ONE

*** Five Years Ago ***

The hunters are coming from every direction, seemingly appearing out of nowhere from the darkness.

They're surrounding us.

Everywhere you can hear the terrified screams of the children and the angry shouts of parents. Before long everyone that lives on the estate are forced down onto their knees in front of the main house. Pistols pointed into our faces.

Slowly our homes start burning one-by-one. Tears starts streaming down my face.

This is it. This is the end for us.

The air is filled with sobs and snickers. What are they waiting for?

"Shut up!"

One of the hunters cry out as he hits one of the elders on the back of the head with the butt of his gun. My hands slowly lift to the sides of head. With that an eerie hush falls over the estate while two black SUVs pull up to the group.

I can't make out their faces, the headlights blinding me.

Suddenly a young woman is standing in front of me. The heat is burning my face. I have to close my eyes.

"This is what you have been training for your whole life. What is our family creed?"

There's only silence. The man repeats his question with anger.

"What is our family creed?!"

"Veneur Always. Werewolves nevermore."

She says with an uncertainty in her voice. My eyes fly open at the sick phrase.

She looks horrified. She's searching our faces. What is she looking for?

The throbbing of my heart is drowning out all the noise.

"..I will spare the children"

That is all I hear. I look at her and barely whisper.

"Please save the children…Its ok."

Her shoulders are trembling as she lifts her wavering hand.

"Promise?"

*** Lexie ***

"Almost there"

She whispers out loud gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles go white. She needed to get away and a sea change seemed like a good idea. A good idea to escape my so-called fucking destiny. She reminded herself, after all she could only fight them for so long until they forced her to kill again. Winding the window down she hoped to catch the scent of the ocean or perhaps smell of her absolution, if it even has a smell.

The second she passed the town's welcome sign, relief escaped her lips. Pharos Point, her new home, hopefully her sanctuary. Its a quiet town, exactly what she needs. She reaches over to the centre console. Time to call the only person that knows she's here, her best friend Jess.

"Lexie! Finally! I thought with your lead foot I would have heard from you ages ago"

She chuckles out a reply.

"Hello to you too"

Leaving home was both the easiest and hardest thing she's ever done. Easy because she needed escape. Hard because it meant leaving Jess. Jess was new to town when they met. At first glance Jess seemed like such an angry girl. Everyone dismissed her. Teachers, her foster parents and even other students wouldn't give her the time of of day which is why Lexie probably gave her a chance. She felt sorry for her in the beginning. That being said the more time she spent with her the more she started to like her. Eventually they grew close, so close that Lexie started to see her like a sister. At fifteen years old, the world of boys and high school seemed overwhelming but Jess somehow made Lexie's better. Not only did they have the insipid drama of your average teenager to navigate but Jess somehow made it feel like she was helping Lexie carry the burden of being a Veneur Legacy.

She had told her everything, revealed to her that the world was filled with barbaric werewolves and how her family, who took it upon themselves generations ago, lead and help exterminate the so-called threat. You would think a normal person would look at you like you're about two seconds away from being checked into a nut house or at the very least laugh in your face. Not Jess. She simply drew Lexie into an embrace after she learnt the truth, as a sister would and made her feel like she could become the hunter her family could be proud of one day. How wrong Lexie was about everything.

Sure, her parents were in quite a huff when they found out that Jess knew the truth but they came around, eventually. Jess and Lexie were inseparable, she was slowly becoming part of the family. Her parents had to admit defeat at some point and even let her join Lexie during physical training.

"So tell me how's your new apartment? Do you have an ocean view? Oh, what's the night scene like there? You know this is the perfect time for you to…"

"Jess!" Lexie cut her off. "I literally just drove in and besides there will be no night life experiences for me. I'm keeping a low profile remember?"

Lexie knew what she was going to say. The perfect time for her to go out there find a man and have some fun. She would say she needed to loosen up and forget everything. Hah, that's the last thing I need right now. A man would only be a complication, especially in her fucked up life. Nice and simple is what she needed.

"Sorry."

Lexie sighed.

"Its ok. I just wanted to let you know I got here. I'll check in when I can. Love you"

"Love you too" she pauses "Be safe."

With that goodbye Lexie rested her head on the steering wheel after she pulled into the rental parking lot. She fought back tears. They can't talk like they used to, not now. They'll be watching her. She knows where she is but nothing more, hell she shouldn't even have given her the name of the town, but she can be so persistent. Jess has talked her into so many things during her life. Although if it wasn't for Jess she would have ran away sooner. Things will never be the same again. With resolve Lexie sat up and squared her shoulders. Now is not the time to feel sorry for myself.

After returning the rental car and getting a cab to her new apartment Lexie opened the door to her new third floor furnished apartment. She stepped inside the small corridor that leads into the open plan living area. The walls seemed to be stuck in the seventies, painted with a horrific beige that has the smallest strip of flower wallpaper running across the entire room. Its what reasonably priced gets you. Straight in front of her there's a large open space that stretches to the left with an amazing view of the ocean. Lexie chuckles out loud. I mean if I squint and stand on my toes I can see it. That counts right?

Next to her is the kitchen with a counter island setting the boundary between the two living spaces. Ugh, more beige. Turning left, walking into the living space along the wall are two doors. The left hosts a modest sized bathroom with one of those bathtub shower combos. I'll need to buy a shower curtain. The other door the bedroom. She steps inside and rolls her only suitcase into the corner and just flopped down onto the bed, staring at the popcorn ceiling.

Her escape was quick. It had to be. It was the only way to get out from underneath those monsters. She just got lucky that the rental car place allowed her to use a fake name. It did cost a bit to convince them. She physically winces remembering the amount of flirting and money she had to hand over to the sweaty, seedy guy with the porn moustache to make that happen.

With a heavy sigh she declares out into the universe hoping some higher power will hear her but more importantly have her back.

"I am fine. This is a good thing."

The next few days blur past.

Settling into a new town, buying essential items and of course looking for work. My little stash of cash won't last forever. However the current mission is to find the best coffee Pharos Point has to offer and Joe's seemed like a busy caffeine haven the few times she went past. As she stepped outside her building a cold breeze laps at her face. She zips up her red scarf into her favourite brown leather jacket and starts heading towards the coffee shop two blocks away tucking her head away into her chest.

Everyone is friendly. Everyone is nice. Everyone is a potential threat. She's not sure if this is actually true but she needs to keep her guard up. Being alert has been ingrained into her since she was a child, amongst other things. Lexie despised her upbringing but considering she just ran from the very people who raised her, she was surprisingly thankful for those skills that they've forced upon her and that's it. Its these skills that'll keep her hidden and alive. Her family has connections everywhere and so staying alert is essential to her survival. She couldn't afford to lose focus or lose sight of the bigger picture. It is one of the reasons Lexie picked Pharos Point. In all the case studies she was forced to spend hours upon hours studying during her academic training, not once was Pharos Point mentioned. It seemed like a safe pick but that didn't mean there couldn't be a Veneur informant lurking around somewhere. They were like cockroaches hiding in every dark corner.

As she turned the corner the fresh breeze delivered a bouquet of sweet baked goodness and roasted coffee beans. The smell almost instantly lifted her spirits and she could just imagine the cabinet filled with sweet treats in front of her causing a small rumble to erupt from her stomach. Not wanting to waste time she looked up so she can find the entrance to Joe's and froze in her tracks. In front of her, leaning against some fancy black car is what she could only describe as an Adonis-like figure.

She flushed, surprising herself at the instant reaction her body has to this stranger. Ankles crossed, she couldn't help but notice that they are attached to strong muscular legs in perfectly tight black jeans. Her eyes moved up to take in his arms resting against his solid chest making the long white sleeved shirt struggle against his trapped biceps. He's sporting aviators, with a delicious shadow along his strong jaw. His black hair just long enough begging for her fingers to comb through the soft curls. The skin on the back of her neck was heating up. Holy fuck this man is sex on a stick.

*** James ***

"Fuck"

He lifted his head to find the source of the barely audible statement. He smiled to himself knowing the effect he has on women so wasn't surprised at all to see a member of the opposite sex standing there. He knew she was looking him over, he could feel her eyes on him before he even saw her. He even heard the little grumble coming from her belly. Sneaky she was not.

She was a natural beauty, there was almost a renaissance quality to her, she could easily have been one of Da Vinci's subjects. James feels a familiar twitch in his groin. She wasn't the usual type he went for but there was no denying that he was instantly attracted to her. She was curvy, full hips, luscious thighs, and even though she was hiding underneath her jacket and scarf he bet her breasts were full and in proportion to the rest of her body. As she walked past him, he was gifted the sight of her ass. Fuck I love jeans. He most definitely appreciated the view from behind. He slowly lifted his eyes taking in her curves and enjoying the way her hips naturally swayed. Her chestnut hair was waving in the wind, then as it usually does in Pharos Point the wind suddenly changed direction and he could smell her. Her scent was intoxicating and assaulting all his senses. Vanilla? Jasmine? She smells so sweet and pure. James could have sworn his heart-rate increased.

Mate.

He stiffened and dropped his flirty smile immediately. What the fuck was that? He kept his eyes on her as she walked into Joe's. I need to get out of here.

Growing up as a child everyone got bedtime stories. He has heard the traditional ones, the ones that movies are based upon and then there's the ones for werewolves. More accurately there's only two. The first one teaches were-pups to be on alert, to be safe and most of all discreet, because the hunters will find you, hang you up by your ankles and slice you open, then bleed you out. He remembers every detail of that story, it scared the shit out of him as a kid. Especially considering he was a born Alpha and knew once he grew up he had to protect his pack from all dangers. Hunters are a very real threat to their existence today. Over the last five years they've only stepped up their assault.

The other fairytale was that the Moon Goddess, who supposedly created werewolves, loved her children so much that she made sure each and every single one of them had a mate specifically created for them, a perfect fit, a soulmate somewhere under the stars waiting to be found.

One - the world is a big fucking place. The chances of finding your alleged soulmate was one in a billion and two - he's never heard of this actually happening, let alone a werewolf and a human. In his thirty years of existence. Never once has he heard a rumour or seen any sliver of evidence that could indicate that this particular story was any more than just that, a story.

Being an Alpha meant he relied on cold hard facts, he had to, for the safety of all those counting on him. Believing in fairytales and silly dreams was one way to sign their and his own death sentence. James assumed the story was told to give were-pups hope, a brighter outlook, whatever helped them sleep at night. He never put any faith in this particular one yet his instincts were screaming the opposite right now.

There's no fucking way. He pulled out his phone.

James: Where the fuck are you guys? Roasting the beans yourself?

He sent off a quick text to Markus, his Beta who is currently taking his sweet time, along with Chelsea, his latest conquest, grabbing them coffee and breakfast after the previous night's patrols. James swears Markus was slowly making his way through the pack, its going to bite him in the ass one day. He needed to get out of here before she comes back out.

"Calm down it's a big order"

He jerked his head up. Bastard is standing in front of him with nothing in his hands. Markus is the kind of man that women just seem to trust. Warm, inviting and always has a genuine smile on his face. Sandy brown hair, blue eyes and only slightly shorter than James. How on earth no woman in their pack has kicked off yet because of his womanising ways goes beyond his understanding. Maybe its his irritating but charming personality? James scowled at him.

"Relax Chelsea said she'll grab it"

He said raising his hands in surrender.

"What's got you all worked up?"

"None of your fucking business"

He laughs at James.

"Fine, don't tell me"

Not only was he second in command but he was the closest thing James had to a best friend. He was probably the only one that could get away with talking to him like that. Anyone else would have been put in their place.

The door swings open. Chelsea saunters out swaying her hips carrying the coffees. No doubt a display for Markus. Normally he would enjoy the view - he is a man after all - but not now, not after her. What the fuck has that woman done to him and he hasn't even met her yet. Yet? He shakes his head dismissing the thought quickly. Chelsea moves to the side and stepping out from behind is her. He swallows hard trying to remain cool and distant as the sweet aroma of vanilla and jasmine invades his senses.

"Hey boys this is…" Chelsea trails off, eyes wide of embarrassment and turns to her new found friend "I'm so sorry I forgot your name!"

She smiles sincerely at Chelsea then looks at Markus, taking whatever air he had left in his lungs. From here he could see her clearly. He could drown in her hazel eyes and her smile, it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. She stretches her hand out towards Markus. Their contact made him uncomfortable, extremely uncomfortable. He had to work hard at resisting the urge to growl at him.

"I'm Alexandra" they shake hands

"Markus Jones" he provides politely and then her hand swings in James' direction, offering it to him. Like a lamb to the slaughter.

"But all my friends call me Lexie"

They shake hands and wherever their skin is in contact there's sparks. Telling from the quiet sharp intake of her breath and slight pink blush suddenly on her cheeks, she feels it too. I wonder if her skin blushes in other places?

"James. James Richards."