SHE WAS AWE-STRUCK at Lance's behavior. When Joaquin gave her a shallow nod, she couldn't do anything but to contain the bubble of distaste in her heart. Penelope led Joaquin away from the secretary but the guy walked to her side and snatched Joaquin. Her face contorted in annoyance.

"Let me," Lance said, "It's my job. He's my cousin. There's no need to be burdened by this."


Penelope couldn't see their resemblance as he claimed to be relatives with Joaquin. Her mate, for one, had a thick swirl of black hair that reached the back of his ears. He is a tall man with a creamy complexion. The only odd thing about him is his blue eyes. It doesn't match his black hair but it works well on him.

Lance, on the other hand, is a lanky guy with a pale skin. His face is bright but his mouth had a perpetual frown. It was as though he never got anything good going on in his life. The man's features are refined and even delicate. Too bad it was a complete opposite to his attitude.

"I'm Penelope Blacke. A beta enforcer from the Crystal Lake." She cleared her throat and asked, "Are you living with Joaquin?"


Lance had Joaquin's arm on his shoulders. She caught him rolling his eyes for the ninth time. Penelope wants to struck him with a claw or two. "Who wants to live with him in a cathartic place like this? No. This sight is tragic."

"What's the problem in living in the forest?" It was official. She doesn't like this man.


Lance scoffed. "Since he is your mate, are you saying that you're okay with living here? He's blind. He won't be able to live somewhere he's not familiar with. Crystal Lake is one of the pack territory that's close to Calister woods. I've done research, Ms. Blacke, for every one of the pack houses near my cousin's cabin. And based with your fancy hometown, I'll make a bet with you— you, little miss, won't last three months in here."

Penelope became silent. His words was too much for her. It was good to know that he cares for Joaquin but that judgement in his voice for her is unacceptable.

She knew that it was grounded too. Penelope still hasn't thought about their setting once they are mated. This is going to be her first relationship. She wasn't expecting that her mate has such a condition— she's not prepared for it. She's lying if she will refuse to acknowledge that Joaquin's impaired sight will not make things hard for them in the future.

It irritated her too when Joaquin played deaf again and didn't comment about Lance's ridicule. Joaquin wants her to answer Lance's challenge.

"Make that bet a lifetime on my part." She grinned without mirth. "He's a person worth more than three months. Give me a lifetime to be with him. I'll win that bet."

"Damn…" Lance muttered under his breath, "She's fierce, dude."

"Hmn…" Joaquin closed his eyes and mumbled, "Stop teasing her, or you will face a salary deduction."

"Waah! My dear cousin is learning how to fight back now, huh?"

Penelope stared at the lilt of Joaquin's mouth before relaying what happened to the river earlier. The harsh current hindered her from hearing clearly. When Joaquin suddenly moved, it was only then she came to notice that there came a visitor.

Just how powerful is Joaquin's wolf soul? The man didn't even blink. She failed to see what did Joaquin flung to Lance. Lance didn't dodge and even posed that time.

It was strange for her.

"If you really intend to be with my cousin then knowing you is not harmful. I'm Lance De Villa Taylor. His cousin. We're cousin in papers. My aunt adopted him." He finally showed a friendly smile but it was already too late; Penelope already dislikes him.

She threaded through the narrow path back to Joaquin's cabin. 'Cousin in papers?'

"I am indeed Penelope Blacke, your cousin's fiancee—"

"Wow!" Lance guffawed. "Fiancee already? Is that true?"

Joaquin shook his head. "Go talk but don't include me in your topic."

"Yikes! He still hates small chit-chat. Hey, you're so heavy."

"Don't mind him, Pen."

Penelope smiled. When she realized that Joaquin couldn't see her expression, she hummed, "Don't worry about it. It's fine, Joaquin."

Lance stopped walking. Penelope stared at their back. She heard the guy warned, "Joaquin, step back."

Her eyebrows scrunched. "What's the problem?"

The cool breeze against Penelope's skin stank of dead plants and animals. A thin thread of scent trail went under her nostrils. Rogues. Her eyes widened. Lance doesn't have a wolf soul in him. How was he able to detect the rogues' presence before her?

"An ambush." As Lance whispered the word, loud groans echoed in the forest. "Damn."

"You should limit cursing so much," Joaquin reprimanded him. His wet shirt clung to his skin tightly. Penelope was distracted by the sight for a second. "Have you trained, Lance?"

"Stop talking to me." The secretary flinched his head to left and right. His back rigid with tension. "The last attack that happened to you was seven years ago. What happened, Joaquin? I told you not to go outside the barrier!"

"Was he supposed to be locked down in that cabin forever, then?" She failed to stop her mouth on time. Penelope made a fighting stance. She would shift fully if it means to protect Joaquin. The blue-eyed man is under her paws now. His life and death matters to Penelope.

"Yes! If he needs to be mummified inside that house then why not? I don't care about his happiness, Ms. Blacke. Letting him live past 50 years old is enough for me!"

Penelope let out a threatening rumble out of her throat. Her claws extended. "Say that again."

"Stop. Both of you." Joaquin turned to the left and said, "You can find them not too far from me to the east."

"Fuck!" Lance's eyes flared with light. Penelope took a step back when his suit burned with blue flames. "Cousin, take note of this brand and color. Pay me three pieces of this."

The blue flame crawled to his neck. When the azure light touches his brown hair, it burned even more brightly. Joaquin sniffed the air. His face contorted. "You smell like matches."

"There's five of them. I wouldn't be able to take them down with just the blue balls."

'Blue balls.' Penelope's face crumpled. That's a nasty name. "Just what are you, Lance? What kind of shifter are you?"

"If we can survive this, I'll tell you."

"They're getting closer now." Joaquin shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lance."

"So soon…" Lance clicked his tongue. "It's enough."

The man left the land and rises to mid-air. His arms wide open with the flames still dancing around his palm. He turned to Penelope and said with his altered voice, "Protect him."

His image blurred. Without even a curt goodbye, he vanished in front of Penelope like a phantom.

She had never seen a shifter like him before. 'Is he a shifter? Or someone who belongs to the magic kind?'

Lance is Joaquin's cousin. Does that mean that her mate came from the magic side too?

"Joaquin," she called, "what is he?"

Joaquin blinked slowly. He shrugged with an awkward smile. "He's my guardian."