Ezra's POV

I almost tripped on my paws.

"Are you sure, Sam?" I asked, disbelief coloring my voice. "She's human."

"Like I said; I won't know for sure until I take a look at the vamps."

The moon spilled through the trees, a filigree of silver on the forest floor. The trees rustled as sam and I zipped by. The thought that she could have broken through a vampire's compulsion didn't fully register yet. It was impossible. I'd never heard of a human being able to do it.

But maybe Orla's memories were distorted from being high. Yes. That must be it. We'd be sure after Sam checked those bastards' memories.

My wolf was howling for the blood of those who hurt Orla. We couldn't run fast enough.

Soon, the prison peeked through the trees. A flat one story structure that stretched two levels underground. It was located a safe distance from the pack village. Two pack warriors waited for us, one of them handed me a pair of shorts when I shifted to my skin.

We ducked inside, down a dark staircase leading to the cells. The hallway underground was cold. A few light bulbs flickered on and off on the ceiling, casting our shadows on the gray stone walls.

More guards were stationed in front of the cells. They dipped their heads when we reached them.

"Let's start with James," Sam said. I nodded to one of the guards. He unlocked the cell.

The ominous creak of the door echoed in the hallway. Inside, James sat in a corner. His dark head snapped up. He scrambled to his feet, his wide eyes flickering around the room. Our cells were rather large, since we often needed the space to... deal with our prisoners.

Sam and I strolled inside. I stopped near the door because I would kill him if I got any closer.

James held up his hands. "Sam, I swear I didn't know she was with you-"

Sam's fist cut him off, cracking something in the other vampire's cheek. James staggered, holding his jaw.

"Shut it James, you know the rules about drinking from students here, yet you did it anyways. It doesn't matter if she was a friend of ours or not." Sam dusted his hands and grinned. "Or maybe it does matter. It means your punishment will be ten times worse for you and more fun for us."

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms, letting Sam do the talking. He was better at it. James' eyes kept flickering toward me. In the darkness of the cell, their white almost swallowed the irises. They glimmered red when the faint light from the hallway hit them.

"Why don't you tell us what happened. And don't lie. I'll know, and it won't be pleasant for you," Sam said, his pale eyes glowing.

James swallowed, pressing into the corner even more if that was possible. "I saw her eating those pot brownies by accident. She was getting a little hazy and I thought I would just get a taste. I mean, she smelled so good-"

I growled. The door rattled behind me. Fur pricked my nape and arms, but I held back. We needed him in one piece. For now.

James froze, his eyes down. Sweat coated his forehead and the smell of his fear whetted my beast's appetite.

"Go on," Sam said.

"Anyway, I managed to make her follow me-"

"Willingly?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," he hesitated. Sam snarled at him. James held up his hands. "At first! She followed me willingly, I swear Sam! She was high. I told her I'd take her home and she came along. But then when she started resisting, I compelled her."

Sam nodded. This was the part we wanted to hear. "Then?"

"After I compelled her, she followed me for a bit before she stopped." James frowned to himself. "It was... weird. It never happened before. She just stopped even though I compelled her."

My heart beat in my throat. Sam and I exchanged a look. So she had broken through the vampire's compulsion.

"That's when Drake showed up," James continued. "He told me my compulsion was failing because I was too young. So he took over, he said he'll let me get a taste after he finished."

The way he spoke about her as if she was a piece of meat made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, pushing my wolf back.

"Did it work?" Sam asked.

James' frown deepened as he looked at Sam. "At first. He managed to bite her before she pushed him away and screamed. She broke his compulsion as well. That's about when you guys showed up."

Quiet descended on the cell. So she did break through the compulsion of both vampires. My shock was enough to make me forget my anger for a second.

How in the world was that possible? Humans could not break a vampire's compulsion. It was a universal law. One of many that kept our existence a secret from humans.

So how had Orla done it?

I straightened and focused on the vampire. "You know the rules. What made you think it was okay to break them?"

His eyes flickered around, looking for a way out. "Please, your highness. I just wanted some blood! I swear, it's the first time I did it on school ground. They said it'll be okay, that no one will find out! I thought I could just compel her and have a taste. Her blood smelled-"

I zipped toward him. My hand was around his throat in a blink. I held him up against the wall, his legs kicking in the air and his nails clawing at my hand.

"Enough," I growled out. He froze, gaping for air. "Who said it would be okay?"

I loosened my grip, and he fell to the ground, choking and half crawling away. I kicked his stomach. My feet connected with a crunch. He hit the wall, his back cracking loudly. "Who?"

"Every-everyone," he croaked out, laying on his side on the ground. "There's some talk going around. T-that security is getting loose around campus, that no one will notice."

"Who said that exactly?" Sam asked, coming to stand next to me. I clenched my fists and released them, imagining the bastard's throat under my grip. It wasn't as satisfying as feeling it.

James sat up, his hand still around his throat. "I just- I heard a few older vampires talking a few days ago. Drake. Drake was one of them."

Sam rubbed his chin. "Why don't you head out for some fresh air and calm down. I don't want you killing the other guy yet," he linked me. "I'll see if James is hiding anything else."

I gave James one last look and stormed out of the cell. Sam was right. The other asshole was the one who'd hurt Orla. I didn't know if I could be in the same room without going for his throat.

The guards outside the building looked wary as I paced back and forth, doing a breathing exercise my mother taught us years ago. It had never worked well when my siblings and I were angry, but she still insisted we did it anyways. No one could say no to my mother.

I looked up at the sky. Fleeting clouds blurred the moon's bright face. Thinking of my mother and siblings brought pain, as usual, but it was less sharp now. It no longer made me wish I was the one gone, and not them.

It was all thanks to Orla, I knew. She made it hurt less without even knowing.

When I was slightly less homicidal, I made my way back inside. Sam waited for me in front of Drake's cell.

"Did he hide anything?" I asked.

"No. His story checks out. Let's see the other one."

The guard opened the cell, and I almost lunged out of my skin right then and there. The bastard was sitting on the ground, his head leaned back against the wall. One of his arms was limp next to him, his white t-shirt stained with blood and dirt. His nose was twisted, broken from where I'd punched him, and one of his legs stretched in front of him, the knee bent unnaturally.

What made my control threaten to slip was Orla's faint scent clinging to him. He had no right to it.

"You did a number on him," Sam said. I wished I could do it again. This time, there was no Orla to stop me from finishing what I'd started.

Faint growls rippled out of my chest. I cracked my neck and stayed just inside the door. If I got any closer, the bastard's life was forfeit.

Sam got in and crouched in front of the vampire. "Drake."

He had the audacity to look amused. "Sam."

Sam cocked his head aside. "You don't look like someone who was just caught drinking from a human on pack land."

Drake smirked. "You know what they say; rules are meant to be broken."

Sam backhanded him so hard his neck cracked. Drake whipped his head back with a hiss. Fresh blood stained the corner of his bottom lip. He wiped it, but it was useless considering the dried blood all over his face from our earlier fun time together in the woods.

"What the hell do you think, Sam?" he said, his earlier cocky grin back in place. "I had a little snack. She was quite tasty, too."

Sam backhanded him again, giving me a look over his shoulder when I took a step forward.

"What the hell, Sam?" Drake said, spitting blood. "Frederick will not be pleased to hear about this. All for a human bitch-"

My feet moved me closer without conscious thought. Sam tried pushing me back but I shrugged off his hold and kicked the bastard's face. He dropped fully to the ground, his throat gurgling with blood.

Sam dragged me away and stepped between us. I tried shoving past him again, my rage running like hot lava through my veins, rolling off of me in waves that made the walls groan.

Sam just pushed me back. "Enough. You'll collapse these walls on us, damn it."

Growling, I looked at Drake. He was choking on his own blood, his neck obviously broken. I growled loudly at Sam. But I pushed my wolf back. Sam stood between us and our prey, and that did not make him our best friend at the moment.

Sam, used to dealing with me, just shook his head. "If you don't calm down, there will be nothing of him left. Besides, your guards are already wondering what made their prince lose his shit. Keep it up, and the secret won't be a secret much longer."

I forced my feet to step back and closed my eyes. It was several minutes before the air that crackled with my power a moment earlier lightened as I reined it in.

When I opened my eyes again, I was halfway in control. Sam nodded. "I'll just take a look in his head. It'll be faster now that he's almost out of it."

Drake was limp on the floor, still gurgling blood.

Sam grabbed Drake's face and looked into his eyes.

Earlier, he had to make contact with Orla because she was unconscious. But he could use his faculty simply by eye contact. That was the reason most supernaturals found Sam scary.

Even struggling to breathe, Drake flailed in Sam's grip. But he was broken, and his struggle only lasted a few seconds before he bent over to Sam's will.

"I got it," Sam said, dropping Drake and standing up. Sam ushered me out, basically pushing me out of the cell before I decided to kill the bastard.

The guards in front of the cell were stiff, their heads bowed down.

"Keep them here," I told them. "No one comes near them until you hear from my father or Sam."

"Yes, your highness," they replied as one.

Jogging up the steps, I asked Sam, "what did you see?"

"It matches James' story and memories," Sam said, his eyes dark.

"So she did...?"

Sam nodded. "She did. Even Drake's compulsion. I could understand James. He's young. Sometimes young vampires aren't very meticulous when it comes to compulsion. But Drake is five centuries old. I know the bastard. He's powerful enough."

We walked in silence through the woods. But I was sure we were both wondering the same thing. How? How had she been able to break through it?

I was damn glad she did, though. I couldn't stand the thought of her laying limp while those bastards sucked her dry.

But the compulsion not working on her made me uneasy. What if Sam's ability didn't affect her either? What if she ended up remembering what happened tonight?

I glanced at Sam. He frowned to himself, his eyes meeting mine. He realized it, as well.

"You think she might remember?"

A bar of moonlight crept through the thick trees and cast a silvery shine on his pale eyes. "I don't know Ezra. I really don't. we'll just have to wait and see."

Wait and see. I breathed out the fresh air outside, but it failed to put my mind at ease.

"You did unexpectedly good back there," Sam said.

"Unexpectedly?"

"Your control is better," he said. "You're getting more... balanced."

I slowly nodded. It had only been a few days, but I could already feel and see the effects of Orla's presence on me and my wolf.

I missed her already.

I lunged into my fur, shaking away the desire to go curl up next to her, and ran to my cabin.

I didn't sleep a wink that night, my thoughts kept drifting to her. I wanted her so bad, I couldn't stay away anymore. I had no idea how I would be able to do it.

I wanted her. I wanted to know everything that made her happy and everything that made her sad, all her hopes and all her fears. I wanted to know every inch of her body and every fragment of her pure soul.

I wanted to go to sleep listening to her soft breathing, feeling her warmth next to me. To wake up to her divine mismatched eyes and to hear her soft laughter.

God, I want her...

Sun beams slithered through the blinds, beckoning a new day. I went through the motions of getting ready, my mind in the cabin next door.

When Ashley linked me, my heartbeat faltered.

"She's up."

I made it to their door in a minute. All kinds of scenarios flashed in my mind. I linked Sam so he would come as well.

"Morning," Zach mumbled, his eyes sleepy and his hair disheveled. The smell of coffee was heavy in the air.

"Good morning. Where?" I said, closing the door behind me.

"Upstairs. I think she's a little hungover."

Worry nipped at my guts. I took the steps two at a time. Ashley let me in before I knocked. There was Advil on the night stand and water next to it. The bed was unmade and empty.

"Bathroom," Ashley said, waving me inside. "She wanted to shower."

The bathroom door opened then, and Orla walked out. Her fluffy bathrobe hung off her small frame. Her hair was a darker red, dripping wet, and her skin was flushed and glimmering.

I groaned inwardly, trying my best not to let my eyes linger. She blinked at me for two seconds before squealing, disappearing back in the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

My lips twitched up. It was such a weird sensation. I couldn't remember the last time I wanted to laugh.

A gasp. I looked at Ashley. Wide-eyed, she pointed at my face. "Did you- did you just smile?"

I rolled my eyes and headed for the door. "Come down when she's ready."

"You did smile!" She called out after me.

Sam was downstairs, nursing a cup of coffee next to Zach by the island.

He smiled when he saw me casually jogging down the stairs. "I take it she doesn't remember, then?"

I beelined to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. "Don't know for sure yet. But it doesn't seem like it."

Zach frowned, glancing between me and Sam. "What do you mean? I thought you took care of it."

I locked eyes with Sam and gave him a nod. As I sipped my coffee, Sam linked Zach about yesterday's findings. Zach's expression morphed from confusion to shock.

"You think she might remember?" He linked me, wide-eyed.

"It's a possibility. But from what I've seen now, she probably doesn't." I hoped she didn't.

The door upstairs opened. Ashley skipped down the stairs, Orla following behind more subdued than usual. Her hair was in a messy knot on top of her head and her cheeks were rosy. In a white t-shirt and gray sweats, she was the most stunning creature I'd ever seen.

Reaching the bottom step, she sighed heavily. Her cheeks flamed when she saw me, and she grumbled something under her breath. She was so damn cute.

"Little red. Nice seeing you in your right mind again," Sam said.

Orla blinked at Sam. "What? What do you mean?"

Her voice was raspy. Ashley put her arm around her shoulders and urged her to sit down on the couch. "You don't remember?"

Orla shook her head before groaning and clutching it tightly in her hands. My heart hurt. I wanted to hold her.

"I don't know, the last thing I remember is having some brownies..." she trailed off, frowning to herself.

Relief flooded my chest. Sam smiled, giving me a subtle nod. "You got royally stoned yesterday, Little Red."

Orla dropped her hands from her head and looked at him, her brows tugged low on her eyes. "Stoned?"

"The brownies you had were pot brownies," Ashley said, moving to the fridge. "There was weed in them."

"What?!" Orla stood up abruptly.

She held her head, swaying in her spot, and I was next to her in a flash, my hands on her waist steadying her. I didn't think anything of what I had done until she reacted.

She groaned, looking up at me. Then her eyes widened. "How did you ...?" She looked between me and the kitchen.

Shit!

Sam's laughter filled my head. I cleared my throat. "How did I what?"

"You were there." She pointed to the counter, on the other side of the island, her face twisted in confusion.

"No," I replied. "I was near the island."

I nodded to the island behind me with my head. Sam coughed suspiciously. Orla frowned.

"No," she said firmly, pointing to the kitchen again. "You were there!"

I bent my head down until our noses were inches apart. Her heart rate spiked.

God, her eyes are breathtaking...

"I wasn't," I whispered.

Her face was beet red as she nodded, quickly turning her head to the side.

"Nice save, bro." Zach snickered in my head. I shot him and Sam a glare.

Orla squirmed in my arms, and I reluctantly let go of her. She then sat back down in her seat, tugging on an inexistent thread on her pants. Giving her some space, I went to the kitchen.

Ashley whipped up a light breakfast. I looked in the fridge and found some apple juice that I poured into a glass and set in front of Orla with a bottle of water.

"Drink up. Fluids are good for you," I said softly. She nodded tiredly, taking small sips of the juice.

The whole morning, though, I ignored the suspicious glances she kept sending me.

Every once in a while I would catch her looking at me with a frown, before realizing she got caught and looking away. Sometimes she'd rub her temples, her eyes growing distant.

And the whole morning, I hoped it was just because of her hangover headache. I didn't want to entertain the thought she might remember what she went through the previous night. I didn't want to believe she might grow scared of me. 

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M.B.