Sommer Green as Zaira Deja Jacobs   Eli Nicolas Jacobs    Adrian Hitzag   Max Riemelt as Conrad Hitzag   Christoph Waltz as Boris    Han Jung Soo as Nelly   Elena   Sebastien Chabal as Igor

 

German words

 

-Ein fauler Sack = lazy bastard

 

-Er geht mir auf den Sack = He's a pain in the ass

 

*Adrian---In Germany* 

 

"Ein fauler Sack!" hissed Adrian at his younger brother Conrad.

 

"Brother, why are you sooo uptight? Is Elena not fulfilling her duties as your personal whore?" mocked Conrad while looking at Adrian.

 

Adrian made his way from behind his desk and approached his brother slowly, while not breaking eye contact.

 

"Tell me this younger brother," requested Adrian while putting an emphasise on younger.  

 

"Why would I concern myself with Elena or her sister if you have fucked them both?" he asked while looking down at a sitting Conrad.

 

Being challenged, Conrad stood up and faced his brother. They watched each other closely, secretly challenging for power. Conrad being the lax brother coyly laughed off the tension in the room. He moved towards the door while ignoring Adrian because neither would admit defeat. Touching the doorknob, Conrad took one last look at his brother and grinned. He finally walked out of Adrian's office, slamming the door behind him. Adrian looked at the door and smiled, he knew what it took to piss off Conrad. Both are stubborn and both dismiss the fact that they are the Hitzag brothers. Which means no submission and no bull.

 

Adrian stood 6 feet 4 with a muscular built. His eyes were a pale grey (thanks to his mother) but when pissed off those eyes would turn into the color of dark clouds as a hurricane approach. His eyes always seemed to have the stormy effect. Showing emotion was a weakness, and nothing about Adrian stated weakness. His hair was brown and kept at a crew cut. A strong jaw line, mixed with a sturdy chin, and a semi sharp nose gave him the 'don't fuck with me' appearance. However, no one knew he hid the dimple in his right cheek. Made of complete masculinity, Adrian believes dimples did not fit in with the rest of his attire therefore he never smiled.

 

In contrast, everything about Conrad stated pretty boy, he stood 6 foot 2 with a body as a soccer player. Conrad's wide hazel eyes are the best of his features. The scare that stretches from the edge of his left eyebrow to the top of his cheek was the only mark that showed imperfection. Just like Adrian, Conrad's dimple was on the right side of his cheek, and he had the same brown hair. However, Conrad's hair was short and shaggy. His facial features held strong jaw long, kissable lips, and a bright smile.

 

Both Adrian and Conrad knew they could have any women they desired. However, Adrian did not want just any women he craved for a companion…his companion. The woman who he could not live without, the one who would invade his dreams, but most importantly he wanted his woman. Adrian grew tired of the games, during his 375 years of existences; he never met a woman who could tame the beast within. Adrian always figured that he had time to settle down because to the werewolf society he was just hitting his prime. Conrad was a different story, he seduced every attractive female he met, and his hormones is one of a teenage boy. He treated women only as a sex object, as if they were unable to have an intellect conversation. Being 65 years younger, Conrad still had the stamina to have sex all day if he desired.

 

*Zaira---New York*

 

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy, it's time to wakey wakey!" shouted 5-year-old Eli as he jumped up and down on his mother bed.

 

'Ugh, I shouldn't have worked on that case all night' thought Zaira as she rubbed her eyes and forced a smile on her face.

 

"Good morning sweetheart" Zaira said with a husky voice.

 

"Morning mommy," said Eli as he kissed the tip of Zaira's nose.

 

"Mommy can you fix my favorite since its Saturday?" asked Eli as he put on his pout face.

 

"Please! I would even pick up my toys today mommy, please!" pleaded Eli as he bounced by his mother side.

 

"Okay, okay but you have to wash your face, brush your teeth, pick up your toys, and give mommy a big kiss!" she said as she attacked her son with kisses and raspberries on his stomach.

 

"Okay mommy you win" said a laughing Eli.

 

"Now, go brush your teeth, wash your face, and put on some clothes...," said Zaira as she held her fingers out displaying the number of things Eli had to do.

 

"I'll be in there to help you pick out your clothes for today" said Zaira as she stood up and stretch.

 

"Mommy, I'm a big boy now...I don't need you to dress me anymore" said Eli as he puffed out his little chest.

 

"Oh, well excuse me then..." stated a smiling Zaira as she opened her blinds.

 

"Now you better hurry up before I change my mind about..." before she could finish her sentence Eli jumped off the bed and ran towards his room.

 

'God, he reminds me so much of his father...why did you have to leave so soon?' thought Zaira as she tried to keep the memories afar. It has been 3 years since her best friend, husband, and better half died on a mission in Iraq. She sat on her bed and pulled out the last letter her husband sent her.

 

'Aye, Doll. I know you've probably worried your pretty little head off about me, but I'm okay. Every morning I thank God for the love that you have given me and for the birth of our son. If I don't make it back just know this...You are my best friend, my shoulder to lean on, the one person I know I can count on, you're the love of my life, and my one and only. Kiss our son for me and tell him daddy loves him very much. Love you baby doll. Be home soon, hopefully! Love yours forever...your Jeremiah

 

Instead of him coming home by the end of the month, he never got the opportunity to board the plane for New York. She felt tears streaming down her face as she held the letter tightly in her hand. 'It's been 3 years and here I am crying over the man who took my heart six feet under...the ironic part is that Eli reminds me so much of him. He has his father's green eyes and Jeremiah active personality. Every day I look at Eli, all I can see is his father, the man who I loved with all that I had and now he's gone...' Zaira wiped the tears off her face and walked to the bathroom. She closed the door and stood by the sink. To get her mind off her deceased husband she decided to think about her big case. Her job was demanding but she loved working for NYPD as a homicide detective. Other than Eli, her job was the only excitement in her life.

 

As Zaira looked into the mirror, she thought 'who would want a  widow with a child?'  The thought of becoming someone else baggage, made her give up on dating. The first and last person she had sex with was her husband. Being only 28-years-old, she was already another single black mother. When she was with her husband she felt sexy and beautiful, but now she settled her looks on pretty. She was 5 foot 6 with straight black hair, which she kept medium height. Her hair complimented her pecan colored chubby face that held dimples and thick pouty lips. People would think she was between the ages of 24-26 thanks to her baby face. She has brown eyes, but in the sunlight, you could see flits of amber in them. Zaira is thicker than most her breast size was a 36 D and she could easily fit in a 14 but a 12 for a more snug fit. Zaira ass was not too big and not too small, but just enough for more than a hand full. Her son Eli skin color was caramel (thanks to her and his father), he had gorgeous emerald eyes, but his looks came from his mother except for his curly light brown hair and nose.

 

After she finished brushing her teeth, she changed into her clothes, and she combed her hair. When she was dressed for the day, she walked into the kitchen. She looked in the living room and saw Eli sitting on the floor looking at cartoons with a Hulk shirt and black shorts. 'Well I guess he is old enough to dress himself' she thought as she laughed.

 

"Okay. Eli I'm about to fix waffles, eggs, and turkey sausage but you have to eat the fruit salad first. Okay?" she asked as she looked at Eli.

 

Eli just nodded his head and continued to watch TV. She knew better than to try to get Eli attention while looking at the Hulk. He adored everything about the green beast; he knew line from line in every Hulk movie. When 'The Avengers' made its debut to the movies, he begged to watch it twice a month and she allowed him. How could she refuse a persistent little boy? She took out the ingredients for the waffles, the eggs, turkey sausages, and the fruit for the salad. After she finished fixing breakfast, she sat the silverware at the table for her and Eli.

 

While she was getting breakfast prepared, all she could think about was the big case. This is the case, which would establish how great she was at her job. Maybe she will finally get the credit she deserves. Here she was about to take down someone who has connections to the Italian, Russian, and the Mexican Mafia. He had killed countless number of people, exports and imports guns, and played a role in drug trifling. She knew he influenced people of higher places such as NYPD chief, but he did not influence her. Zaira knew he would not spend a day in New York jail, but she prepared others to make sure he would spend countless nights at the FBI headquarters in confinement. Nelly, who was a dear friend of Jeremiah, now plays an important role with her and Eli. When Jeremiah died, Nelly made the funeral arrangements, made sure she and Eli were comfortable, and a shoulder to cry on. Jeremiah and Nelly both trained/worked together in the army, but now Nelly worked for the FBI.

 

Zaira knew her boss, Mr. Campbell would dismiss her case, and that is where Nelly would step in. As soon as Mr. Campbell dismiss her case, she would resign and text her friend Nelly to put everything in process. She gave copies of all the evidence, pictures, and documents to Nelly. If she was unable to bring this criminal down, then Nelly surly would. Zaira was prepared, for whatever storm approached.

 

The loud music "Tonight, we are young...So let's set the world on fire and we can grow brighter than the sun" brought Zaira out of her deep. 'Always on time Nelly' she thought.

 

She rushed to answer her cellphone and looked at the picture of Nelly.

 

"Sup Nelly," Zaira asked as she made her way to the kitchen table.

 

"Oh nothing much, just wanted to let you know everything is ready," she heard a husky voice say.

 

"Everything...including the passports, your guys, the apartment, and money?" asked Zaira in disbelief as she sat down on the kitchen chair.

 

'Goodness that man moves quickly' thought Zaira.

 

"Yes everything is ready Zi...don't worry, I have everything under control" said a reassuring Nelly. Zaira looked at her son Eli; there was nothing left for them here except memories.

 

"Thank you Nelly...," Zaira said as she sighed.

 

"For everything" Zaira whispered as she felt the tears streaming down her face.

 

She did not realize how everything was about to change, and she did not realize how it would affect her so much.

 

Nelly and Zaira said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. She remembered the first time she met Nelly. It was a double date, Nelly with his date, and Jeremiah with Zaira. Nelly was the cutest Asian she has ever met. Nelly overall appearance said masculine. His real name is Nel, but Zaira gave him the nickname Nelly because he sounds just like the hip-hop artist Nelly from Saint Louis. He stood 6 foot 1 with long wavy hair and almond shaped brown eyes. Leaving New York meant leaving behind Nelly, the memories, her job, and the pain. However, she knew it was time to move on with their life. All of Zaira family was in Florida or Texas, but she did not want to move back so close to her family. She loved her mother and her grandmother, but she be damned if she let them rule her life this time.

 

Because of Zaira stubbornness and her emotional life, she focused on her job and Eli. The beeping oven awoke her from her deep thoughts.

 

Zaira softly said "Time to eat sweetheart" to Eli.

 

Eli quickly got off the floor and ran to the kitchen. He pulled out his chair with his booster seat and looked at his plate, which contained fruit. Eli face then displayed a disgusted look.

 

"Remember, your fruit first" Zaira smiled at Eli.

 

"The quicker you eat your fruit the quicker you can enjoy those homemade waffles I made for you" said a grinning Zaira.

 

Eli picked up his spoon and began to eat his fruit while playing with his Hulk toy.

 

"Eli, no toys on the table" said Zaira with a stern look on her face.

 

They sat at the table enjoying their breakfast and she allowed Eli to talk about his jealous friend Roberto. She laughed at Eli and his many face expressions. Some expressions were very serious while others made her laugh very hard.

 

After breakfast, they began to pack. Zaira told Eli they were moving from New York, but she did not tell him where. She knew Eli could not hold a secret because he loved to talk especially when he was excited. She helped him pack all his clothes and his action figures. They also decided to pack their favorite cartoons, appliances, and pictures of Jeremiah. 

 

Next, it was time to pack everything in her room. She could feel tears roaming down her face while she looked at photos of her and Jeremiah. Only thing she would take of Jeremiah are a couple of photos, his last letter, and his medals. Everything else was going into storage. She packed up her perfume, clothes, shoes, and personal items all in boxes that held their new address. Zaira had everything planned out, Monday the movers would come and ship their items off, Wednesday is when she would make her move, and Friday they would leave to begin their new life.

 

Zaira received information that her suspect would fly in on Tuesday morning and she would arrest him Wednesday night at his nightclub. She figured that by Thursday morning she would receive a call from Mr. Campbell telling her to drop the murder charge. Which she would, but by Friday morning, her suspect would belong to the FBI. The FBI will get him on murders, drug trafficking, and countless number of other things. By noon Friday, she and Eli would be on the plane headed to a new life. Tomorrow she and Eli will go to an old Pentecostal church, which she visited a couple times out of the month. To leave her home and to take down Conrad Hitzag would require all the strength and courage she could gather. Conrad Hitzag is a man who had many people in high places wrapped around his pinky. Taking down Conrad meant she had to deal with his brother, NYPD chief, and anyone else who swore alliances with Conrad. Taking on Conrad meant she needed an army to back her up; people who is not persuaded by money or power. Most importantly, taking down Conrad meant running from the lives they knew.

 

FRIDAY MORNING

 

Zaira was rushing to the airport with Eli in her hand. She recalled everything that happened during the week. Everything was going as planned, but she just did not plan for the Mayor to give her hell.

[FlashBack]

"How could you be so stupid?" shouted the Mayor.

"Did you really expect for Conrad Hitzag to remain in jail?" the Mayor asked sarcastically.

Before the Mayor could say anything else, Zaira hung up in his face.

"I never liked your old cheesy breathe anyways, and don't expect my vote," Zaira said lowly to herself as she looked at her office phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questing Conrad was not an easy task because all he did was grin and stare at her breast. Conrad's nonchalant attitude pissed Zaira off, but in the end she would have the last laugh. As soon as Conrad walked out of the NYPD headquarters: Nelly and his men stood there waiting for him. Zaira just admired the work she done from afar. 'hell has no fury like a woman's scorned, you bastard'  Zaira thought to herself as she grinned at a confused Conrad.

It was Friday; Eli and Zaira were rushing to the gate at the airport. As Zaira continued to ponder the scene from the week. She felt accomplished, felt if nothing could stand in her way now. That feeling was soon gone as she ran into something hard. She would have fell backwards if it were not for the hands, which wrapped around her waist and her upper back tightly.

 

*Adrian*

Adrian Hitzag stood there in all his glory looking down at a beautiful creature. The scent of cinnamon and apples were driving his senses crazy. He had to figure out where it was coming from, and he did sooner than he imagined.

He set the woman on her feet and removed his sunglasses, so he could get a better view. 

 

When Adrian descended off his private plane from Germany, he could pick up the scent  from afar. His wolf was bouncing up and down while howling. 'She's here! Mine! Find her now...'  demanded his wolf. He sniffed the air trying to figure out where the scent was coming from. It became stronger and when he inhaled one last time, they collided. 'Bout time you found her you worthless human' grinned his wolf

 

She was beautiful, and she was something different from his previous preferences. Previous preferences were red heads and petite. This women hair was black, which operated with her round brown eyes. Her skin tone contrasted against his ivory skin, which he admired. Adrian licked his lips as he noticed her curvy body. She wore an orange halter-top, khaki shorts, and orange high top converses. Adrian laughed to himself because her outfit was very simple but so sexy. Wait, she had a little boy with her. They looked just alike except the child eyes were green and the child hair was almost golden brown with curls.

 

Adrian kneeled down, eye level to the little boy and gave him a warm smile.

 

"A Hulk fan huh?" Adrian asked the little boy as he pointed at the action figures and shirt.

 

Eli face began to light up and his smiled showed all his teeth.

 

"Yes! Hulk is the best..." Eli almost shouted.

 

"Who is your favorite superhero?" curious Eli asked.

 

Adrian stood back up and looked at the woman.

 

"My favorite superhero is Wolverine," stated an admiring Adrian, he never broke eye contact with her.

 

Adrian figured he was being rude to Eli therefore he glanced back at the boy who was still holding the woman's hand tightly.

 

"How rude...Let me introduce myself, my name is Adrian Hitzag. I hope you will accept my deepest apologizes for bumping into you," said Adrian as he knocked his heels together and did a slight bow.

 

*Zaira*

'Good, Adrian doesn't know who I am, that should give us enough time to get on the plane'  Zaira thought to herself. Zaira observed Adrian from head to toe. Adrian wore a snug light blue business shirt with the sleeves rolled up which was tucked into black fitted jeans. He wore black single monk loafers and black sunglass. Zaira bit her bottom lip and looked at her son as he began to speak.

 

"My name is Eli Jacobs," Eli stated as he mocked Adrian moves by knocking his heels and bowing.

 

Adrian did a hearty laugh, which caused Zaira to look at him in awe a little longer.' God this man is gorgeous. Look at the adorable dimple on his cheek. The way he looks at me, as if I'm the prey and he's the predator . Stop thinking about his looks, just get away while you can!'  thought Zaira as she looked down at her son who was now speaking.

 

"And this is my mommy" said Eli as he looked up at Zaira.

 

Zaira and Eli smiled at each other. Then she returned her attention back to Adrian.

 

"Well Mr. Hitzag, It has..." Zaira stated.

 

"Please call me Adrian," requested a grinning Adrian.

 

"Fine Adrian, It has been nice talking to you, but we have a plane to catch" stated an irritated Zaira.

 

*Adrian*

 

Adrian dismissed Zaira irritation. He would not allow her to leave, unless his arm was wrapped around her with Eli holding his hand. He never felt this way for any woman. The need to protect, love, and possess came crashing down on him all at once.

 

"Where are you guys traveling?" asked a curious Adrian as he looked down at Eli.

 

Somehow, Adrian knew Zaira would not tell of their travelling plans, because she avoided telling her name. If she wants to play her little game, than he would play with her.

 

"I don't know, my mommy wouldn't tell me," Eli said as he looked up to his mother.

 

Zaira held tightly to Eli hand and tried to walk past Adrian, but Adrian blocked her move.

 

"So you choose not to tell me your name, or tell me where you guys are traveling...," stated a now vexed Adrian.

 

"Last time I checked, that is called being rude," said a displeased Adrian as he looked in Zaira eyes.

 

"Well excuse me sir if I don't kiss the broom stick or your butt" said Zaira quietly so Eli would not hear.

 

"I will not answer any questions that I have no interest in answering," stated an annoyed Zaira.

 

'Ha! She is stubborn, but I can break that'  thought an amused Adrian as he rubbed his chin. Adrian refused to let her leave without telling him her name, where they were traveling too, or how long they would be gone. He moved closer to Zaira so only she could hear what he was about to say. Adrian inhaled her fragrance; 'damn the smell of pears and cinnamon.'  Thought Adrian.

 

"The quicker you tell me what I want to know, the quicker I will let you leave..." stated Adrian as his lips slightly brushed against Zaira ear.

 

"But mock my words woman, I get what I want," said Adrian as he touched her hair softly, and he pulled away.

 

Adrian did not care if Zaira was married, engaged, or going steady because she will be his no matter what. Zaira quickly inhaled, her eyes narrowed, and she was about to speak when she was distracted by a voice.

 

"Boss, I need to talk to you in private," stated Boris, Adrian right hand man.

 

Boris stood about 12 feet away from Adrian. 'Dammit Boris, can't you see I'm busy?' telepathy said to Boris. Adrian never broke eye contact with Ziara.'Sorry Sir Ass, but this is important. It has to do with Conrad and that detective' Boris replied. Adrian only gave Boris a nod and then looked back to Zaira and Eli.

 

"Hey Eli, do you think you can stand right here until I finish talking with a friend?" asked Adrian as he looked at a smiling Eli.

 

"Yeah, I can do that boss," mocked a smiling Eli. Adrian smiled at Eli and winked at Zaira.

 

Adrian began to approach Boris still holding the smile. 'What the hell has you smiling?' asked a curious Boris. 'None of your damn business' stated a now annoyed Adrian.

 

*Zaira*

 

'Okay, I can make a run for it but I have to pick up Eli'  thought Zaira. She then walked hastily to the stairs with Eli in her arms. She had Eli wrap his arms and legs around her body while she rushed upstairs. As they walked into the gate, Zaira finally looked behind her to see if someone followed them. They finally boarded the plane. When Zaira and Eli took their seat, she took a deep sigh of relief.

 

"Mommy, why did we run from Mr. Adrian?" asked Eli as he rubbed his eyes.

 

"Mommy, will we see him again?" asked a curious Eli. Zaira looked into Eli sadden widen eyes and she felt a pain of sorrow hit her heart. 'How could Eli attach himself to a monster' she thought. Suddenly, a hand was on her shoulder which made her gasp.

 

*Adrian*

 

"Dammit, Boris...what now?" asked an annoyed Adrian.

 

"Your men lost the detective," said Boris.

 

"But I do have the information about her," stated Boris as he looked down.

 

"Her? You are telling me that a WOMAN gave my brother up to the FBI?" said a pissed off Adrian as he held the bridge of his nose.

 

Adrian felt the stress creeping unto his body, 'How could his brother be so stupid?'  he thought as he signed. He snatched the manila envelope and pulled out the contents. Reading the information in the envelopes he found out her name is Zaira Jacobs, she is 28 years old, a single mother, her husband died during war, and she recently resigned her job. Looking at a picture, he saw the woman who he gave his heart to the moment he saw her, and the woman who turned his brother in. Flipping through the picture, he recognized Eli holding his mother hand while walking across the street. His favorite picture was the one of Eli and Zaira sitting on a bench eating ice cream, she was eating strawberry and he was eating chocolate.

 

'That is why she did not want me to know her name, fate is strange...what should I do? Reprimand her for turning in my brother; maybe. Reprimand for her smart mouth; yes, I would enjoy that. A name that goes with her face finally, Zaira Hitzag...it has a nice ring to it' Adrian laughed to himself and turned to look at Zaira, but she was gone.

 

"Dammit find her now!" shouted Adrian as he looked at Boris.

 

Boris understanding his boss command, and he began to speak into his headset. Suddenly, eight men came through the airport door and all walking towards Adrian.

 

"I will not tell you what will happen to your life if you do not find them...," as he talked to his men and he showed them the pictures of Zaira and Eli.

 

"They are not to be harmed or touched in any violent way is that understood?" demanded a pissed Adrian. All his men nodded their head and began to spread throughout the airport.

 

Those pale grey eyes were now the color of dark clouds. The storm was approaching, and it was approaching fast.

 

Adrian waited at his house in New York, it has been 3 hours and he heard no news about Eli or Zaira. Then he suddenly heard a knock at the door, Adrian stood from his chair and walked calmly to the door. Making sure his clothes were in place, how could this woman have so much effect on him? He needed to figure out what he would do too her, and he needed to get his emotions under control. Adrian remembered how Eli made him laugh, he could not remember the last time he felt relief. Reaching for the door, he prayed silently that Zaira and Eli would be on the other end of the door for the sake of his men.

 

He opened the door to see his men standing there without Zaira and Eli. The rage began to boil, and his wolf began to surface. Without thinking, Adrian's hybrid form swiftly sliced off one of his men's head. Adrian looked at his bloody hand and his bloody attire then grinned. He licked the blood off his finger and looked at the other men who were now wearing blood. His steel colored eyes were slowly fading to the storm color. Tasting the blood satisfied the subduing wolf within, for now.

 

"Let this be a lesson..." said Adrian as he licked off his fingers.

 

"Now clean this shit up and find them, or do I have to make another example out of one of you?" said a now smiling Adrian.

 

Before anyone could answer, Adrian slammed the door in his men face.

 

Thinking about spilling someone guts on the wall made his wolf laugh. 'How could you laugh at this you sick creature?'  asked Adrian to his wolf. 'Well it couldn't be that bad if you're smiling you twisted fuck'  said his laughing wolf.

 

Adrian walked into his bathroom, took off the bloody clothes, and started the shower. All throughout the night, all he could think about was Zaira. He remembered when he pressed his body against hers; Adrian moved his hand down to his throbbing cock and began to stroke it. He pictured Zaira grinding her hips on him. When Adrian saw it leaking pre-cum, he began to stroke it faster and rougher. Remembering Zaira caused him to cum quicker than usually. The wolf within was not satisfied, he could feel the wolf was pacing back and forth. 'Be patient, for we will have them soon' reassured Adrian. Two hours later, Adrian woke from his dream reaching for the area beside him. He was searching for Ziara, but he was disappointed when she was not there.

 

"Damn her for leaving me, damn her for taking Eli, damn her for making me yearn for her, damn her for giving my brother to the FBI." growled Adrian as he set up in bed. 'Just damn her too Hell already' mocked his wolf.

 

'Oh yeah, vengeance will be mines... I will have them soon, no matter what the circumstances are. They will take their rightful place by my side…as my family' thought Adrian. 'No she will be by our side' reassured the wolf. 'Yes, she will be ours. But now I have to worry about Conrad, damn Er geht mir auf den' thought Adrian as he felled asleep.

 

*Zaira*

 

Zaira was relieved to see a flight attendant hand resting on her shoulder. After she reassured the flight attendant that she was okay, the flight attendant walked away. Six hours later, Zaira woke up a now sleeping Eli as the plane began to touch the ground.

 

"Welcome to Scotland and thank you for flying United Airplanes, and please enjoy your stay" said a reassuring voice.

 

Eli and Zaira stretched and walked off the plane, this is their new home. Zaira picked up Eli and saw the approaching storm clouds. Although she saw approaching storm clouds, she thanked God for getting them to Scotland safely and thanked God for helping them avoid the storm.

 

I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain

 

Somehow I'm still here to explain

 

That the darkest hour never comes in the night

 

You can sleep with a gun

 

When you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?

 

Song Credit: "We are Young" by Fun & "Madness" by Shinedown

 

*Zaira -- Barrhead Scotland*

 

Zaira was in disbelief as she made her way down the local market isle. 'Who in their right mind would go to the store at ten o'clock at night for napoleon ice cream? I would, that's who' scorned Zaira. When Eli and Zaira had a restless night, they would always settle down with a bowl of napoleon ice cream. Eli ate the chocolate, she ate the strawberry, and the vanilla sat in the freezer until grocery day. Zaira looked at the preoccupied Eli who wore his Hulk pajamas with matching Hulk bedroom shoes (which caused her to giggle). She had to choose between a singing Eli or a preoccupied Eli. She chose the less noisy option, which lead to Eli playing on her cellphone. Zaira stopped at the register, but Eli caught her attention.

 

"Mommy," cried Eli in a low whining voice.

 

'Uh oh, I wonder what he wants' thought Zaira as she looked down at Eli.

 

"Yes baby? asked Zaira as her attention went towards the displayed candy.

 

"Can I," stated Eli before he was interrupted by his mother.

 

"It's may I, not can I sweetheart" corrected Zaira as she looked at her son.

 

"Ok, may I have a Twix?" asked Eli as he put on his best pouting face.

 

"Yes, but you will NOT eat it tonight," Zaira said after seeing Eli's attempted objection added "Sad face or no sad face, understood?"

 

"Yes ma'am," stated a grinning Eli.

 

Zaira removed the Twix from the candy display, and gave the clerk her items.

 

"Will this be all Miss?" asked a handsome older man.

 

"Yes Sir" stated an observing Zaira.

 

After receiving her groceries and receipt, she walked to the car with Eli holding her hand. Zaira placed the bags on the floor, fastened Eli into the booster car seat, and closed the door. She knew Eli would eventually be asleep because it was pass his bedtime. Just when she opened the driver door, she heard rattling from the bushes. Wondering what was making the noise; Zaira's curiosity got the best of her. She reached down towards her black sweat pants, and removed the P229 from her ankle holster. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked toward the bushes with the gun behind her back. When she finally stopped at the edge of the curb, she heard a loud growl.

 

After hearing the growl, Zaira pulled the gun from behind her back. She would be ready for whatever hid in the bushes or die trying. Seconds later she saw large steel grey eyes prowling close to the ground. 'What the hell is that?'  thought Zaira as her breathing quicken and her eyes narrowed. As if reading her thoughts, the big figure walked into her view. Immediately unable to move, she observed the beast.

 

 'Is that a wolf? Noooo, that couldn't be a wolf. I never saw a wolf like that on animal planet. I bet little red riding hood would piss herself. There is no way in hell, wolves get that big unless they're on steroids right?'  debated Zaira. The creature's fur was golden brown, the eyes were grey, and it was five times bigger than the average wolf. Feeling unprepared she tried to slowly step backward until the wolf growled at her. She would have ran back to the car, but the creature with its huge teeth and drool informed ''You move, you die''. 'Put the gun down' said a little voice in the back of Ziara's mind. Never ignoring the voice before, Zaira slowly placed the gun on the ground, and kicked her gun to the side. Showing a sign of surrender, Zaira closed her eyes tightly and said a silent prayer to God.

 

 

"There is no reason to pray," mocked the voice.

 

Zaira eyes suddenly opened and began to search the perimeter. 'Where in the hell did that come from' thought Zaira as she looked confused.

 

"It came from me," said the brown wolf in a thick German accent.

 

In shock from seeing the wolf talk, Zaira stood there shaking. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, nothing would come out. Therefore, she gave up on speaking and just observed the wolf. The wolf's muscles pulsed with every movement, the sharp fangs dripped with drool and its large eyes focused only on Zaira. The wolf began to approach her while licking it's fangs. Unsure what to do, Zaira just stood there watching the wolf's every step.

 

  'If it wanted to kill you, then you'd be dead already' assumed Zaira to herself.

 

"Very smart" said the wolf as he now sat before Zaira feet.

 

"Did you…just read my…thoughts?" asked a stuttering Zaira.

 

"Ja, I did," stated the wolf.

 

The wolf began to circle Zaira, making her nervous.

 

"Luna has blessed me well," said the wolf as he licked his lips.

 

"What are you talking about?" questioned a curious and nervous Zaira.

 

"You're mine wummin" growled the wolf.

 

"Excuse you?" stated an annoyed Zaira who was trying her best to appear calm. Before Zaira could protest anymore, the wolf pounced on her. Zaira was suddenly on the ground, pinned down under the big wolf.

 

"Now look here wummin" growled the wolf as he sniffed Zaira's neck.

 

"You...Belong...To...Me," stated the wolf as he stressed the importance of each word.

 

Zaira was speechless because the wolf eyes captivated her. The wolf lowered its head toward Zaira, inhaling her fragrance. Captivated by the fragrance of cinnamon and pears, the wolf could not hold back the urge to lick her pulsing neck. Just when the wolf's tongue escaped it's mouth, he heard a loud growl. Being in a compromising position, he slowly adjusted his body.

 

"Get the FUCK off her, before I rip your flea infested throat out," demanded a pissed off voice.

 

  'Who the hell is that' thought Zaira as she searched for the intruder.

 

"I know who it is" stated the wolf as he repositioned his body.

 

She nodded her head and slowly reclined on elbows. What she saw next, made her seek comfort from the egotistical wolf. There in the shadows lurked a beast. It stood tall, muscular, and menacing. As it approached, she gasped in fear. The creature had hooves for feet, witches claws for hands, two rams horns atop its head, its wings were made of flesh, fangs for teeth, and two purple ovals for eyes. The creature's body was not covered in flesh, but of muscle. The decomposing muscle had veins protruding as it vent off steam. It's entire body was covered in black markings which was similar too ancient Latin. Zaira focused on the creature and thought hard to herself. 'That voice, it sounds familiar. One thing is for sure, I'm going crazy' l aughed Zaira.

 

"Get away from her NOW," exclaimed the creature.

 

Before the Brown wolf could protest, the creature charged towards them. In shock, Zaira yelped and quickly search for her gun. Just like that, the brown wolf and the creature were pacing around each other. Unsure about what to do, she watched the foolish beasts. ' What the Hell, who do they think they are? People are not processions therefore we can't be owned or claimed.'  thought a now pissed off Zaira.

 

"Stop it!" shouted an irritated Zaira.

 

The beasts stopped, glanced at Zaira, and continued their pacing. Before she could say anything else, the creatue snapped at the wolf's neck. Unable to dodge the attack, it's jaws latched around his opponent's neck. Seeing the wolf's pain, she felt a need to protect him.

 

"Enough, you're hurting him" shouted a concerned Zaira.

 

Only focused on his rival, the creature did not notice Zaira's movements. Suddenly in one swift kick, Zaira was able to cause pain in the creature lower back. Which brought the menacing beast to it's knees while releasing the wolf's neck.  Zaira placed her gun on the creatures head and was about to speak, but it's black markings began to glow purple. 'I don't think it's suppose to glow…why in the hell is it growing purple!! What am I suppose to do? Fuck! Fuck! fuck! Maybe I should kick it again' debated a bouncing Zaira. Agreeing with her inner voice, Zaira kicked the creature in the back again.

 

Slowly standing, the creature's purple body began to fade. Angry, it stalked towards Zaira with an intent to harm and possibily kill.

 

"I said enough" exclaimed Zaira as she pointed her gun at the creature.

 

Suddenly, it shifted into a tall, naked, and menacing man. 'Igor West' thought Zaira.

 

"You dare defy me for this piece of shit," shouted Igor as he kicked the wolf.

 

The wolf's whimpering brought Zaira out of her previous thought of vengeance. She kneeled down to the wolf, and began to comfort it before she heard Igor growl.

 

"You will not touch him…well unless you want him to die," bellowed Igor while smiling.

 

"Listen here" demanded Zaira as her anger grew.

 

Zaira rose from her kneeling position by the wolf. She slowly walked towards Igor's folded arms and straightened posture.

 

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you DO NOT own me and you will not touch him," exclaimed Zaira as she looked into Igor's dark eyes.

 

Getting tired of her talking, Igor grasped her throat tightly and smiled.

 

"Listen to me good," demanded Igor as he looked into her eyes.

 

Taking in her fragrance of earth, his head lowered towards Zaira's neck. Hypnotized by her scent Igor gripped her throat tighter. As he slowly lift Zaira off the ground by her throat, she began to squirm while dropping her gun. Unable to breath, Zaira clawed at his hand while kicking at Igor.

 

"You, Zaira Deja Jacobs belong to me," stated Igor as he ignored her clawing and kicking.

 

"The quicker you accept that," said Igor as he sucked on her earlobe.

 

"The easier your life will become…or I will simpily kill you" he whispered.

 

Zaira tried her hardest to gasp for air, but neither kicking nor clawing helped. She felt her lungs give in and her eyelids getting heavy. Not willing to admit defeat, Zaira felt a need to express a couple of words.

 

"Fuck you…" soundlessly mouthed Zaira.

 

Getting agitated, he released Zaira's throat, and she fell hard on the concert. Gasping for air, she ignored the pain in her arm. Not giving her the opportunity to speak another word, Igor swiftly covered Zaira's body with his. Catching her off guard, Igor turned into the creature and moved his mouth towards her chest. His fangs extended from his mouth, as he slowly licked Zaira's left breast.

 

"Corrupt the heart, and take the soul. Your ass is mines" reminded Igor.

 

"Adrian help" pleaded Zaira. With the creature in close proximity, the smell of death invaded Zaira's nostrils.

 

Just when Zaira felt his fangs dig into her breast, she heard a loud growl. Before she could blink, the brown wolf pounced on the creature's back. Finally in a good position, Adrian ripped off part of Igor's neck. The big gash allowed purple liquid to flow down Igor's body which caused him to collapse. Descending from the body, the wolf stalked towards Zaira. 

 

"He's wrong you know…that ass is mines" grinned Adrian.

 

Just when Zaira opened her mouth to protest, she heard her cellphone alarm. Waking up sweating, Zaira felt chills run down her spine.

 

"Damn, not this shit again" quietly said Zaira.

 

Seven weeks had gone by since she last saw Adrian at the airport. During those seven weeks, she had similar dream every night. The dream revolved around Igor and Adrian. The first couple of weeks, she just laughed off the dreams. As time went on, the dreams became more intense. After awhile, she became obsessed with the dreams. She researched werewolves and demons but the information seemed unrealistic. 'Why are you tripping Zi? Not like werewolves or demons exist. Plus, Adrian can't find us. Just take deep breaths and try to relax' thought Zaira as she inhaled and exhaled deeply.  Eventually, she blamed the dreams on her insanity or lack thereof. Unable to calm down, Zaira gave up.

 

"Dang it," shouted an agitated Zaira as she set up in bed.

 

Rubbing her forehead, she felt the stress creep upon her body. Zaira sat in the dark allowing only the streetlight to enter into her bedroom apartment. 'Focus on something. Like what? How about decorating? I'm tired of decorating. Then how about the case on tv? Nope, to depressing. How about drawing? Yeah, I can do that' debated Zaira. She turned on her lamp and grabbed her sketchbook along with charcoals. Flipping through the pages, she focused on the current muse of her sketching. Looking at the picture of the golden brown wolf with piercing eyes, she wondered 'what are you'. Flipping to a blank page, Zaira began to think about Adrian's grey eyes. She never saw eyes like his before, and she grew to despise those eyes. His eyes hunted her day and night. Getting more frustrated, she threw her sketchbook across the room.

 

She descended from bed and paced her room. Feeling enclosed and suffocated, Zaira opened the window. Sitting on the edge, she began to take deep breaths. Looking out at the beautiful scene before her eyes, Zaira felt the stress leak out of her body at that exact moment. Other than the taunting dreams, she really enjoyed the beautiful, peaceful, and surreal Scotland. Taking a deep breath of the country wind, Zaira was ready for whatever the day may bring. "Well it's too long living in the same old lives. I feel too cold to live, too young to die. Will you walk the line, like it's there to choose? Just forget the wit, it's the best to use (1)" sang her alarm.

 

"Time to wake up Eli" said Zaira as she rose up from the window seat.

 

Zaira walked out of her bedroom and into the hallway. Peeking into Eli's room she thought to herself Aw, look at my little baby'. Looking around his room, she realized his Hulk obsession was getting to be a bit much. 

 

"This is not good for a five year-old. Maybe, we can add Thor into his collection. First, this stuff was cute but now it's kind of creepy" said Zaira as she picked up a Hulk action figure.

 

"Eli, baby it's time to wake up" stated Zaira as she turned on Eli nightstand lamp.

 

"Couple more minutes mommy," mumbled Eli as he pulled the covers over his head.

 

"If you don't get up right now, my hand and your butt will have a reunion" said Zaira with a stern voice.

 

Before she knew it, Eli jumped out of bed.

 

"Good morning mommy" Eli said groggily.

 

"Morning sweetheart" smiled Zaira as she hugged her son.

 

They shared a moment of hugging and silence.

 

"How about I fix you eggs, cheese grits, and Turkey sausages for breakfast," asked Zaira as she kissed Eli's cheek.

 

"Mmm that sounds good," stated a smiling Eli as he rubbed his stomach.

 

"Okay," stated Zaira as she stood up.

 

"Your uniform will be waiting on the bed after you've finished in the bathroom," said Zaira as she walked towards the door.

 

"Okay," yawned Eli as he got out of bed and walked towards his bathroom.

 

Zaira walked towards the kitchen and prepared breakfast. Just when she finished cooking, Eli approached her. There her baby stood wearing his dark green/gold plaid shorts, a dark green vest with gold trimmings, a white dress shirt, and green/black air force ones. He held up his green and gold plaid tie signaling Zaira to help him.

 

"I use to help your daddy with his tie," stated a smiling Zaira.

 

"Look at my handsome baby in his uniform," she exclaimed while kissing his forehead. Eli sat down in his chair while she watched him eat breakfast because something told her that those moments would not last forever.

 

*Adrian -- Germany*

 

Adrian sat in his office looking at the pictures of Zaira and Eli. It had been exactly seven weeks and he heard no news about them. 'What if someone harmed them? What if some guy wanted Zaira? What if I never see them again?' Adrian discussed with himself. He had not been able to sleep properly because of a reoccurring dream. Every dream consisted of a demon torturing Zaira, but the worst has yet to come. Zaira would scream out Adrian's name but he was unable to help her. No matter how hard he tried running towards her, the darkness would only consume him. Adrian's head rested on his palms and took a deep breath. 'Don't fret human, they're still alive' reassured his wolf. 'And how would you know? If you know that they're alive then where are they?' asked an aggravated Adrian. 'Don't get pissy at me…you human. It's not my fault they're gone, now is it' barked Adrian's wolf.

 

His wolf was right, it was Adrian's fault. Adrian's men searched every state; he even had his men stationed around her family in Texas and Florida. Getting more frustrated Adrian put the pictures and their information back into his top drawer. He relaxed his head on the back of his chair, closed his eyes, and held the bridge of his nose. How could he focus on his pack if there was a possibility that his family was in danger. Making sure the pack was running smoothly was the only thing that kept him sane. The FBI still had Conrad in custody, which relieved Adrian. Yeah, he might seem like a bad brother but he knew his brother would want revenge. If Adrian was unable to find them, he knew Conrad would. Conrad had connections because of his criminal occupation. Suddenly, he heard a loud knock at the door that pulled him from his thoughts.

 

"Come in" demanded Adrian in a stern voice.

 

Boris walked into Adrian's decorated office. The office walls painted cream with maroon trimming the borders, maroon antique chairs trimmed with gold, and the French mahogany fireplace is Adrian's glory.

 

"Hey," said Boris as he walked into Adrian office.

 

Adrian looked at his friend since birth, Boris, and knew something was wrong.

 

"What happened?" questioned Adrian as he set up in his desk. Adrian motioned for Boris to sit down in the chair across from his desk.

 

"We have news," said Boris as he sat in the maroon chair.

 

"How bad is it," requested a curious Adrian as he stood up from his brown leather chair.

 

"Well, I just received news about Conrad," announced Boris as he watched Adrian.

 

"And?" requested an impatient Adrian as he urged Boris to continue.

 

"And…his plane will touchdown tomorrow. Our sources believe Zaira and her son switched their identity. Because no one had any records of a Zaira or Eli Jacobs boarding a plane," stated Boris as he shifted in his seat.

 

At that moment, everything was changing and Adrian could not stop the process. Boris looked at Adrian, and saw something he never saw before. A man in love, a man with a weakness, but most importantly he saw a man in pain.

 

"Don't worry Adrian," requested Boris as he stood up from the maroon chair.

 

"We'll find them before anything happens" reassured Boris as he stood behind Adrian.

 

Adrian stood looking out the window and admired the scenery. 'Let's go for a run' requested his wolf. 'Is there a way I can say no?' asked Adrian to his wolf. 'No, we need this. You're driving me crazy' requested the wolf. Adrian knew his wolf was right.

 

"I'm going for a run Boris, I'll be back in 30," said Adrian as his hand ran through his hair while he walked towards the door.

 

Finally, outside of the three-storied house, Adrian looked around his compound. Observing the compound's beautiful landscape, he wondered if Zaira and Eli would enjoy it. Shifting into a golden brown wolf with stormy eyes, Adrian began running. Running into the woods, Adrian felt the blood run through his hair and body. Suddenly, he realized someone was following him and knew whom it was. She wore loud perfume that burned through his nostrils. Tired of the games, Adrian stopped and faced towards the intruder.

 

"What do you want Elena?" asked Adrian as he transformed into human form.

 

*Elena*

 

A red henna haired wolf with amber eyes came lurking behind a tree. The wolf shifted into a pale five foot nine woman, with hazel eyes, a petite body, and red hair. Standing in her naked form, she placed her palms on her slim waist.

 

"Aw, what's the matter?" asked Elena as she slowly walked towards Adrian.

 

Biting on her lower lip, Elena admired Adrian's naked form. Just by watching Adrian standing in his naked glory made Elena's body shiver.

 

"I do not like repeating myself Elena. What the hell do you want?" exclaimed a pissed off Adrian.

 

"I can barely recognize you," inquired Elena as she stood in front of Adrian.

 

Standing before Adrian, Elena noticed a few new things about him. First, Adrian hair is lightly curled and was a little spiked. Secondly, his smooth face now wore a neatly trimmed beard. Lastly, Elena noticed how Adrian muscles grew since the last time she saw him.

 

"I must say, I like the new you" whispered Elena as she rubbed Adrian's chest.

 

Elena began to kiss lightly on Adrian's neck, as she twisted his nipple. A quick intake of breath caused him to push Elena's head down signaling her to move further. Still kissing on Adrian's neck, Elena began to kiss his collarbone. Unwilling to stop, she kneeled down smirking up at him. Massaging his balls, Elena watched his cock become erected. His eight-inch manhood made her mouth droll. Licking her lips, she began to grip it tightly into her small hands. She was unable to wrap her whole hand around him because of its thickness. Memorizing the cock she has sucked so many times made her wet. Flicking her tongue around the head, Elena began to pump it slowly. Adrian placed his hand behind Elena head and encouraged her to suck him by forcing her closer. When she refused, he became enraged.

 

"Don't test me Elena" demanded Adrian as he forced his cock into Elena mouth.

 

Being a professional at blowjobs and teasing, Elena swallowed Adrian's cock with little gagging. Getting his whole manhood wet, Adrian began to pick up the pace. Holding Elena's head still, Adrian pumped inside of Elena's throat. Forcing himself deeper inside of her, he held his head back. Unsatisfied by her lip service, Adrian removed himself.

 

*Adrian*

 

"Turn over," demanded Adrian as he shoved Elena backwards.

 

Turning over on her knees and palms, Elena teased Adrian by swinging her hips in the air. Getting behind Elena, Adrian noticed her body. How small and fragile Elena looked, and how he could see her spine. 'What are you thinking!? You know you don't want to fuck her. Just look at her back, you can see her damn spinal cord. She's like a pencil, no curves, no ass, but her breasts are nice' mocked the wolf. Adrian watched as his penis became limp. Turned off by Elena, Adrian rose from his spot and looked at Elena disgusted. 'Dammit, what has Zaira done to me' asked Adrian to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 

Growing impatience with Adrian, Elena turned around and looked into Adrian's eyes. His eyes not filled with lust or desire but filled with disgust. Elena was proud of her body, but the expression Adrian had on his face made her second guess her appearance. Ashamed of her body, Elena tried to cover herself.

 

"Get out of my face," roared Adrian as he looked into Elena's eyes.

 

Elena sat on the ground, watching Adrian's dark eyes, hoping for a change of heart. Adrian never used that tone of voice with her before, and maybe she could persuade him again.

 

"But...But" stammered Elena as fear crept in her body.

 

"Now" yelled Adrian as he watch Elena fly from his sight.

 

Adrian watched Elena shift into her wolf form and ran back into the compound. He tried to cause her much pain and humiliation because he hated Elena. She was prideful, sneaky, a lair, and conniving; which is why he did everything to break her. Frustrated with himself, Adrian shifted into his wolf and ran deep into the forest. 'Zaira I swear to you this day, dead or alive. I will make you suffer because you forced me to become a pup...only a man control his emotions, thoughts, and body thought Adrian as he continued his run. Looking up into the sky, Adrian noticed the dark storm clouds approaching. He closed his eyes and welcomed the storm. He knew no matter how hard a person try, they could not avoid the storm.

 

*Elena*

 

'How dare he treat me that way. He has another thing coming if he thinks I will forget this. Me, Elena Rosemead, not good enough? Maybe I can solve his problem, and then he'll come crawling back to me. After he realizes what I've done for him, he will finally accept me as Alpha Bitch' plotted Elena to herself as she stormed into the compound. Elena had to solve Adrian's problem and quickly. The faster she solved his problem, the faster he would accept her as equal. Her becoming Alpha Bitch would set her twin and herself up for life. 'I need information, I wonder if Evona knows anything' asked Elena to herself as she walked upstairs.

 

"Evona, my dear sister, I need your assistances," requested Elena as she telepath to her sister.

 

"What do you want Elena" moaned an annoyed Evona.

 

"I'm kind of busy," stated Evona as she gripped the sheets tightly.

 

"Oh please, the fucking can wait," said Elena as she walked into her bedroom.

 

"Do you know what's going on with Adrian?" asked Elena as she walked towards the body length mirror.

 

"No I don't...Why, is something wrong?" stated a frustrated Evona as she shoved her lover afar.

 

"He...He turned me down" shuttered Elena at the thought of Adrian's disapproval.

 

"What do you expect Elena?" Evona asked as she sat up in bed.

 

"If you were his mate, then he would have claimed you by now. Stop while you're ahead, and remove any scheme," indicated an annoyed Evona.

 

"But I'm supposed to be Alpha Bitch!" shouted Elena as she ran her hands down her waist.

 

"Only thing you're supposed to be is beta. I'm not sure who filled your head up with lies, but Adrian Hitzag does not want you," revealed Evona as she prepared for a bath.

 

"Who would want to mate with someone who has slept with every available male? Enough is enough Elena, I'm sorry," Evona sympathized.

 

"Fine, settle on being beta," shouted a pissed off Elena.

 

"He does want me, he just doesn't know it yet," stated Elena as she closed off communications with her sister.

 

Looking back at Boris on the bed, Evona closed the bathroom door. Evona was older than Elena by two minutes. She regretted having sibling especially when her little sister was Rosemary's baby. Looking at herself in the mirror, Evona, was always different from Elena. They both shared same red henna hair, hazel eyes, and five foot nine height. The differences between the sisters are noticeable. Elena believed the world owed her something, she was petite, and she fucked her way to the top. Evona worked hard, a little chubbier, had self-respect, and she was content with her life. Being the oldest, she felt a need to protect Elena from her own destruction.

 

Evona believed Elena's attitude came when their parents abandoned them. At the age of two, the sisters were abandoned on the Hitzag porch. The Hitzag family raised Evona and Elena as their daughters. Elena's actions were the reason for the downgrade to beta. Mrs. Brigitta Hitzag heard of Elena's countless number of sexual partners and her sly ways. Adrian and Mr. Alban Hitzag heard rumors about Elena's distrust towards the pack, but Alban could not believe it.

 

When the pack had to fight against the Scottish, their enemies knew their weakness. Elena sold information regarding the army's defenses and strategies. By the time Adrian found out about Elena's treason it was too late, Alban was killed at "The Battle of Halberd'. Adrian was moments away from killing Elena before his mother stepped in. Brigitta made Adrian promise not to harm Elena because Brigitta could not endure another death. Not only did he promise not to kill Elena but he also kept her treason a secret. If the pack knew about Elena's betrayal, they would view their leader as a weak and a coup would form. Until this day, Elena only survives because of Mrs. Hitzag survival. Since the betrayal, Adrian had to build the clan back up from scratch with no help or guardianship. Till this day, Elena misunderstood Adrian's compliance for weakness, but that would soon end.

**Zaira**

 

 

"Eli Nicolas Jacobs, if you don't hurry up" shouted Zaira towards Eli's room as she stood by the kitchen.

 

Eli came running out of his room with his hulk backpack attached to his shoulder. Zaira watched him approach her while smiling. 

 

"I'm ready mommy" Eli said breathlessly as he slouched over with his palms resting on his kneecaps. Trying to catch his breath, Eli took one deep breath and stood up.

 

"Are you okay sweetheart?" asked a concerned Zaira while looking into Eli's emerald eyes.

 

"I'm okay," stated Eli as he walked towards the kitchen.

 

"Do you have everything you need?" questioned Zaira as she watch Eli plunder through the fridge.

 

"Yes ma'am" said Eli as he grabbed a yogurt.

 

"Let's go through the list, just to make sure" Zaira requested.

 

"Again? Do we have to?" groaned Eli as he rolled his eyes.

 

"Yes because this is your first sleepover, and I won't be there if you need me" stated Zaira as she felt a tear run down her cheek.

 

"Mommy, don't cry again," pleaded Eli as he walked towards his mother.

 

Zaira felt Eli’s arms wrap around her waist. She held Eli in her arms as she tried to collect her emotions. 'Goodness woman, he's just going to a sleepover. He'll be fine; you'll pick him up Sunday morning. That's a day and a half' thought Zaira to herself.

 

"I'm okay sweetheart," whispered Zaira as she put on a fake smile.

 

"If you don't want me to go-," said Eli as he looked into Zaira drying eyes.

 

"No, I want you to go and have fun-" interrupted Zaira.

 

"Good, now come on mom" Eli said enthusiastically before running towards the door.

 

Zaira watched Eli as she gathered her keys and purse. She giggled to herself as she watched Eli’s golden brown curls as they bounced while he ran out their house.

 

After forty-five minutes of constant driving, Zaira finally arrived at the Ballard residence. Amazed by the landscape and the built house, Zaira focused on her surroundings. As soon as she stopped the 2004 Black BMW, Eli unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Zaira felt a warm secure feeling watching as Eli ran up to the Ballard's home as if a second home. Zaira put the car in park, turned off the ignition, and exited the car. Observing the family from afar, Zaira watched Shona walking outside with Duclas running ahead of his mother. Shona was a short woman, smaller than Zaira, with blonde hair. She greeted Zaira with a hug, which Zaira eagerly accepted. Shona and her husband, Douglas, invited Zaira inside for a glass of lemonade. An hour later, Zaira stepped down from the house steps and walked towards her BMW. After saying goodnight to Eli, Zaira walked to the car with a feeling of contentment.

 

'What a nice family' Zaira thought to herself while driving home. ' When will I get my happily ever after' Zaira asked to herself. 'This is the real world, I'm not sure if Happily Ever After exists' stated a voice in Zaira’s head. 'Better to love and lost than to never have loved at all. Still though, I want the nice house with a big yard, a couple of dogs, and a big family. When will things change for my better good? ' demanded Zaira as she hit the wheel in frustration. All Zaira could think about was her happy life with Jeremiah. When Jeremiah died, it felt as if she lost half of her soul, but luckily Eli completed her. As she reminisced about her life with Jeremiah, one of her favorite songs began to play on the radio. As she turned the radio up, Zaira recalled the lyrics and began to sing.

 

(1)"I used to recognize myself. It's funny how reflections change. When we're becoming something else, I think it's time to walk away"

sang Zaira in a low key.

 

"So come on let it go. Just let it be. Why don't you be you. And I'll be me." continued a singing Zaira as tears fell down her face.

 

"Everything that's broke. Leave it to the breeze. Why don't you be you. And I'll be me." sobbed Zaira as she continued singing in a higher tone. Not paying attention to the road, she was unable to avoid the huge pothole.

 

"Damn it!" shouted Zaira as she swerved off the road.

 

"This can't be happening now," cried Zaria as she parked the car. Furious by the flatten tire, the setting sun, her crying, and the rain: Zaira hit the wheel a countless number of times.

 

'Crying won't solve anything, and neither will sitting in a car with a flat tire.' Zaira told herself as she turned off the ignition and emerged from the car.

 

"Great day not to bring an umbrella" she mocked.

 

Walking to the front passenger tire, Zaira observed the damages. She did not know how to change a tire, but today would be a good day to learn. The worst part was Scotland's horrid weather. Deciding not to pout about the situation anymore, she walked towards the trunk. Opening it, she took out the tire and jack. After ten minutes of constant fails, Zaira stood up having figured out that she was not going to get the damn tire changed on her own. Opening her arms wide with her head tilted towards the clouds, she let the rain consume her body. As she looked into the dark clouds, she screamed at the heavens above. She cussed at Jeremiah for leaving her; she cussed at the terrible weather, but most of all she cussed at herself. She could not live life regretting the past nor missed opportunities. Zaira let the rain wash away all her troubles and let out a sigh of relief. Laughing at her current situation, she did not notice that she had company.

 

"Are ye trying to catch yer death?" asked a deep Scottish voice.

 

Frozen in her steps, Zaira slowly turned around and gasped silently. What she saw astonished her, and all she was capable of doing was staring. Before Zaira's eyes, was a tall, handsome, and well-built man. Surrounding him were three dirty (due to muddy water) white Range Rovers. Each car had at least three men in them; she wondered why he travelled with a crew. Thinking about him, made her attention return to the intruder.

 

"Are ye okay?" repeated the handsome man.

 

 'I am now' thought Zaira as she tried to avoid eye contact. The man hid under an umbrella but the only thing Zaira could see was his stern full lips. She needed to see his eyes, because they held the soul. He stepped closer allowing his umbrella to shield her from the rain. Zaira took that opportunity to look upon her rescuer's face, and was astonished.

 

"Damn" she said quietly.

 

"Excuse me bonnie?" said Zaira rescuer as he stared into her eyes.

 

"Um, nothing" Zaira said a little bashfully as she glanced up into his light blue eyes.

 

'His eyes are so beautiful; they remind me of crystal blue water.' thought Zaira. She continued to stare at the tall figure in front of her. He wore lightly baggy dark denim jeans, a snug red V-neck shirt, black/red Nike, and a Skyline Geneva Platinum watch. He stood at least six feet two, a very muscular body, with broad shoulders. His facial feature held blue eyes, a thicker bottom lip, a medium sized nose; spiked red hair, and a light scruffy beard. When he smiled, you could see his straight white teeth and light crow's feet at the corner of his eyes. What surprised Zaira was the diamond earring in his right ear. 'Uh oh, a pretty boy' thought Zaira. As if reading her thoughts, the handsome man giggled to himself.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Zaira said as she shyly looked into his eyes.

 

"It's okay bonnie, I'm used to it" mocked the handsome man.

 

"Colin MacLeod at your service" pronounced Colin as he grabbed her hand.

 

"Zaira Jacobs" stated Zaira as she watched Colin kiss her hand, and never breaking eye contact with her. 'Shit, I just told him my real name. Well telling a couple of people won't hurt' thought Zaira.

 

**Colin**

 

Colin sat in the backseat of his black Cadillac Escalade, with tinted windows. Being Alpha of the MacLeod clan was indeed stressful but it had many benefits. The MacLeod clan was one of the most powerful clans in Europe besides the Hitzag of course. Colin considered himself a reasonable and sometimes forgiving person, but he despised the Hitzag clan. 'Cocky bastards' laughed Colin to himself. Dismissing his rival from his thoughts, Colin began to wonder about his cousin Duncan. Besides the clan, Duncan is Colin’s only living family member. He feared for Duncan, because Duncan held much resentment against everyone, especially the Hitzag clan. The battle of Halberd (Hitzag vs. MacLeod), took lives from both Colin's and Duncan's family. The rivalry between Hitzag and MacLeod went back centuries. Colin worked his ass off when he was younger because he had to prove he was worthy to become alpha after his father’s death. However, he was thankful for the war because it allowed him to venture beyond his father’s boundaries. 

 

Duncan did not recognize Colin as a cousin nor alpha, but they recognized each other as brothers. Relaxing in the backseat Colin began to search for his IPod in his black duffle bag. Colin watched the rain pour, listening to music, and felt relaxed. Staring outside, he decided to roll down the window a little to feel the breeze. He enjoyed the drops of cool rain hitting his face, and the fresh air flowing in his lungs. Feeling at ease, Colin let the music drift him off to sleep. 

Thirty minutes later

'Oi wake up!' shouted his wolf. Colin suddenly snapped his eyes opened and listened closely to his wolf. 'What is it?' asked Colin to his wolf.

 

Before his wolf spoke, Colin nostrils were set on fire. Rolling down the window completely down, he saw a stranded car some yards ahead. At that exact moment, Colin realized why his wolf woke him up. By the broken down car, Colin saw a beautiful thick black woman yelling at the sky. If it were anyone else, he would guess the woman was mental. She was not just anyone; she's the mate of Adrian Hitzag.

 

"Stop by that black car," Colin telepathically said to his entire posse.

 

"Yes Sir" his posse said in union.

 

After stopping across the street from the stranded car, Colin ran over to the damsel in distress with an umbrella. He snuck behind the damsel, observed her curvaceous but luscious body, and groaned to himself. When she leaned down to pick up the tire, Colin saw her ass and became immediately aroused. Her wet clothes helped Colin to see every hidden curve. 'Oi! First off, she's not yer bloody mate. Secondly, If Adrian even suspects you bedded his mate, you can prepare for another war. Lastly, If she continues to stand in the rain, ye won't have the opportunity to see her naked. Because she'll be dead ye fool!'shouted Colin's wolf. Snapping out of reality, Colin quickly sheltered the damsel with the umbrella.

 

She could dress so plainly but look astonishing. Zaira wore white skintight capris, a baggy spring green shirt that stopped after her naval, spring green/white air forces, and gold accessories. Only make-up she wore was lip-gloss, her hair pinned up in a ponytail, and a gold ankle bracelet. 'She must have a date. Well, I feel sorry for the poor bastard who has the balls to date Adrian’s woman.' assumed Colin. 'At least none are dumb enough to bed her' mocked his wolf. 'What he doesn't know won't hurt him' argued Colin.  'See, that kind of thinking will get us killed' stated his wolf. He could smell Adrian's scent but there was no mark of Hitzag. Though there was not a written contract, mates where off limits. If a mate was killed, then eventually the spouse would seek revenge in the most ruthless way. That's why many rogues killed because they try to fill that void with blood. After they exchanged names, Colin ordered someone to replace Zaira's tire. Zaira and Colin stood under his umbrella, waiting for his man to change her tire.

 

"I hope you weren't planning on keeping this beautiful creature to yourself," mocked a masculine voice behind Colin and Zaira.

 

"What's it to ye Duncan" asked Colin as he looked down at Zaira with her protectively in his arm.

 

**Zaira**

 

Zaira felt flush with Colin's strong arm wrapped protectively across her mid-section. Leaning back to glance a look at the man called Duncan. 'They have to be related' Zaira thought as she observed Duncan. Duncan stood 6 feet tall, a little smaller than Colin, and had the same facial features like Colin. However, Duncan’s hair was longer and a brighter red, a baby face, green eyes with gold flecks, full lips, and freckles across his nose. Feeling Colin become possessive, Zaira shyly removed herself from his grasp. Colin saw a shivering Zaira and decided to get her a blanket and check on her car.

 

**Duncan**

 

"I'll be right back" said Colin as he left the umbrella with Zaira.

 

"I can handle myself" Zaira reassured her company.

 

"Of course you can honey," interrupted Duncan as he looked towards her car.

 

"My name is Duncan MacLeod. What's your name pet?" stated Duncan as he licked his lips.

 

Feeling uncomfortable, Zaira folded her arms across her chest.

 

"Zaira Jacobs and I'm nobody’s pet" announced Zaira with attitude.

 

"Ohhh, I like you, pet has guts" mocked Duncan as he giggled and lightly ran his finger down Zaira wet shoulder.

 

"I'm not your damn pet" barked Zaira while she removed Duncan finger.

 

Leaning down to Zaira’s ear level, Duncan quietly whispered, "I can change that, I don't mind training you".

 

Appalled at Duncan statement, she prepared to defend herself.

 

"Listen here, I don't know who the hell you THINK you are" snarled Zaira.

 

"But I, Zaira Deja Jacobs do not need training from anyone! Especially a pompous ass like yourself" announced Zaira while she poked Duncan's chest. Before Duncan could say another word, Colin approached him from behind and grabbed Duncan's shoulder tightly.

 

"Oi, leave her alone" demanded Colin to Duncan as he looked down at Zaira.

 

"And if I don't? Would you want to fight for her?" playfully asked Duncan as he nudged Colin's hand off his shoulder.

 

"Duncan! I said leave her alone now" growled Colin to Duncan.

 

"Fine" snapped Duncan as he stood in front of Zaira with a grin.

 

Feeling defeated, Duncan stormed back to his SUV. 'One day her mouth will get her in trouble' thought Duncan as he opened the SUV door. Never before has Duncan been openly defied by a woman. His pride would not leave the situation alone; but eventually he shrugged her defiance off. 

 

**Colin**

 

"I apologize about my cousin's behavior," said an ashamed Colin as he looked into Zaira eyes.

 

"It's okay, I've dealt with worse" stated Zaira as she shyly glanced towards her car.

 

"It's ready when you are," grinned Colin as he continued to stare at Zaira.

 

"Thank you so much" Zaira bashfully replied as she once more avoided eye contact.

 

"No problem, how about you give me your number and we'll be even" persuaded Colin as he nudged against Zaira. Yes, she belonged to his enemy, but it was something about her. Something he could not put his finger on, at least for now. 

 

"Okay, I can do that. Do you have your cell," asked Zaira as she watched Colin search his pockets.

 

After making sure Zaira was comfortably in her car and on the road, Colin walked towards Duncan's truck. Opening his cousin’s door, Colin’s face displayed his anger.

 

"What tha hell is yer problem Duncan?" shouted Colin in his Scottish accent. Duncan annoyed him.

 

"Oye! I'm talking to you," barked Colin.

 

"Nothing is wrong," Duncan said with a smirk.

 

Colin continued staring at his cousin, "Don't get slick with me" commanded Colin.

 

"Promise me, you will stay away from her," demanded Colin. Duncan only nodded and put his headphones into his ears. Colin looked at his cousin one last time and slammed the door. He looked into the sky and watched as the storm clouds move slowly away with the wind. The storm began to fade, but he felt something bigger was approaching. Trying to focus on the positive, Colin turned his thoughts to Zaira.

 

Song credit: (1) Let it go by James Bay

**Adrian -- Germany**

 

Adrian sat in his office, looking at the pictures of Zaira and Eli. When he felt stressed, worried, or even uneasy he always looked at the pictures. He promised himself to have Zaira and Eli in his arms, even if it cost him everything. Adrian felt an emptiness that he could not fill living without them. Adrian knew he loved Zaira and Eli because every moment of everyday he thought only of them. How Eli could brighten his day with a simple gesture, or how Zaira had the ability to turn his world completely around.

 

When he was younger, his mother always told him love stories. At the end of each story, the prince always got the princess and lived happily ever after. Adrian sat in his chair wondering if he would ever get his happily ever after. However, Adrian knew he lived in the real world, even the romance about a prostitute and the millionaire seemed impossible.  Before he could think anything else, his worse fear became his reality.

 

"Hello brother" greeted Conrad as he opened Adrian's office door.

 

"Hello Conrad" said Adrian as he stood up from his chair and approached his younger brother.

 

Conrad

 

The two men stood staring into each other eyes without saying a word. Without warning, Adrian hugged his brother. Catching Conrad off guard, he stood there motionless. Conrad could tell something was wrong, but he returned the hug to Adrian. Patting each other on the back, Conrad felt content. After the hug, Adrian returned to his seat and motioned for his brother to sit down.

 

"So did you enjoy your stay in New York," joked Adrian. Behind the drama or hardness, Adrian loved his brother and missed his company. Conrad laughed while he ran his hand through his now long hair. Adrian watched his brother, and realized something was different about Conrad. No longer did he see Mr. Bad-Ass Conrad; but a changed man.

 

"Well, I found my mate" stated a concerned Conrad as he looked at his brother.

 

"Liebe Güte! (my god)," said a shocked Adrian as he watched Conrad.

 

"I know; she's a handful though. I spent a day watching her. I even tried to charm her. She wouldn't give me the time of day. So I left the city and came back home, but I have my men keeping an eye on her until I return" explained Conrad as his hand ran down his face.

 

"I have found my mate also," whispered Adrian. At that moment Conrad knew something was wrong with Adrian. Throughout the years of their existence, Conrad never saw his brother in so much turmoil except at their father's funeral.

 

"Wirklich?! (Really) Well where is she? What is she like," asked a curious Conrad. Adrian's answer was a movement of the shoulders and a blanked face expression.

 

"Tell me what's wrong and how I can help" presented Conrad. Without another word, Conrad watched Adrian pull a package from his top drawer and placed it on top of his desk. Conrad moved forward and was stunned at the pictures before him. There she was, the bitch who ruined his life. In disbelief, Conrad shook his head and relaxed in the chair.

 

Conrad began to laugh; "You can't be serious" asked Conrad while looking at Adrian.

 

"So the bitch that turned me in is your mate" stated a pissed off Conrad.

 

"You know I spent two fucking months locked up, and all I could think about was getting revenge" raised Conrad's voice.

 

"I know," stated an irritated Adrian.

 

Conrad looked at his brother in disgust, "You've got to be pulling my nut sack! Where is she" asked Conrad. Adrian looked at Conrad and shook his head.

 

"You don't know where she is" asked Conrad as he rose from his seat.

 

"No, I don't" stated Adrian while looking at a displeased Conrad.

 

"If you can't find her, I will" said Conrad slyly.

 

"Promise me you will not hurt them," pleaded Adrian. Conrad began to walk towards the door but heard his brother repeat his plea. "Promise me, I don't want to lose my only brother," shouted Adrian. Before Adrian could say another word, Conrad slammed the door.

 

*'How dare he? My own damn brother chooses some broad over blood. He should help me with revenge instead of thinking about a piece of ass'* thought Conrad to himself. Conrad returned to his room, and found comfort on his bed. He had his own problems to handle with his own mate. Before he went to sleep, he promised himself to find Zaira for the sake of his dignity. 

 

Elena

 

After Elena heard about the return of Conrad, she jumped with joy. If she was unable to have Adrian, then she would indeed have Conrad. She plotted to get information from Conrad, and get her connections to help with the issue. Making sure she looked presentable, Elena made her way to Conrad's room. She quietly walked into the room and watched a sleeping Conrad. Slowly easing herself on the bed, she straddled Conrad's legs. Preparing herself mentally, Elena slowly unzipped/unbuttoned his pants. Sliding his pants down to his thighs, Elena slipped Conrad's cock out of his silk black boxers. Looking at his cock, Elena compared the brothers. Conrad's cock is longer but a little less thick, either way she loved feeling both of them.

 

Elena swirled Conrad's head into her mouth and pumped his cock slowly. Elena began to kiss down the big vain, sucked on his balls, and licked down towards his ass. Before she knew it, Conrad's cock erected. Spitting and licking on his staff, Elena noticed a shifting Conrad. She began to suck past his head and slowly took more of him. Elena went deeper with each thrust and before she knew it, Conrad began to moan. Relaxing her throat, allowed her to take half of him. Letting her throat enclose tightly around Conrad's cock, she knew he would wake soon.

 

"Damn it Sabrina" moaned Conrad.

 

"Fuck, don't stop" demanded Conrad

 

Pausing, and sliding Conrad's cock from her throat; "Who the hell is Sabrina," asked a pissed off Elena causing Conrad to wake up.

 

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" shouted Conrad.

 

"Who is Sabrina," commanded Elena.

 

"None of your damn business" stated Conrad.

 

"Please, tell me," pleaded Elena.

 

"Sabrina is my mate," stated Conrad as he rubbed his eyes.

 

"Your mate, are you sure?" asked a disbelieved Elena.

 

"Yes! Don't look so surprised" said Conrad as he pushed Elena off him.

 

"Only reason why you're in my room is because my brother turned you down" an annoyed Conrad stated.

 

"How did you know" Elena requested as she sat up in bed watching Conrad become limp.

 

"What do you think men who find their mates do" Conrad asked Elena while he pulled up his pants.

 

"Continue sleeping with the pack biggest whore?" a curious Conrad asked. Elena watched Conrad bust out into laughter.

 

"Get the hell outta my room, and don't come back Schlampe," (slut) commanded Conrad.

 

Elena now knew what Adrian’s problem was. Standing up, Elena walked towards Conrad's door. Looking back into a laughing Conrad's hazel eyes, Elena realized no one wanted her. Plotting a plan, 'Maybe, I can go into Adrian's office and get some information. I'm not the one to be reckoned with' thought Elena to herself as she made her way to Adrian's office. Elena looked at her watch and read the time; 7:10 pm. She knew Adrian would be out of his office and at a council meeting. Making her way towards the opposite side of the house, Elena prepared for her revenge.

 

Elena searched around the corridor to see any wandering eyes, feeling content; she made her way into Adrian's office. Quickly walking towards his desk, she began to search his drawers for any type of valuable information. Unsatisfied by the results, she sat back into his chair. At the corner of her eye, Elena saw a picture of a little boy.

 

Removing the picture from underneath the papers, Elena looked at the pictures in disbelief. 'This is your mate Adrian; a black fat bitch with a brat? Come on, get serious' laughed Elena to herself. Looking at Zaira's information, Elena found out her age, name, son's name, and everything she needed to know. Taking out her cell phone, Elena captured a picture of Zaira and Eli. Feeling satisfied with the information, Elena left Adrian's office. She walked to her room with comfort because she knew things were about to change for her better good. First, she had to make some calls.

 

Conrad

 

'I cannot believe that whore just walked into my room' stated Conrad to his wolf. 'You have bigger things to worry about, such as the issue with our mate and Zaira' said his wolf. 'There is no issue with our mate; she just hasn't warmed up to me yet. Zaira is not a problem; I already have someone looking for her'reassured Conrad. 'Zaira is your brother's mate, you can't harm her. You would kill anyone who even touched Sabrina, now imagine what your brother is prepared to do' yelled Conrad's wolf. No longer caring about his wolf's opinion, Conrad got out of bed. Stretching his limbs, Conrad looked around his bachelor pad. The dark brown room had cream/gold trimmings; the furniture was dark wood with designs of wolves howling at the moon, and the materials (bedspread, curtains, and cushions on chairs) were gold with brown and cream trimmings. Conrad walked towards his hand carved dark wood fireplace, and poked at the fire. He began to think about Sabrina and Zaira, but his phone pulled him from his thoughts.

 

Picking up his phone, "Speak" Conrad demanded.

 

"Ok good, bring her to me," commanded Conrad. He turned off his cellphone and tossed it on his bed.

 

I can't believe you're bringing her here' yelled his wolf.

 

Adrian

 

Adrian began to pace in his office, concerning himself about Conrad and Zaira.' Would his own brother actually harm his mate? They had their past, but is it worth the life of his family. Would I be able to punish my brother if he did harm her' thought Adrian as he continued to pace his office. He had not received any information about Zaira nor Eli, and he began to stress about their outcome. 'The fates has blessed and cursed me. Blessed because I know who my mate is, and cursed because she's as stubborn and bull-headed as me. I suppose I do deserve this, but damn it. I can't handle this shit' thought Adrian to himself.

 

He wished he could go to bed, but sleep had become a stranger to him. Every time he tried to sleep, he would only think about that horrid dream. He was helpless, he did not protect his mate and that made him mourn. Walking back to his desk, Adrian set down and continued thinking about the dream. What was coming, what was the creature, and why does he want Zaira; Adrian thought to himself. Before he could think anything else, Boris barged through Adrian's office unannounced.

 

"Boss, we've found her" shouted Boris as he stormed over to Adrian. Boris slammed the manila envelope on top of Adrian's desk and puffed out his chest. Adrian emptied the contents on his desk, and was pleased. Before his eyes, there were pictures of Zaira and Eli. He began to read the content, and read of their location.

 

He jumped out of his chair and shouted "SCOTLAND" Adrian said pissed off.

 

"She's in fucking SCOTLAND. No more than 800 miles, and you couldn't find her" Adrian yelled. The smile on Boris's face simply faded.

 

"Oh, she's fucking dead. Tell someone to pack my bags. I'm leaving tonight" commanded Adrian.

 

"But Adrian, that's MacLeod territory" stated Boris.

 

"I don't care, have my bags packed immediately, and tell Marcus to meet me in my room" demanded Adrian.

 

"Okay," Boris said as he walked towards the door, but stopped because of Adrian's booming voice.

 

"Thank you Boris" admitted Adrian.

 

He was not concerned about the MacLeod's, or his brother's anger. His only concern was the safety of his family. Adrian walked out of his office, and towards his bedroom. The plan was simple; take a shower, board the plane, go to Scotland, bring back his family, and make Zaira suffer. 'Ha, that's simple enough. Just in case, I should bring some men'thought Adrian as he took a shower. A knock at the door pulled Adrian from his current thoughts.

 

"Come in" said Adrian. An omega named Marcus stepped through. If Adrian needed anything done with discretion, Marcus was the man to call on.

 

"Did you request my presence my lord" asked Marcus as he watched Adrian step out the shower.

 

Adrian placed a towel around his waist. There he stood in all his wet glory. His tall naked form would make any woman drool at the mouth. His wet hair, shaven body, and muscles just begged to be worshipped. He knew Zaira would enjoy his body and everything that came with it.

 

"I want the two rooms that are next to mine prepared. One room, I want the Hulk everywhere: that includes paint, toys, everything. The next room I require it to be feminine; orange, purple, and yellow. All of this must be done before Monday" ordered Adrian as he dried off.

 

"Yes Sir, is there anything else" asked Marcus.

 

"Yes, Elena was in my office today. Handle that situation before I come back please. I plan on bring my mate and her son back, therefore I don't want any of Elena's nonsense" demanded Adrian with a stern voice. When Adrian came back from the gym to his office, he had smelled Elena's loud perfume. He figured he would handle the situation when the appropriate time approached. That appropriate time is now, before his family came.

 

"Understood" Marcus said simply as he waited to be dismissed.

 

"That is all" said Adrian while he lotion his body.

 

"Yes Sir" stated Marcus as he bowed and walked out of Adrian's room.

 

Adrian knew Zaira would not agree with sleeping in his room because she was stubborn. Therefore, against his better judgment, Adrian had a room set up for her. Adrian continued to dress and prepared himself mentally for the upcoming battle with Zaira.

 

Elena

 

Elena was in her room talking to her contacts. She had been sending pictures and giving information, but no luck so far. Giving up, Elena dialed the last contact that could help her.

 

"Duncan darling, long time no talk" grinned Elena through the phone.

 

"What do I want? I can't call an old friend" asked Elena.

 

"Okay, all bullshit aside. I need your help" confessed Elena to Duncan.

 

"Have you heard anything about someone named Zaira Jacobs" asked Elena.

 

"Yes, she's black, short, fat. You do know her, aw that's perfect" Elena proclaimed as she grinned.

 

"You know her how? Well, I have a plan that will get us revenge and take Adrian to his knees. Do you wish to hear it" questioned Elena. As she told Duncan her plan, she began to put clothes on her bed.

 

"What do you say, are you willing to get your hands dirty," mocked Elena while packing her bag.

 

"Perfect, we both would reap the benefits of this plan," promised Elena.

 

"One last thing Duncan; don't fuck this up. I will be there tomorrow," stated Elena as she hung up the phone. Everything was coming together perfectly. By the end of next week, Elena would have Adrian beneath her feet like a little pup. By the end of next week, Elena would be Alpha Bitch and Adrian would be hers to command with or without her sister's help. Elena finished packing her bags and walked towards the door with them in hand. When she opened the door, Marcus greeted her.

 

"Going somewhere Elena" asked Marcus with a stern voice.

 

"Yes, I'm leaving for a few weeks," stated Elena.

 

"Good because Adrian is not pleased with you," confessed Marcus. Elena shrugged her shoulders.

 

"I warn you, straighten up your act or be punished," demanded Marcus as he looked at Elena.

 

 

"Fine" Elena stated bitterly. 'How dare he talk to me that way? He doesn't know who he's fucking with. When I become Alpha bitch, he will be the first to pay' thought Elena to herself. Now, she had to focus on bigger things such as catching her plane.

 

**Zaira -- Scotland (later that night)**

 

Zaira was leaving the store with bags. She was preparing for a lonely night with ice cream, her favorite tv shows, and a cozy blanket. Strawberry ice cream, the Irish comedy Mrs. Brown's Boys, and a blanket; that is what Zaira called a good night. Driving home, she wondered what to think about; should she think about Colin, Adrian, the creature or a case she heard on the news. Although she worked at a restaurant as a waiter, she continued to think about exciting murder cases. Her first case was about young women around 30 years-old who were found dead. Multiple women were beat, raped, and their limbs detached. Zaira could not figure out the connection between the victims, and she grew restless. The longer it took to figure out the case, the longer the murderer would stay on the streets. Her ringing cellphone pulled her from her thoughts.

 

"Hello" Zaria said, as she looked puzzled at the incoming number.

 

"Hello bonnie" stated the familiar masculine voice.

 

"Colin well this is a great surprise" grinned Zaria through the phone.

 

"I suppose it is. You know I couldn't go to bed without hearing that sexy voice of yours" cooed Colin. Zaira rolled her eyes at the flirtatious remark and continued to drive.

 

"Well since you've heard it, I'm hanging up," Zaira joked.

 

"Naw, I was only joking. What are your plans for tomorrow?" laughed Colin.

 

"Nothing much really, sitting at home probably," stated a depressed Zaira.

 

"No you're not. I will pick you up tomorrow for lunch" commanded Colin.

 

"Oh, this will be interesting" laughed Zaira.

 

"Tomorrow will be a day you will never forget. Well I will pick you up tomorrow around 11" Colin said as he grinned.

 

"Okay, I look forward to it" said Zaira. Colin and Zaira said their goodbyes and hung up their cellphones. After their conversation, Zaira felt relaxed for that moment. Parking her car, she became nervous because she had not dated for a couple of years. Finally home, Zaira got out of the car and walked to her apartment with a bag in her hand. All she could think about was the upcoming date with Colin.

 

She unlocked her door, walked inside of her dark apartment, and placed the ice cream in the freezer. She walked towards the living room to turn on a lamp, but a dark figure sitting in the room caught her attention. At first Zaira assumed it was just a shadow because the lack of light only displayed an outline. Not having her gun Zaira began to fear for her life. Dropping Eli off and visiting a nice family did not require a gun, but she was wrong. 'Maybe it was the guy on the news, but whoever they were has some guts' thought Zaira.

 

"Why the hell are you in my house," questioned Zaira. The dark figure just sat there watching her, not speaking a word. Before Zaira could say anything else, she felt someone place a cloth that smelled like licorice over her mouth. Unable to say anything else or even struggle against her attacker, she began to feel tired. However, she tried her hardest to stay awake.

 

The last thing she saw was the shadow pull out his cellphone. The last thing she heard was "Package contained" stated an unfamiliar voice. After that statement, Zaira's world turned dark and her body collapsed into her attacker's arms

 

On the ground I lay, motionless in plain.

 

I can see my life flashing before my eyes.

 

Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream?

 

Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare.

 

I will not die; I'll wait here for you.

 

I feel alive, when you're beside me.

 

I will not die; I'll wait here for you.

 

In my time of dying (3)

 

Song credits: (3) "Time of Dying" -- Three Days Grace.

 

__Adrian__

 

After a long flight, the plane had finally touched down in Scotland. As it taxied across the tarmac to the hangar, Adrian prepared himself mentally for his mission: to take back what belonged to him. No matter who or what it involved, he would not be leaving without Zaira and Eli in his possession. Thanks to Boris's friend in Scotland, they'd remain below Colin MacLeod's radar. One thing Adrian did not need, during this particularly stressful time in his life, was to be at war with any other packs. If MacLeod even suspected Adrian's presence on Scottish territory, it would do just that: incite another gruesome war if Adrian did not control his temper. 

 

Simply stated, the plan was to kidnap his family and get them all safely on the plane before noon the next day. A plan with the words 'family' and 'kidnap' used to describe its goal, requires some explanation. 'Kidnap' seemed like a harsh word to use to describe the strategy, but he knew his future mate would not come with him willingly. His job was to protect, provide for, and cherish his family! Soon he would be able to do that...and more.

 

Stepping off the plane, Adrian spotted the four black Audi Q7s waiting alongside the curb for him and his men. As he walked toward the cars he retrieved the information about Zaira's situation and location. According to his report, she had settled in an apartment while working for a meager wage at a 9 to 5 job. The ideas of her struggling just too barely make it in life, made his stomach and heart ache. He stopped when he reached the Audi and touched the car door handle. Turning, he glanced up at the dark sky, admiring the billions of bright stars in the dark blanket overhead, and inhaled the country air. Oxygen flowed through his lungs, and his big body relaxed: yet he felt alert and prepared for whatever lay ahead. Snapping back into reality, he leaned down and stepped into the backseat, then closed the door. He leaned his head on the window and closed his eyes as images of Zaira and a laughing Eli invaded his thoughts. He felt at peace, somehow; and he would not trade that feeling for anything.

 

'What are your plans for bringing them home?'his wolf wanted to know, 'Zaira has no plans to return with us willingly.'

 

'If I must then I will throw her over one shoulder and walk out of the apartment with Eli in tow' declared Adrian. 'All I know is that I am not leaving Scotland without my family.' His wolf responded with silence. Normally, the wolf was the one with the aggressive tendencies and tactics; perhaps this was the reason for his wolf's overt communication just now. Adrian relaxed into the backseat, musing over this. He agreed, of course. She would not come willingly. But then again, she had no choice.

 

The ride was long, but the ride was smooth. His body was a mix of contrasts: spikes of adrenaline ran through his system while he continued to try to relax and meditate on his plan. Pulling up to Zaira's apartment, he was relieved to spot her parked BMW. His Audi stopped, and his entourage following suit. Swiftly, they parked and disembarked as Adrian opened his car door. After finding the correct apartment number, he sprinted upstairs and knocked on the door, politely but firmly at first; but the longer he waited, the harder he banged on the door. His men filed silently behind, waiting for his command.

 

"Zaira open up, now!" he shouted.

 

"Something is wrong," reported Adrian's wolf.

 

Taking heed, Adrian sniffed the air for anything unusual and began to panic as his human side now confirmed that something was indeed wrong. "Get this damn door open now!" Adrian demanded. After a well-placed kick, the door lay on the ground. Stomping into the dark apartment, he looked around, using all of his keen senses. A whiff of something strange caught his attention. He inhales deeply, a sweet smell. It was the scent of his mate, and... Something else. Following the scent, he walked toward the living room and stumbled over something as he approached the couch. Looking to see what had entangled his foot, he spied Zaira's purse and cell phone lying on the floor.

 

"Fuck, she's been taken!" he hissed, his worst fear confirmed. He looked around the room.

 

"Search the house for any clues. And for fuck's sake turn on some goddamned lights!" he commanded as he strode toward the curtained window.

 

"Yes, sir!" the men immediately began their sweep.

 

Adrian stood and gazed out onto the dark street below, staring sightlessly while deep in thought, resting his arm on the windowsill. Where was Zaira? His thoughts traveled to Conrad. Yes...They had their problems; but would Conrad go this far?

'No reason to pussyfoot around. They are our family. Find them before anything bad happens!' heeding his wolf, he decided to give his brother a call. He pulled out his cell phone and prepared himself for the worst.

 

"Aw, dear brother... what a lovely surprise," Conrad spoke laughingly, as he lay on his bed.

 

"Where are they?"

 

"Who are you talking about?"

 

"Don't fucking play with me, Conrad because I am not in the mood! Now, what have you done with my mate?!" he shouted, his fist punctuating his words as he banged on the wall. After a long moment's pause, Adrian realizing his brother would not respond, and angrily hung up the phone.

 

Immersed in the turmoil of his current thoughts, he at first failed to comprehend that Boris was calling his name. "Boss! Someone is ringing Zaira's phone."

 

Boris' words finally cut through. He took it from Boris' outstretched hand and inhaled deeply.

 

"Mommy, I was calling you to wish you a goodnight," said a familiar voice.

 

"Hey Eli!" Adrian exclaimed, expelling a huge sigh in a rush relief.

 

"Who's this? Why do you have my mommy's phone?"

 

"It's me, Adrian." It was unreasonable to expect Eli to recognize him right away. Still, his irrational inner voice insisted it had only been a month, and Eli seemed already to have forgotten about him.

 

"Ohhh! Hey, Mr. Hitzag! How are you? Are you there with my mommy? Can you tell her I called?" Questions spilled out of Eli in rapid succession.

 

"Sure, I'll tell her you called. Are you okay? Where are you?" Adrian tried to hide his concern.

 

"I'm fine. I'm with one of my classmates. We're having a sleepover, so I just wanted to tell mommy goodnight before I went to bed. She's probably worried about me," said an increasingly concerned-sounding Eli.

 

"Oh, your mommy is fine; and I hope you enjoy your night, okay? We have a lot to catch up on when we talk again." Adrian put a smile on his voice. Gradually, he relaxed a little.

 

"Okay, and thank you for spending time with her because she probably got lonely," stated Eli as he yawned a little.

 

"No problem. Get some sleep, and we'll talk more tomorrow, son." They said their goodnights, and Adrian waited for Eli to hang up first. Relief swept through him, and he sank onto a nearby sofa. He sat for a while, resting his head on his palm. Luna only knew how much he missed Eli and Zaira. He had to find her, not only for his sake but also for Eli's. At least my boy is safe, he thought.

 

People claim that you can know a woman by the contents of her purse, yet he believed the contents of her phone revealed the woman. With this in mind, he began to search through her cell phone pictures. Gazing down into the small picture of Eli and Zaira smiling together, his emotions looped around like a roller coaster. The image made him simultaneously happy, and frustrated. The absence of her presence in his life left a huge hole; he realized how much he was missing and how much life with Zaira meant to him.

 

*Conrad*

 

Conrad's long legs stretched out comfortably, his tousled head resting on his black silk pillows. His calculating brain had not been surprised when Adrian called him, yet something felt wrong....His men worked quickly, but not that quickly. It was time for an update.

 

"Mathias, did you handle that situation for me?" he asked, still lying on his bed.

 

"I was just going to call you. Well, someone got her before we could." Mathias' voice sounded puzzled. He spoke from his observation post where he had been monitoring the recent flurry of activities at Zaira's apartment from afar. One of his men had just handed him a piece of paper, which he'd been reading when he'd gotten Conrad's call.

 

"What the hell do you mean, someone got her?" He suddenly sat up in bed as he yelled at Mathias through the phone.

 

"Rob and I was about to walk upstairs and handle the situation; but a group of guys came down a few minutes ago with a black body bag. Before we could realize what was going on, they got in their van and took off," Mathias stated still holding the note handed to him not two minutes ago.

 

"Why didn't you stop them? That is my brother's fucking mate!"

 

"It was too many. They had us out numbered." Mathias paused for a split second, then continued. "Wait, wait, wait...she is Adrian's mate? Do you know what that means for us if Adrian even suspects we have her? He's your fucking brother and you had us to kidnap his mate? Are you crazy?" His voice, which had ascended into a shout, lowered to a hissing whisper as he spoke the last sentences.

 

"I know, I know. Calm down! But it's not our fault now anyway, because we don't even have the damn broad."

 

"That's not the point, Conrad. Why would you want to harm your brother's mate? You would kill someone if anyone touched Sabrina, let alone looked at her" Mathias tried to calm himself. Failing that, all of his frustrations and anger caught up with him again, as he continued. "What kind of brother are you? Your petty games will get someone killed one day. And when it does, it'll be entirely your fault, because I won't be here to help you clean up YOUR mess." Abruptly, he hung up the phone.

 

Conrad sat on the bed and thought hard: Mathias was a hard man to make angry, and clearly, he was at his wits end. He mused over everything, and slowly began to realize the seriousness of his mistakes. Yes, as Mathias had said he, Conrad, would certainly kill for his own mate. He tried to imagine what his brother was prepared to do. What would Adrian's next steps be—what would his own be if he were in Adrian's shoes? At any rate, no matter the situation, he came to a decision. It was time to start making amends.

 

*Colin*

 

Colin woke up, ready for the day. It was 7 o'clock in the morning and he was beyond excited about his date. All he could think about was the valuable information. Adrian's mate was in Colin's territory which meant Adrian was unaware of her location. He cared for Zaira but if Adrian wanted her back, who was he to stand in the way? 

 

He decided to wear fitted grey cargo shorts, a navy blue Hollister shirt, and navy blue shoes with white accents. The shirt showed off his Polynesian sleeve tattoos, it covered his bicep and traveled down his arm, stopping just above his wrist. There was a possibility of rain, so he decided to wear his hair without gel. Stepping in front of the mirror, Colin admired the reflection of his large frame, and knew he looked good enough to eat. Flexing his muscles in the mirror, it dawned on him to call Zaira to make sure she was getting ready. Walking over to his bed, he picked up his cell phone and called her. One ring, two rings, three rings...Finally someone picked up the phone.

 

"Good morning beautiful, I hope you're ready for our day together," stated Colin, and then waited for a response.

 

"Who the fuck is this?" questioned an unfamiliar, pissed-off male voice.

 

"My name is Colin," Colin said slowly. "The better question is who tha hell are ye and wat'r ye doing with Zaira's phone?"

 

"Listen kid, I am not in the mood to play phone tag with you. So how about you tell me who you are and how do you know my Zaira," he heard the guy holding Zaira's phone shout.

 

"Your Zaira! Listen, ye cheeky bastard! I swear if ye have hurt a hair on Zaira's head, I promise I'll—"

 

"You'll do what?" the stranger interrupted. "Before you make threats to a complete stranger you should know that this stranger can rip your fucking guts out and serve it to rats for dinner."

 

Colin realized that someone had Zaira's phone, and whoever it was claimed her. With the conversation at its end, Colin decided to pay Zaira's apartment a little visit.

 

__Adrian__

 

Adrian sat on Zaira's bed shocked at what just happened. He had been resting on her bed, when some punk had called her cell phone. Was this Colin person fucking his woman? If so Adrian would kill Zaira his damn self. Adrian grew red with hatred and anger burning within as he saw visuals of Colin buried deep within Zaira, marking her as his own. Nevertheless, he had no time to think about what would never happen again. There was no time to imagine imprudent thoughts, but it was time to prepare....Prepare for war.

 

__Zaira__

 

A stiff, sore, and confused Zaira slowly began to open her heavy eyelids. She tried to rub the tiredness from her eyes but she was unable to move her arms. After failing to move them, she tried moving her legs, and that was unsuccessful. Opening her eyes to see what kept her bond, she was shocked of her surroundings. Her arms strung high above her head with metal chains connected to the ceiling, and her feet tied together with another chain. The position made her a human "Y".

 

Trying to free herself from the metal bracelets, Zaira ignored the pain in her wrist, focusing instead on her son who needed her. After a couple of minutes of mindless pulling, Zaira felt liquid trickling down her arms and realized it was her own blood. "Shit," she cursed aloud.

 

"You might as well stop, darling, you're no use to me scratched and bruised," said a feminine voice.

 

Zaira tried to focus her vision of the woman who lurked in the shadows. No matter how hard she tried, she could not see the features of the woman nor could she free herself. At that moment, Zaira felt useless.

 

"Who are you?" questioned Zaira to the shadow.

 

"Elena Rosemead."

 

"Okay Elena Rosemead, why the hell am I chained up?" asked Zaira.

 

"Ah, temper, temper, Zaira Deja Jacobs."

 

Zaira sighed deeply. She yanked the chain once again, suddenly inspired by the thought that her blood might make it easier to slip through her bondage.

 

"I said enough with the damn chains already!"

 

"How about you let me go and I will not go to the authorities."

 

"Oh please, how about you spare me the bull. Last time I checked I was the one who holds the keys to your future. Not only yours but the future of that brat of yours."

 

At that moment, Zaira's whole world shattered. She did not care about what the witch could do to her, but she was scared for her baby. "Look, I don't know what you want or why I'm here. But my son has nothing to do with this. Do you understand? Because if you harm my son in any way then I swear on everything I love that I will find you and I will slit your throat from ear to ear"

 

Finally emerging from the shadow, Zaira watched a tall, skinny, and gorgeous woman step forward. She did not understand how a woman with such beauty could be a cold-hearted bitch. The woman was at least five foot ten, with hazel eyes, and beautiful red hair. As the woman came closer, the scowl on Elena's face made her beauty fade. Without warning, a swift hit made Zaira's left cheek burn from the hand-to-face contact.

 

Not certain what just happened, Zaira asked, "Heffa did you just slap me?"

 

"We can react the moment and then you can tell me"

 

At that moment, all Zaira could see was red. In one intake, Zaira spat a quarter amount of mucus unto the witches face. The look of shock and hatred on the red haired woman caused Zaira bleeding lip to turn upward in a grin.

 

*Elena*

 

No one had ever disrespected her...Elena was ready to hand Zaira her head on a platter. Before she could control her sudden anger, her hand had rolled into a fist about to strike, that is until she felt a hand grip her around her wrist, hard.

 

"I suggest you let me go before I rip you a new one," a surprised Elena growled at the intruder.

 

"This is not part of the deal. I do not like my packages damaged unless it's by me, "stated a booming voice as he released her.

 

She snatched her aching wrist from him and began to rub it; there was no need to turn around. His presence caused her spine to tingle. Not only did he make her feel uncomfortable but anyone who dared to look at him felt fear from his cold penetrating gaze. Elena gathered her wrist and finally turned around to face the notorious Igor West. Igor is known for his brutality to people who crossed him, and for his love of dark-skinned, beautiful women. Zaira would not last with him; she was a mother, strong-willed, and had a tongue that spit venom. Elena had decided to sell Zaira instead of killing her outright, because she knew things would lead back to her. When Adrian and Conrad finally realized Elena's plan, she would be miles away, with a suitcase full of money. Just in case they did find her, her life would depend on Zaira's life. With the suitcase of money, Elena would no longer need Adrian’s influences or his bed. Although she would miss the view of that man, she figured that money could buy men just like him. "My apologies Mr. West, this is the woman I was talking about," stated Elena. She bowed her head and slowly backed away.

 

Igor just waved his hand and walked toward Zaira, observing her with pleasure and satisfaction. His eyes never leaving her form, as he motioned for his men to step forward with two suitcases. Silently Elena took the suitcases, and turned to walk toward the door, parting with a few encouraging words for Zaira.

 

"Try not to have too much fun, Zaira," laughed Elena as she grabbed her coat and disappeared outside the warehouse.

At that moment, Elena felt sorry for Zaira but that feeling left quickly. She did not care about Zaira, Adrian, or anybody else but herself. If she told her sister what she had done, all she would have heard was negativity; she decided to keep Evona out of her business. Walking to her burgundy Lexus IS convertible Elena felt she had accomplished her goal: to make Adrian suffer for turning her down. In less than 24 hours, she would be miles away, enjoying the sun with a new boy toy, without a care in the world.

 

__Zaira__

 

She could not believe what was going on. One moment she was enjoying quality time with her son. Now, her life seemed over and she, Zaira Deja Jacobs, as Elena mockingly spelled out, belonged to someone. Astonished, all she could think to do was to send a silent prayer up to God. She would need strength and courage to get through this. After a moment of silence, Zaira began to question why was she chained, who was Elena, and most of all what does Igor want with her.

 

It was her business to know every crook and cranny in New York; therefore she only heard whispers about Igor West. Igor made Conrad seem like a baby still on breast milk, because he was beyond notorious for his dreadful deeds. Suddenly everything began to make sense; Conrad set out to get revenge for turning him in. She assumed that Conrad wanted blood, and he would get it soon. Not paying attention to her surroundings, Zaira suddenly felt pressure on her chin. Recognizing the intruder was Igor, she snatched her head from him.

 

"Ah my beautiful little one, don't worry. I will give you lots to think of when we get back to my place. For now, I need to lay down a couple of rules. Rule number one: what I say goes and is final. You can try to debate with me but it will fall on deaf ears. Rule number two: you are not allowed to go anywhere without my permission. Last rule: if I say 'jump' I want your response to be 'how high'. If you have a problem understanding that then I'll leave you here and let the crows poke out those beautiful eyes."

 

Under any other circumstance, Zaira would have welcomed the crows, but she had someone to live for. She could not leave her beautiful baby boy so suddenly and unexpectedly. Zaira raised her head slowly and gazed into the dark olive green eyes, determined to make him suffer.

 

"Get her loose, and put her in the car A.S.A.P. I'm not sure about y'all but I'm ready to go home and get out of this hell hole," Igor joked as he walked to the car.

 

Zaira watched a man retrieve a key and then unfasten the cuffs that kept her wrists bound. Rotating her shoulders and her neck, she waited for the man to unfasten her legs. Finally, free, she suddenly kicked Igor's man across the head before he could stand up and ran for her life. Not looking back, she ran for hers and for Eli's life. No matter how sore her body was, no matter that her brain was telling her to stop, Zaira listened to her heart, and kept running. Her blood leaked from her wrist, her shirt torn, and her hair wild she kept running until something caught her attention. Not even a mile a head, Zaira heard barking; turning around, she saw huge wolves running her way. She would be damned if she gave up without a fight.

 

Before she could cross the street, she felt something sharp bite down on her leg. Yelling in pain, Zaira kicked her attacker and hopped until something pounced on her. Pinned down under a grey wolf with red eyes, she began to scream for her life. The wolf mouth widened as if it was about to attack, but a pissed off voice made the wolf whimper and back slowly off her. Before her eyes, the grey wolf with a black strip of hair and red eyes transformed into one of Igor's men. At that moment, she realized that her dreams were true and most of all she realized that she was in deep shit. Trying to back away, Zaira realized the huge bite mark on her leg and that a pissed Igor was hastily approaching her.

 

She tried her hardest to back away faster, but he took bigger steps. Igor was a beast, standing at least 6 foot 7 and weighing more than 270 pounds, which is nothing but muscles. At that moment, she feared for her life because the look of discontentment spread across Igor's face. The dark green eyes came faster towards her, before she could even scream a pair of strong hands grasped her neck. Scratching and kicking Igor, she felt his hand tighten around her neck.

 

"Didn't I tell you not to fuck with me Zaira?" spoke Igor in a calm voice, which put fear in Zaira bones.

 

She was not going to give up without a fight; she struggled with her inner turmoil: part of her told her to listen while the other half told her to fight. Igor noted her struggle within, and smirked. With simply a wave of his hand in the air inches in front of her face, Zaira became limp in his arms.

 

"One of the benefits of being a demon, huh?" queried a man. Igor noted his distinguished manner and the black stripe in his otherwise silver-gray hair.

 

Shielding Zaira, he caused a purple force to shoot from his palm toward the man; the pulse drove him into the air and then flat onto the concrete pavement, screaming in pain on impact.

 

"Don't ever fucking touch her again, she is mine! If there is a problem come to me, but if I see any of you touch her in any way without my permission again then that'll be the last thing you do!" bellowed Igor as he walked back to the car, Zaira in his arms. Something would have to be done about her wounds....And her feistiness. Igor grinned to himself, as he lay her down gently against the seat cushions. It could be quite fun and interesting, taming his little wild one.

 

Don't be afraid...I've taken my beating

 

I've shared what I've made... I'm strong on the surface

 

Not all the way through... I've never been perfect

 

But neither have you... so if you're asking me... I want you to know

 

When my time comes... forget the wrong that I've done

 

Help me leave behind some... reasons to be missed

 

Linkin park: Leave out all the rest

 

**Adrian---Location: Scotland**

 

Adrian brusquely hung up Zaira's cellphone, and began to pace in the spacious living room. 'What man has the audacity to call and question me, as if I’m an incapable pup! I swear if she's giving up, what is mines to some punk...then I'll kill her my damn self' thought Adrian.

 

Feeling exasperated, he walked around the quaint apartment and unexpectedly punched Zaira’s bedroom door. Inspecting the soccer sized hole on the door, he slightly smirked. Leaning up against the wall, opposite of the door, he imagined a pissed off Zaira. Indeed, once the hole is discovered, Zaira would “rip him a new one” and the thought amused him. Her 5’6 frame challenging his 6’4 frame and her mouth would release an unforgiving lashing. However, he would ravish her body filling the apartment with her moans and screams. Shaking himself of the thought, he walked towards the living room.

 

Finally calm, he focused on the apartment which pulsated Zaira's personality. The whole apartment was bold, organized, and colorful even Eli’s room. Although it was simply decorated and did not scream “luxurious”, the quaint apartment became a home to his family. Observing the photos on the wall, he stumbled across his favorite photo. The photo obtained Zaira’s arms wrapped loosely around Eli’s neck as they smiled at the camera with the beach as their background. As he observed the photo: time slowed down, and his breathing stabilized. What seemed like hours but actually minutes passed, he heard a knock coming from the front door. He readied himself for whatever was ahead by closing his eyes, deeply inhaling, and thinking of a positive outcome.

 

“Komm herein” stated Adrian.  

 

Opening the door, Boris stood at the entrance with an unsettled look about his person.

 

"Get on with it!" demanded Adrian.

 

"Colin MacLeod is here... And he's pissed" Boris stated.

 

'Do you think it's the same arschloch?' questioned his wolf.

 

‘Nein, how would they know each other?' answered Adrian.

 

"Bring him up" stated Adrian as he closed the door behind Boris. Sitting on the couch, Adrian tried his best to remain calm. If things became uncontrollable, another unnecessary war was in the future. With a war on the horizon: how could he focus on finding her. Before another thought could enter his mind, Zaira's front door flung open with a livid Colin MacLeod at the entrance.

 

"Why in the hell are ye here? Yer have some balls to come on ma territory without saying a word... A ‘Get tae fuck’ was enough! " shouted Colin.

 

Adrian rolled his eyes and simply stated: "Hello, and fuck off...Better?" stated an annoyed Adrian through clinched teeth.

 

Colin smirked at the comment and asked "Why are yer here Adrian?". However, Colin knew Zaira was the reason for the uninvited visit from Adrian.  

 

"Believe me, I would not visit this Godforsaken wetland if I didn’t have too...But since my mate was here, I have no choice. Due to the present circumstances, I can assume you two are acquaintances" stated Adrian.

 

Colin looked at Adrian and smirked "Yeah we know each other very well, but we're way past 'acquaintances' " mocked Colin.

 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" bawled Adrian as he stood up.

 

"Did ye know yer woman have a tattoo of a bumble bee on her inner thigh?" lied Colin. With that comment, Adrian charged towards Colin.

 

"How would you know that!" yelled Adrian.

 

'Let's fuck him up now and get it over with' encouraged Adrian's wolf. 'Nein, he probably knows valuable information' stated Adrian. 'Okay, get the information then fuck him up' requested his wolf.

 

Taking a deep breath, Adrian moved away from Colin. Adrian adjusted his clothes and walked towards the window. Looking outside at grassland which was engulfed with a blanket of thick fog, his head rested against the glass and placed both hands beside the window's frame.

 

"My mate was taken and I don't know where she’s at or who has her. I disrespected you when I showed up unannounced but I would do anything to make sure she’s safe. I will give you whatever you want, just allow me to find Zaira and I’ll leave." announced a beaten Adrian.

 

As Colin watched Adrian, he felt a twinge of guilt. "Look Adrian, I was joking about the tattoo. We met once, when she had a flat tire but nothing happened. I'll offer ye ma services since I didn't let ye know she was here. Plus, I don't need any more of yer numptys running around here, fucking everything up. After we find her, you'll go back to being my enemy and pretend as if this never happened" suggested Colin as he shrugged his shoulder.  

 

He patted Adrian on his back and walked towards the door.

 

"I'll be back tonight with my best hunters and we'll start from there. Find anything ye can." said Colin.

 

"Thank you, I'll owe you one" stated Adrian.

 

"Just let me get a taste of Zaira and I'll call it even" laughed Colin as he ran out the door.

 

"Er geht mir auf den Sack" growled Adrian as he narrowed his eyes towards the dismissed intruder.

 

**Zaira---Location: Unknown**

 

Zaira awoke with a throbbing head and swollen eyes. Trying to blink away the heaviness, she slowly absorbed her surroundings. The full sized bed which she grew accustomed too was now replaced with a concrete floor. Her beautiful green and blue room was now an unrecognizable grey room with no windows. Trying to wipe away tears, she felt a heaviness on her wrist.  Looking down, Zaira noticed chains around her ankles and wrists.

 

'Where am I? Why am I here?' wondered Zaira.

 

Zaira set up with her back against the wall and her legs stretched out before her. Thinking of the worst possibilities, she began to cry.

 

'Pull it together Zaira, crying doesn't solve anything.' she thought. Resting her head against the wall, Zaira paid close attention to her new living condition. First, she noticed a black door with a small rectangular opening in the middle. She assumed it was for food and communication. Lastly, she noticed a toilet and a sink in the far right side of the room. Slowly standing on her wobbly knees, she felt the weight of the heavy chains on her feeble body. As she sluggishly made her way towards the sink, she turned on the facet. Noticing the slow dripping water: Zaira washed her face and allowed her tongue to catch the drops of water.

 

While Zaira thought upon her new situation, she heard keys jiggling. As anticipation ate at her nerves: she straightened her spine and pressed her back against the wall. As the door swung open: Igor West made his presence known. He walked towards Zaira, while watching her captor she noticed his large frame. Igor's features and presence was intimidating. Watching him closely, Igor invaded her personal space and looked down at her.

 

Releasing a breath that she was holding, Igor placed his hands on the sides of Zaira’s head. Looking into his eyes, Zaira’s nerves became unnerved.

 

"Why didn’t you take heed to my warning?" enquired Igor.

 

"I'm not scared of you, you're nothing but a monster." stated Zaira.

 

Leaning down towards Zaira, Igor stated "Now that's where you’re wrong my little one, only monsters go bump in the night. I however, will make your whole…world…shutter" whispered Igor in Zaira’s ear.

 

As Igor blew his breath on her ear, Zaira managed to push him away. "I'm not some toy who will submit to your demands. You're nothing but scum on the bottom of my shoe, and eventually you'll be disposed of..." smirked Zaira. Before another word was spoken, Igor set up and turned his back towards her. Zaira noticed Igor's back flexing as he inhaled and exhaled.

 

"You are playing a very dangerous game; I suggest you thread lightly" warned Igor.

 

"Like I said before, scum on the bottom of my shoe" stated Zaira. Igor deeply took a breath, spun around, and connected the back of his left hand with her face. Before she knew it, Zaira's head snapped to the right due to the forceful slap. As she held her left cheek, Zaira tasted copper. Before she could control her actions, she spat the blood on Igor's white shirt.

 

His amused face became a look of disbelief. "Tiger take her to the dungeon" yelled Igor. As Igor approached Zaira, he noticed her determination. Before she knew it, his dark green iris became purple. Igor waved his hand in her face and her world faded black.

 

**Igor---Location: France**

 

Trying to control his temper, Igor walked into his room. 'I like the fire in her eyes, the fight in her spirt, hell even the stubbornness of her will. But I will not be made a fool, she has to learn.' thought Igor. As he changed his shirt, he began to ponder on his little one in the dungeon. He was going to break her, because if not then he would be the one broken. While taking deep breaths and running his hand through his hair: Igor stomped towards the basement.

 

Arriving in his basement Igor walked towards his toys (ball gags, paddles, clamps, whips and etc) and chose a black six-inch bullwhip. Walking towards Zaira’s limp body, he admired the view before his eyes. She laid on her stomach with her arms and legs chained on a metal table (resembling a X). He pressed a green button which allowed the table to become vertical. Finally, his eyes glowed purple as he woke up Zaira.

 

 **Zaira**

 

Zaira woke up with a sore cheek, throbbing head, and chilled body. As her eyes wandered about the white room with a bright light, she noticed a breeze. Trying to shift her naked body against the table, she grew restless against the chains. ‘Damnit, not again! Chained twice in 3 days, it’s a freaking record’ thought Zaira. Unable to move, Zaira thought about the worse possibilities in her vulnerable state.

 

"I told you to tread lightly Zaira, and now YOU will learn" said Igor.

 

Before she could respond, she heard the lashing of a whip with a rattling sound. First, she heard the loud menacing lash before it connected to her back. Holding her head back while screaming in pain, Zaira shut her eyes tightly. She tried to blank away the tears but she was defeated. Before she could plead with her abuser another lash connected. The second hit, Zaira knew that something metal was connected to the whip. She could feel the metal ball dig deeper into her, ripping flesh from her body. Trying to compose herself, she did not want to give Igor the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Therefore, she bit into her bottom lip while clenching her fist closed. Not noticing the pain in her lip, Zaira bit hard into it. After the fifth lash, her back seemed numb while tears escaped the corner of her eyes.

 

Mentally cussing Igor, she rested her head against the cool table because it was her only comfort against the tormenting lashes. Her opened flesh began to burn due to the invasion of blood and sweat. Eventually, she noticed a thick substance traveling down her butt, and starting a trail down her legs. Zaira knew that the thick substance was her own blood.

 

As she counted each hit, she silently begged for Igor to end his torment. However, disappointment came after she counted the seventh lash. With each hit she bit into her bottom lip harder not realizing her bleeding lip. Fading into unconsciousness, Zaira welcomed the darkness. Her thoughts of Eli and grey eyes, gave her peace with the acceptance of death. Finally, her world became dim after the tenth and final lash. As her eye lids grew heavy, Zaira noticed a smirking Igor. With that final image, she slipped into darkness and welcomed any relief it held.

 

**Adrian—Night**

 

After the meeting with Colin, Adrian impatiently waited for the night sky. Even his wolf felt his anticipation, but their nerves settled with a nap.

 

Adrian’s dream:

 

Engulfed by darkness, Adrian began to observe a forest which surrounded him. Looking around, his ears heard a faint whisper.

 

‘Save me’ stated the voice.

 

‘Tell me where you are’ shouted Adrian.

 

 ‘Save me Adrian’ said the voice.

 

‘Lead me, and I’ll follow’ promised Adrian as he looked up. Searching for a sign of light, but the thick trees covered any hope of sunlight.

 

‘Hurry’ screamed the voice.

 

Transforming into his wolf, Adrian ran towards the voice in the dark. ‘Hurry Adrian’ pleaded the voice. Adrenaline pulsed through his body, as he pushed it to the limit. However, Adrian ran in darkness, he did not know where he was going, but he followed the voice which repeated ‘Save me, Hurry Adrian’. ‘I’m coming, I promise!’ thought Adrian as he ran. Finally, he caught a glimpse of light ahead which urged him to run faster. As he became closer to the voice, the light engulfed the darkness. At the end of the forest, Adrian was blinded by an intense white light but he noticed a brown figure laying on the ground.

 

Running towards the figure in human form, Adrian fell to his knees and turned the figure towards him. His fear was before him: it was Zaira cold limp body with his arms wrapped tightly around her. ‘I’m here! Wake up damnit’ shouted Adrian as he shook Zaira.

 

Her hooded eyes looked up at him: ‘You found me’.

 

‘Thank Luna’ yelled Adrian as he held her tightly to his chest.

 

‘Igor West’ whispered Zaira.

 

‘What? What about him?’ asked Adrian.

 

‘Elena Rosewood’ she whispered.

 

‘What the hell? How do you know her?’ questioned Adrian.

 

Zaira gently placed her hand on Adrian’s cheeks: ‘Find me, and hurry’ said Zaira. Before Adrian could reply, Zaira’s hand fell by her side as she took her final breath. Trying to wake her up, Adrian shouted and cried. Shaking her dead corpse, hoping to revive her. Feeling his heart break, his wolf transformed and slightly nudged Zaira’s head, to wake her up. However, she did not wake up and at that moment, his heart broke.  Realizing his lost, the wolf let out a loud, sorrowful, and aching howl. Turning back into his human form, Adrian felt the heaviness of his wolf and of his heart. Crying, he held Zaira’s body close to his own.

 

“Wake up man” yelled Colin as he shook Adrian from his nap.

 

“What the hell is wrong with ye’’ asked Colin while he looked in Adrian’s grey panicked eyes.

 

Adrian jumped from the couch, and felt his racing heart.

 

“Igor West and Elena Rosewood” said Adrian to himself.

 

“What about them” questioned Colin.

 

“I have a feeling they have something to do with this” stated Adrian as he felt something run down his cheek. Curious, he touched the item and realized it was a tear.

 

“So what do you need from me?” asked Colin.

 

“Can your hunters find out the last location of both West and Rosewood in and out of Scotland?”

 

“Ye, why?”

 

“It’s time to pay them a visit, and find out their role in Zaira’s disappearance” said Adrian as he stood up.

 

‘I also need you to contact Conrad, and tell him to use his contacts to find where Igor West lives’ telepathically Adrian to Boris.

 

‘Okay boss, is there a problem?’ questioned Boris.

 

‘Not sure yet, but if Elena and West has something to do with Zaira vanishing: then yes there is a problem’ thought Adrian as he achieved his coat. Walking towards the door, ‘I swear, if she’s hurt in any way: I will not be accountable for my actions’ stated his wolf.

 

‘I understand but they have something to do with her missing: so either way their fucked. I just hope the storm is on our side’ thought Adrian as he closed the door behind him and Colin.

Story books are full of fairy tales

Of kings and queens and the bluest skies

My heart is torn just in knowing

You'll someday see the truth from lies/

When the clouds will rage in

Storms will race in

But you will be safe in my arms

Rains will pour down

Waveswill crash around

But you will be safe in my arms

[Plumb:In My Arms]