Unknown secrets

It was almost noon the next day when Raven slowly opened her eyes, staring at her strange surrounding. This wasn't her home. Gone were the fluffy white duvet and white ceiling board. She was in an extra large bed with bronze coloured duvet over her. The room was extraordinary;wide and spacious. The curtains were drawn, keeping out the sunlight.

Where was she?

Suddenly the events of the previous night arose in her mind. She remembered the masked man who attacked her, and Drake had come to her rescue.

Drake. Where was he? This must be his house, she thought.

Pushing the thick duvet off her body, she swung her legs over the bed and pushed herself up. And she received the greatest shock of her life.

She was dressed in only the t-shirt and panties she had slept in the previous night. Did Drake bring her to his home this way? Her face turned red with embarrassment and she facepalmed herself. Never in her life would she go to bed without getting fully dressed.

She saw a pair of shorts at the end of the bed and she grabbed it quickly. If Drake put it there for her, then she was grateful to him. She couldn't imagine herself walking around with just a t-shirt and nothing else.

As she tugged the shorts up, she winced,. remembering the wound she had on her right shoulder. She looked down at it and saw that it had been bandaged.

Did Drake do this also? If he did, then she had a lot of reason to thank him.

Moving slowly, she made her way to the large mirror at the corner of the room, and she flinched at her appearance. She looked pale, deathly pale with large dark circles around her eyes. The loss of blood must have affected her so much.

Running a hand through her hair, she rubbed her face and looked towards the door. A part of her wanted to wait until he came up to the room. But the other part, the stubborn part, wanted to go out that door and take a look around. If this was really Drake's house, she wanted to see what kind of place he lived in, and if he lived here with Perry alone.

Making up her mind and not minding that she looked bedraggled, she walked towards the door and slowly turned the knob.

A long empty passage met her eyes when she poked her head out of the door. Large and long, with not a single soul. Where the hell was Drake?

Taking quiet steps, she moved down the hallway until she got to the end and peered out. There was a grand staircase that led downstairs, much like the types she had seen in those classy movies. Drake had to be strikingly rich if he lived in such grand mansion.

And then she remembered, he single handedly bought a large loan firm. He was absolutely wealthy.

Taking a deep breathe, she walked down the stairs slowly, heart hammering in her chest out of nerves. She could hear the sound of voices close by and she almost changed her mind and returned to the room.

"Get a hold of yourself Raven",she chided herself.

Squaring her shoulders, she was about to walk down the remaining flight of stairs when a particular voice stopped her.

"What happened last night Perry? Where were you?"

It was Drake, and it seemed he was talking to his assistant.

"My apologies Alpha..."

Raven frowned. Again with the alpha name. What did that mean? Why did Perry address Drake as alpha?

"...had to find out why",Perry finished whatever explanation he was saying.

"Something is wrong somewhere",Drake said in a brooding manner. Raven moved closer to the door and carefully leaned on it so she would eavesdrop on what was being said.

"Why do you say so Alpha?",Perry asked.

"The gunman who attacked Raven, wasn't from the Wallace estate"

Raven's frown deepened. Caroline Wallace had tried to kill her?

Before she could take in the news, she heard something else that even made her all the more confused.

"He wasn't?",Perry asked. "But the code..."

"Caroline was killed yesterday",Drake broke the news abruptly.

Raven clamped her palms on her mouth to prevent her gasp from escaping. Caroline Wallace was dead?

"Dead? But how?",Perry asked unbelievably.

"That's the strange part",Drake said slowly. "I think she was murdered. By a beast"

"A beast? Alpha, apart from the pack members, who else would want to murder her?"

"That's why it's so strange. She was mauled terribly. Beyond recognition"

"Do you think it's a shifter we don't know about?",Perry asked while he seemed to be in deep thought.

Drake watched his beta with a neutral expression. Things were happening and after so many years of hiding in secret, they couldn't risk the humans finding out about the realm of the supernatural and its creatures.

"Send a mind link to the pack members",Drake said finally. "I want every werewolf alert and vigilant. If it's a creature we don't know about, I want it found and caught. The realm of the supernatural can't be discovered by the humans"

Raven's head was reeling with everything she just heard. Was she crazy? Maybe her loss of blood was making her hear things because, did she really just hear what Drake said? Werewolves? Creatures? Realm of the supernatural?

What the hell was going on?

She was still at a loss of what to do with the information she just heard when her name caught her attention.

"Alpha what about Raven?",Perry asked.

Drake's eyes darkened at the way Perry called Raven's name. He clearly didn't like it.

"What about her?",he asked darkly, instead of answering Perry's question.

"I know it's none of my business Alpha..."

"I'm glad you know it's not",Drake smoothly interrupted him.

Perry sighed and continued with what he had been saying.

"I'm not just your beta Alpha. I'm also your best friend, and trusted confidant"

"What exactly is your point?",Drake asked impatiently. He needed to go back up to the room incase Raven awoke.

"I've seen the way you stare at her. And I know you feel something for her. But she's human Alpha. Such union can't be possible"

"Who said anything about a union?",Drake asked. But within, he knew Perry was right. There could never be anything between Raven and him. They were just too different. Still it seemed he couldn't let her go.

"I know she reminds you so much of Luna Lana. But you must know Raven is not her",Perry said quietly, not wanting to anger Drake.

Instead of getting pissed, Drake looked away from him and stared outside the window. His eyes lost focus as the memory of his dead mate, Lana, flitted into his mind.

"I have a feeling Raven is her reincarnation",he said in a strange emotionless voice. "Maybe the moon goddess is punishing me for not protecting my mate when she needed me. Maybe Raven is my second chance"

"As much as I want it to be, you and I know that's not possible",Perry said. He turned also and stared out the window. "If the moon goddess really wanted to give you a second chance mate, she wouldn't have made her human. You have to let Raven go"

"That's enough Perry",Drake snapped, suddenly annoyed with the direction the conversation was going. He hadn't been able to protect Lana, but he was hoping he could protect Raven. And if he had to be with her to protect her, then he would do it.

"My apologies Alpha",Perry apologized quickly, knowing that he had crossed his limit.

"Send the message to the pack members. They need to be on the look out for a strange creature",Drake said in a dismissing tone and Perry got the hint.

"Yes Alpha",Perry said and quickly exited the house, leaving Drake in the large living room, lost in thought.

Drake turned suddenly towards the door that led to the stairs. A faint scent caught his attention and he turned fully. It was a scent that was embedded in his senses.

The sweet smell of lavender.

Moving slowly, he walked towards the door and stepped into the hallway. It was empty. He looked up the stairs, eyes dark and emotionless.

The smell of lavender lingered in the air and he knew instantly.

Raven had been standing there.