I watched Dad wear his three piece pinstriped suit. He shrugged on his coat like an armour and blowed a kiss to mum. Then he walked out the door. There was a limo just outside the Alpha’s house too. They were going out. Probably to an important meeting, seeing the way Dad was dressed. He hopped into the limo with the Alpha, my uncle Jamie and the limo sped off. 

It was a good thing they were both gone. I wouldn’t have to sneak as carefully as when they were around. 

I waited a bit after dinner. The 30 minutes seemed like eternity. As soon as the clock hit 8.30pm, I got my jacket and ran out the door. 

“Be back before 9.” 

I heard Mum yell from the kitchen. 

“Okay...” I yelled back, not stopping or even slowing. 

I ducked behind some bushes as some Men walked pass. They were on Patrol duty. I didn’t even know why I hid, I could have easily waved at them. But I stayed hidden till they were well past. 

Then I ran nonstop all the way to the oak tree by the edge of the woods. My ears were pounding by the time i got to the tree. I sat on a root stump and tried to slow my breathing because I was panting. 

My breath was still rugged and unstable when I heard a twig break and felt it land on my arm. I jumped a foot from where a stood and watched. Everywhere became quiet, too quiet but i knew I was not alone. There was someone else here. 

I crept slowly back under the tree and stared up, from where I suspected the twig to have broken from... and I stared right into the gleaming eyes of my cousin. 

“JAKE!!” I whispered furiously. I used my hands to cover my eyes as if he would disappear when I opened them. 

He leapt down from the branch above my head and stood before me, a mischievous grin on his face. 

“You followed me here, didn’t you?” I accused, pointing a finger in his chest. 

“Nope.” He face was still set in that smug smile. “I waited for you here. I’ve been here for the past one hour. I was beginning to wonder if you two had changed plans.” 

“You are going to spoil my first ever time alone with Lily.” I groaned in frustration and pulled at my hair. 

“Don’t worry, Jas. I’m going to stay well out of sight. She won’t know I’m here.” 

“You seem to be forgetting that she’s a werewolf... like you. She’d scent you out in a second. And boy, you stink.” I said pinching my nose with my fingers. 

He sniffed his armpits and laughed. “I sure do. I’ll just head home and wash up. I’ll be back for the show between you two.” 

“You don’t have to go, now that you are here.” 

He gave me a skeptical look and tilted his head. 

“I’m serious, Jake. The both of us can tell her the story. It’ll make it more interesting, then I’ll walk her home... Alone.” I made sure to put emphasis on the word ‘Alone’. To make sure to grabbed the meaning and stated clear. 

“Thank you.” He plopped down beside me, and now that I think of it, he didn’t really want to go. He just wanted me to tell him to stay. 

“She should be here by now.” I said nervously. I was nervous. I didn’t even know how to kiss. I got up and started pacing forward and backwards.  

“Relax Jason. She’d be here soon.” Jake said, doodling something on the sand with his fingers. 

Suddenly, the air beside me seemed to swirl. I had seen something like that before, when Jake had gone to drop our shirts in a wrong direction to clear the way for us into the pack territory some days ago. 

The air swirled and seemed like liquid and then strangely, a gray robed leg stuck out, followed by a body. Five more gray robed figures stepped out. 

The one I presumed to be the leader, removed his hood and I saw his pointed ears. He was Fey. 

“Step back, Jason.” Jake growled behind me. “These are not ordinary Feys. They are the watchers. I’ve heard my Dad talk about them.” 

I haven’t heard my Dad talk about about but I’ve read enough about them to let me know that The Watchers are a dangerous subspecies of Feys. They had access to a deeper reach of magic, even more than the Fey King. 

I tried to move back but i could not move my leg muscles. 

They’ve enchanted you. My Cat sang in my head. 

I heard Jake grunt and realized that he also was under the same spell. 

“Let us go!” I said through clenched teeth. 

“Relax Jason. There’s no need to be hostile. My name is Alyssé.” The lead Fey stepped forward.  

“Let us go!” I repeated, like he hadn’t heard me the first time. 

“Oh, I will.” He said in a bored, nonchalant way. “As soon as we’re done with the both of you.” With that he waved his fingers and another portal opened. He stepped through and we followed. Our limbs were still stiff but we floated, by another of his spells.

As we entered the portal, I felt a clench in my chest and a pressure building in my head. It felt like my head wanted to burst. I wasn’t sure if it was my voice screaming or if it was Jake by my side that as doing the scream and just when I thought I was going to die, it all stopped. 

Everywhere was dark