehouse”

“When Kenneth first got here” Kane replied.

“She doesn’t know, does she?” Damon asked.

“No, and I don’t want her to. She’s unpredictable enough as is” Damon grinned. “How did you know?”

“I had a suspicion since you put your fist through the cement wall and came out fine, but the warehouse confirmed it” Damon replied finishing the rest of his drink. “When did you first feel the fire burning in you?”

“The night I brought her home, was the first time I felt it. Didn’t think anything of it. Kenneth said she had to say she loved me and we all just assumed she had to say it to me.” Kane rubbed his hand over his face, then finished his own drink.

“Has she told you?” Damon asked.

“When she woke up in the medical ward after they removed the tube, was the first thing she said to me” a smile spread across his face at the memory, she fought to get it out, it was the most important thing in the world for her to say.

“I got a thought about Fate and curveballs” Kane looked up at Damon,

“Why does this sound concerning?” Kane asked

“There’s something about her. I don’t know what it is, but I feel it in my bones. She feels familiar. So where the fuck was she supposed to be when Fate threw that curveball?” Damon said.

“Now that is a thought” Kane shook his head, he had no answer. Where was his mate supposed to be?

“Go see your girl, that is if she’s still there.” Damon joked, causing Kane to laugh. “I’m telling you, put a fucking bell on her, that tiny little ninja is damn quick” Damon left the kitchen. Kane stood up, went to their room to get freshened up before he went back to the medical ward.

Telling the guard on her door to leave, he wouldn’t be needed anymore tonight before Kane walked in. She was still where he left her sleeping soundly, he laughed at how relieved he was that she hadn’t snuck out again. Damn Damon! He had planted a seed of doubt in his head that she would actually still be there when he came back. He brushed the hair from her face, there was still some swelling and the shade of black around her eye was becoming more pronounced, but by the way she carried herself, you’d think she didn’t feel a thing. Her body was used to abuse, he doubted it was something it would simply forget how to deal with. He kissed her head making a silent vow to find the ones responsible and make them all pay. He found himself torn between where to sleep, his body wanted her, craved her touch, but his mind kept reminding him of the lack of sleep he got the night before. Two nights of no sleep and there would be hell to pay. Maybe if he just stayed with her a little bit in the bed….no, no, no if he did that when it came time to leave he wouldn’t want to. FUCK!

He was addicted to her. Kissing her one more time, he forced himself away from the bed and laid down on the couch. Going over in his head for the hundredth time, everything he knew, what he didn’t know, what he wanted to know, what he needed to know. Maybe he should make a list. What do you need to know? She makes us happy! Ky questioned him. She makes him more than happy, she makes him complete. He was reminded of the conversations he had with his father many times. He would tell him that no matter his mood, his mom would walk by and even the darkest clouds would clear. When he was with her it felt like they were dancing on air, and the moon rose just for him. He didn’t understand then, but he gets it now. You could have this conversation with yourself with your arms wrapped around her! Ky snickered. FUCK! He threw his arm over his eyes silently cursing himself, eventually he drifted off to a light sleep.

Sometime later a warmth spread through his body, as tingles danced across his skin. He could feel the gentlest of kisses being peppered down the side of his face and across his jaw. Lips would ever so lightly graze him, stirring his body to life. Small fingers gently traced the outlines of the muscles in his chest as a small weight settled across his hips. His body vibrated as it responded to the caresses and kisses. Another peppering of butterfly kisses down the opposite side of his face and when those lips he craved so much dared to tease him with a gentle graze, he claimed them. Her mouth moved with his, she bit his lip and when his lips parted her tongue sought his out. Electricity shot through him, she pushed into him feeling him grow harder and harder beneath her movements. He moaned against her lips as she pushed against him again and again. Starting to rotate her hips, his hands freely roamed up her thighs, to her bottom.

His touch was firm and demanding the more she rotated against him, pushing him, driving him. Trailing his hands higher and higher up her body, when realization dawned on him that there was no other fabric besides her panties interfering with his contact of her skin. A low sensual growl echoed around the room and her body responded by shivering, he could smell her excitement, her arousal. She pressed harder into him, causing another moan. He could feel the fire burning in him growing higher and higher, he fought to control it from showing in his eyes, but when he looked into hers, they were ablaze. He kissed her harder, pressing her against him, she removed his shirt and when she popped the button of his jeans, he laid her on her back on the couch.

He kissed down the right side of her face across her jaw and down her neck. His teeth grazed her skin as he moved closer to her mark. He brushed his lips over it, releasing a moan from her. He repeated this movement, when he grazed it with his teeth she gripped his shoulders and arched into him. Moving his lips lower down her body while his hands blazed trails higher, he cupped one breast, while his tongue swirled around the nipple of her other. She gasped and moaned beneath him. He nipped and tasted the flesh of each one, before he continued lower. Her skin was burning from his touch, he could feel her vibrating and he knew she was more than ready for him, but he wanted to taste and touch all of her.

He wanted to draw all her pleasure out, make her scream his name. His hand slid between her legs, his thumb rubbed her over the fabric of her panties, she whimpered at the movement, her smell was intoxicating. He traced circles with his tongue just above the lace trim of her panties along her stomach, whimpering more from the desire it was stirring with in her. Her eyes engulfed in flames, she begged him to take her. He slid her panties down and settled between her legs. His tongue circled slowly around her, as he thrust two fingers deep inside of her, alternating between faster and slower. She cried out as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She screamed his name, demanding he take her.

The confines of his jeans were becoming too tight for him; he had to slip them off, as soon as he had his jeans off she made her move, she pushed him back on the couch straddling his lap. Pressing into him harder and harder, now was his turn to scream her name. Her kiss when she kissed was demanding and forceful, using the couch behind him she could press into him, causing more growls to release. She was bringing life to his primal side, nipping, kissing and tasting her way down his body. In some instances she bit him then her tongue would trace over the mark. His breathing was hard, he was on the verge of losing control and her mouth was driving him over the edge. He gripped the couch as she moved lower and lower down his body, kissing, nipping, tasting. When she bit his hip, and let her tongue trace the mark, he lost control, throwing her back on the couch he lost his briefs and drove into her, fast and hard, she moaned and gasped at his movements, encouraging him, crying out for him, he called for her as he moved faster and faster inside of her, wave after wave rocking both of them, pushing them further and further over, then it all came crashing down, she arched hard under him tightening around him, he groaned out at his release shuddering with pleasure. He collapsed on top of her breathing hard.

“Holy fuck! 10 out of 10, wake me up like that again” he croaked when he could function enough to talk. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist holding tightly to him, trapping him in place.

“You bit me” he kissed her neck.

“Yes I did” she smiled as she tilted her head exposing her neck for him.

“You bit me several times” he trailed his lips up her neck.

“Yes I did” smiling wider he brushed his lips past hers. He went to get up, but she held tighter to him.

“You’re not going to let me up” he nuzzled the side of her face.

“No” wrapping her arms and legs tighter around him, she felt him smile against her cheek. This had to be hurting her, but she wasn’t letting go. As carefully as he could he slid one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, holding her tight to him he stood up lifting her with him. He sat on the couch, with her legs still wrapped around him.

“This will start round two, little mouse, you know that” he warned.

“I don’t care” she pulled herself closer to him.

“The medical ward isn’t sound proof” his hands lightly trailing down her sides careful to avoid the sutures. Her face flushed a bit as that sank in.

“Do you think anyone heard us?” She whispered.

“Oh, I think everyone heard us” he chuckled when her blush deepened “Good thing I sent the guard at the door away, or he would have got a front row seat” She looked to the door, her face getting redder.

“Then we’ll just have to be quieter” she turned back to him pressing her lips to his. His hands moved up her thighs and he could feel himself growing hard once more. Well aren’t I the lucky one! He thought, Let round two begin!