"Who changed you?"

Malaysia tried to ignore him, but when she moved, he was beside her within seconds, grabbing her by the forearm. His eyes narrowed after he grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. "You're Lennox's wife."

"Let me go!" Everyone in the store glanced at them. Obviously, he released her then, knowing that people would call the authority. "This man is crazy!"

Her manager walked toward them. "What the hell is going on? Alec, what the hell are you doing?"

Malaysia stared at her manager in utter disbelief, wondering how she knew the man who was the alpha of the pack residing in the city. Alec shrugged as if unbothered by everything. "This female seems to have recently been changed--You know well as I that she can't be on her own."

Her manager narrowed her eyes. "I'm well aware of your laws, but I'm also aware that she is the only female werewolf--What guarantees me that you won't hurt her?"

"Anastasia, don't intervene."

For a moment, Malaysia stared at her manager, perplexed.

Wasn't her name Monica? Wait a minute--Where had she heard that name before?

He went to grab her forearm, but Monica grasped his hand, which made him snarl, eyes glowing amber. Monica's hand appeared to begin to glow before electricity flowed through it. "Do not push my buttons, my friend."

Alec jerked free and without no other choice, left.

Monica shot Malaysia a smile. "I knew you smelled wolfish, but damn, I thought I was imagining things. It's been long since there has been a she-wolf."

"You!" Elias stood feet away, glaring. "I knew last time I came I recognized your---What the hell. Is that Alec's scent in the air?"

"Hello, Elias." Her manager walked toward the back room, gesturing for them to follow her. The second she did, her image changed. She no longer had brown hair, but bright scarlet. Her dark eyes changed to bright green that stood against her smooth, rich brown complexion.

"Break this curse now!" Elias demanded.

Finally, Malaysia realized this was Anastasia, the witch that had turned Elias into a child.

"Oh, love. Calm down before you get a heart attack."

"You had no right to do this to me! Now, change me back."

She moved and glared down at him. Of course, Elias returned the gesture, baring his fangs. "You should have never broken my heart."

"Broken your heart?" He relaxed and signed, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Forgive me, but I was honest from the start. If you developed feelings for me, that's not my fault."

When her new cell phone began to ring, Malaysia answered to be greeted by Sierra's astonished voice. "Mal, Lennox just agreed to everything. What happened? Did you speak to him?"

"No...but I have an idea who did." She could hear Connor in the background. He did not sound happy at all and was saying to Sierra to tell her to leave work. Before Sierra could say anything, Malaysia said, "I heard him--I'm here with Elias, so I'll be okay. Besides, all I have is one more hour."

"Okay...please be safe."

"Hurry up and change me back--"

"I will once you agree to marry me."

Malaysia jerked her head in surprise toward Anastasia at her demand. "That's ridiculous---You can't force him to marry you."

Elias grabbed her hand and began to tug her out of the store. "Wait, I'm not done with my shift!"

"We don't have time to waste."

They arrived at the apartment in record time. Sierra hugged her as soon as she walked through the door. Connor smiled from where he sat, looking through a pile of papers. Elias stomped into the apartment, his eyes glowing scarlet as he muttered things too fast for her to catch.

"Relax."

"Relax? Brother, that woman will only change me back if I vow to marry her--I'm never doing such thing. She's fucking nuts!"

"Someone else must know a way to break the spell."

Sierra had a concerned look on her face. "So, who do think convinced Lennox to sign the divorce papers?"

Silence hung in the air.

"Alec's fragrance was all over the store," Elias said.

"He found you...What are we going to do now?" Sierra asked.

"There is nothing we can do." Connor stood from the sofa. "We should have known the fragrance blocker given to you would do nothing against Alec. He doesn't to track his pack members by scent. His wolf can sense yours. He probably presumed you to be a male and didn't bother to trach you before."

Her heart thumped in her chest. "So, you're saying sooner or later, he's coming for me---What if he tells other alphas?"

"He won't," Elias said.

"How can you be so certain?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Connor didn't look at anyone. "He wants you for himself."

"Maybe I can find someone who can help us---Something like this is unacceptable." Sierra took out her cellphone, but Connor stopped her.

"Sierra, wolf laws are far different than those of humans. By wolf law, Mal belongs to Alec's pack, which means that she belongs to him."

A snarl actually escaped her lips as her nails changed to wolf claws. For the past few months, she had been able to control the shift, the wolf that lay beneath the skin that always attempted to claw it's way out. "I'm not his---or anyone's for that matter."

When a sharp pain engulfed her, she bent over, hand over her stomach. A snarl escaped her lips, her body becoming too hot. Sweat glistened her skin as she fought to remain standing. Connor moved to help her, even though Elias said to keep his distance.

The second his hand touched her forearm, she shoved him hard against the wall, pressing her body against him. When their gazes met, bewilderment enveloped her. Why was her heart palpitating wildly in her chest? She managed to recollect herself and stepped away, face burning with embarrassment. "What's wrong with me?"

"You're in heat." Elias inched to the opened window to glance down to the city before closing it. "Let's be glad at the moment that Alec probably ordered everyone to stay away from you."

Sierra grasped her chin and inspected her eyes. "Is it normal for her eyes to be this dark?"

"I'm not certain--I'm no werewolf expert," Elias admitted.

"You two aren't affected by her?"

"Only werewolf males are," Connor informed them.

"I'm sorry---"

Elias chuckled before hitting his brother playfully on the back. "Don't worry, Mal. I'm sure my brother actually liked it." Connor shot him a warning look and Elias raised his hands. "Not another word from me."

At a strong wave, Malaysia stumbled until she could take a seat on the sofa, bending over as she ran her hand through her hair. "This is insane...I can't endure this."

"I'll call someone I know to see if she has anything that can help," Sierra said.

Before she could, Elias snatched her cellphone out of her grasp. "Who's your friend?" A stern look on his face he attempted to look fierce, but yeah, that was something hard when looking like an adorable boy. "You know her, don't you?"

Sierra fell silent for a moment, clearly lost in her head. "As an aid for the supernatural, I can't expose their identities...Sorry."

Elias tried to hide his evident pain at her keeping it a secret, after seeing his desperation at wanting to become himself again. "I should have known better." He tossed her the cellphone.

She caught it, her knuckles turning white. "Elias, there are many who live amongst the humans. I can't expose them...I didn't keep it a secret only because of my job, but because it's against my morals to force someone to reveal themselves. Monica is not ready to show everyone that she is a witch...and that should be respected."

"But..." Malaysia remembered what happened in the store. "She helped me...Those around could have seen her use her magic."

"She probably used glamour, so in reality, people saw you three simply speaking," Connor said from where he stood, his arms crossed over his chest.

Malaysia struggled to stand and began to head to bedroom. Sierra called her friend as she walked inside. A scream tore from her lips, pain shaking her body with a force that sent her to the ground writhing. When her nails began to change into wolf claws, her eyes widened. A growl escaped her lips at the wave of heat that made her arch her back, closing her eyes. For a moment, she hoped she would pass out so she would not have to deal with it.

Her eyes widened when someone held her wrist against the wooden floor. She met Connor's eyes whilst hearing Elias and Sierra arguing. Apparently, they thought they could lessen the heat with the vampire kiss. Sierra of course was worried for her safety, but she fell silent when Elias said, "If we we don't do something, she's gonna shift and fucking go to Alec."

"Do it," Malaysia said before another scream tore from her. Connor bit down on her neck, instantly sending her into a state of euphoria. She found herself relaxing, relishing the sensations spreading through her veins.

When he finally retracted his fangs, their gazes met and she giggled, tracing the bottom of his lips, noting the coat of scarlet over them. "Thank you."

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "No problem."

"Oh, please just fucking kiss and admit you're attracted to each other," Elias said, amusement evident in his voice. "I'm glad it worked and you didn't kill her."

Connor aided her back to her feet. "W--What?"

Sierra shot Elias a look. "You said it wouldn't be dangerous."

"I said that to calm you down," He admitted.

Sierra knitted her eyebrows at him, a death glare that only made him smile, challenging her. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the room before dialing a number. Elias followed suit seconds after. Malaysia's eyes narrowed at the realization they were trying to give her some privacy with Connor.

He inspected the wound on her neck. "You're a fast healer."

"Is this going to happen every time I go in heat?" She asked, turning to climb on the bed.

Connor stood at the door, leaning against the frame. "I'm not well informed about she-wolves, sorry."

She bundled herself on the blanket, feeling exhausted. "Again, Thank you. I don't want to imagine what would be of me right now if I would...If I would have shifted and went to Alec--"

As she woke from slumber, she turned on the bed. Sierra was gone, probably having to head early to work as usual. For a moment, Malaysia wondered how many vampires applied to get a blood donor. How many humans were even registered? Were there even enough to keep the vampire race under control?

At the beeping of the alarm of her cellphone, she rushed out of bed to get ready for work. As she hurried out of the apartment, she noted that Connor and Elias were also gone. For a moment, she hoped they didn't go causing problems at the clothing store.

It took her a couple of minutes to arrive to work, but once there, she wished she would have simply called off. Lennox tried to grab her by the arm, but she jerked away. Why would he bother her at work?

"Leave before you get me in trouble."

"Mal, we have to talk."

She whirled around and glared at him. "Lennox, I don't want to talk to you...I want to forget that I ever met you."

"Mal, I would have never cheated on you if it wasn't because of the damn potion Jordan gave me."

Stunned, she stared at him. "Who told you about that?"

"I did," Anastasia walked to them, a small smile on her lips. "Sierra told me that Jordan had used the love potion on him, so I thought perhaps he should know the truth before he went mad with guilt."

Malaysia stared at him, wondering if it would be wise to speak to him. "No...That part might not have been your fault, but--" She stood in his face, a snarl escaping her lips. "--I'm this now, because of you and only you. Why? Why did you unleash your pack mates on me? I always did everything to make you happy...I put your happiness above my own for far too long...I'm focused on myself now." She turned but halted at his next words.

"Is that why your fucking the vampire? If Alec finds out--"

"So what if he finds out?" Maybe she should have told him that Connor and she were simply friends, but honestly, whether they were lovers or not, it was not anyone's business. Without another word, Lennox left, looking far from pleased. Anastasia grabbed Malaysia's hand and placed a small glass container with a dark liquid that sparkled blue against the light. "What is this?"

"This is what Sierra asked me to create for you last night. One teaspoon will be enough to control your heat." She tapped her shoulder. "Malaysia, a lone wolf is an easy target...It is normal for Connor and Elias to not trust Alec--Vampires and Werewolves have never gotten along...But you darling...You need Alec's aid. I'm saying this as a friend. Go to him...I don't want a rival pack to find out about you and hurt you."

"Thank you for the help." Before Anastasia could say anything else, she rushed to the back to put on her uniform. For a moment, she was lost in her head. Maybe she should give Alec a chance--No. He was part of Lennox's pack--his Alpha! She remembered everything she had went through beside Lennox. There was no way that as alpha of the pack, Alec was oblivious to it. Perhaps he knew but didn't care because she was human.

Hours later, she clocked out and began the walk back to the apartment. When she arrived, she found Elias sitting on the sofa in conversation with Sierra. Sierra stood with a smile and greeted Malaysia with a kiss to the cheek.

"We have great news," She handed her an envelope. "You're officially free."

Malaysia was too shocked to even react at first before she burst in tears of joy.

Elias stood, but like once before, he lost his footing, appearing to almost pass out. At a knock on the door, Malaysia opened while Sierra checked on him. Anastasia smiled at her before walking into the apartment.

Perplexed, Malaysia turned to them. "What's going on?"

Elias seemed relaxed on the sofa. He smiled before glancing at Malaysia. "We needed the potion for you."

Mal took it out of her purse and stared at it, her heart breaking at the fact Elias was willing to agree to Monica's term for her. "I can't let you do this."

"Mal--"

"I will not allow you to do such thing!" She slammed the container against the wood floor. I shattered on impact, the liquid staining the floor a dark brown. "I'll deal with Alec myself--Why would you ever think I would be okay with this?" She stepped closer to Anastasia, claws out. Anastasia raised her hand, showing to her the lightning flowing through it as warning. "Stop pretending to be the victim--Elias was honest with you, but you allowed yourself to fall for him--You turned him into a child because you knew no woman would ever look at him in a sexual manner...He doesn't love you! Get it through your thick head! Have some pride!"

When Anastasia lowered her hand, averting her gaze to the floor, Malaysia thought she had gotten through her, but all that hope shattered when Anastasia said, "If he doesn't accept my terms, the spell will become permanent in two years." Then, she exited the room, leaving everyone speechless.

"I'm sorry..." She covered her face, struggling to not break down. "I thought that--"

Elias stood in front of her, moving her hand from her face, a bright smile on his face. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

Sierra stood at the center of the room, pain evident in her eyes. "We shouldn't lose hope--I'm sure we can find another witch to help us."

For the next months, Sierra attempted to locate a witch that would help them. Unfortunately, every single one that she located didn't like vampires and was unwilling to help. Evidently, they didn't just have bad history with the werewolves.

Malaysia had full control of her wolf and not once had a need for a pack. Although, perhaps what aided her in not losing herself in the savage ways of the wolf within were her friends. Malaysia had expected Elias and Connor to return to their clan, but they chose to stay with them. It took them months, but eventually they found an affordable home in the woods near the outskirts of the city.

Tonight, like every other month, she underwent a heat that brought her to her knees and made her scream at the top of her lungs. Usually, Connor would aid her through it, but lately, those sensations were becoming too much for her to bare. It wasn't helping her heat when the desire for him intensified everything.

"These are getting worse," Sierra said, clearly concerned.

Malaysia sat on her knees, bending over so that her hair fell forward. "I can handle it."

"You can?" Elias asked, walking into the bedroom. "I must be blind then--You look like you're barely hanging on."

"I wonder--Can you use a dil--"

"Sierra!" Malaysia laughed and cried at the same time.

"I was simply curious. Maybe this heat is simply like when humans are hor--"

"She doesn't want that." She hated the amusement on Elias's face. "We both know she wants Connor."

She moved and playfully pushed him away before throwing herself on the bed. "You two are the worst!"

"Oh, don't worry. Connor will be here soon."

At a sound of the door, she sat up, perhaps looking too elated.

Elias broke into a fit of laughter. "Damn, so I am right?"

She glared at him. "Oh, shut it."

His smile vanished. "Mal..." He seemed to want to say something, but chose against it and headed out of the bedroom.

"What was that about?"

Sierra thought for a moment. "I'm not sure."

When Connor walked into her bedroom, Sierra had a huge smile as she exited. "Hey. How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm in massive pain." She stood in front of him and moved her hair out of the way to leave her neck exposed to him. A smile on his lips, he grabbed her hand and placed on her palm a glass container that looked like the one Anastasia had given her a year ago. "Anastasia gave you this?"

"I ran into her at work. She is fond of you and wishes to help you."

"Honestly, I don't know if to trust that woman."

"You told me that you wished there was another way." His eyes lingered on the glass container in her hands before they met hers. A wave of heat struck her, making her gasp. She didn't think and broke the distance, leaning her face close to his. His eyes deepened before he moved the final centimeters for their lips to meet in a gentle kiss that left her breathless.

A smile on his lips, he moved his hand to her face, then to the back of her head to pull her back in. Heat shot through her as desire enveloped her. When she attempted to draw even closer, he stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Perplexed, she met his gaze, noting that they revealed he too wanted what she did.

"Drink the potion."

"Why is that of importance?"

His eyes averted. "Monica explained that sometimes she-wolves can be blind by their heat and mistake lust for love."

Her heart skipped a beat as they locked gazes. Did that mean that he loved her? Wait--but it also meant he doubted her attraction to him was real. Could it really be the heat blinding her judgement? "Okay."

She removed the cap and drank some, not too much, remembering Monica's instructions. Once she took it, she set it on the nightstand. Her eyes fluttered closed at the hands that trailed a heated path down her arms. She could not help smile like a love struck fool when he kissed her cheek.

"I love you."

Her cheeks flamed whilst her heart jumped with joy. "I--" A screamed tore from her when agonizing sharp pain consumed her whole. He stepped back, evident confusion and concern in his expression. She dropped to her knees and screamed like a banshee alerting everyone of death.

The wolf beneath fought for control and Malaysia was pushed to the darkest part of her mind.