The large kitchen is mostly empty. A few older women are sitting at one of the long tables and gossiping quietly between themselves. At the other end of the room, searching through the cabinets and closets for something to eat, are a group of wild looking men. They are casually sifting through all the inventory in the pack house. Trying to come up with something good to eat that they don't have to cook. I wish them the best of luck. The best they will probably find is Ramen.

Greyson, Leo, Rina, and myself, on the other hand, are quickly putting together the ingredients to make Slutty Brownies. Rina has placed Greyson and myself in charge of making the brownie batter while her and Leo handle the cookie batter.

Greyson and I have most the ingredients together and all that's left is to stir up the batter. I grab the bowl in my right hand and the spatula in my left. I start the mixing process as Greyson watches.

I notice him raising an eyebrow impatiently.

"What's that about?" I ask quickly, slowing down my mixing so I can focus on the conversation.

"What do you mean?" He asks, feigning innocence. I huff at him in blatant annoyance.

"Oh you know exactly what I mean!"

He smirks playfully, "no clue what you're talking about, crazy lady."

"You," I fling the spatula in his direction accidentally spraying some batter onto the counter top next to where Greyson is standing, "raised an eyebrow while I was mixing the batter. Is there something you wanted to say?"

He laughs as he grabs a paper towel and gently wipes up the splatter I left on the counter. He tosses the paper towel out and returns his attention to me. "I was only thinking that you were mixing a bit slowly."

I frown playfully back at him, "oh and you think you could do a better job?"

He smirks, "uh, yeah. Of course."

I shrug my shoulders in a cocky manner, "welp, too bad. We agreed I was doing the mixing."

"No. You claimed that all on your own." He points out truthfully.

I shrug again, "isn't it best if a girl knows what she wants?"

He sighs and whispers something that sounds like, "and what is it that you want?" Yet it's so quiet I'm not sure if he really said it or not.

My heart thumps oddly in my chest. I decide to clarify.

"What was that?" I ask as I start to once again mix the batter. The flour, eggs and other ingredients quickly turn brown as I gently fold and mix it all to perfection.

"Just upset that I didn't call mixing before you did, slowpoke." He informs me.

Huh, so I must have heard wrong?

I shrug my shoulders, shaking off whatever curiosity I had on the matter. I continue to mix the brownie batter. Soon all the clumps of flour and egg are completely meshed into the mixture, leaving a smooth-rich-brown liquidy substance.

As soon as I'm done mixing, I reach my finger into the bowl. I swoop out a decent amount of mix on my finger and plop it into my awaiting mouth. I close my eyes and practically moan at the chocolate flavors bursting on my tongue. "This is so good."

"Oh is it now?" Greyson asks.

I nod my head, "yeah try some."

As I go to open my eyes, I feel Greyson's large hand latch onto my left hand, the one that was doing the mixing. Small tingles blaze across the surface of my skin at his touch. I release the spatula as he drags it slowly up to his mouth. Gently with his tongue, he licks up the remaining batter that had splattered onto my hand when I was mixing.

My heart races nervously in my chest as his warm breath caresses my hand. His tongue slips gently onto my skin, warming it and sending tingles with ever lick he makes. I feel my legs go weak beneath me as a deep heat rises in my gut. My cheeks redden a bit from the blood rushing to my face.

Slowly he releases my hand and my wolf practically falls to the floor in a heated mess. I use the rest of my strength to hold myself up and keep eye contact with this seductive man. I'm speechless. My body still heated with desire and want. I can feel myself being pulled toward Greyson like a magnet. I hold myself back as I allow my now free hand to fall gracefully to my side.

"You're right, the batter is good." He runs his thumb over his bottom lip to remove any left over batter that might remain. The action causes me to stare at his lips. My wolf urges me to grab him now and pull him down to me, but I fight her.

When my eyes reach up to meet his again, I notice that they've darkened. A hunger has swept into his system and I can tell just by looking at him how much he wants me right now. The heat over powers my muscles and a need flares through my entire system. I resist the urges flowing through me, but I have never felt something so powerful. I've never desired something so much.

"Are you two done with that batter yet? It's time to put it into the pan!" Rina calls out, quickly breaking our intense stare off.

I cough lightly and quickly try to compose myself. I turn from Greyson and grab ahold of the bowl filled with the brownie mixture. "We're done!" I announce and walk past Greyson, towards Rina, intentionally rubbing my arm against his as I pass, sparks tingling throughout my entire body.

"Oh good." Rina smiles as I approach.

She quickly throws together the rest of the recipe. She shoves the mixture into the oven, setting the timer for thirty-five minutes or so. We chat and joke around, just the four of us during that time. As we do, I notice just how close Rina and Leo are. Every so often, their hands just end up meeting and lacing together for a moment. Then they quickly fall apart. They are always searching for reasons to touch one another, and not even in a sexual way. As long as they are making contact, they appear to be content. It's a strong bond they've formed. One I wish I could have with Greyson.

Just as I'm thinking this, I feel Greyson's presence hover closer to my own. He leans slightly closer to me, allowing our arms to gently touch. The move is subtle but effective. My wolf immediately perks up and urges me to lean more against him, but once again I find myself fighting her desires. Another flash of heat rages through my body. My mind runs blank and the conversation quickly flows out of my train of thought. The only thing raking my mind is Greyson and the feel of his arm on my bear skin and how much I want his hands all over me.

Oh boy. Why is this feeling so intense? It's getting hard to fight.

Just as I'm about to give into my wolf and sink closer to Greyson, the buzzer erupts loudly from the oven. I practically jump. Completely startled by the abrupt noise interrupting my dirty thoughts. I feel a light pink blush brush along my cheeks.

Rina reacts swiftly. Immediately she turns off the buzzer and grabs the oven mitts. She removes the delectable dessert from the oven. I can smell the gooey deliciousness. My mouth practically waters, but to be honest, I'm not sure if it's watering from the Slutty Brownies or the very attractive man standing to my right.

It doesn't take us long to dig in. In a matter of minutes, we are already through half the warm batch.

"You guys weren't lying, this shit is good." Greyson comments as he proceeds to take another bite. I watch as a small piece of warm chocolate drips onto the side of his mouth.

Something in me stirs. I stare as my wolf urges me to grab hold of his shirt, pull him down to my level, and lick it off myself.

My cheeks blaze red at the thought. I quickly push my wolf down, trying to tame her wild and crazed desires. I manage to drag my eyes away as Greyson finally licks his lips clear of the chocolate.

As I go to try another bite, a random thought crosses my mind. The brownie freezes mere inches from my mouth. "Shit." The word spills from my lips without a second thought.

"What's wrong?" Greyson asks quickly. I glance up to gaze into his worried eyes.

"I just remembered I forgot something in the library." I tell them honestly, remembering my little present from my mom.

"Oh crap, the box?" Rina asks, as I put my brownie down onto a napkin.

I nod my head, "yeah."

"Well don't worry about it, I'm sure it will still be there. Not too many people go to the library..." Rina encourages me in an optimistic kind of tone. I know she's truly unsure, but she doesn't want to show that to me.

"I don't know if I can risk that... I'm going to go get it." I tell them and quickly turn on my heels, bolting out of the kitchen. Giving them no time to ask questions.

What if someone took it? I do live in a house with a bunch of thieves. If anyone saw a box designed like that, they would snatch it up in a second. It's so small, it could be a jewelry box, or an old valuable broach. Anyone in their right mind would take it. It could be worth a lot. Heck, for all I know there could be money in there! Not that money could make me hate my Mom, but in reality, I don't know what's in that thing. I just know that I don't want it stolen. Although I never want to open it, I don't want to part from it either.

I fling open the Library's double doors. My feet don't stop as I continue toward the back of the room.

The seated section where Rina and I were this morning comes into vision. I sigh in relief as the small box remains seated on top of the large book on the side table between the two seats. I hurry over. Scooping the small wooden box up into my hands. I trace the small ridges on the surface with my fingers. My heart rate slows as I begin to calm down.

I'm glad no one stole it. After all, this was my last gift from my Mom. Even if whatever's inside this tiny thing isn't good, I still treasure it in a sense.

Then my eyes fall to the table. They trace over the books binder which reads, "Mates: A Werewolf's Greatest Pleasure and Downfall".

I find myself reaching out to it, swapping the small box for the large novel. I cradle it in my left arm and open it with my right hand. My eyes skim through the chapter names in the Index. Towards the end of the book, one of the last chapters is named, "True Mates". It sparks my interest instantly. My mind thinks about my Mom, and how she wasn't true mates with my father and how he found his true mate. A spark of anger runs through me.

I don't understand the whole 'true mate' thing. I don't know how he was able to leave my mom all alone. Are true mates really that powerful? Is the pull that strong?

I go to flip toward the back of the book. My fingers grab hold of the page the chapter is on. I'm about to turn to it, when suddenly a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. Butterflies erupt throughout my stomach and my wolf springs to life. A warmth wraps around me as I find myself unconsciously leaning my back onto his comforting chest.

"What are you reading?" Greyson asks in a low tone, his breath scrapping my ear.

I clear my throat and quickly slam the book shut. A blush floods my cheeks as I answer, "just a book Rina was looking into earlier. Nothing important."

I cradle the book close to my chest so that way Greyson can't read the cover. There is something embarrassing about reading about mates. Especially in front of Greyson, the man I want to be my mate, but can't be.

"Is this the box you came looking for?" He asks as his hand slip from my sides and he approaches the side table.

He gently lifts the box up. He studies it carefully, skimming his fingers over the small indents on the wooden object, something I often find myself doing.

"Yes that's the one."

While he is entertained, I quickly place the book on a random bookshelf, away from his line of vision. Then I join his side again. He turns to me and gently hands me the box. I accept it willingly and cradle it in both hands.

"It was a present." I tell him, answering his questioning eyes, "from my Mom right before she died."

I don't know why I told him that. It's not like he needed to know or anything. Why is it that I trust him so willingly? He's still a new rogue in this pack that I still don't know too much about. I shouldn't be able to trust him like this.

"What's inside?"

I glance towards the floor, "isn't that the question we're all asking?"

"What do you mean? You didn't open it?"

I shake my head. "My mom told me that whatever is in this tiny thing, could make me hate her." I squeeze the box lightly, "I mean I know I could never hate my Mom, but she knows that and still said that whatever is in it could make me hate her. I don't want to take that risk. You know?"

"I can see what you're saying... But don't you think she gave it to you for a reason? She wants you to see whatever is inside."

"I just can't do it..."

A silence falls between the two of us for a moment. Soon a hand lands upon the top of my head. A warmth spreads over me, and I feel my tense muscles relax a bit. My eyes turn up, gently meeting a pair of sympathetic emerald ones.

"If you don't want to open it, then that's okay. Any decision you make is fine Lucia."

A small smile upturns my lips. A tingle spreads through my body and my wolf purrs in satisfaction. Having support at a time like this is exactly what I needed.

His hand gently falls, caressing my hair in the process. It glides down, toward my bare neck. Tingles follow his touch, and as soon as he reaches the nape of my neck with his fingers, my wolf stirs.

The air around us changes immediately.

My heart leaps, my blood pulsing at the direct contact of skin on skin. I feel my eyes darkening as my wolf finally pushes me over the edge with her persuasive urges. His thumb traces my neck in small circles, sending a desire racing throughout my body.

My eyes flick up, meeting darkened emerald ones.

In them, I can see something I never really decoded until this moment. Pure desire and something else. Something more powerful.

Love.

Before I can over think it, my wolf shoots out my right hand, the one not holding the box. She grabs hold of his shirt and pulls him down to me.

I close my eyes the moment before my lips meet his.

I moan as a tingling delight takes hold of my entire body. A burning flame racks through my core, urging me to take things further.

Without even having to ask, his hands slip immediately to my sides. His fingers push my shirt up a bit, touching my bare skin right above the top of my pants. I moan as sparks tingle their way up and around my body, coursing desire through me.

He slips his tongue into my mouth. My right hand releases his shirt and trails up his chest and toward the back of his head. I grab hold of a bit of hair, tugging it gently. He growls hungrily at the feel.

His hands slip up my toned stomach, gently tracing my skin. Erotic thoughts enter my mind as I imagine those hands of his working his magic in other places. At the thought, I pull him closer to me.

His hands reach the bottom of my bra, I moan at the closeness. Just a little further up and I will be partially satisfied.

Just then a loud creak echoes through the library. Followed by, "Lucia? Greyson?" It's Rina's voice.

Immediately, Greyson's hands escape from under my shirt and my hand unlaces from his hair. We untangle ourselves quickly as I shout, "over here Rina."

I let out a small awkward cough and glance up at Greyson. He gives me a small smirk and reaches his hands down to straighten out my shirt which was still crumpled awkwardly.

A blush races across my cheeks. But I laugh and thank him. A moment later Rina and Leo come into view. I try to calm my breathing so that way my blush dims a bit.

"Did you find the box?" Rina asks as her eyes fall to my hands where I'm holding onto the wooden object. Her eyes smile in relief.

"Yup," I answer even though she already saw the box. "Lucky for me, this pack doesn't have a lot of book worms. I don't know if anyone even comes to this library except you Rina."

She giggles, "well I suppose that could very well be true."

"Normally, I would say that's a bad thing, but in this case I'm thankful for it." I tell her, giving her a soft smile. I can feel my heart finally cooling down from its earlier flare up with Greyson.

"I agree with you this time. You're lucky that we've got a bunch of dummies in our pack. Why don't you go put that thing somewhere safe before you lose it?" Rina asks.

Put it somewhere safe, huh? But where is safe now? Normally I would put it in my suite, but it's not my suite anymore after tomorrow. I don't want to put it in Damien's room. That's just ridiculous.

"I'm not really sure where to put it to be honest..."

Leo looks down at me worried. "What do you mean? Can't you just hide it in your room or something?"

"I... Uh..." I don't want to lie to them, but I can't admit to Leo and Greyson that coming tomorrow I won't be allowed to live in my suite anymore because I will be in my mates room...

Greyson - surprisingly - comes to my rescue. "Leo, don't be inconsiderate. Lucia might not want to return to her room anytime soon."

Leo's eyes widen in false realization, "oh god. I'm so sorry Lucia, I didn't mean to offend you."

I raise my hands in defense, "it's okay Leo, I'm not offended in the least. But Greyson's right, I don't really want to go back there." Even though that's not solely the reason I don't want to go back, I'm going to use it as my excuse. My eyes jump over to Rina who is sighing in relief.

It's clear that she knows the true reason why I don't want to return, so she didn't know how to back me up a couple of minutes ago. Now though, she jumps at the sudden chance to use this new reasoning.

"If that's the case," Rina says lightly, "would you like to store it in my room for a bit?"

I smile at her, relief in my eyes that she's playing along. "That would be awesome, thank you."