Crossing Paths With The White Wolf

Natalia P o V

I don't know what possessed me to invite him over to watch this stupid movie, I thought as I tried not to sneak glances over at my mate on the bed. We weren't talking a lot since the girls were asleep on the other side, but that was probably my current problem with this situation. I had realized 20 minutes into the movie that most of our conversations always ended in arguments because I was purposely pushing him away. It was a subconscious decision I had made as I fought the bond. Making him out to be the bad guy made it easier to fight the pull.

I f****d up. I had noticed how tired and sad he actually looked when I turned his words against him, so I apologized over text after he walked away from me in his hotel room.

Now here we are, sharing a bed and watching a superhero movie. The silence was comfortable and I could feel the warmth of his body near me. His scent was swirling around me. Intoxicating and wonderful. Hestia wasn't pushing me to do anything for once. She was content to sit next to her mate. It gave her hope. No matter how many times I told her we would not give in to the bond, she held out hope. I hated being the one that told her she couldn't have her mate, but I couldn't deal with the heartbreak again.

I was deep in my own thoughts when I felt the sparks explode down my side as I felt Helios' head hit my shoulder. So much for not being able to sleep. I was going to shake him awake when I remembered his tired eyes. I sighed and cursed the mate bond before I moved my arm and let his body slide onto my lap as I continued to eat my chocolate and watch the movie. I had internet in the village in Korea, but it was so damn expensive that I rarely used it to watch movies. The guide said this movie was released in 2012, but I hadn't even heard of it. I was enjoying it but his smell of plumerias and the sea calmed my soul and I didn't notice when I drifted off to sleep.

-

"Hey Natalia, Helios isn't in his-."

I woke up slowly as I heard a light knock and someone talking. The TV is showing some other show now and the hotel door is open. I opened my eyes and Gonzalo was smirking over at me and I am not sure why.

"Wha-." I started asking before I felt something soft shift under my hand. I looked down and Helios was still fast asleep on my lap and my hand was in his hair. His one arm is wrapped around my leg. It's a good thing I'm dark skinned in a dark room, because I can feel my face heat up and my heart begins pounding in my chest.

"What time is it?" I asked, hoping the embarrassment can't be heard in my voice.

"It's 20 to 2. I went to wake Helios up but didn't see him in his room. Glad to see he's not off moping somewhere for a change," he smirks at me again. I rolled my eyes before I slowly shake his shoulder. Helios mumbled something and his arm wrapped around my leg tighter. I bang my head lightly against the headboard in frustration and to ignore the fluttering in my stomach at his adorableness and the feeling of the sparks intensifying on my leg. I ignore Gonzalo's shit-eating grin. I shake his shoulder a little firmer and I finally feel him waking.

"Good Morning Sunshine, it's time to go," Gonzalo says as he makes eye contact with Helios. I can't see his face from up here, but he takes his arm from my leg and slowly sits up. He isn't looking at me, but I can see from the glare of the TV reflecting light on his skin that his face is a deeper shade than his usual copper. Gonzalo is struggling to keep his s**t together and I send him a look that was supposed to be a reprimand but it just makes him cough to cover up a laugh. "Right, well. Theo and Sebastian are ready for you when you get there. I'm going to grab my book. Remember your phone Helios. They couldn't get a hold of you."

"OK," Helios responds while clearing his throat. He turns to look at me and his face is schooled to blank again. "I'm going to use the restroom and then I'm ready to go. Meet you outside?" He asked, getting off the bed. I nod and I'm left with Gonzalo still at the door. "You OK staying in here with the girls?" I asked him.

"Of course. We'll keep them safe until you're back."

"Thanks," I said, getting up and heading to the bathroom myself. I changed into a pair of leggings and a black tank top.

Helios drove us to the site with the top down, violating about 10 speeding laws. I was in f*****g heaven and it reminded me that I should let Hestia run soon. We were only a few minutes away when he finally slowed down, pulled the top up and turned off the headlights. I wondered how he was able to see, considering he was no wolf, but I quickly forgot about it as we saw the fenced compound come into view in the distance.

We pulled in behind a bush where Theo and Sebastian had hidden their car and texted them that we were here. We waited for a few minutes before there was a rapping on my window, making me jump.

"You couldn't have made a little noise so I knew you were close?" I said, as I held a hand to my chest.

"We wouldn't be very good at our job if we made noise" Sebastian chuckled.

"Anything of note?" Helios asked as we got out of the car.

"There seemed to be some vehicles coming out around the time we got here but otherwise, it's been quiet. There's a lot of heavy security though. Have to be careful. They actually have a spotter tower in the middle of their camp. Watch the spotlights if you get close." "Have you seen Eun-Kyung?" I asked.

"No, but there's one big warehouse in the complex. We saw them wheeling in some animals as we arrived. It has to be where they store them overnight." He passes me one of the cameras they are holding. It looks a bit complex and I started an internal panic that I never asked them to show me how to operate something like this. "You can use the lens there, move it right to zoom in, left to zoom out. This little one here should help you sharpen the image. Here's the on button and there's the camera shutter. You can use the display to aim and take a shot, but it's better if you use the lens like with the old cameras." He explained and I nodded my head and smiled gratefully at him.

"Alright, call us if you need anything. We'll send Gonzalo over in a few hours," Theo said, heading over to their Audi after handing Helios his camera. "We're going to try to catch some Zs" He finished with a yawn.

"Drive safe," I tell them, noticing how exhausted they look. After they were gone, I turned to look at Helios, "Now what?"

"Let's go around the perimeter to get to know the area. If you spot anywhere we can use as hiding spots, point them out," he said.

We circled the compound a few times. It was huge and lit up. It took a long time to do it safely. We took a lot of pictures but it was as Sebastian said, they must put everyone away in the giant warehouse during the night. There were a lot of empty enclosed spaces and most of the security had collapsed down to the warehouse and the gates.

Helios was dictating changes in their patterns on his phone and anything that couldn't be captured in still pictures. We were walking towards our next little hiding spot when he suddenly stopped and I ran into his back with a grunt.

"What happened?" I asked as he turned to look at me.

"You said your gift was to link anyone you made an emotional connection to, right?"

"One of them, yes," I shrugged.

"Sooo..." he prompted with his hands.

"What?" I asked.

"You've mind linked Eun-Kyung before, right? Try now!" My eyes widened. Why didn't I think of that? She was probably asleep but I could try until she woke up.

"s**t, you're right. Let's get to the hiding spot and I'll give it a try," I said, and we ran faster.

"Just make sure she stays quiet. We don't want her to bring attention to herself," Helios said.

I tried to mind link Eun-Kyung a few times and got nothing. She was unconscious. I kept nudging her with my mind and was about to give up when Hestia encouraged me to try a couple more times, reminding me that her mom always complained of how deep a sleeper she was. Finally, three more tries later, I felt the link open.

'Eun-Kyung?' I said. There was silence on the other side. 'Eun-Kyung?' I tried again.

'Nat?' her sleepy voice cries out.

'Yes sweetie, I'm close by.

'Are you getting me out? I don't want to be here! She cries. My heart breaks for her.

'I know sweetie, we're trying. We will get you out soon. I promise.' I feel his hand on my back rubbing soothing circles, and I realize I'm crying with her. The bond sparks soothes my heartbreak and I get my s**t together. 'Eun, do they hurt you? Are you OK?' 'No, they don't hurt us too much. I'm OK, but they brought people to see us today. I think they charged to see us. They were trying to make us do things and they zap us with a stun gun when we are caught sleeping to get them to run around! 'Are you guys ever alone?'

'Only at night, when they put us in here. Nat, I'm so hungry. They only feed us every other day. I just want to go home!

'We'll get you out. Just hang in there.' I tried to say with strength in my voice.

'Is that nice man helping you? The one that gave me the tracker? He said he would get me out,' she asked.

'Yes, his name is Helios. We are checking out the place and then we'll come back and get you out!'

'You're leaving?' she said and I could hear the fear and panic in her voice.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

'I have to. There's too many of them for us to do it alone. We're going to go grab some of his friends and we're going to get you out!' There was silence at the other end of the mind link. 'OK. I trust you Nat. I know you won't leave me here. I'm so sorry I got us into this. There was silence at the other end of the mind link. 'OK. I trust you Nat. I know you won't leave me here. I'm so sorry I got us into this! 'It's OK dear. I love you. I'll get you back to your parents. I have to go now. Get some rest and be strong.' I cut off the mind link. "How is she?" Helios asks.

"Scared and hungry, but uninjured. She said people come see them, like a zoo. They charge to see them and the guards use stun guns on them to get them to do tricks." I growl and then flinch as I feel his anger radiate from him, like getting too close to the sun. "Let's go back to the car. Gonzalo texted that he was on his way here while you were mind linking." He said. I looked up at the sky. It was starting to get a little light outside.

"Do you think we should? We know she's OK and we won't be able to get her out today. It's going to get light soon and you might be seen." I asked, unable to keep the worry from my voice.

"That almost sounds like you're worried about me," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Maybe I'm worried about Gonzalo." I said and regretted the words the moment they left my mouth when I saw his smile fall and he looked away. "Seriously Helios, I don't want you in danger. We know she's OK and she knows we haven't abandoned her, so she won't try anything rash. We can call it a night and come back with your friends." I quickly added.

He nods at me. "I want to watch their shift change. Maybe it's easier to get her then than during the night change."

I sigh and slump on the car seat with the door still open. "OK. But....just... be careful. I'm just beginning to tolerate you. I don't need you getting killed." I said and he gave me a lopsided smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"I'm touched that I'm now tolerable." He bows to me and I laugh. Just then, Gonzalo's car came to a stop beside us.

"How'd it go?" He asks.

"Natalia was able to mind link Eun-Kyung. She is uninjured. We will have to come back with the rest though, definitely too many guards for us to disarm without heavy casualties. We can talk about it more later. Why don't you and Natalia go back to the hotel? I just want to grab a few shots of the shift change before calling it a night. I'll call you when you can pick me up. We don't want the cars to be seen on their drive to work."

"You sure? I can stay, I've gotten a lot of sleep."

"Yeah. I'll be fine. You guys go."

"I don't think we should be leaving you with no way home. What if you get caught or have to run?" I said, my stomach was churning with worry.

Gonzalo shoots Helios a smirk. "She needs motivation. I don't think she's realized what that means yet."

Helios smirks back and dips his hand into the pocket and throws something at me. Me, being confused and tired, didn't react in time and the Maserati keys hit me right in the face. Again. I hunch over holding my face, growling. "What is with you two and throwing keys at my face!"

"I - you're a werewolf! You are supposed to have fast reflexes," he says, and I can hear the panic in his voice as a hand is placed on my shoulder. By the way the sparks fly down my arms, I know it's him.

"I said the same thing." I could hear Gonzalo chuckling a little farther away.

"I am a werewolf. That doesn't mean I know when you're throwing things in my face at 4:30 am in the morning after not having slept most of the night," I said indignantly.

"So does that mean you don't want to drive the Maserati on a mostly empty highway?" He asked, grabbing the keys from the ground and lifting my head with his hand gently to check my face.

"I think I've earned it after having been attacked twice in the face tonight," I said, grabbing the keys from him. He laughs one of those deep sexy laughs that you feel vibrating through your core at my response and I am in awe of how his face is transformed by it. "So, shall we go? I'll follow you." Gonzalo's words broke through my thoughts and Helios took a step away from me. Hestia whimpers at the loss of his fingers on our face.

"If you can keep up." I smirked at him as I watch Helios grab an energy drink from the car. "You sure you'll be OK on your own? I can park somewhere a little ways down the road and wait for you."

He smiles at me and drowns down the entire energy drink in one go. "I'll be fine. I'll text you both when I am done here."

"And you... straight to the hotel please. We're all too tired to have another panic attack." Gonzalo points his finger at me.

"Fine, Party pooper," I say as I get into the car and coo as the engine roars to life. I pulled down the top and reversed the car from behind the bushes and waved as I see Gonzalo and Helios talking. Gonzalo smirks at me and Helios rolls his eyes.