"I'D LIKE to dance this evening. Are you guys free?"

Lance should have said no. Sadly, he could not. Penelope was curious about Lesley. After spending the whole afternoon talking with the woman, Pen was thoroughly convinced that there's something wrong with her.


Lance told Penelope his worries. And that made her weary with her every move when Lesley is within her reach.

When Lesley came to the site, he immediately took notice of her scent. It changed. Her footsteps changed and even the slight slump of her shoulder was gone. Eve though she tried to act shy, her confidence reeked with moments that slipped.

"I really appreciate you, Lance. Your help is important for me right now. I hope you can give me positive news." Lesley stirred her coffee. She shrugged.


Lance schooled his expression into a serious one. "There is indeed something you must know, Lesley."

"My boss is not someone you can deal easily. He's been around this town for as long as you can imagine. He had hopes of running this place on the palm of his hand. He had no compassion for intruders who wants to disrespect his home."


Lesley blinked. She didn't expect his answer. Lance appeared loyal and right. She eyed him with great interest. "This is not me or my alpha being disrespectful to your boss. Lance, just give my alpha a chance to check the property. We can't have the police or the shifter council at our tails just for insignificant matters like this."

"If it's insignificant then let me handle it. I've seen the photo of Penelope Blacke, I'll alert all of our partners here and we'll give you a call once that woman turns up and haunt us. As for that rabbit shifter, I'm sorry but I don't know anything about it." Lance crossed his arm but his face is hesitant. The pity and concern flashed on his face. Lesley didn't miss a bit and appeared tearful.

"Well... Lance, you know that I'm a beta enforcer now. I have to help the alpha. This will be a chance for me to prove myself. You understand this sentiment, right? I have to establish respect for my own in the pack circle." Lesley leaned closer and unapologetically brushed her ample chest to Lance's arm. "What can I do to make you agree with me in this?"

'No man can resist this for sure.'

Lance turned his face away and coughed lightly. Lesley's smile bloomed like roses. She thought Lance liked her more now. She's seldom wrong about carnal desires.

The man sitting next to her, with his face full of black lines and despair, fought the urge to cringe hard. His skin feels like millions of ants decided to crawl on it and feast. He can no longer think aside from the fact that all of this felt like cheating.

'Cheating from who?' Lance gritted his teeth. The noise entered Lesley's ears. She was even more happy with his reaction. "Wait, please."

"What?" Lesley prompted, "I'm just talking to you up close so you can fully hear what I say. Are you agreeing with me now?"

'Penelope, why did you left me alone with this woman?' Lance forced a smile on his face. He moved her body plastered from his. "I do think you're pitiful. Lesley, you're a very beautiful woman."

Lesley didn't look abashed. Instead, she was proud of it. Lance almost smiled in contempt. "But I think that there should be more to this. You can help your pack just by guarding them and providing for them. No need to hunt other shifter kind just to use them as a pet of your alpha or an ornament. All shifter species are equal. No one's above the other."

"That's wrong. Rabbits are preys of the wolf, Lance. I guess you wouldn't understand since you're not part of our community." Lesley's fuse sparked with Lance's comment. "Other shifter communities has different practices and hierarchy system on them. There's nothing I can do if I was born superior. Physically. It's just one rabbit anyway!"

Lance halted the conversation there. He eyed the crowd and wondered where is Penelope. That woman has a lot to say about what Lesley just said now. He had no patience for this. His dress wasn't made for that occasion.

"I THINK I should just wait on the table." Samael smiled with his lips not parting. He said grimly, "Guess you probably know that he's my mate."

Penelope wants to play deaf and dumb but decided against it. All because she was too gorgeous for that. She knew this conversation is coming anyway. "Who? Lance?" She grinned. "Tough problem on your part, huh? You're an ace. You're lucky to be fate mated to him."

'Really lucky if he wouldn't kill you first. He got a very nice temper, that Lance.'

"I'm a guy. He's a guy. It really is a tough problem. I don't do backstabbing. Literally. I used to be a man of culture." Samael stood still for a second before shifting his feet. "No, I cannot do this. He's with a woman just now. No. This is ridiculous."

"Will you stop freaking out? It's not like they're going to make out on the table. This is a public place," she advised.

He blinked. "What if they will? When I'm with a woman I like, I kiss them at public places."

Penelope almost choke on her spit. "Tell that to Lance and we'll be golden."

"What? No way. I'm not stupid." He rolled his eyes. "There's no future for us. You know that."

She stopped. Thinking for a moment, she felt bad for Lance. Both of them doesn't want to accept each other. 'Why it has to be the two of you anyway?'

"It's okay. Lance never talked about having a mate. You know he's half an elf. The mating pull is not as intense as we experience. You have to get a physical intimate contact with them first before establishing the foundation of the mating pull. I guess he can still get his way out of it. You never plan on kissing him, right?" Penelope studied his facial expression. "Then it's going to be alright. Once he's bonded with another woman, there's a chance that the link between the two of you will be finally erased."

The man was neither satisfied nor interested with her answer. It was though he never heard about what she said. He stepped up and placed the order for all of them. Penelope stood quiet and pensive as to what Lance and Lesley might be talking about right now. She can't see the two of them because of their direction.

"I think this fate mating bullshit is not good." Samael later on commented, "I wonder what were the Fates thinking the moment they created this nuisance of a thread. This is limiting people."

"Some people considers this as a blessing. Not everyone can manage to find their fated mate. I was recently bitten and I've never been so happy." She said, "I'd never grow old alone now."

Samael tilted his head. "Good for you but for shifters like me, it's nothing but trouble."

"Why is that?" Penelope can sense that he hates the idea of being tied up to a person he barely met.

"Our fated mates makes us go weak," Samael confessed, "and being weak is something I loathed the most."

LANCE AGREED to every whims and orders of the woman next to him. He felt cornered. He couldn't say no or else she would act sad all of a sudden and he'd be a bad guy.

He needs to gain her trust. And countering her requests with 'no' will push her farther away from him. However, saying 'yes' without a thought will make her suspect him. So he resulted to acting hesitant but always ending up nodding once she brushes her body parts with his clothes.

'A salary raise would not suffice.' Not even a full wardrobe with branded clothes. Not even the most expensive perfumes can appease his raging insides at the moment. He wanted to tear his clothes and jump into lava just to remove the feeling of restlessness in his chest.

'I'm a stone. And I'm going to act like a real one.'

"Here's the orders!" Penelope cut in with a knowing smile. "The cake was superb. That's what most costumers says here."

"I can hear them." Lesley sat upright and giggled. "Lance keeps on persuading me about something. Oh, no. I won't tell anymore. Let's just eat."

Samael walked to the other side of Lance and greeted him. "May I know what are you guys talking about?"

"About dancing. I agreed." Lance hurriedly answered before Lesley could murder his reputation. "Are you free this night? It's going to be my treat."

Samael leaned closer to get his drink. Lance didn't get a chance to take a sip of his refreshments. He took a discreet sniff to erase the trail of scent that Lesley rubbed on his clothes. Samael stopped. He noticed Lance's actions.

'Oh, dear god, just cut my head off.' Lance steered his eyes away and blinked rapidly to dismiss the discomfort in his chest.

He was surprised to see Samael leaning closer. "It's okay," he whispered, "go on."

Lance paled. He was wrong to think that this guy is a werewolf. In fact, he's a demon.