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T W E N T Y

M I S A N T H R O P E : a hater of humankind (see: Aaemi in chemistry class)

Nicole Storm was a painfully beautiful young Asian woman a couple years older than me with an inky mane of hair the hung to her ribs, delicate nose, and large almond shaped eyes evenly spaced on a heart shaped face. There was something about her that made me instantly like her. Maybe it was her air of carefully executed carelessness, her calm way of throwing her gaze around a room as if everything interested her, or maybe it was because Nicole was the only other Alpha female I'd ever met that took the position as leader of her pack rather than Luna.

She sat in front of us behind a desk, unstrapping her forearm guards as she examined us carefully with dark, curious eyes. Nicole wore dark workout clothes, her hair loose and wavy around her face. I turned discreetly to look at Jungkook, who was also watching Nicole. Feeling my gaze on him, he turned to me.

Nobody spoke.

After finding us in the crowd of dancing shifters, one of Baekhyun's men had led us through the hallway and gestured for us to enter one of the several wooden doors. We'd done so and found her sitting at her desk, delicately wiping blood crusted around her fingernails.

“Hello,” Nicole finally spoke up. She spoke with a lilting English accent, and like her beta. It softened her voice and made her even more charming, “I'm Nicole. Alpha of pack M088 and I heard you two have business with me?”

“M088?” Jungkook asks, furrowing her brows. “Are you stationed in Europe?”

Nicole smiled, “Yes. England, but I tend to spend a lot of time in the States,” she doesn't elaborate and Jungkook doesn't push any further. There's something about Nicole, her Alpha Current sizzled, as if leaking with power she could barely controlled. Normally, the stronger your Current, the stronger your wolf is, leading your actions to be more emotionally driven. But Nicole was so refined, even polite. Like every movement, every word that came out of her voice was meticulously thought out.

“We actually came to ask a favor,” I say to her. Nicole turns to me, dropping the cloth she'd been previously using to clean the blood from her nails onto the table and folds her fingers under her chin.

“A favor? You should be careful asking for those, they must always be returned,” she warns me, her voice musical. Normally I would have snorted and said something along the lines of 'wow, you're such a poet' but my wolf held me back. Even she was being respectful.

“Of course,” I say. “I know. We came in search of information that we thought you might have,” I tuck hair behind my ears. Beside me, Jungkook nods in agreement.

“Please, continue,” Nicole says, motioning me to keep speaking.

“I'd like to know about the Four pack and it's reason of occupation in Vegas,” I blurt out.

Nicole smiled a me, like she was expecting the question, then leaned forward in her chair thoughtfully, “You're the alpha of pack L101, the pack that was commandeered by Cade?” Her words were more of a statement then a question. The surprise must have shown on my face. “Don't worry, méiyŏu shénme kĕ hàipà de. I won't tell.”

There's nothing to be afraid of. Her accent was barely there as she uses the language she knew I spoke.

“pà yŏu shénme yòng?” I responded immediately.. “How did you know?”

Nicole smiles again, this time, her smile has an approving feel to it. “No use in being afraid? You're strong, exactly the type of alpha I need. Would it be absolutely creepy if I said that I've been waiting for you?”

I exchange a glance with Jungkook, “What do you mean?” I ask carefully.

“Aaemi, you're asking for information as a favor, from one alpha to another. But I think I can offer you something far more valuable then just information,” Nicole eyes give away nothing but there's something in the way she speaks that makes me hold my breath. “My pack, and the Four pack have been feuding for years now.”

“Wait-” I wrinkled my eyebrows, “you don't even know what we want, all we wanted was-”

“Information, yes?” Nicole cuts me off, “But you don't walk up to the alpha of England's biggest werewolf pack and ask for a favor unless you're desperate. Or stupid.” She was half right.

“Or you didn't know,” I retort. “I had no idea who you were five seconds prior walking into this office door.”

She doesn't even blink, “All aside, I'm right. No? I know about you and your pack. You've finally escaped from Cade and suddenly they've found you again. Your pack is in danger again, you need plan,” Nicole writes out our situation perfectly, speaking the words as if she's practiced them all day.

“How-”

“All I'm saying is that I foresee a mutual interest and an overall benefiting alliance in our future.”

★ ★ ★

My head spun, and not just from the tiny brightly colored drink I'd snagged off one of the tables back in the club(which was a lot stronger then I thought it would be and I ended up spitting up most of it like the loser I was) but from everything the Nicole had said.

Jungkook hand on the small of my back as he led me past a line of people waiting to get into the club. But even this comforting warmth didn't help with the strong sense of unease I was feeling. After telling us she'd be interested in an alliance, she handed me a card and very generously asked us if we needed a ride home.

The card seemed to burn in pocket of my jeans. The last 'alliance' my pack had been in was the Four pack forcing us to sign a life-long contract with them because I was young, and 'unfit' to lead.

“Almost there,” Jungkook murmured to me, his voice calming as if he could smell the anxiety on me. Which he probably could, because it was rolling off of me. Muttering curse words in Mandarin, I tried swallowing my nervousness down. Alliance or not, I was still alpha female and I couldn't go around with people thinking I was anything but confident.

Jungkook stopped in front of the car, opening the passenger door for me and guiding me inside. I dropped into the seat, immediately pulling my heels off and mutter a 'thanks' in his direction. Jungkook grinned at me then shut the door and jogged around the car to get to the drivers seat.

Slipping inside, he waited until after the car was on the road to begin talking. “I'm sorry.”

I coughed out an amused laugh, “For what?”

“I should have thought that through,” He says, adjusting his sleeves to expose more of his arms, “I didn't know she'd know so much about your past, I mean, what else does she know, I might have just-”

I chuckled, placing a hand on his thigh. He stiffened in surprise but then reassuring warmth flooded through my palm, so I kept it there, “Relax. How were you supposed to know? Besides, it's not like your suddenly responsible for my pack's safety. That's my job.” Jungkook reaches down and covers my hand with his, a small smirk curls his lips up.

“Alright,” He agrees, interlacing our fingers. I roll my eyes and pull my hand away. He lets out a disproving noise before he returns his hand to the steering wheel. We're quiet for a few minutes, “What are you thinking about?” He asks suddenly.

Everything and nothing at the same time. Nicole's offer seemed too convenient and too good to be true, but the entire time we'd spoken to her, my wolf hadn't said anything. The fact that she knew everything about my pack's past was unsettling, but Nicole herself seemed strangely genuine.

“The alliance offer,” I spoke my mind, “I have no idea what to do. I barely know this Nicole person, but if she's really offering us an alliance maybe- I don't know- maybe I can end this whole thing.”

Jungkook turns to me, “End what?” He asks.

I shrug, “The Four pack knows I'm alive, they know the general vicinity that my pack resides and they know that I'm mated. Sooner or later, they're going to find us and they are going to kill us all.” I whip around to glare at Jungkook, “And you. I told you not to get involved, and now I've dragged you pack into all this back-ally from my past.”

The shifter next to me pulls up to a red light, so he can turn and look at me, “Aaemi. I wanted to be involved.” He tells me, “I want to be part of your life.”

“Yeah, but the Four pack are part of my past. An extremely dangerous part of my past. By bringing you in, I'm not just endangering you. I'm endangering your pack, your family.” I point out, voicing something I've been mulling over ever since I agreed to take him to California with me. “I don't want to do that.”

Jungkook chuckles, “You're my mate.” The word sounds good, “I have a feeling that my pack and your pack are going to have to meet eventually. This is a perfect opportu