For years, the blood bond to Elias worked like magic. Perhaps it also helped that she decided to continue living in the Caribbean, which she soon found out not many supernatural resided there. And those who did were most likely faeries. It was easy to keep distance from everyone when living deep in the woods in a tiny home. At times, she encounter wonderful people who wanted to get closer, become friends--but she couldn't let that happen.

She held a basket in her hand filled with the fruit and vegetables she grew in her garden. As she made her way through the path, she inhaled, relaxing at the silence. Once she arrived at her home, she put away everything after washing them.

At a knock on her door, her eyes narrowed, but when she sniffed the air, she recognized the fragrance of one of her coworkers. Someone who seemed friendly and had attempted many times to get to know her better.

How exactly did she figure out where she lived?

Inside her home, there was no source of light but the moonlight that peeked through the windows so, when she opened the door to greet Angelica, she narrowed her eyes, clearly struggling to see in the darkness.

She began to speak in Spanish.

"Oh, wow. Girl, how can you see anything in this darkness!"

"Does the boss need me at work?" Malaysia asked.

She walked into the house, bumped her leg on the coffee table and cursed. "No, he doesn't. But I asked him if he knew where you lived and he did."

"Isn't against the law to give out someone's address without their consent."

Angelica laughed. "Are you going to snitch on me?" She managed to walk around the table and stopped inches from her. Since Angelica was much shorter, she had to tilt her head slightly back for their eyes to meet. "I told you that I consider you my friend---Like everyone else who works at the bar."

"What exactly couldn't wait until I returned to work?" Malaysia hated her cold tone, but she couldn't let Angelica get close to her, she couldn't let anyone. If she did, they would eventually be murdered by those who hunted her.

"I simply wanted us to hang out." She glanced around, her eyes narrowing into pinpoints. "Can you turn on the lights?"

"Sorry, but I don't have any lamps." Malaysia stood by the door, noticing that Angelica must have left her car at the top of the hill. Perhaps, she was afraid of how narrow the dirt road that lead to her home was. One wrong move and the car would have gone off the cliff.

"Why are you so hellbent on keeping everyone away from you?" Angelica asked, gaining her attention. "Everyone in the bar cares about you, even when you use that cold tone of yours. You've been working there for two years--You're family. So, when we noticed you haven't come to work for a week, the boss sent me out here to check on you. There, you have the truth now. Sorry for fucking giving a damn about you."

When Angelica headed out the door, Malaysia actually reached out to stop her, but froze before she could, folding her fingers into fists. You can't get too close...You can't. Let them all think the worse of you...

The next day at the bar, everyone was distant from her, even Angelica. While they served drinks, no one spared her even a glance. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? Yet it created a tinge of pain in her heart. She had to admit that the constant chatter and laughter of all of them did brighten her day. I As usual, the bar was busy and they were all preparing one drink after drink. Once her shift ended, Malaysia headed to the beach and sat down.

As she watched the water, her heart ached at the memory of her friends, of Connor. When a tear trickled down her cheek, she wiped it away. She had decided long ago that she wouldn't have anything that could give away her location, not even a cellphone. If she would have had one, she probably would have caved and finally called Sierra.

The pain she began to have as months passed returned once again. The pressure in the center of her chest made it difficult for her to breath. Even her arm began to ache. She rubbed the spot, fluttering her eyes closed before snapping them open at the tingling in her head.

At the sound of shouting, she stood and followed the voices to find Angelica struggling against a male. She shouted for him to let her go, but this man seemed to not care at all. Even with the aid of her friends, the male was stronger and would not release her from his obvious too firm of a grip on her forearm.

If I intervene, the walls I tried to put up will crash down.

I have to keep distance.

Malaysia turned to leave but halted at the painful memory of Lennox. An actual tear slid down her cheek at the memory of her mother not giving a damn about how she felt, not helping her. She pressed her quivering hands over her temples, wishing that she could feel nothing. It would be far easier if she was numb to everything.

"Let her go you bastard!" Venessa demanded. 

"Why don't you mind your damn business!" The male shouted with pure rage.

Malaysia found herself moving toward them, then she was sprinting. Once close enough, she grabbed the male away from Angelica and swung her closed hand. Even though she didn't use all of her strength, the force of it sent him to the ground.

Now, all of her coworkers stared at her in utter disbelief.

"Angelica told you she doesn't want anything with you---I suggest you leave and never bother her again," Malaysia said in Spanish.

The male laughed. "You bitch." He stood and swung his closed fist, but Malaysia caught it. The male's eyes grew wide with horror when her nails changed to wolf claws. "W--Wolf." Now, he jerked away from her and ran, not once looking back.

A silence hung in the air when she faced everyone.

"Now you all know." She turned to leave, but a hand grabbed her forearm.

She glanced down at Angelica to find her smiling. "And here we thought you simply disliked us...When in reality you were afraid of us knowing who you truly are." Then she hugged her. "Thank you."

Malaysia hesitated before hugging her back. "No problem."

"I need a drink after this madness," Keyla headed back into the bar, Jessica and Vanessa following suit. Angelica decided it would be best if she headed home and Malaysia walked her home in case that crazy ex-boyfriend of hers tried something foolish.

"I didn't think you all would be so accepting," Malaysia admitted.

Angelica laughed and hit her shoulder playfully. "Mal, we work at a bar. We have seen many Faeries and trust me, some are far more terrifying that a big dog."

Malaysia laughed for the first time in years. "Wolf."

"Uh-huh. Is it true that you change during a full moon?" Malaysia shook her head. "Interesting--Well, now I understand why your home was so darn dark." Her smile grew from ear to ear. "But, why are you alone? Aren't wolves safer in a pack?"

Malaysia began to fidget with her shirt. "I left...three years ago."

"So, you're a stray?"

"I guess so." The pain returned and she pressed a hand over it.

"Are you okay?" Angelica sounded truly concerned for her.

"Yeah, this isn't anything new. I've been getting these chest pains for the three years...that I left..." Could this pain be what Alec warned her about? Was she slowly going to lose herself to the wolf within? 

"Maybe you should get it checked out."

"I--I'll be okay."

Angelica stopped in front of a small home. "Well, here we are. Thanks for accompanying me."

"No problem."

After she made sure Angelica was safely inside her home, Malaysia headed to hers. Once there, she moved the coffee table close to the front door like she always did. If anyone knocked, she would invite them in and if they avoided that without much effort when the house was engulfed in darkness, they were not fully human. Perhaps this was foolish, but she had nothing else to confirm whether someone was human or not.

Once she was in bed, the pain in her chest seemed to get worse. She pressed a hand against her chest, gasping for air. Then, her heat struck her and she bit her lips until she could taste her own blood to stop herself from screaming at the top of her lungs. At a soft tingle in her head, her eyes fluttered closed. If it wasn't because she knew there was not anyone with her in the house, she would have thought someone was trailing their hands over her body, easing the heat.

Perplexed, she focused more, sensing someone else on the other side. The pleasure overwhelmed her, but the connection faltered at an immense pain. Not expecting it, a scream escaped her lips.

Forgive me...

Elias. She sat up and rushed out of the house, her heart palpitating wildly in her chest. Cries escaped her lips as the connection began to break until it shattered. She paused in the middle of the woods, hand on the rough bark of a tree. Don't do this! Elias!

She could no longer sense him, so she had no other option but to return to her home. She laid on her bed, hugging her pillow as the tears streamed down her cheeks. If he was in pain, why hadn't he come for her? He was the only one who could track her down...Perhaps, their enemies knew that. 

She couldn't go to him.

That was what their enemies probably expected.

Even if it pained her, she had to stay away from him and Sierra.

The next morning, she headed to work an hour early to help make sure everything was clean. As she wiped the surface of the bar, the reporter on the television began to speak about the blood alternative for vampires. Vanessa laughed, catching everyone's attention. She simply shrugged. "I can imagine how many blood donors are against this. It's messing with their pockets."

Angelica wiped a bottle, in deep thought before saying, "Well, I doubt all vampires are going to want to drink that. Nothing probably compares to the real thing."

"What do you think, Mal?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know..." She struggled to speak now. "I've only met two vampires...I'm no expert."

At the door opening, Angelica glanced toward it. "Sorry, but we're--"

Malaysia stood upright and stared at the officer with wide eyes. The officer glanced around before her eyes settled upon Malaysia. "Good morning. Do any of you know Eric? He called last night about being assaulted by a werewolf." All the women exchanged looks of worry. "I checked the records and no wolf resides in this town--anywhere in this island for that matter."

Angelica stood in front of the cop. "Erick came last night to force me to go with him--All the werewolf did was help me from that nut-job."

"I need to bring this werewolf down to the station for interrogation."

"Well, we have no idea where they live," Vanessa shrugged.

"You are all aware that it is against the law for one of them to lay a hand on one of us, right?"

They all simply agreed.

The cop exhaled. "Erick claims the werewolf was a female. From what I know, there aren't any female wolves." She glanced at them with accusing eyes. "Was it a she-wolf?"

"No, it was a male," Angelica said with a controlled voice, not even pausing to think. "Like I said, Erick is a nut-job. He came here last night to cause nothing but trouble--"

"Why would he lie?"

"I don't know," Angelica said. "All of us saw a male beat his ass."

The woman walked around the bar, digging her hand in the pocket of her uniform and Malaysia held her breath. When the woman took out a small device the shape of a star, Malaysia knew she was caught. Before she could activate it though, her radio went off and someone began to speak, telling her to head back to the station.

"I'll return later to write down all of your statements." Then, she was out the door.

"Oh, god--We are so screwed." Jessica said from the bar.

"Why? We did nothing wrong," Vanessa stated.

They all glanced at Malaysia now.

"Is it true that your the only female wolf?" Angelica asked.

"That I'm aware of...Yes."

Keyla laughed. "Damn, you must have all the males at your feet."

Malaysia fought back tears. "It's not as fun as you think."

"You're not into men?" asked Jessica.

"It's not that..." Malaysia really tried to not cry, but all of the pain she had tried to hide was fighting to rise to the surface. "I don't want anyone fighting for me...that's all."

"What is it like? Being a wolf?" asked Vanessa. "Can anyone be turned?"

Malaysia thought for a moment. "From what I know, women have a higher chance at dying."

"Oh." Vanessa sounded disappointed. "Well, that makes sense. It explains why you'd be the only she-wolf. So, you got lucky to survive it."

"Knowing that," Angelica began. "Why did you choose to be turned?"

"That's the thing...I didn't."

Pin-drop silence.

Malaysia forced a smile. "Let's open the bar."

Just at that moment, the boss walked into the bar, a huge smile on his lips. "Hey." He glanced at his watch. "It's a minute pass opening. Is everything okay?"

"Of course!" Keyla's voice was as bubbly as always.

Within minutes, the bar was packed with people conversing, laughing. All of them were preparing the drinks when Malaysia felt the presence of someone powerful. She narrowed her eyes and glanced around, noting the person sitting alone with their hood over their face. Angelica nudged her and she continued to make the drinks.

Once it was time for her break, she headed toward the back to relax before having to head back to the chaos. As she walked out, her gaze fell upon the male for a moment. However, by the time she returned, he was gone. She focused on her job, but something at the back of her head told her that she should be extra careful tonight.

Once her shift was done, she headed toward her home. On the way, any sort of noise made her jump. She was relieved when she finally reached her home. However, the second she closed her door, a knock followed. She faced it, wide-eyed. She walked into the kitchen to glance out the window but saw no one.

Another knock.

"Come in."

Part of her still hoped it was one of the girls from the bar, but the door opened and whoever this was avoided the table--everything with ease. She moved fast and attacked, catching them off guard. When they ducked to avoid her fist, she brought her knee up and struck them.

"Relax!" Her eyes grew wide as he tackled her to the ground and held her there by the shoulders. She met his gaze, his bright blue eyes glowing amber against the moonlight. "I like the green hair."

"Alec."

Author's Note:

I'm really happy to see some of y'all are enjoying this story. I wasn't sure if to write the Spanish dialogue in Spanish or English. I thought about about using bold letters when something was said in Spanish, but I'm not sure yet. I could also just have the translation to English right below it. Not sure what option I'll go with. Thank you for taking the time to check out my story. It's truly appreciated. <3