"So what now?"

We can't find her anywhere.

She's not at home. We tried looking there already.

She's not at her fathers, Kayleens, or even Chazs.

Yes we were desperate enough to even hunt his stupid ass down looking for her.

He gave us a lot of attitude but with him outnumbered he didn't have a choice but to submit to our demands. Man he was the biggest asshole I have ever met.

We haven't got a clue to where she is.

Not one fucking clue!

We're all standing on the campus grounds hoping we could locate her here. It's the last place we could think of to even look. But of course it was just another dead end and pointless.

Until.

Until we got a phone call while we're standing outside in the cold dead of winter. Looking like fools on a college campus with not many students around thanks to the winter break. The place looked eerily haunting.

Jayes the one who ended up being our saving grace. When he's phone rang we just assume it was Danny calling again like he's been continuously doing. Instead to our utter relief it was Kayleen and Jacob that made the discovery.

"She's in the dorm room 183." Jaye sighs out when he dropped the news after his phone call. Relief flooded through me instantly knowing that she was safe.

"Why is she there? Whose room is it?" Dex ask Jaye but instead of answering, he ignores him as he starts to walk off looking for dorm room 183.

Jaye reached the room first, pounding on the door with an abundant amount of force.

The door cracks open slowly revealing a guy we have never seen before.

With his hair dyed bright red, he had the mannerisms of a goth like person. He stared at all of us in utter disbelief.

With the door barely cracked open only revealing his face, I had a sneaky suspicion as to he may be.

"Latham?" Jaye questioned him with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Who wants to know?" His voice was gruff with his disrespectful reply. Making me feel like I want to punch him.

"Where's Promise?" Jaye cuts to the chase automatically. Latham just scoffs at Jaye trying to close the door in his face. Jaye slams his hand against the door to prevent Latham from closing it on him. He stares down at him with an ominous glare.

"I'm not playing man. I know she's here. If you don't let us in there's going to be a major fucking problem." Latham cracks a little smirk clearly not frightened with Jaye in the least.

Completely tired of this stand off and his childish ways, I push my way through the door forcing Latham to the side. I'm done with his blatant lack of respect.

The others follow behind me pushing their way into the room.

"What the fuck man? Get out!" I ignore him searching the room. The small room didn't fit his image that he was trying to portray to the world.

"Where is she?" Dex jaw flexes as he steps up to Latham, his temper getting the best of him.

"Who?" His innocent act is not fooling anybody. He eyes each of us crossing his arms. Trying to his best to challenge all of us. Latham barely reaches my shoulders but I have to admit the guy must have ball of steel to stand up to six giant men.

"Stop playing games! We desperately need to see her. We know she's here Latham so quit jacking us all around." Knox steps up to him glaring down at him while the others and myself all surround him trying to intimidate him into to talking.

"She's not here. That's all I'm going to say. Now would you please leave my room?" He waves his arm to the door.

"Hell no! We're not leaving until we see her, now where the fuck is she?" I don't think Dawson can take more of Lathams bullshit and he's definitely not the only one fed up with his shit!

Will all on the verge of tearing into him.

"Leave him alone! I'm right here.  How did you find me?" Promises sweet voice drifts to us through the opened door. Standing in the hallway glaring at us with her hands on her hips.

Jaye takes off in full run, crashing into her, enclosing her up in his arms. Desperately.

"Promise don't ever do this to us again. I thought I lost you." Jaye nearly cries with his head laying on the crook of her neck, holding onto her very tightly.

We each make our way over to her each trapping her into our embrace, one by one.

The overwhelming feeling of relief when I saw her standing there unharmed, envelopes me entirely.

Separating from her we all enter back into Lathams dorm room not sparing him even a single glance. Tan closes the door behind us while we all gather around Promise.

"Why did you run off?" Jaye ask her while running his fingers down her cheek softly.

"I had to and all of you really need to leave now." With opened mouths we all stare down her aghast. She can not be fucking serious?

"We're not going anywhere Promise. What did Ivan say to you? Why the hell did you run away without telling us anything? You didn't even leave a note! Do you realize how worried we were about you?" Dawson desperately ask her, his anguish is written all over his face.

"I'm sorry. I really am but you guys need to go." Her theatrics are pissing me off. I don't know what she is trying to accomplish by pushing us away but I'm not having it. I step right up to her glaring into those emerald eyes with my face full of fury.

"Make me! I mean it Promise. If you think for one second that we are leaving alone with this guy," I wave my hand toward Latham "Then you don't know us very well. Something happened between you and Ivan and I'm not leaving until you tell me exactly what the hell your are running from!" Latham scoffs at me while he makes his way over to his bed. He plops down on it rubbing his hands down his face. He looks straight at me with resignation and a hint of pity.

"Just tell them Promise. They have a right to know what's going on. You need more than just me to keep you safe and they obviously care about you." His wording doesn't go unnoticed. Safe? The full force of the word sends shivers all through my body.

"What is he talking about?" I grab her face with both of my hands, willing her to to open up to me with my pleading eyes. She has to realize with her in danger we would do anything in our power to protect her.

"Tyson." The one word bounces off the walls striking terror in all of our hearts.

Tyson has been nothing but a thorn in our sides. I wasn't around from the beginning, but I've heard everything about him through my brothers vast description of him.

He's nothing but a damn bully. Enjoying conflicting pain on others that's weaker than him.

He has a distinct problem with Knox's and Jayes relationship. That much I've learned about him. Why would he be aiming his foul disposition toward our mate?

"What about him? Did he hurt you? What are you not telling us Promise?" The concern in Knox's voice has us all holding our breaths. Dropping my hands from her face I step around her to her backside placing my arms around her waist pulling her to me. I rest my chin on top of her head. Not willing to let her go.

"Please tell us baby." Holding her tightly to me, I feel her body start to shake.

"I'll tell you everything but please believe me when I tell you that the only feelings I have toward Tyson is absolute hate." She spits out the word hate with total disgust on her beautiful face.

She tells us everything in its entirety. Why Ivan came to see her and all that Tyson has done in her absence.

The bombshell she drops on us is a true eye-opener. All this time we thought it was Chaz behind everything. How could we be so damn clueless?

Tyson murdered his own father?

The depth of how far he will go to reach his end game is beyond staggering.

"But why is he so adamant about coming for you?" Jaye questions her, as I grab ahold of her more tightly.

She places her hands along my arms that's wrapped around her breathing in heavily and begins telling us all about her and Tysons encounter in the hallway after a football game.

My fist ball up out of pure anger, inside of my fist I hold her shirt in my clutches.

I want to fucking kill him!

He had the audacity to touch what is ours! He hurt her and she held all of this in till now! Afraid of the repercussions that we would gladly bestow upon him.

In her tellings of her assault she held up like a trooper through and after it. I couldn't be more prouder of her for how she handled it all but I still want to rip his fucking head off!

"I will fucking kill him!" My attention flashes to Knox. He's barely holding on by a thin thread. Eyeing the rest of them they all seem to feel the exact way that Knox and I do. All but Tan. He just watches us like he's watching a reality series. Never volunteering a word just standing there in a damn dreamlike daze.

"This is why I didn't tell you. I handle it. It's over and done with. I know your upset over it but you have to let it go. We have more important problems to worry about right now." She tells Knox as she tries to wiggle out of my embrace. I just grasp her tighter, holding on to her fiercely. At this moment, I just to frightened to let her go.

"There is a couple of things that's still bothering me about all of this," Dawson speaks up, rubbing the back of his neck. Full of worry. "Why did Chaz go so crazy beating the shit out of Mark? And exactly why is he with Tawny? If he's so innocent why is he acting like a lunatic? Are you sure he's not involved in any of this?" Valid questions that I would love to know myself. But it's not Promise who indulges us in this bit of information.

"I can answer those questions for you. First, Chaz beat the shit out of Mark because he broke up with him after finding his mate, which ironically, is actually me." Definitely didn't see that one coming. I thought the guy was straight. He did kiss Promise after all. Then I eye Knox and Jaye, after Lathams  explanation. People tend be more surprising than one might think.

"Second, Chaz is Tawnys mate. He knew it from the second he saw her with you," he points to Dawson, "but he chose to ignore it deciding she wasn't worth it because of who...she was. After Marks rejection of him he ran into her and they started talking, forming a relationship, I guess you could say, he didn't want Promise to know that Tawny was his mate because of what she did you to her." This situation is all fucked up in a very serious way.

Chazs reasoning was misguided but I can understand where he was coming from. Remembering how I acted when I first realized that Promise was my mate. Though beating his ex lover was a smidge over the top. I can still relate to his present dilemma.

"Man this is a cluster fuck?" Absolutely agreeing with Knox. What more can the fates throw at us?

"That may be but we still have to find a way to deal with that fuck Tyson!" Dex has never been one to contain is his temper. Hesitantly releasing Promise I walk over to him grabbing him by his forearms making him look directly at me.

"We will find a way." I calmly tell him. He nods his head begrudgingly. Never taking his eyes off of our mate.

"That's why I'm staying here. Tyson doesn't know that I know Latham. It seemed to be the best alternative." Promise informs us as she makes her way over to Dex. She gathers his hand in her own.

"It's the only way." She pleads with Dex.

But there's no damn way I'm leaving her with a perfect stranger when we can protect just as well if not better.

"Hell no! You're not staying here with him! You're coming home with us. We can protect you far better than he ever could. We won't let Tyson get anywhere near you." Grasping her hand I hold on to it tightly.

"You can't guarantee that Dino. None of you can and I couldn't live with myself if any of you got hurt or worse because of me. I can't let that happen and I won't!" I catch Dawson walking over with Knox and Jaye trailing along behind him. Tan stands to the side still just observing.

Dawson turns her around making her look to him while he grabs ahold of both of her hands fiercely that we were just holding previously.

Desperation laced throughout his voice.

"Just stop it bunny. If the situation was reversed do you think for one second that we would do to you what your are doing to us? You're coming home with us even if I have to throw you over my shoulders and keep you locked up inside your bedroom," she starts to protest but Dawson puts his finger on her lips halting whatever she was going to say,"Not a word! Now get your pretty little ass in gear and go get your things right now. You. Are. Leaving. With. Us."

"But,"

"If you say another word Promise. I swear to you I will yank down those jeans down and I will spank that luscious plump ass of yours without hesitation, right in here in front of everybody." Leave it to Dawson to lay it on the line with the threat of sexual dominance.

If the situation wasn't so precarious, I would laugh my ass off at his devious influential ways.

Promise relents with his hysterical threats looming over her. As we all watch her slowly make her way over to her suitcase propped in the corner.

"Thanks for allowing me to stay Latham. I really appreciate it." Dex takes her suitcase from her placing it in one hand while he grabs her hand with the other one. Pulling her along to the door.

"Anytime Promise. If you need me please don't hesitate to call." She nods her head as Dex drags her out of the door quickly. Making us all laugh at his impatience.

"Trust me, she won't be calling you." Knox informs Latham before we all exit out of his room.

Trailing behind Dex and Promise we all fill a hint of foreboding.

If Tyson wants her bad enough I'm sure he will find a way to get to her. I have no idea how we are going to prevent him from hurting her? But I will make damn sure that if he does indeed come after her.

I won't hesitate to kill him!

•••••