Savage Moon 06 - The New Breed - 18. Chapter 18

I could feel layer after layer of the rest of the party fade away into oblivion as I focused my gaze upon the cute boy across the room. No matter how many people walked between us, my attention never wavered. Not an inch. Not for a moment. It was almost as though my instincts had singled him out to be the prize possession of the entire party. Even with all of the other hot bodied boys grinding and gyrating at that party...there was something 'different' about him. Something weaker.

A certain vulnerability that my most savage impulses were itching to exploit. He moved with such delicate motions through the crowd of people. As if he were too timid to bump into anyone else. So overprotective of his fragile little bubble of personal space. I enjoyed watching him duck and dodge the rest of the teens in the barn. There was something so entertaining in his feeble attempts to remain invisible. So afraid to stand out. A desperate cry from a lone soul, trying sooooo hard to be a part of a herd that he didn't belong to. He was a weak link. A busted leg on a fast moving 'dinner' for a wolf like me.

I could have walked right over and gathered him up in a matter of minutes if I wanted to. I could almost feel it. But instead, I circled him slowly from a distance. Only allowing him to catch small glimpses of me every now and then through the obscuring curtain of the masses. And when the time was right, and he had recently filled his cup with another dose of 'social lubricant'...I crept up behind him. My presence going undetected until he turned around to see me standing in front of him, toe to toe.

"Oh...well, hey...I mean...hello..." He said, his voice trembling from the unexpected shock of seeing me so close, so fast.

It was adorable...seeing him shake. It caused the most subtle grin to curl up on the sides of my lips. "What are you drinking?" I asked.

"This? Oh...well...it's Coke and...whatever is in that bottle over there. They...they kinda tore the label off, so I don't know what it is."

"Really now? Mind if I have a sip? Maybe I can help you figure it out." I replied, stepping closer. I couldn't tell you where the words were coming from. They just seemed to flow from me with a confidence that I wielded like a shiny new toy.

"Wh-wh-what...?" The boy stuttered helplessly, too shy to step back from me for fear of looking 'rude'. I took a hold of his cup, making sure that my hand overlapped his own so he couldn't let it go. He tensed up in the cutest way, holding his breath as he tried his hardest to appear 'comfortable' with my touch.

I could smell the scent of his arousal pouring out of him, mixed with the 'spearmint cool' fragrance of frightened infatuation. He MUST be a closet boy like me. The scent was soooo alluring. So strong. So precise. He had never been this close to an actual boy on boy interaction before. I could practically feel him growing hard, his eyes looking around frantically for something to lean against the second I let him go so he could hide his excitement from the rest of the party. I could smell the increase of heat in his loins, and feel his pulse race beneath the sensitive tips of my fingers. And yet...I continued to toy with his senses, making a game out of his nervousness. I looked him directly in the eyes, and sipped from his cup slowly. Holding the moment. Forcing him to bear it with me for as long as he could. And just before he got the courage to physically pull away from me...I released his hand and he swiftly stepped back from me the second our contact was broken.

"Tastes a bit like Bacardi 151. Good thing you didn't pour too much in here. That stuff can be vicious." I told him with a grin.

His bottom lip quivered as he nodded slightly with a fake grin. I could almost taste the chemical reactions taking place in him. The conflict of wanting to continue our conversation...but not feeling as though he were worthy of keeping my attention. Too scared to stand still, too scared to walk away. I could easily help him along, but watching him squirm proved to be more entertaining than some quick roll in the hay. I'd much rather tease him into a frenzy...and then make him give himself to me completely. Body, mind, soul...I wanted it all. Not just what he felt comfortable with. The total abandon of his every moral code of conduct would be the only thing that would make this worthwhile.

How strange. I never entertained thoughts like this before.

"So...bad experience, huh?" He said, swallowing hard as he tried to find some sort of 'safe' temporary connection with me. "With the Bacardi, I mean?"

"Well...not for me, it wasn't. But I did smash the bottle over the face of someone who desperately deserved it about a week a half ago." I said, and the boy wrinkled up his forehead for a second, not really knowing whether or not I was joking. But he gave me a polite giggle anyway. "The name is Wesley. Wesley Parker." I said, always stepping closer, always invading him with my eye contact.

"Um...Isaac." He said, looking down at his shoes. Then added, "Isaac Montrager." His eye contact was a little bit brave than before, but not by much. I think he just liked what he saw, and was now finding it harder and harder to turn away. I liked that.

"So you're here for the 'Rumspringa' celebration, I take it? Enjoying some time away from home?" I asked, hoping to ease his senses down a bit. I didn't want his adrenaline burning out before I got the chance to put it to good use.

"I...I've actually been away from church for about...six months now, so..." His feet began to fidget, his fingers nervously fiddling with the belt loops of his blue jeans.

"Ahhhh...so this is just a weekend party for you then?" I asked. "Are you finding the answers you were looking for...out here in the temptations of the mean old world?"

He grinned timidly, a bit of a blush rushing up into his cheeks. "I don't know. I like it, I guess." He peeked up at me again, and I used the opportunity to lean even closer. It coaxed out more of that sugary sweet aroma, and his modest giggle spread it around with an even more beautiful design. It surrounded me, and I wanted to touch him, just to see how strong it could get. The brownish blond strands of his hair looked like silk from this distance, and the softness of his lip were about as tantalizing as any other evil temptation on this planet. His big brown eyes were nearly hidden behind a set of attractively long eyelashes, and even though he was older than me by at least two years, the slightly dimpled aura of his boyish smile made him look younger. Isaac saw me looking at him up close, and his smile faded a bit as he tried to distract himself from the situation by taking another sip of his drink. Hiding his emotions as well as he could with a plastic cup.

"I imagine it must be hard to think about going back home to horse drawn buggies and bicycles." I asked. "I doubt they have parties like this."

"No...not like this." He mumbled, drinking some more. He was so bashful that I figured he'd be ready for another cup after just a few more comments. "I like the music. We're not allowed to have music. And the video games. And I like my English clothes." He said, but quickly stopped himself as though he was rambling. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm interested." I told him. Finding his spots. All of those little open parts of him that were starved for some sort of balance. "And the sex?" I asked, just out of the blue. For a moment, even I was surprised.

He seemed to get flustered and swallowed some of his drink down the wrong pipe. He coughed and sputtered for a moment, and then wiped his mouth as he tried to laugh off the comment. "Yeah, well....you know..."

"No. I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" I replied. "Have you been out here having a full experience, Isaac? Or have you been faking it for the sake of satisfying a desire to be normal?" He stopped for a second, but even though he ignored the question, the subtleties of his expression let me know that I had touched a nerve.

Instantly, he wanted to find a way to make an 'exit' from the conversation entirely. "I should probably...move around a little. You know, just have some fun or something." Had I pushed too hard, too fast. He was retreating from the emotion. Running from the infatuation. Perhaps I should have been a bit more delicate.

"You and me can have some fun right here, if you want to. I don't really know anybody here except for the few friends I came with." I told him, attempting to give him the idea that I was just as lost in this crowd as he was. "We might as well, both have some fun, right? That's what leaving home and participating in all this is all about, right?" I kept my voice soft. Mellow. Calm enough to seduce him into an illusion of safety. While the whole time, the wolf in me was simply drawing up the parts of meat he wanted to devour first.

His eye contact began to swiftly dart around the room, his breathing increasing as he tried to stand still. "Um...w-w-we can do that." He said.

"Cool." I smiled, making his blush darken considerably. "You wanna, maybe, find a quiet place where you and me can sit down and...'talk' for a bit." I made sure to give him the strongest 'signal' that I could. I wanted him to expect it. The heightened anticipation of my kiss would drive him insane by the time he found the courage to let my lips connect to his for the first time. I could already see his jittery muscles vibrate out of control. I had to fight the urge to reach out and just rest my palm on his chest. I'm wiling to bet that his heartbeat is pounding hard enough to make us both dizzy.

And it was at that moment that I took notice of something. An Eric Clapton t-shirt. Isaac was wearing it proudly, brand new...and it was fitted so snugly against his sleek frame. It caught my attention, initially, because it was cute on him. But something about it touched something a bit deeper inside of me. A slight 'yank' in the direction of a not so distant memory caused a sudden break in everything that I was thinking about. A complete disconnect, like having someone cut the tightrope right from under my feet, and dropping me into a high speed freefall into darkness.

Thoughts of the song, 'Layla', rang in my ears, and I found myself looking down at the floor as gentle visions of Casey ran through my mind. Memories of him sitting behind that counter at his uncle's store with his feet up, reading a comic book.

God...I don't think I had ever experienced a memory so completely. So vividly. It stopped me from talking, and my attraction was instantly broken.

I could remember the shafts of sunlight coming in through the dusty windows of the old gas station store as they landed on the smooth flesh of his calves up by the register. The lightest dusting of baby soft blond hair shining as my eye traced his legs from the bottom of his shorts to the top of his white socks. I had to hold my breath as the vision of his delicate lips came into view, his bright hazel eyes hypnotizing me, even from the side. Holding Casey...kissing Casey...touching Casey...the very concept was almost enough to snatch the breath right from my lungs and cause me to swoon to the point of nearly falling over. It was almost as if the feelings I had for him had been building up over time Suffocated by the savage mentality that was trying so hard to take over my reality, one step at a time. But the guiding light of his beauty...even if his kiss was only a false promise created by my mixed up mind...pierced the darkness, and left me wondering how I had even GOTTEN to this party in the first place.

Wasn't I.....

...Supposed to be going home?

"Wes?" Isaac asked, and I shook myself free of the powerful rush of emotion running through me. I gave Isaac a grin, and he said, "Is that ok?"

"Huh?"

"You said that maybe we could find a quiet place to talk, and I said that...maybe we could go over by the couch in the corner." He was still a bit nervous, but pushing himself to take a leap of faith to get to know me better.

"Oh...yeah. Yes. Let's go and...uh...relax." I tried to get back to what I was feeling before. Unrestricted. Uncompromising. But...something about Casey's image brought my mind state back to the 'old' me. The 'weaker' me. And my every primal instinct hated it.

As Isaac walked away from me, heading towards a spot in some darkened corner where I was sure he would continue to 'feel me out' to see if it was safe to take a chance on the cute blond boy at the party. I looked down at his ass, watching it move, feeling the temptation welling up inside me as I imagined clutching its naked flesh with both hands as I ravaged him in some private area where he could give himself to me freely. But my previous life had been re-introduced to this new personality of mine, and it was an unwanted invasion of frailty where there was once unwavering strength. Doubt where there was once such confidence. I was almost disgusted with myself for allowing it to intrude on my progress with this willing piece of fresh meat. And what was even worse...

...Was that I suddenly felt disconnected from my brothers.

Their energies had left me. The pack and I had become separate entities...and the loneliness that washed over me was both sudden and disturbing. I felt so...so LOST without my brothers' love. Without Cyrus' guiding light. The more Casey impaired my thoughts, the faster the calling left me. And I struggled to hold on to it, for fear that they would notice my absence....and come to 'collect' me.

Isaac moved nervously way back against the wall of the loft, and then went to a spot where we could be practically be alone. It was as far away from social contact as he could manage without actually leaving the party, and the scent of his fear was thick in the air around me. I looked at his modest beauty, and licked my lips...impatiently waiting for my predatory impulses to kick back in so that I could make my move. Sliding my tongue against his as my hands wandered the smoothness of his soft unblemished skin would be a near religious experience for me. But, despite my desires, I was stuck with memories of...'him'.

I thought of Casey standing so close to me that it intimidated my every emotion into a state of panic as he taught me how to play cards. I thought of the sunlight induced reflection of his greenish brown hazel eyes, sparkling with his magnetic personality, accented by his alluring smile. Oh, the very 'curve' of him...I salivated at the thought of being able to trace the line of his back and shoulders with a single finger...only to rise at the globes of his well formed ass, and back down to the softness of his thighs. Casey...my Casey. The emotion was so...genuine. So unnaturally pure. It was the kind of attraction that made you willingly want to embrace the weakness inside. To be in the presence of a boy that could literally floor you with his kiss. Not just physically beautiful...but possessing that invisible charm that drew you in and refused to let go.

And it was those random thoughts of Casey that caused my mental state to unravel in a matter of seconds. Thoughts of camp. Of Kyla Of Freddy. Of my parents, and my brother Nick. Thoughts of home. Like a distant memory of shadows, scattered by a sudden burst of light. The images were disorienting at first, but they began to solidify as I tried harder to focus. What was I doing? Why am I still here? It was getting hard to think again. Ugh...so hard to concentrate.

Isaac attempted to talk to me, but his sheepishness kept him from making much conversation. And now that my own doubts and conflicts were beginning to flourish again...I didn't really have much luck inspiring him to continue. My inner animal had quickly been tamed. My connection had been broken. Cyrus' guidance began to feel more like 'control'...and just as I began to reject it, I saw a shadow cover us from over my shoulder.

"You know, watching you work is about the least entertaining thing I've seen at any party I've ever been to, mate." I saw Julien standing over me, shaking his head with a little smirk. Then he turned to Isaac and said, "You mind if I talk to your friend here for a minute?" Isaac froze. As though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Julien was quick to tell him, "Don't fluster yourself. I'll have him back to this 'conveniently dark' corner in a jiff. You've got my word."

Julien didn't really wait for an answer, and with a hand on my shoulder, he pulled me away from my pursuit to talk to me elsewhere. Somehow, Julien's presence helped me to reclaim a bit of my calling, and I found myself pushing those recognizable images of home back into the murky depths of darkness that had enveloped them before. Allowing my most primal instincts to take center stage once again. I tensed up from his touch, angrily pulling away from him as soon as we crossed the room. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled.

"I could ask you the same question. I was watching you pick up on the 'sugar kid' back there...and your technique is sloppy. Friggin' WEAK is what it was." He told me, his Australian accent just strong enough to be present without taking over the deceptively angelic haze of his voice. "First of all, you talk too much. Second of all, you take too long to make your intentions known. And third..."

"I don't seem to remember asking for any help with this." I told him, keeping my eye on him. As far as the other wolves were concerned, I still didn't trust a single one of them. Especially when I was out of touch with my brethren.

"Oh come now...it's obvious why Cyrus brought you here tonight. And you're not taking advantage of it at all." He said. "You should've had at least THREE boys spilling their seed by now. Instead, you're over there trying to have a meaningful conversation with the shy guy. Where's your SACK, mate? A premium cutie like you? I'm so disappointed."

"I'm working on it."

"There's nothing to 'work' at. Three steps. Target, engage, consume. Very simple. I don't know WHAT you were doing. It's not like you have to help him pick out drapes for the living room." That's when Julien reached forward, and lewdly grabbed a handful of my crotch. "Mmmmm...healthy. You should think with THIS more often. It'll help." I pushed his hand away, staring him in the eye while gritting my teeth. But Julien merely flashed me a playful grin. "C'mon...let's get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I said.

"Come now, cutie...don't be skittish. You'll be able to find your bottom bitch again later. I just wanna talk."

"Talk? What could you and I possibly have to talk about?"

"Who knows?" He smiled. "Only one way to find out, isn't it? Let's just say that you 'interest' me. It's been some time since I've seen a new breed. Years, to be honest. I have to admit...the idea of you being so uninitiated excites me." I didn't move right away. I made sure to stare right into those deep brown eyes of his, and he never backed down. Never lost his smirk. His freedom and fearlessness was so...attractive on him. It was hard to explain, but for someone so slight and 'break like a twig' slim...Julien certainly knew how to intimidate in the most subtle and clever ways Part seduction, part deception...mixed with the thrill of a lightly suggested 'dare'...it was a lethal combination. "Come on, boy. I'm not all that threatening, am I? Certainly you can entertain me with a few moments of idle conversation?"

"What, exactly, are you offering?" I asked him.

"That all depends on what you think you can handle, mate." Our eyes remained locked, and a long silence passed before he broadened his smile and said, "You have nothing to worry about. If I wanted to do something to you, it would have happened by now. In case you hadn't noticed...I'm in good company here. We guard our territories well. We could have slashed you to ribbons before you even stepped foot in the loft."

"Somehow, I doubt that"

"Don't. You're further outside of your element than you know. You're entire PACK is out of line just being here. The least you can do is humor me with a couple minutes of your undivided attention." His mood darkened slightly, but it was barely visible behind the mellow golden glow in his eyes. "You won't be alone. I'm sure your 'handler', John Boy, is keeping a close eye on you. If you'll pardon the expression."

I looked closely at Julien, trying to pick up on any ulterior motives that he may have for dragging me away from the others. Naturally, he wasn't just doing this to entertain his curiosity. But there was a flare up in my ego that brought on a confidence that urged me forward. As if I had nothing to fear from him OR his wolf pack. Accepting his offer was almost a dare in itself.

"Lead the way." I said, and Julien was all to happy to guide me outside.

I have to admit, being out in the cool air, surrounded by darkness, was a refreshing change from the madness inside. And yet, you could still hear the thump and distortion of the music and drunken teenagers in the background, so we weren't completely disconnected from the party...but we weren't suffocated by it either. I took a few peeks at Julien's ass when he gave me the opportunity. I don't know why I bothered to hide my glances from him, as the sight of its tight round globes were certain to release a fragrance of attraction that he'd be able to sense immediately. Thankfully, he didn't bother to comment on it. He may have even been used to it. His leather pants accentuated it in such a sensual way, lifting the small pert cheeks and displaying them proudly for anyone watching. I was urged to take charge and grab two handfuls of it, but thought it better to not fraternize with the 'enemy' any more than I already had.

Funny...I doubt he would have hesitated at all if the roles had been reversed.

At one point, Julien stopped talking and looked at me with a smile. "What?" I asked him.

"You're lovely That's all." He said. "Under different circumstances, I might have fancied you something fierce. How new are you?"

"New?"

"How long since Cyrus gave you his mark?" He looked behind me, and without warning, he slowly slid his hand up under the back of my shirt. His fingertips grazed the scratches Cyrus put on me, and I cringe away from his touch immediately. I couldn't explain it really, but that mark suddenly felt like such a private and personal part of me these days. Having Julien touch it was about as inappropriate as having someone finger your asshole in the middle of a public library.

"DON'T!" I said with a bit of a hiss.

"Ahh, still a bit sensitive, are you? You must be a young pup." He said. "So...how long?"

"Um...it was.." I had to think hard back to that afternoon. That first visit to the old house. The sex. The magnificent thrill of all those hands and mouths on me at once. The gentle pain of their many scratches and nibbles...ripping into the warmth of my naked flesh. "...I think...it was maybe...a week ago? Or...was it longer?" A few small images of home flashed in my mind. Thoughts of a fight with my father. Thoughts of running away to be with the others. But...soooo much of it was a blur. "You know...to be honest, I can't really remember."

Julien grinned at my answer. "Ah, don't trouble yourself. Sense of time is one of the first things to go when you let the calling take over. It's no big loss though. You won't be needing it anymore. Time perception goes right out the window when you start living outside the system. You'd be surprised how much more you take in and appreciate when that blasted ticking clock is removed."

"Yeah. I guess so." I replied, feeling myself still lost in a continuous fog.

"So...let me guess...you told your parents you were gay and they threw you out? Am I right?"

"Hehehe, no. Actually, I didn't tell them anything." I said. "My father...he wouldn't have understood."

"You sure about that? Or you just making that your excuse?"

"No. I'm pretty sure. My father's a priest."

"Fuck me, are you serious?" He giggled, and I nodded. "Lucky you, eh?"

"Tell me about it." I looked over at him, and he really did seem beautiful to me. Something about him was just plain spellbinding. "What about you?"

"Me? Heh, you won't find any sob stories about me, mate. I had it all." He told me, looking up at the stars with a smile. "Nice, wealthy, loving parents. Lots of good friends. Good schools. Came out of the closet at thirteen years of age and got myself a sexy boyfriend three weeks later. Good grades, bright future. Beautiful home with a bonkers view of the Murray River in Mannum, Australia...life was good."

"Oh." I said, a bit surprised. "So...then why did you...you know...?"

"Why did I give it all up and put myself in league with the likes of Evren?" He asked. "Because...a good life isn't always a free life."

"I don't...I don't understand."

"Well, sure, I could have gone through the motions and made a nice living, scored myself a gorgeous partner and lived quite comfortably for the rest of my life. But where's the excitement in that, eh?" Was he serious? There are people who would KILL to have his looks, his blessings, his life. And he threw it away for the sake of a little excitement. He saw the hidden frustration in my expression, and rolled his eyes in the cutest way. "Oh, lay off. Don't tell me you've never wanted to reach for more at a time when 'other' people were telling you how lucky you were to be you."

"I just think you would have been better off being one of the lucky few who had a chance to be happy."

"I AM happy. I'm happy because I don't have to live by what you think would be a better choice for me." He told me. "You see, my biggest problem is that I had a voice. In their world, that's the worst weapon you could possibly use against them. Thinking differently from the majority of sheep out there...it's a curse in itself. Life is always hard for people with a voice. So I said screw the system and all the so-called 'blessings' they allowed me to have. It's all scraps off the table to them. Evren gave me an alternative. He showed me the way. And once the restraints were off...I was free. Still me...but on a whole other level. You get me?"

"No. Hehehe!" I giggled, and he laughed along with me.

"S'alright. I suppose it's easier to know than it is to explain All I know is that I've never felt better. Not a day in my life. I prefer to live without secrets or social norms and all that 'on the right path' bullshit. It's been eight years, and I don't miss a thing about my old life. Nothing at all."

I wrinkled up my forehead, and gave him a look. "Eight years?" Julien barely looked more than a few weeks older than me.

Something lit up in his dark brown eyes, and a rather sinister grin spread across his thin lips. "My oh my...Cyrus really hasn't told you much, has he?" He asked me. "I take it he's just letting you wander around a bit first? Building your dependence solely on him as a mentor before allowing you to make the choice? Tsk tsk tsk...that's not playing fair, is it? Makes me wonder how much of a 'choice' you really had to begin with in all this" I didn't like the idea of him questioning Father's order...but I was intrigued by the question. He watched me for a moment and said, "We don't age like the rest of them. We're different. In fact, it can be different for each new breed. For most, it's almost like...'dog years', but in reverse. You might gain a year here and there every seven to ten years. It all depends on your make up, I suppose. I should be celebrating my first birthday since I was chosen in the next ten months or so. I plan to make it a special occasion." He gave me a sensual look, stepping closer to me as he stopped me from walking any further. He leaned forward until his lips were almost touching mine...but not quite. "If I throw a little shindig here at the loft...will you come?" He moaned softly.

Julien's arms draped themselves over my shoulders, and he began to sway slightly as my hands instinctively reached out for his slim, almost dainty, waist. I was close. So close. And felt as though I should pull away from him. I should be back with my brothers and sister. I shouldn't be this far away. "I've...I've gotta go back. I just..."

"Shhhh...you are such a dodgy little pup. Buck up. You're not alone. I'm sure your boys are watching you. Probably testing your loyalty, if nothing else."

"No." I said firmly, and I let go of his hips as I stepped away from him. "I'm going back."

"Sighhh...what are we to do with this one, Father?" Julien said. He was staring into my eyes when the words were spoken, but he wasn't talking to me. When I looked to the side, I saw two shadowed figures standing there in the dark. And me...soooo far from the rest of the party. Julien had practically walked me to the edge of the property, the music a mere mumble of sound from this distance. I looked back, and saw Evren standing before me...his pint sized guardian clinging tightly to his side. Julien chuckled, "You really should sharpen those senses of yours, mate. Or at least learn to trust them a little better."

"I knew you were up to something." I grumbled.

"And yet you followed me out here anyway. I find that sexy." Julien told me, and left my side to join his master. Evren accepted him with a one-armed embrace...and then kissed him lustfully on the lips. An act that I wish I could have enjoyed when I had the chance. "You were right, Evren...Cyrus hasn't taught him much of anything."

"Of course not." Evren replied, his eyes glowing a bright gold as they reflected the light from the barn in the distance. "This boy is a prized possession indeed. There's no way Cyrus would risk his new acquisition on choice and chance. Not when he's trying so hard to build himself a perfect circle."

The little boy, Luke...his freckled nose wrinkled up in a silent snarl as he bared his teeth and growled at me with his prepubescent voice...remained glued to Evren's hip, until he tapped him on the shoulder and gave the nod to let him go. Evren took a step forward, his intimidating aura creating an involuntary tensing of my every muscle. And I moved back as he approached me fearlessly. "What are you doing??? I'll call for the others! They'll be here in a second if they think I'm in trouble!"

"Your faith in your calling is overrated, boy." He said, his strong voice causing my courage to sink to the pit of my stomach like a rock. "But you need not worry about all that. I simply want to talk."

I looked back over at Julien. "Funny..I seem to have heard that before."

"Not the way I'm going to tell it to you." Evren stared deeply into my eyes, and made no attempts to put my mind at ease. Where was Cyrus? Where was John Boy? And the twins? Hell...isn't DEX supposed to be obsessed with me? Where is HE at? Probably passed out in a corner somewhere after having Sebastian pour liquor down his throat. Evren reached out again, and I jumped back, causing Julien to snicker under his breath. I was literally trembling from the wickedness I felt inside of this 16 year old alpha...but his cold blue eyes forced me to remain still. "You can relax. I'm not going to hurt you. Not without reason." He told me. "I'm talking to you because I feel that you should know a great many things about your pack leader. As well as a great many things about yourself. If you're willing to listen...then we can talk. If not...you're free to return to the party, and fall in line like the good little soldier you are."

"I'm not going to betray the others..."

"No one is asking you to. I am simply giving you the opportunity to ask the questions that I'm sure Cyrus won't answer for you. Not just yet. Not while you still have a chance to go home."

The word. It fell on my ears so lightly...but it carried with it such a profound sense of loss. "H-H-Home?" I said timidly.

"Yes, Wesley. Home." I stared off into space for a moment, trying to recall the memories that the calling was swiftly trying to erase. "I take that to mean that I have your attention?" Evren said, and I looked back into his eyes as he stared a hole right through me. He wasn't much taller than me physically...but his power and confidence towered over me like you wouldn't believe. He put an arm over my shoulder, and leaned towards me to speak softly in my ear. "Come...we have much to discuss, you and I."