Lights illuminated the dirt road as the Durango drove further down the road toward the dirt road. The sound of voices between the blaring music radiated from the SUV.

Selene had the radio blasting.

"An American! An American! She's-!" Loud music barked from the radio. A few voices chanted in unison with the song in Selene's SUV as she chimed in too.

In the front seat, Cameron was bobbing her head to the music as they drove into the thick forest. The night was dry, free of any prior downpour! She was enjoying the hell out of it. No slick roads! Nadda!

Even as Selene adjusted in the driver seat, she couldn't resist the urge to peek back behind her, "Hey Bea, do you know who's at the graduation party?"

Derek rocked out of his air guitar to the music, unaware as he sat next to Bea, rocking his head back and forth violently. "AMERICAN!" He screamed airily, so it wasn't too loud.

Bea glanced at her phone, checking.

Selene laughed. She peeked back to Bea again as her eyes gleamed bright with excitement. She leaned back in the seat, letting her phone slide between her legs so she was able to contort herself around enough to peek into the rear bench of the Durango. Cameron tentatively reached over to grasp the steering wheel before whispering something that Selene barely heard.

The roar of the music made it hard to listen to anyone. Blazing through the road, Selene's Durango jostled as the road grew bumpy.

Sarah punched Derek in the arm. "Dork," she grumbled, but she wasn't genuinely that bothered by it. She looked at Selene. "Jack might be there. You realize he's in love with you, right?" she teased.

Lex scoffed. "Poor kid."

Selene looked at her as her expression tried to harden, but she couldn't keep the expression. "Don't torment me with the idea. He's just shy." She didn't want to believe it.

Cameron scoffed, whooping as she choked on the lyrics she was singing.

"Guys!" Selene moaned dramatically over their teasing, struggling to get them to stop. "I'm telling you, it's not like that! Seriously!" Selene took a tentative breath before refocusing on the road. She checked the directions from her phone centered over the dash before focusing again. Watching for deer.

"Or do you still have the hots for Dean and his rugged looks?" Derek stopped, leaning forward to look at her. "Oh, Dean!" He batted his eyelashes dramatically, before bursting into laughter, flinging himself back against his seat.

"Hey, Dean is pretty hot," Cameron raised a brow as she hardly noticed Selene grip the steering wheel tighter from the top for a moment before letting her hands slide from her usual 10-and-2 position. "I somewhat wish he-"

Selene blushed hard, going quiet after hearing them all. Yeah, but Dean was older than all of them. He only came to college because his job was paying for his training so he could be re-certified as a computer technician, but damn he was handsome.

Lex rolled his eyes. "Is there something wired in women to make them chase the bad boys?"

"Yeah," Derek laughed, "because all the good girls like bad boys." He snorted, laughing at his remark towards the song.

Sarah looked at Lex with an eyebrow raised. "There's something in powerful men that draws us. You know the whole feeling protected thing."

"Protected? From what?"

Sarah rolled her eyes.

"The beta is strong with this one." Cameron teased, letting her fingers wiggle at the steering wheel. "I sense it!" She started, trying to make her voice sound spooky.

"You guys are awful," Selene laughed, relaxing. She covered her mouth as she looked back ahead down the dark road. It was just trees now.

"We're almost here," Bea told them, not participating in their shenanigans. Michael's parents let him throw a house party while they took a cruise for the next few days. They just told him he can't break anything." She looked up, "So, no rough housing." She looked at Derek and Lex.

Derek looked at her, "What?" He laughed, cracking a grin, "I don't break things."

"Ri-ight," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Just hearts, right?" She asked him. "I heard Meghan would be there."

"Seething," Derek's smile fell. "Must you always remind me of her? She broke up with me, not the other way around."

"Oh, here we go!" Cameron rolled her eyes, turning the music back up. She leaned back, flopping against the seat as her belt strap pulled itself taut against her chest. She crossed her arms and looked out the window at the passing trees, hoping to see some light shine through.

Bea sighed, flicking her phone off as they pulled up and Cameron parked next to the other cars and everyone hopped out. She slid out of the middle seat and out next to Derek.

Selene was adjusting her shorts down, pushing her hair back out of her face messily as she looked at the tips, now nervous that she should have redyed them. What if she looked too plain? She looked up, hearing the bass as the lights thrummed to it, making her feel nervous. She felt like she always choked up at these events.

Lex got out and waited for Sarah to get out behind him. "Don't start anything here, please," he told her.

Sarah smiled sweetly. "I'd never." She sneered at him as she walked on to go inside. Where were the drinks?

Cameron hopped out of the car, waiting for Selene to throw her the keys as the designated driver. She snatched them up from the airport, giving them a second good today before engaging the alarm after locking it.

Cameron stared back at everyone but grinned weakly, only confident this was somewhat worth it before she stuffed the keys in her back pocket as they all began walking up the steps to go to the second floor where the door was. She didn't hesitate, opening the door as noise and swaths of warm body heat drifted out over the open steps.

She hardly hesitated before completely opening it, then stepping inside. It was loud, bustling with music as people danced in the house or chatted while drinking. She noticed the kitchen straight ahead as she walked forward to get a feel for the place. She'd find Michael soon enough.

Selene stepped in after Derek, who seemed to disappear off quickly into the crowd. She felt like her v-neck shirt and shorts didn't match much else. Everyone else seemed dressed better and she looked down at the basement stairs that went below the floor she was on. She could hear people down there, probably in the den. Her hand smacked her leg as she looked left and right before disappearing downstairs.

There he was, Dean. Her eyes lit up looking at him as he leaned over the pool table, shooting shots and smoking a cigarette with the other boys as they played a round of pool. Her heart nearly lept out of her chest as she drew the top of her lip in to chew at it as she crossed the wall into the next room, the den, where people were dancing and the DJ had set up. She shifted into the dancing bodies, trying to find a place to be comfortable, but she really just wanted a corner to hide in.

Sarah caught Selene and walked over to her then, shoving a cup in her hand. "Drink up buttercup," she smiled at her.

Selene turned, seeing Sarah and it was like she just- She took the cup, looking at her uncertain as she downed it. Just nerves. Alcohol usually seemed to do the trick. "I-I do not feel like I belong here," she admitted to Sarah quickly. She knew it was a mistake to usually trust her with anything but she really just wanted to vent her feelings right now.

Another person bumped into Selene and she winced, pulling back to look at them as she gasped, pushing herself back out of the way.

Sarah took a drink and looked at her. "Why not?" She asked her. Sure, Sarah came off as a bit of an uncaring bitch, but that wasn't completely true. "Watch it!" she growled at the person who bumped into them.

"B-because I never go to these!" She rasped, "I know Cameron said he'd be here, but he's surrounded by all those big guys at the pool table. There's no way I can talk to him. He'll think I'm a child! I look like one!" She rattled, looking at her clothes. "I wish I wore something different. Everyone looks so-" She scrubbed a hand at her forehead, pushing her hair back.

Sarah stared at her. "Looks like what?" She searched around, seeing everyone. "I see a bunch of people just trying to have fun. There's no dress code."

Selene stared back to the poolroom, and she glanced at Sarah, "I have like the worst nerves right now." She shook, trying to hold the cup. "I-I want to talk to him..." She stared at Dean as she watched Raoul cross in front of him, blocking her view.

Una picked up her cue then. "Move over boys. I'm playing this game." She smiled at one of them, winking.

Kadir watched Una step up to the table, and he smirked. What a pretty little wolf.

Raoul pushed his hair back as he stood up, letting her in. "By all means," he breathed coolly, letting her in.

Dean watched them go, and he straightened up to lean back against the wall, looking at Una. "I'm taking on the winner," he told her.

Una smiled at Raoul. He was hot. She noticed Kadir and arched a brow at him. She leaned down and shot, breaking the balls apart. "Smalls."

Raoul waited for her to call before he stepped up, letting his upper half lean over the table as he took his shot, letting the ball bank off the side before it smacked another, but nothing sunk in. "Your turn," he looked at her, raising a curious brow at her. Was she challenging him? He smiled a little at it. He liked it.

Una looked for a shot and grinned. She leaned over, her ass peeking out just a little from her torn shorts. She shot and sank two. She moved around the table and winked at him as she pulled the stick behind her and took another shot backwards. Another sinker.

Raoul watched her and he laughed lightly, "Impressive," he told her, turning to her. "Did you just come to show off?" He was looking her up and down as he picked up his red Solo cup to drink out of it.

"Maybe," she smirked. She turned her back to him and lined up another shot.

Kadir watched and as she shot, he used a bit of his power to make the stick go sideways just enough to make her miss.

Una straightened up and looked at Kadir knowing it was him. That telekinetic bastard!

"Aw, and you were doin' so good." He smiled at her.

Raoul smirked, "I'll go easy on you," he told her, turning to shoot after. The balls collided hard when he hit them and two split into the holes, sinking as he turned and tapped the last one to let it smack near the hole. "Now we're even," he shrugged, "Go ahead. Let's see if you can start that streak again."

Selene stepped closer a bit out of the dancing people and then back to Sarah, "S-Should I go?"

"Uh- yeah!" Sarah told her. "Take some more liquid courage and go talk to him."

Selene looked at her cup, seeing it was empty, and she saw someone walking by. She snatched it from their hands quickly and downed it. She saw them look at her pissed, about to protest but they just looked at her like she was strange and they stepped back as she dropped it in the other empty cup and pushed it to Sarah. "Don't cry at my funeral," Selene took in a deep breath, walking over quickly.

Sarah was shocked, but laughed watching her go. She wondered if she should have told her the whole "be yourself" BS. She rolled her eyes and went to get another cup.

Dean looked back and saw her walking over. Selene. She was cute and tiny. He liked tiny.

Selene walked over to him, looking up at him, and she swallowed her anxiety, shoving it down to smile up at him. "H-Hey," she cracked a smile at him. She felt the alcohol a little and laughed lightly, seeing Una and Raoul, pretending to care as she looked in their direction. "Waiting for your turn?" She asked him.

"Hey," he smirked. "Oh, yeah. I called winner." He told her. Ugh what does she care? Don't be awkward. He chastised himself.

"Yeah, you play often?" She asked him. She tried to make small talk to break the ice.

"Yeah," he shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "Do you play?"

"No, I've never played to be honest." She waved, laughing a little, as she crossed her arms. She looked over to Una and Raoul, watching them a moment.

She smiled at him. She was going to win. She glared at Kadir. If he made her lose, she'd eat his throat out. She calculated the best shot. She had two left and then the 8 ball. She lined it up just right and she felt the stick pull again and she adjusted for it at the last second and the cue ball hit it's mark. It hit one ball in, bounced off the side and knocked the other one down into the corner pocket. She smiled. "Last one," she didn't really have a good leave. "Side pocket," she called and bent down and shot. The cue bounced off the sides quickly missing the others still left in the table and hit the eight right on the edge. The 8 rolled to the corner, but hit the edge of the hole and stopped. "Tits!" She cried.

Raoul burst into laughter, his poker face breaking. "Sorry to say, your loss!" He grinned, coming back in to make his shot. It was easy since all hers were in the hole. The first one slid along the edge and sunk into the center left. He turned his sights on the last two and shot the cue ball over to the last one near the right corner pocket, letting it smack it but just enough to send it in as the cue ball bounced off and knocked into the next ball, sinking it in. He looked at her. "Let's play for the eight. Yes?" He asked.

"Hell yeah!" She wasn't going to just roll over and let him win.

Selene heard her and covered her mouth with her fist, coughing as she tried not to laugh at Una. "I'd love to learn if you'd be willing to teach me. I-I mean, if you're okay with that after your match." She told him.

He smiled and laughed lightly. "Yeah. I can do that." He had that lady killer grin.

Selene stared at his face, unable to tear her eyes away as she nodded. She watched Una and leaned against the wall, putting her foot against it as he crossed her arms to grab her upper arms as she got a little more comfortable. "Y-You came back to college, right, to renew your certs?" She asked him, biting her lip.

"Uh, yeah." He said.

"What's it like working for a big company? I did- I didn't know they did that for people... Like send them back to college and whatnot." She blushed a little as she felt the alcohol kicking in a little more and she felt her vision haze a little. Selene tucked her hair back a little as she stood up, feeling lightheaded as she looked up at him as her face flushed a little from the effects of the alcohol. "You uh-" What was she saying?

Una nodded at him. "Your turn."

Raoul smirked, lining up, "Left Corner Pocket." Raoul pulled his stick back before he struck the cue ball so as to hit it the eight ball hard, sending it to the corner but it rattled back and forth in the corner before bouncing out back into the center of the table. "Ah, well, your turn." He shrugged.

She looked at him. Surely he wasn't tossing it. She lined up and shot.

Karid smirked and had the cue ball follow the 8 into the hole.

"NO!" She groaned.

"Aw!" Karid feigned sadness. "So close."

Raoul laughed with Karid louder, "Bad luck I guess. Maybe you were too eager." He taunted.

Selene jumped, hearing Una, and she looked over. "Guess he wins," she breathed back out slowly, feeling startled.

Dean smiled and pat Raoul on the shoulder. "I'm gonna teach this one to play. Go get a drink or something." He told him. "Grab a stick."

Raoul looked at him and shrugged, "Sure." He set it across the table and looked at Una, "Is it just pool you try to dominate at?" He flirted, walking over to grab his cup from the china cabinet tabletop.

Una flashed him a toothy grin. "Why don't you find out."

"Sure," he grinned, "I'm sure there's more games upstairs." He nodded, walking up to them slowly. "You coming?"

"Mm-hmm!" She smiled and followed him upstairs.

Selene walked over, trying to keep her eyes on the table as she looked at the stick and grabbed it. She blinked a few times, realizing she wasn't exactly sober, but she wasn't drunk. Yet. Easy on the alcohol idiot. Too much. She smirked, picking up the stick to look at him. "How do you play?" She asked, loosening up.

He smiled at her. She really never played? He grabbed all the balls and laid them in the rack, arranging them accordingly. "So when you rack 'em..." He started laying out the rules for her.

She nodded, trying to pay attention, but it was harder than expected. "So uh, they always go like this?" She asked him, pointing to the rack.

"Yeah. Now I racked, so you get to break." He smiled at her as he set the cue on the table. "You want to hit this ball against them so they scatter."

"Oh, okay." She tried to lean over the table as her shirt lifted a little from leaning towards the cue ball. She tried to lift up the pole, but her hands struggled to stay steady. From the back, she had a nicely rounded ass, making her jeans appear tight, revealing her shape instead of her skin. "This isn't as easy as I thought."

She struggled, licking her lip as she saw her vision cross. Oh, fuck it. She smacked it and the ball flew sideways with a diagonal spin till it hit three balls to the left side of the racked balls.

He couldn't help but notice her ass. He saw her miss and laughed. "Sorry. The more you play, the easier it gets." He took the cue, then lined it up and shot. The balls scattered after a loud crack. Two balls sunk, one of each. "Bigs," he grinned at her.

"What's 'bigs' mean?" She asked him, leaning against the wall as she watched him break apart the cluster of balls.

"See the circles that have the numbers in them?" He pointed. "Bigs, also called stripes.��� He pointed at another. "Smalls, or solids."

"Oh," she smiled sheepishly as she tried to move over the table. She leaned over, trying to get into a suitable position to hit the cue ball. "So I get solid colors?" She asked, understanding more. She tried to line up to the cue and missed completely.

Her face turned red as she struggled a little more to focus. Damn. What was in the last drink? Was that rum and coke? She blinked hard before drawing her hair back out of her face. She pushed her bangs aside, "This is not my game. I need coordination." She laughed, looking at him.

He smiled. "Here try," he moved to show her how to hold it. "Use your thumb to keep it steady. All you do with this hand is follow through."

Her breathing went rigid as he touched her hand and she looked at his hand and she eased up a little and let it slide between her fingers easier. "Oh," was about all she could muster out.

He let her go then. "Try it now."

She lined up and her hand shook as she took a deep breath, focusing her vision and she shot it. The ball she hit wasn't hers and she realized that too late in trying to just aim for the cue ball as it bounced off and she sunk in the striped ball. "Oops," she sank, feeling flat. She laughed at herself, unable to help how loose the alcohol made her feel. "Yikes, guess I'm playing for the other team." She looked back at him. "At least I hit the cue!" She laughed more, easing up.

He laughed. "Good shot, though!" He encouraged her. He could tell she was feeling it though. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she laughed, getting a little hyped into it. She looked at him and blushed a little, "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice went a little more quiet. She was obviously just beginning to start getting drunk, but if she didn't drink more, it'd be fine. Right? As long as she didn't drink. Her mind was further from that thought than she realized. "Let's go again. I'll get this."

He smiled. "Alright." He pointed out the short he was going to take, breaking it down for her. "And..." He shot, and the ball did exactly what he'd said it would.

She was picking it up, and she was getting a good handle on her buzz. Selene sighed, relaxing a bit as she made her next shot and it sent the big straight into the hole. She stood up, feeling impressed, and grinned wider. "Yeah, finally!" She yelled.

He shook his head. He leaned down and whispered to her. "You're small's."

"Shit!" She laughed, looking at him, "Damn, I'm terrible!" She must have been more buzzed than she realized. Her attention span felt awful. "Forgive me for my poor playing." She waved a hand in front of her face. "You try to teach me. I'm an awful student." She joked.

"Ah, you're not as bad as you think," he nudged her. He took the next couple shots and then only had the 8-Ball left. "Bottom-right," he pointed. "You have to call the pocket the 8 is going to go in. If it goes in another one you lose." He shot and it went in with no problem.

"At least I learned something new," she blinked, looking at him shocked. She looked at Dean, her face open and inviting despite her expression. She seemed pretty relaxed. "You really know a lot about this." She looked back at the table and sighed. "Well, I think I'll go again if you want- " She started pulling them back out of the pockets.

He smiled. He knew a bit about it. He leaned against the table and looked to see if any of the others wanted to play. "Maybe we should let someone else have a turn." Maybe they could go get some drinks or something.

"Y-you sure?" She didn't mind it, in fact it was probably preferable. She looked at the other people coming through and nodded, "Yeah, we can do something else. Do you have any suggestions? I know there's food upstairs and they're dancing in the main room, I think it was."

He smirked at her. "Are you hungry?" Maybe he could dance with her.

"A little," she told him, feeling excited that they might eat together. Her stomach swirled. "Do you know what's available?"

"Yeah, I have no idea what's up there, or what's left, anyway." He laughed lightly. "Let's go check it out though." He nodded for her to follow him upstairs.

"Sure." She nodded.

"Roku," Vasile mentioned, tapping his shoulder. "Be aware. I know Z gave her orders but remember to act with tact. I'm certain there is another alpha here. We're supposed to meet up with them. If you find them come get me." He whispered as he opened the front door.

Roku nodded to him. He was going to be on alert, but he hoped he could enjoy the party a little.

Crina stepped forward to go inside. "Relax Vasile," she smoothed her hair back. "He's well seasoned. You don't need to treat him like a child anymore."

He sighed, "I'm just worried about conflict."

Roku rolled his eyes. "I don't make it a habit of picking fights. Especially with other clans." He moved past them to go into the party.

"That's not what I'm saying," Vasile glared at Crina as she smirked at him and stepped into the house after Roku.

"Smooth."

Roku looked around as they walked in. He remembered when places like this intimidated him. He had learned and gotten used to humans and the things they did these last few years. He also blended in a bit more. He didn't look as shaggy anymore. His hair was shorter now, but he had enough on top to style if he wanted. He also wasn't as scrawny now. He filled his clothes nicely.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked Crina.

She smiled at Roku softly as Luca shifted past them. "If they have any beer, I'll take that."

He nodded and went off to find them both something to drink.

Sorin scrunched her nose at them as they walked in and she watched Vasile. "I'll stay outside. I'm not one for this stuff."

"That's fine. A designated driver is always nice to call out in advance," he told her, stepping in. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Sure." She rolled her eyes.

"Yo, Gilligan!" Derek hollered. He saw her look up at him. "You got the goods!"

Suzanna grinned at him. Her wavy curls spilled over her shoulders as she looked at him. "Derek. Hey," she smacked her lips as she tipped her hip to the side. "I got some good Henesy."

"Sweet!" He cheered, walking up to her to give her a high five.

"How's it been?"

"Rough." He breathed, blushing a bit from the warmth of the alcohol on his cheeks. "I just wanted a bit of party time and I'm already getting heckled."

"Ah come on, you don't gotta be so hurt. Maybe you should lay off being so obnoxious and the girls will give you a break."

"Pfft, yeah right." He snorted, unscrewing the cap as he hugged his red cup to his chest.

Dean sighed. "Damn they ate all the party food." He went to the fridge then to see if maybe there was food there. Maybe he could make her something. "Wanna sandwich?" he asked, smiling.

"Sure," she blushed a little. "If you're willing to."

He smiled. "Alright." He started pulling things out of the fridge then. "They have salami... Ham... Prosciutto... And chicken." He looked back at her.

"What's Prosciutto?" She felt her stomach growl a little. "I'll try a piece. Maybe that and some ham." She started, peeking into the fridge a little as the light lit up her features. She felt the cool air fall over her skin and she pulled her shirt up a little to keep her chest warm, hiding her cleavage and what brief view of her bra she gave away.

Dean thought he could take a peak, but he looked away quickly when she covered herself. "Prosciutto is just Italian cured ham." He pulled it out and then some smoked ham.

Roku walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the counter. It irritated him that they were in solo cups. He'd take a can over that, but whatever. He stopped smelling something almost familiar.

"Oh, that's not so bad. I wonder if that tastes better than regular old deli ham." She stood up, her once long hair now shortened down to the bottom of her ears bobbed a little as she stood up to look down at him. "I'll just eat that. You can pick whatever cheese," she breathed, smiling at him, "as long as it's not too spicy."

Dean laughed. "Alright," he said, pulling out some gouda. "Any dressings?"

Roku stopped hearing her voice. His heart skipped a little. No. It wasn't her. He didn't dare look to find out either. He continued to the living room towards Crina.

"Mm... Mayo?" She breathed a laugh at him. She chewed at her bottom lip feeling her vision become a little fuzzy at the edges again. "I think. Maybe. Surprise me. I'm not one to order a sandwich often." She stepped back and bumped into someone, quickly turning.

"Easy," Suzanna laughed, catching her. She looked at her a moment and gazed into her eyes. She was cute.

"Sorry!" She pulled back from her to brush against Dean.

"Hey Dean," Suzanna smirked. "Is this what you're up to tonight?"

Derek gave her a high five as Selene blushed. She snatched his red cup from his hands and downed it.

"Don't look at me like that," Selene muttered. "W-what happened to you-"

"Yeah," he laughed. "I found Gilligan and I couldn't resist." He smiled. "Plus, she's the Queen Bee. Have you seen her friends?"

"Um... no." She looked away shyly. "I'm not exactly- "

Derek nudged her. "Don't be so sour!" He laughed. "Besides.... Tonight is going great! I'm hoping to get into the hot tub later."

"I'll fire it up." Suzanna smiled. "If you're all willing to hop in."

Dean smirked as he set the mayo on the counter and then mustard. He looked at Suzanna and went to answer her, but the others continued on. He looked at Selene. "You wanna get in the hot tub?" he asked.

Sarah had made her way downstairs after the top level got crowded. She had to dodge a huge guy barreling up the stairs. "Watch it, asshole!" she yelled as she almost spilled her beer. She got to the bottom and saw only a few people. One dark-haired little girl in the corner, and then a very handsome man with a scruffy beard and messy hair was playing pool, but by himself. They might have been having a conversation, but that ended when she came down.

Kadir looked up when Nell had stopped talking. What a strikingly beautiful young woman. "Hey," he said, smiling at her.

Sarah felt her heart sputter when the man spoke to her. "Hey," she smirked. "Mind if I join?" she asked. She looked to Nell. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Nell was about to say something when Kadir cut her off. "Not at all, love. You know how to play?"

She liked the way he talked. He had just a hint of an accent. She also didn't mind the little pet name. "Yeah. Can't say I'm very good, but-" she let the sentence hang. She saw his smile widen, and she knew she might get into trouble. The man was devilishly handsome, and she couldn't deny her attraction to him. Maybe she'd had too much to drink. She smiled, not really caring. She was here to have fun, and that's what she intended to do.

"That's alright, love. You wanna rack 'em?"

Nell pushed off from the wall. "I think the others just got here," she told him. Maybe then he'd take things a little more seriously. This was also business. She doubted it, though. Kadir never really took anything seriously. When he didn't acknowledge her she sighed and went back upstairs.

Vasile turned his head, his dirty blonde hair waved a little with how swiftly he turned, but Crina was up against him, grabbing for his arm.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just... It's a little busy in here." He made a face.

"I know she asked us to go, but you could have hung outside." Crina smirked at her mate. She could see him start to grow sour and she kissed him slowly on the cheek before stopping him to take his hands. "Be nice, Vasile." She told him softly. "You get testy when you stress."

He couldn't make an answer for that, but he looked back up at his mate and took her wrist slowly to have them kiss long and slow.

"Don't tease me tonight. I'm just worried. Okay. Let me scope this place out so I can get comfortable."

"Alright," she told him, letting him walk downstairs where he stopped short to peer into the poolroom and catch eyes with Kadir. He shifted his gaze to the human girl and came down slowly when he heard another voice that made his head turn.

"Hell yeah!" Suzanna laughed, grinning at Dean. "Hot tub!"

"Woot! Woot!" Dean cheered, laughing as he started out of the kitchen.

"Meet us downstairs out behind the poolroom on the deck! I'll fire that bad boy up!"

���Ye-e-eah!" Derek grinned, stomping downstairs as he pushed past Vasile. He made a face at him but Derek was unaware, sliding past Nell as he gave her a sideways glance before sliding the sliding glass door open and popping outside to take the cover off.

"Breathe." Crina told Vasile as he took his hand rigidly off the railing and went to the next room. He had to gather himself but Suzanna came down after and he turned to see her and she stopped short.

"Oh hey," she smiled wider. "You came."

He tried to place her, but it had been many seasons.

"Vasile." Suzanna purred, holding her hand out quickly. "Remember me?" He took her hand slowly, and she grinned. "We're just about to get the tub going. Give me a few and I'll come back and chat with you later tonight. You can hang out for a while, right?"

"Uh..... Sure."

"Of course we can, Suzi," Crina grinned wider, coming over and they crossed glances before grinning widely and hugging each other.

"Alright." She laughed, "I'm so glad you're here. Let the others know I've got a surprise for them."

"I will." Crina waved, kissing her cheek before letting her go off.

"Um.." Selene looked at Dean, nervous now that everyone left the kitchen. "I don't... have a swimsuit." She breathed to him, nervous.

Dean smirked at her. Could she not... He stopped the thought. She seemed like a very modest and sweet girl. "Is that going to be a problem?" he asked. "I mean we don't have too."

Roku handed Crina her drink and watched Suzanna hurry away. He glanced back at the kitchen. He knew it was her. He ached from the memories that threatened to burst free. Years it had taken him to get past the pain, and now... He wondered if he should tell them.

"N-no!" She breathed a laugh, waving her hands quickly. "I just... Um, I wasn't sure if you were okay with that. I mean, it's..." She looked down, "It's fine. I mean, I can just go as I am. I can just take my shirt off. I have a tank top underneath."

He smiled. "You're okay with that?" he asked. He wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of her. He'd behave. For now.

"Y-Yeah," she looked away a little, smiling nervously as she held her wrist with her right hand.

"There you are," Crina smiled to Roku, nudging him softly as she took the drink. "You find-" she stopped, seeing his expression. He seemed distracted. "Is something the matter?" She whispered to him softly as she ducked her head low and stepped closer. Crina wasn't one for secrets though, and she was naturally rash and open.

Roku's heart beat painfully hard in his chest. "Y- It's nothing." He shook his head.

Duke came downstairs slowly, and he tossed a glance to Nell before taking a drink of his whiskey. It was straight, with no coke. "You're still playing down here?" He glanced at Kadir.

Christian shifted against the wall after stepping out of the den. It had been getting hot in there anyway when he caught the tail ending Duke smarting off. His expression fell before he turned, looking to Nell. "Is that a problem?" He sniffed, grinning at Duke, but only to be smug.

He ignored him easily, staring back at Nell. "I thought you came here lookin' to talk. All I see is you wasting time." Figures.

Jun perked up a little, stepping down after him as she watched Suzanna out back. "I think the hot tub is going soon." She caressed his cheek. "Would you join me?" She whispered in his ear.

Duke looked in the opposite direction as she did this, but more out of disinterest than discomfort. "No," he shoved her off easily, stepping down the stairs. "I'm going to the back," he told her.

"Let me join you." Jun sighed, blowing her cigarette smoke into the room before tailing after him slowly. When he didn't respond, Jun pursued quicker.

Nell looked down when she heard them call her out. She was trying. She went to go talk to the others. They needed to get this over with. She could sense trouble about to start.

Selene perked up, seeing the activity pick up downstairs before looking back at Dean. Her heart was thundering in her chest, but it felt slower somehow. "Um, what about you? You going in?" She asked him.

Dean had that devilish grin on his face then. "I'd like to, but only if you'll join me."

Selene breathed in, trying to muster her best confidence. "Alright," she told him, "then I suppose we should head down after... Um, that sandwich of course." She tried to be smooth, but she felt like a fool. The alcohol helped, though. It didn't sound so awful. She loved over the counter to look at the sandwich. Her stomach growled a little. "I just need to take off a few things." She told him, her face brightly tinged with a few specks of pink.

Dean smiled. She was so cute. "Alright," he smiled at her. "Wanna meet me outside then?" he asked her.

"Um, I won't be long." She told him, "It'll just be a moment. I'm going to the bathroom over there and then I'll go down with you. Okay?" She blushed. "Just try not to eat my sandwich." She laughed a little, trying to keep that spark between them.

He laughed. "I'll try not to."

"Okay. I'll be right back." She stepped away from the counter and into the bathroom. When she stepped in, she closed it behind her and locked the door. She sighed as she looked up in the mirror and she felt her face. Warm to the touch. Oh man... She could feel herself getting tipsy and she blushed a little before tying her hair back. "Okay... Be quick." She whispered to herself.

Kadir laughed as he watched Sarah play. "I thought you said you weren't any good."

Sarah smiled and winked at him. "Lucky, I guess."

This one was something, Kadir thought. He liked how confident and sexy she was. Those piercing green eyes got him too. He stepped closer to her, maybe too close. "I guess so," he breathed close to her ear.

Sarah felt chills run over her and she shifted her stance as arousal hit her harder. "It's your turn," she said looking at him.

Derek tossed his shirt off as Suzanna got it up and running. "Who's down for some heat in the cold of Autumn?!" He hollered through the open sliding glass door.

Suzanna grinned, stripping down to her underwear. She had a nice bikini bottom panty with her tank top. "Are you getting in or what?"

Christian got up, pushing past Kadir to get away. "I can't... It's too f-ing cold outside to sit near this."

Suzanna laughed, "If you get in, it wouldn't be a problem." She heard him.

Crina smiled at Suzanna, "I'd join you."

"Sweety, I'm near drunk." Suzanna barked at her, "If you get in here I might just make you cheat on Vasile."

Crina laughed, "Then maybe he might get in." She joked, coming over to the door slowly to stand near the outside and take a sip of her drink.

Vasile disappeared further off into another room.

"You know I love it when we do them nude, why so tame?" Crina asked her, laughing a bit.

"Because we're just started and not everyone is drunk enough. Alright?" She told her, sliding into the tub. "Plus... I mean, a little game of tease can't hurt before we do any stripping games."

"You're wild as ever."

"You know me, girl," she waved. Derek jumped in quickly as she slid into another side. "Plus, ugh. How can I not? I love how warm it is."

Roku had gotten used to the closeness that most wolves had. The modesty of nakedness really wasn't a thing. They were a pack and that meant being close and sharing heat, which didn't always mean something sexual. He watched them all go for the hot tub. It seemed big enough for quite a bit of people, but he wasn't feeling it. He knew Vasile had disappeared already and he sighed. If he followed them he wouldn't be alone, but if he stayed here he might just run into her, and he didn't think he was ready for that. He downed his beer and knew he'd need another.

It took a moment before she was ready. When she descended down, she had her head craned back to look up the stairs. "Is this okay?" Selene asked Dean, holding the towel to her chest as she walked down. She had shoved her bra into one of her pockets after taking it off in the bathroom. "I'm sure they're already in." She was starting to really feel the alcohol and it helped her perk up, but it also made her face rather rosey.

Dean was leaning against the counter eating his sandwich when he looked up at her. Damn, he thought. He set the snack down and swallowed hard. "Mm. Yeah. I'm sure that's fine."

"Okay," she breathed, looking down at her shorts. She'd rolled them up a little and taken her top shirt off to leave her tank top underneath. "I tied my hair up. I... I have the dye. It'll turn tha- pool a few colors if... if I don't." She grabbed the railing a little as she swayed. Oh the alcohol was definitely getting to her.

He came up to her and put an arm around her waist to steady her. "You sure you wanna take a dip?" he asked her.

She sucked her stomach in a little feeling his arm around her. He felt stronger than he looked and she leaned back a little to look up at him. "I'm sure." She stuffed the towel against her chest harder. God he was hot. She breathed in, "Or was there something else you wanted to do?" She didn't mean for it to sound suggestive but the question was loosely thought of before she decided to ask.

He leaned over her then and raised a brow. "What would that be?" he asked. He was really close to her now.

"An-Anything rea-really." She choked out, staring up at him. "What else do we do in college." She blushed a little, looking away. "Drink... Party..." Her stomach twisted in a knot. She licked her lips before brushing a stray strand of hair back from her face.

Suzanna pulled her shirt off, leaving her bra only as she stripped down to her underwear and she caught Dean on the stairs. "It's soon to be truth or nude over here. If you two don't hurry up, you'll be the odd ones out." She called out.

Selene's face lit up and she looked at Dean, unable to imagine everyone else seeing her and then she thought of it just being her and Dean in one of the rooms. That's what the conversation had turned to, right? "A room maybe?" She blurted out, trying to interject the idea of the tub.

Dean's smile was devilish. "Are you sure?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

She didn't want to back out now. "I mean... Unless you want to be nude in a hot tub." She swallowed the saliva in her throat hard and chewed at her bottom lip. "I- I don't exactly strip in front of strangers."

"So you want to be nude with me?" His voice was husky and his breath was hot on her neck. "I'm sure there's an empty room."

A bold question. Her heart thundered in her chest. Had she been sober she probably would have said no. "Sure." Not a 'no' nor a 'yes' but honestly... She kind of wanted to see him too.

He looked at her. Man she was cute. He was already hard thinking about her naked beneath him. He looked at her. "You can say no." He smiled at her and put a few stray hairs behind her ear.

"W-What if... What if I don't want to?" She blushed, her eyes darting away as he played with her hair. "You-"

Suzanna watched the two of them and rolled her eyes. Dean probably had his own plans.

"Then we can go to the hot tub. It'll be alright." Plus it was about having a good time. No one would pick on her if she kept her clothes on. At least not too much.

"I-I mean..." She blushed, Derek wasn't exactly the most quiet. "Y-Yeah. I mean... We can." This wasn't a rejection, right?

He searched her eyes. "What do you want?" he asked. If she couldn't decide he might just pick for her.

She tried to think quickly but she could hear someone laughing in the back and she felt her train of thought kind of leave. "Anything you want," she answered, "I mean... There's always after. Yeah?" She asked him.

He grinned. "Yeah." he took her hand then and started to pull her down the hall into a room.

She followed him, trying not to feel flustered but her eyes caught on his figure, unable to tear her gaze away from his broad shoulders. A room...? She breathed in slowly, feeling her heart squeeze. This was the first step, right?

Suzanna snorted, stepping into the tub finally.

"What took so long?" Crina asked her.

"Dean. And his indecisive flavor." She laughed, grinning wider.

"So he's not coming?"

Derek looked out into the woods. "Who else then?"

"Me, maybe." Another guy popped his head in and Suzanna grinned at him as he came up to the side.

Roku had slammed down another beer and sighed. He couldn't really get drunk anymore. His body metabolized it too quickly. He was beside the tub and looked up to see Selene and the man leading her away. She'd moved on. Good for her. That didn't take this sting out of it though.

Luca came around the stairs and looked down, seeing him near the pool table but he was lounging there by himself. "Roku?" Luca called softly, coming down. She took a bite of the pineapple she had procured and brushed her hair back from her face slowly. "Did you find the alpha?" She hadn't seen any wolves upstairs.

He looked at Luca. "No." He hated how broody he sounded.

"What's eating you?" She raised a brow. "You haven't been like this since I first met you. What's wrong?" She stuffed the last bite into her mouth before swallowing it and leaning against the stairs.

He stood up and brushed his pants off. "Let's just go find the alpha." He didn't want to talk about it. He hated how it was still so raw. He hadn't seen her in so long...

She sniffed, looking outside. "Wait," she grabbed his shoulder. "Is that- Is Crina outside?" It was a new scent though. Somewhat familiar but hazy.

"She's in the hottub with Suzanna and the others."

"Suzanna?" She made a face. She thought about that, "I think... I think Suzanna was the second in command last I remember. Did Crina mention anything?" This was the person they might need to talk to then.

He shook his head. Maybe he wasn't paying attention.

"Well, this is probably our ticket out of here. Let's see if she's got what we need and grab everyone and go." She told him, "Unless they're doing something nefarious, I'm sure she'll come back at the call of our alpha."

"What do you mean?" What would they be planning?

"There's a new group growing in the area and what's been going on is something that is pretty concerning... Especially since they've been rather violent. We're supposed to meet with the alpha of the North American clan to find out what's going on since Z wants to know if she needs to squash it."

"Violent?" Was Salene in danger again? Why did his mind go straight there? There were bigger things going on right now.

Luca looked at him, frowning, "It's a pack that's been terrorizing the border country. People think the attacks are wild dogs but... Z got a message from the pack here that the alpha reported a serious injury. It said it needed her help but she couldn't call their number. It was disabled. On top of that the pack stopped moving in the area and the sister pack to the South says they haven't heard from them in months." She looked outside. "I suspect feeders but... It's only my suspicions."

Roku frowned and looked back to the house. She was safe right? "So we need to keep an eye on feeders then?" He could smell the blood suckers here.

Nell walked over to them. "Lady Zaleska sent you?" She asked, her voice was soft and quiet.

Luca looked over at Nell and she looked conflicted a moment. "She may have." She looked at her, concerned by her interruption. "How do you know her?" She asked, wanting to know her angle before divulging any information. She wasn't fond of strangers but Nell also smelled like one of them.

Nell looked at her and nodded. "I've known her since the beginning," she explained to her. "I too am here to investigate."

Luca relaxed a little and looked back at Roku before continuing. "We heard a pack member was injured terribly by another." She felt her heart fall a little. "We were looking for the alpha for more information."

Nell frowned. "That's what drew my attention as well. The North American packs have typically gotten along just fine. I suspected- something else might have interfered so I reached out to Kadir." She wondered if they knew him. He was one of the ancients as well. Not as old as Reiji, but close enough.

She blinked, surprised. "Kadir?" She asked her. She was unfamiliar with older names. Luca was quite young. "So then the alpha is...?"

Nell looked to the crew in the water. "In the hospital."

Suzanna grinned at Derek as the other gentleman slid into the tub after stripping down his pants. He tossed his shirt off as she looked up at him, watching him slide into the tub. "You ever play a game of truth or dare?" She asked.

"Depends." He snorted. "Is there alcohol involved?"

"There certainly can be!" She roared, standing up to swing her legs out. Her hips were large, nice and curvy giving her body a nice hourglass shape. "I'll go get something for us to do shots and a few glasses."

Kadir looked out hearing all the excitement by the hot tub. He was only momentarily distracted from Sarah. She was sitting on the pool table with her legs around his waist. He grinned and gave her another wet kiss on the lips. "Want to go somewhere quieter, love?" he asked her.

Sarah loved the way his beard scratched at her face when they kissed. His lips were so soft and molded around hers. Damn she hadn't been this heated in a while. His question took a second to register. "Where would that be?" she asked. She liked how he called her love. His voice was all deep and sultry when he did.

"What?! Why?�� Luca tried to keep her voice down. She looked at Roku, "You should go get Vasile." She told him softly

Roku looked at Luca when she freaked out a little more. He cast a quick glance to Nell before going to look for Vasile.

Nell frowned. "He was ambushed... From what I've gathered anyway."

"But he's our brother... we don't fight among ourselves." None of this made any sense. She noticed Suzanna step inside and she felt her stomach twist at the scent and Suzanna locked eyes with her.

"What's with that look?" She blinked, walking over and Luca flinched back from her.

"Where's Jeremiah?" Luca finally blurted out.

Suzanna stopped, a look of dread and then guilt crossed her face and she looked down, wrapping her arms around herself. "In the hospital."

She felt worse hearing it but she looked at Nell, feeling her throat tighten. "Why are we all here then?"

Nell looked to Suzanna. "To lure them out?"

Suzanna looked at her and shook her head. "I told Crina. After." She sighed, walking past them.

Luca didn't get it. "What?" She felt like she just knocked the wind out of her. She followed her up the stairs. "Why?"

"I told you. After." Suzanna growled, growing irritated.

Roku went inside and looked around until he found Vasile. "Hey, Luca wants you outside. We found something out about the alpha," he whispered to him.

Vasile looked at him and he nodded, standing up as he dusted his jacket off. "What did she find?"

He just motioned for him to follow as he walked away. He didn't want it to be repeated again when they got to Luca.

"Alright," he sighed, "don't tell me." He followed after him quickly when he heard a noise from the room they passed by but he thought nothing more of it. This place was getting crowded.

Roku walked back out and over to Luca and Nell then.

Nell stepped back to see Vasile approach.

Luca looked up at him and Vasile eyed Nell then he sighed. "Is there any update?" He asked them. They all looked deathly.

Nell sighed. "The alpha was attacked. He's in a coma right now."

Vasile looked down, feeling pained. "So then what of the rest of the pack?"

Luca looked down and Vasile looked at Nell and then to Roku. Surely someone had an answer.

Roku waited for Luca. Why would she have him get Vasile if she wasn't going to explain their next plan of action?

Luca held her breath a moment. "I-I don't know. Suzanna won't talk to me."

"For what reason? Is she even with the pack anymore?"

"Stop talking about me," Suzanna huffed, standing at the top of the stairs. "Your brooding is giving me more anxiety than I already have. Leave me be for a while to enjoy my night." She pushed Vasile out of the way as she came down the steps. She shot Nell a glare then to Luca and Luca retreated back somewhat, confused. "I've been up to my neck in panicked sisters and brothers, crying, and worrying about him enough that it's making me sick to my stomach. I came to drink and enjoy myself. If you can't handle that, then I'm sorry but you need to leave for tonight."

"What?" Luca barked, stepping forward. "We've travelled for weeks to get here!"

"Pipe down!"

Suzanna stared at Luca, her eyes aglow. A male came down behind her, his eyes shining low in the light. "This is our retreat. If you can't respect the alpha, you'll have to leave."

"Fine," Vasile sighed, taking the news in slowly, hiding his reaction.

Luca stared at Suzanna and her expression cleared from shock and started to form anger. Before she could say anything Vasile grabbed her and pulled her away. "We'll meet later tonight when the party is over. We'll set a time later tonight for tomorrow to meet and talk officially."

"What?" Luca stared at him.

"Come on," he looked at Roku. "Let's all go outside for a bit and get some air. We're not in the right mindset for this event."

Nell was not intimidated by her. She'd seen the wrath of a true alpha. Suzanna could never compare. She looked at her. "Priorities I suppose..." She sighed and went to follow after the others.

Luca agreed, but hardly said anything as they all trailed out.