TWELVE

"I don't know how she even got in without anyone sensing her," Rheon muttered as we all stood huddled around him in the kitchen. His eyes found mine but all I could detect in them was fear, "She knows about Ash."

Clemmy sucked in a breath, sharing the same look of concern as the rest of the Balfours. Seren clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists.

"Hasn't that bitch done enough damage already?" She seethed. Rheon shook his head. I could see he was fighting against the rage building inside him, trying to stay calm and in control.

I've been debating whether to tell them about the sinister figure I encountered in the hallway earlier. It could have been Lucine herself, out to bring an end to the only person who could break the curse. And connecting the dots – first she appeared to Rheon to inform him she knew about me being his mate, then appearing to me to no doubt end my life – I figured that I'm right. My presence here was a threat to her, meaning I have just moved to the top of her to-kill list.

However, as my gaze shifted to each Balfour in the room, I decided it's not the time to worry them even more. Rieka and Emric's expressions were grave, Alexander's blank, and Victor's timid with anger. They each had their own way to process the events of the night, but there is one thing they all have in common: the news of Lucine's return has left them gutted and floored.

It dawned on me Rheon wasn't the only one who's cursed, Lucine made sure to include everyone. But why? If she's half-werewolf and knew Rheon wasn't her mate, why go out of her way to make that happen? If she's already that powerful, why use that power to curse someone?

Unless...

It was merely a thought, but the more I considered it the more it made sense.

"You're the alpha, aren't you?" All heads turned to me, even Rheon's when I made that bold assumption, "I expected your father to be though, it was only obvious. But then I asked myself why Lucine would go to such extreme measures to have you. She wants power, a pack she can rule. And for that, she needs an alpha." By the looks on Rheon and his family's faces, I knew I was right. "I just don't understand why it has to be you? Surely there must be other packs in Scotland."

"Because Craven Pride is the biggest and most influential pack in Europe," Emric explained, "There are other packs, yes, they all have their alphas to lead them, but when it comes to hierarchy, they all turn to Craven Pride for leadership. I decided to step down a few years ago; a pack is only as strong as its alpha and Rheon was ready to take over. Guess that's exactly what Lucine's been waiting for."

"We take it you know about the curse, then," Alexander said to me to which I nodded.

"I also understand if it's not broken, it's not just Rheon who suffers the consequences. All of you will have to answer to Lucine." I crossed my arms, frowning. "I don't know her as you do, but she doesn't strike me as the submissive type of woman. If she managed to mess with Rheon's head before, who says she won't do it again?"

"Exactly," Victor muttered under his breath.

"Everyone's forgetting about the part where Lucine knows about Ash." Rheon rose from his seat and round the counter to stand beside me, one hand coming to rest protectively on my waist. "She'll come for her... she'll kill her."

My body shivered at his words. I could see how I was a problem here and nearly laughed at the irony - now there were two raging women who despised me; Matt's new side dish turned main course, and a half-werewolf, half-witch who wants me dead.

"She's not laying a finger on Ash," Seren snapped, "She'll have to go through us first."

I blinked. "Excuse me, what?"

"You are part of the pack now, dear." Rieka's smile was warm and comforting. "We keep each other safe. You have nothing to worry about. And just to be safe, I think you should sleep in Seren's room from now on."

The latter's face lit up and she sent me a wolfish grin. "Yay, roomies."

No one seemed to have any objections to the plan and even I had to admit, I'd feel a lot safer with a werewolf close by while I'm sleeping. A brief discussion followed in which the pack decided I shouldn't be left alone either - just in case Lucine bippity-boppity-boo herself in front of me and teleport us back to her evil werewolf lair.

The rain has ended once everyone retired to their rooms. I followed Seren to hers where we ended up sharing her queen-sized bed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered she kicks like a dog in her sleep.

Needless to say, I couldn't sleep that night. I lied awake until the sun poked its head over the horizon. All that ran through my head was Rheon's vivid description of Lucine and how she appeared to him, how she knew about me and wanted me dead.

Seriously, I only came here to take pictures of a wedding and now I was on the top of a crazy werewolf-witch's hit list.

Fuck my life.

The next time I checked my phone, I nearly groaned at the time - 4AM. I might as well give up on falling asleep. After making sure not to wake Seren, I slipped out of bed and found myself standing in front of Rheon's door, contemplating whether or not I should knock. The last thing I wanted was to bother him after everything he's been through tonight.

My hand was mid-air, merely inches from the door when, out of the blue, it opened from the inside. A shirtless Rheon appeared before me, and it became relatively harder for me to remind myself that his eyes were in his head and not in his abs...

"Sorry, I didn't mean to abs you - I mean bother you!" Seriously, Ash? Damn, you're an idiot. There was nothing more I wanted that moment to walk into the lake and drown of embarrassment.

Rheon arched a brow, at least seeming amused. "I heard you coming all the way from Seren's room."

"How were you so sure it wasn't Seren?" I crossed my arms determinedly.

"Because, unlike the rest of my family who just barges in, you have the decency to knock." Point for him, then. "Want to come in?"

"Am I allowed to?" I peered past him and stole a glimpse of his room.

He breathed a laugh and stepped aside. "My mother raised a gentleman. If anything had to occur within these walls, it would only be with your consent. Plus, I heard you tossing and turning, figured it was only a matter of time before you decided to explore more of the castle."

Blood rose to my cheeks; he's been keeping an eye on me. Or an ear it seems.

Rheon closed the door after I stepped into his room. I took a moment to admire my surroundings. The room was slightly bigger than mine with dark grey carpets and curtains. It had an en-suite bathroom as well as a walk-in closet and after sneaking a look inside, I found it to be neatly organized. His furniture was mostly black, but everything else was either blue, white, or plaid.

The little personal touches here and there made me grin; a collection of toy cars between the books on his shelves, the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy stacked on his bedside table, a wall of scarfs ready to grab and go, and...

"Are those Scooby-Doo figurines?"

His witty grin faltered as he placed himself between me and the figurines to block my view of them. "No."

"What a shame," I pouted, "it would've been cute. I would watch Scooby-Doo in a heartbeat. My all-time favorite is Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster."

His eyes were the size of tennis balls after my confession. "You're joking, right? Because that's my favorite one as well."

His eyes followed me as I walked about his room, running my fingers across the surfaces, and breathing in his scent. It was like stepping into his world and getting a glimpse of what's going on inside his head.

"Who's your favorite character?" I gestured towards the figurines.

"I have to say Fred. We have more or less the same responsibilities; we're both leaders who want to keep their loved ones safe." His lips tugged up into a smile. "You?"

"Oh, no doubt, Daphne," I replied, "She's smart, she has a great sense of fashion, and just like me lately, she has the tendency to get into danger."

He arched a brow and made himself comfortable on the bed. "Sounds to me like you need a big, strong werewolf to protect you then." Rheon patted the spot next to him for me to sit down.

"Excuse you, but this lass can get herself out of traps," I said defensively and yet, I found myself inching toward the bed. My heart was beating a thousand miles per hour as I joined him on the covers, tucking my legs underneath me to keep my toes warm.

"You're blushing," he noted, obviously amused.

"Well, I did see you naked." I recalled the image of him in his birthday suit, dripping wet thanks to the rain.

His eyes screwed shut as he groaned. "I probably broke all Mum's house rules in one evening."

"House rules?"

"Mum has a bunch of them to keep us well-behaved," he explained, "One of them is no shifting in the house. Another one; clothes must be kept on at all times." My brows nearly flew off my face as I gave him a look that screamed 'Elaborate, please'. "Due to our enhanced body heat, we're always hot and sweaty so we used to take our clothes off and walk around naked. Even Craig joined in after a week. Only after we nearly gave a few of Edda's staff members heart attacks, did Mum forbid us to walk around au naturel."

I was laughing myself hoarse, imagining the Balfour siblings and Craig in all their glory, just minding their own business before one of the servants entered the room and nearly passed out.

We eventually settled into a peaceful silence after the laughter faded. It was strange how, while with Rheon, I wasn't worried about Lucine and her threat to kill me. The world could be ending right this very moment and I wouldn't care. Looking over at him, my stomach did that weird thing where it flutters, making me feel exhilarated and nauseous all at once.

"How did you know you wanted to become a photographer someday?" His voice filled the silence.

My lips curved into a fond smile as I recalled the memory. "Ever since I could remember, my grandpa had cancer. He was always in pain and trips to the hospital became as frequent as trips to the grocery store. On my sixteenth birthday, he gave me his old Polaroid camera. I was over the moon. The very first picture I took was of him in which he smiled." My throat thickened, "He died a few months later."

I looked down when his hand covered mine, lacing our fingers together. He didn't say a word while he waited for me to continue.

"That picture of him smiling was all that kept me sane. It was a moment in time he was truly happy. Every time I felt like crying, I just had to look at it to know; wherever my grandpa is, he's smiling. That's how I decided I want to pursue photography - to capture those moments in time where someone is happy. It's a reminder of what life is truly about."

Rheon stared at me intently with a look I couldn't place. For a moment, it almost seemed as if he zoned out.

At last, he tore his eyes away and leaned down to pull the covers over our bodies. "For what it's worth, try getting some rest. There's no telling what awaits us today."

"This would be the first time I share a bed with a man I met only a few days ago." I snorted and turned on my side with my back to him. "First time sharing a bed with a man in general."

"I promise I'll keep my hands to myself." His breath fanned across my cheek when he leaned in to whisper in my ear.

Dammit, I swear my gooseflesh had gooseflesh after hearing the huskiness in his voice. But strangely enough, we barely settled in before I felt my eyelids droop. The events of earlier finally took their toll and the last thing I remembered before falling asleep was Rheon's arms making their way around me and pulling me to his chest.

So much for keeping his hands to himself.