Erika


    "So you are saying there is an imposter in our n, someone working for the enemy?" I ask Leo.


    We are eating lunch at a cafe. I''m hit beta, and he is discussing things with me here. Nora is sitting by our table too, and sadly, she has made ke the gamma and her right-hand man.


    He is one step underneath me in ranking now, and the guy isn''t even a freaking werewolf!


    Like seriously?!


    It annoys the crap out of me. I worked hard to get where I am, and now a damn pretty boy is threatening my position.


    "Yes," Leo gives me his full attention. "Before ke left his world and saw the portal opening to our realm, he saw a figure. They smelled like us, and judging by their stance and size, ke thinks it''s a female werewolf we are dealing with. Isn''t that right, ke?" I look to my left and find ke smiling at me. It''s infuriating how the fairy can change his size.


    He even looks like a human now!


    His pointed ears are hidden under his long, ck hair, and he is wearing a baseball cap. Yet it does nothing to hide the fact that he is gorgeous.


    The girls by the other table were swooning over Leo and ke when we took our seats. They still are, and while Leo ignored them, ke threw a kiss. He is such a yer.


    My blood is boiling.


    "Mhm, I really think the enemy is a female," ke keeps smiling at me, and it grows when I re at him. He seems to get a rise out of my irritation, which is also annoying. "Do you have a list of names for all the Snowmoon pack members?"


    I realize the question is directed toward me as the beta. It should be my job to keep up with that, and I do, but I was momentarily dazzled by ke. It takes time to get the machinery that is my brain working again, and I blush when I realize I''m staring at him. "Uh... O-of course!" I bend to the right and search through my bag for my phone. "I keep all sort of information in a doc. I''m bad at paperwork and find it easier."


    "Going modern?" ke asks.


    "Yes, it makes things easier. Here you go." I open my phone up and hand it over to ke, who doesn''t seem surprised. He already knows how to handle our technology from just a few days.


    ke scrolls on my phone, smiling when he identally clicks down the doc and finds my wallpaper. It''s one with two kittens, and his lips curl into a brilliant smile.


    "Ah, so the ice-cold beta has a softer side?" ke teases.


    My face turns to a hundred degrees, and it doesn''t get any better when I notice Leo and Nora try not tough. They aren''t a real couple, but they share the same humor.


    Right now, they seem to find my rtionship with ke very entertaining. Hrious actually. Nora''s lips twitch. When I re at her, she turns to Leo, and they focus on their private discussion over their drinks and cookies.


    It seems they are nning on letting us handle the pack names, and I frown before turning to face ke again. "Can I ask you a question?"


    ke blinks in surprise. Damn those eyes. I''m really beginning to hate his appearance. No man should have eyshes as long as his. I would kill to find a mascara that gave me such eyshes.


    "Yeah, what''s up?" ke asks, bringing my attention back to reality. He is smiling, like usual.


    "I was just wondering what made you enter our world in the first ce. Didn''t you like your own realm?"


    His smile falters, but the amusement lingers. "My world is dying, and not because of the demons. The is being eaten by darkness, and all the creatures are looking for a way out. It''s quite sad, actually. And the fact that the is dying is probably why the demons are so adamant about taking over this one."


    "Oh," I had no clue his world was dying. "That makes sense about the demons wanting toe to our world... I''m sorry your home is being taken over by darkness, though."


    "It is what it is," ke exhales and picks up his coffee to drink some from his cup. "All my friends and family are dead. The fairies that managed to escape have no connection to me, and now I have nowhere to live."


    "Hey," Leo says from across the table. "You know you can stay at our mansion for as long as you want," he peers down at Nora, who smiles in unison with her mate. "My luna doesn''t mind it either. In fact, we would like you to live with us."


    "Yeah," Nora says. "You''re wee to live in our mansion, which is not umon. We have even given Erika her own room."


    ke turns to me. "You live at the mansion too?"


    "Uh... Yes..." I blush and busy myself by staring at my cookie. I don''t want to meet his intense eyes. ke''s beauty makes me nervous. "I have an apartment too, but since Nora''s life has been threatened, someone murdered Lily. I''m going to stay at the mansion." "My parents areing over too," Nora says, ncing between us with a calm smile. "William and Reba are the alpha and luna over the Nocturnal pack now, but my parents are free toe over. They are all worried about me after the threat." "That makes sense," ke takes a bite from his cookie. "Out of curiosity, what kind of creatures are your parents?"


    "Ah, my mother is a silver luna like me, her name is Ste. And my biological dad is a werewolf. His name is Raphael. Then there is William''s biological dad, and he is a vampire."


    "I see," ke smiles. "It will be a pleasure for me to meet everyone. I''m inquisitive about earthly supernaturals. I want to learn more about you guys and hopefully learn how to live on your."


    Nora smiles back at him. "You''re adapting already."


    "Yeah, but... It seems it''s not very popr to shrink other people here or to grow too big... I''ve learned that after I identally shrank someone''s dog that attacked me, and then when someone lost their frisbee in that tree in the park, and I grew to pluck it down, the couple screamed and called me a monster."


    I blink slowly. ke did all of that?


    To my surprise, Leoughs and shows his teeth in a warm smile. "The humans don''t know about our existence. If you want to grow or shrink, or whatever, do it in the forest where the humans don''t go. They can''t know about us, but don''t worry-I erased the memories of the humans that you met. Except for the mailman."


    ke''s expression turns sheepish. "Sorry about that..."


    "It''s not a problem," Nora shrugs. "You turned the dog back to normal, and I doubt anyone will believe the mailman when he tells them what happened. People will probably think he is crazy."


    Leo snorts. "That''s so true..."


    Everyoneughs, and I smile while in a dazed state. I had no idea fairies could have so many abilities.


    ke also seems kindhearted despite having a lot of magic coursing through his veins. Sure, the man is a yer, but he has certain gentleness when he speaks.


    I glimpse at him and try to sneak a peek at him. But ke notices, and his eyes touch mine again, and something must be wrong with me because I feel butterflies.


    Quickly, I avert my eyes, and it might just be my imagination, but I think his smile grew before I looked away. I must be crazy, right? I rejected ke. There is no reason for him to still be interested in me, but at the same time, he hasn''t rejected me back either. Is it because ke hopes for us to be a couple, or was all that flirting with me earlier because he wishes to get his revenge?


    I''m unsure of his intentions, but one thing is for sure: I won''t let my guard down around him.


    I enjoy my coffee and make small talk with both Nora and Leo. We spend two hours at the cafe, discussing various things and enjoying each other''spany.


    Leo and Nora jump inside the SUV first when it''s time to go. I''m about to jump into the backseat, but ke grabs my hand. He pulls me to him, forcing me to meet his eyes.


    God, he is tall.


    Believe me, I''m not a petite woman, far from it. I train, and I''m taller than average, but it''s nothingpared to ke. Though, I guess the fairy cheats because he can control his own size.


    Right now, he is a foot taller than my cousin Leo in his human form. Leo is bigger in his angel form, and ke is pushing close to that size. It still weirds me out having to look up at him. I swallow thickly, and to hide my nervousness, I try to make my voice as steady as possible. "What''s up?"


    ke searches my face. "How do I make you agree to go on a date with me?"


    I almost burst outughing. "I won''t go out with you."


    He arches an eyebrow. "Why not?"


    "Because I don''t know what you want, and... I don''t do romance. I''ve worked so hard to be the beta of my pack, and I feel like any sort of dating or romance would distract me."


    His lips curl into a yful smile. "Do you find me distracting, Erika?"


    "Oh-my-god," I shake my head at the arrogant fairy. He is wagging his eyebrows at me right now. "You''re impossible!"


    "No, I''m just very interested in you," ke acknowledges, shrugging. He doesn''t seem one bit afraid of admitting it. "But I can''t force you into going on a date with me."


    I blink at him, surprised ke is giving up so easily. "Right..."


    "Right, so I will get into the car."


    ke steps past me, and I stare after his broad back. He is wearing a suit and a tie and looks very Samurai-like, especially with his long hair and rxed expression. "Uh, is that it?"


    ke throws a smile over his shoulder. "I won''t chase you, Erika. You rejected me, and I asked you, and you said no. So the ball is now in your hands. If you wish to go out with me, you must work up the courage to ask me out yourself." Ask him out?!


    My cheeks burn at the thought. As if I would even want to go out with yer ke! And chasing me? That isn''t what I wanted from him either! I was just surprised he was giving up on me so easily!


    I growl, and keughs. "Anyway, let''s get into the car, shall we?"


    ke opens the door, and I take a deep breath before climbing into the SUV myself. We sit next to each other.


    I stare out the window, and when there is a bump in the road, I fly into ke''s shoulder.


    "Oops! That was some bump," ke smiles but doesn''t push me away from him. He calmly lets me lean against him. "I would use the seatbelt if I were you."


    Heat invades my face, but I tell myself that the flutters in my chest don''t mean anything.


    "Good point."


    ke gives me ast smile, and my heart stops. Damn it. What is going on? Am I getting sick or something? Because there is just no way that I''m beginning to like ke! Right?


    RIGHT?!