““Rory this isn’t healthy.” Marti stood over me as I completed my thousandth push up, sweat trickling down my back.

Marti was a 5’3” bundle of brains and a sassy attitude. She’s by far one of the smartest people I’ve ever met and she does not let herself get pushed around by the wolves she comes into contact with. Marti is a werelion, though she can’t shift; a very common genetic trait for any female of a were- species. She doesn’t belong to a pride and doesn’t have a mate, though she is only seventy. Marti looked like a doll, an innocent little girl. With an upturned button nose, rosy porcelain skin, full, pink lips, big, cerulean orbs and bright red, curly long hair.  For someone behind computer screens all day, she had a gorgeous body; short and lean with a delicate hourglass figure.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not!” She yelled, sitting on my back as I pressed myself up again. I growled but kept going as the muscles in my upper body began burning.

“You spent centuries suffering unmentionable horrors just to protect your family but when they die, you don’t shed one tear. You don’t seem affected at all Rory! You’re like a robot; emotionless, cold.”  

I suppose that I should’ve been crying my eyes out and totally inconsolable but I just couldn’t cry; I didn’t feel anything but emptiness. I knew that they were gone and it was better this way. Rieker no longer had a hold over me and they were no longer in pain.

Lauren’s words kept echoing through my head though and it made me feel worse and worse.

‘It’s all your fault!’

I threw Marti off me and stood, coming face to face with the window. Snowflakes fell slowly outside, covering the world in white. It was a continuous cycle, one I was very familiar with. Seasons changed, people were born and died. The world kept moving and I kept killing.

My head snapped to a man standing on the corner, looking around as his nostrils flared. I ducked as his gaze swept over the window and swallowed a curse; I’d been here too long and they’d found me.

I had been careful, travelling all over the world to deflect their attention but always returning to Marti. I was careful. I constantly had to watch my back; after all, I was public enemy number one.

They’d put a hit out on me and I’m sure that almost every supernatural was just waiting for my death. I had escaped them once already and they were not going to let me go again without a fight.

“Marti.” I whispered, sliding across the floor, out of sight from the window, not that it would do any good; they could smell me. “Dump all the perfume you have on the floor, spray every aerosol can you have; remove every trace of me because they have found me.” I told her calmly. “They can’t do anything without exposing themselves to the humans, and if they try to drag me out, they’ll all die but you need to cover your tracks.”

She shook her head and watched me fearfully. “Rory, they’re desperate to find you; they’ll stop at nothing.”

I nodded and walked out to the balcony; it wouldn’t be as easy for them to track me if I’m on the rooftops.

I scaled the wall, easy and not that risky since we were only on the second floor. I was a master climber; it was one of the first things I had to learn in my training and I had taken to it like a duck to water.

Once on the top of the roof, overlooking the heart of London I surveyed the area to see that there were groups of men, clothed this time, closing in on the building. None of them had seen me, yet.

I stood and ran. Ran towards the edge of the building and jumped, landing on the next.

I did this for ten minutes, successfully scaling walls, remaining hidden and most importantly, never falling. Though the fall wouldn’t kill me, it would hurt and give the men chasing me an advantage.

I climbed through a window and I exited the apartment building, calmly walking down the road with the crowd in the direction of the forest. All the while scenting the air discretely to make sure that I hadn’t been noticed and wasn’t being followed.

-

I could literally smell the pine from the forest, only five more minutes. I glared at the men leering at me outside a pub and flipped them the bird.

Hearing a growl I walked up to a window and pulled out my hair, fluffing it up, smacking my lips and all while watching the people around me. Three handsome men were clearly staring at me, unaware that I could see them as over half the population, mostly women ogled them. They were werewolves.

I smiled at a passing family and continued on my merry way, weaving through a market stall, entering shops, exiting through windows and backdoors, changing my clothes and avoiding all weres.

My stomach rumbled as I opened the door to a café, The Natural Kitchen and waited in the short line.

“Hi how can I help you?”

I looked up at the menu and bit my lip. “Ah can I get a Chicken Meal Box, a Chicken Club Sandwich, Roast beef and Parmesan Sandwich and an Apple Juice?”

The girl behind the counter did a double take and nodded. “Sure that’s 18 pounds and 65 pence.”

I handed her two tenners and walked away with the table number. “Keep the change.” Sinking into a booth in the back, close to the fire exit I carefully watched the comings and goings of the small café.

There were no super naturals. At least not yet, though I could see five wolves closing in on the door, looking for any sign of me. The café was crowed though, so they couldn’t do anything even if they wanted to.

The same human girl who’d served me was walking towards my direction, a tray loaded with food, it smelt amazing and my stomach rumbled.

She set it on my table and smiled at me. “Your food, enjoy.”

I nodded, ignoring her, watching the food as my stomach rumbled. I really hadn’t been eating enough lately, stupid because it weakens me.

I unwrapped the first sandwich, the chicken club from the smell of it and took a big bite. Devouring the tasty sandwich in seconds.

 “Woah there tiger.” I raised my lip at the fucking stupid wolf in front of me. “Wouldn’t want to hurt yourself now would you?”

“What do you want?” I hissed, taking another bite of my sandwich, not bothering to look up. I would know if he tried anything, you don’t survive seven centuries of assassinations and espionage without honing your senses.

“My alphas, King Nightingale and over two hundred enforcers have surrounded this town. You have no hope of getting out and I know that even if you did manage to, my brother Matthias would personally hunt you to the ends of the Earth.” My head shot up and sure enough, I was greeted by a carbon copy for Matthias.

“Yiannis Holt.” He held his hand out and I just stared at him, enjoying watching him squirm as he realised that I wasn’t going to shake his hand, maybe break it, but not shake it.

“Right then,” He cleared his throat and looked around, sounding uncomfortable and smelling slightly nervous. “I was told to tell you that if you come with us peacefully we’ll listen to you plea.”

I shook my head and snorted. Obviously they must think I’m a moron; they would kill me. They’re weren’t here to invite me for a tea party. I took a sip of my apple juice and inhaled my second sandwich, ignoring my unwelcome lunch guest.

“Soooooooo?” He tapped the table and met my gaze, impatient. I lifted an eyebrow and smirked.

“Are you going to come with us?”

I shook my head and took a sip of my drink quickly. “Look, I hate to shit in your music box, but your alpha’s aren’t inviting me for a cup of tea. They want to kill me, and I quite like being alive so I’ll pass.” I stood and dumped all my garbage in the bin, my stomach full for now.

“Don’t say that we gave you a chance.”

“Go back to your masters dog.” I hissed, heading towards the backdoor.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I heard him mutter under his breath.

I shook my head and exited into the alleyway, stepping over newspapers, bottles and assorted pieces of trash. Footsteps sounded in all directions and I could smell the scent of powerful werewolves and a bear.

I turned to look at the wall. It was three times my height since the little café backed onto another block of flats. Gripping the wall, using the little cracks in the wall and prepared to climb, I’ve been in worse situations. I will get out of here alive and I will find and kill Rieker.

The air was knocked out of me as I was pinned against the wall. As I looked up through my eyelashes, growling at the fuckwit who dared touch me, my breath was pushed out of my body; I was in the presence of a god. My face came to his chest, and what a fine chest it was. I could tell that underneath the white, cotton shirt he was wearing that he was muscular and well built, something for me run my hands down.

I gulped and titled my face upwards to see what this man looked like as his scent engulfed me like a blanket and made me feel slightly dizzy. It was a combination of green apples and pine. I was not disappointed.

His lips came into view—red and moist. Dark stubble covered the smooth caramel coloured skin of his chin. I wonder what it’d be like to kiss him? I shook the thought form my mind and growled, struggling against his hold.

I froze when I met his eyes.

‘Mate’

Oh fuck no.

Before I could make a move to get away, he pushed me further into the wall, moulding my body to his and making a supercharged current of electricity pass through me.

“Mate.” He growled. I hissed and fought, pushing him away from me, but it was no use. He took a deep breath and his eyes got much darker. He brought his face down to my level and pressed it into the crook of my neck. I felt him take a deep breath and he groaned. “You smell so good; I wonder what you’d taste like.” He growled as I felt his canines lengthening. This was not good.

If he marked me I would be bound to him and wouldn’t be able to track down Rieker, much less think about taking him on.

Using the only thing I could think of without killing him I raised my knee and it collided with his family jewels with more force than needed, making him double over to the ground growling in pain, cupping them in one hand as the other pressed up against the wall as he tried to get up and allowing me to escape.

I scuttled up that wall like a gecko and jumped onto the roof, below me the alley way was blocked by ten huge males, my mate bent over in pain. My gaze drifted over the rest of the warriors, my gaze locked with an almost carbon copy of my mate, slightly taller though.

‘Mate.’

I shook my head and snarled; not another one, twin alphas? Fuck my life.

I caught the glare of the bear and smirked. I’d like to see you try to track me after this one you bastard.

I flipped them off and jumped off the roof, running into the forest with supernatural speed and grace, shifting once I was out of sight and running.

They can’t take me, I’m free and nothing’s going to change that again.