Alison turned to face Rome, confused. "How did she know you were there anyways? Was she following you?"

Big shoulders shrugged. "Probably, she's called nearly once a day since I ended things."

"And when was that?" It was Vera who asked. Her soft, husky voice was soothing. Alison could easily see her having a great seeing voice. Bluesy and jazzy music thick like a humid night.

"Four weeks ago."

"So she sought out Conlin just to, what, sabotage us?" Alison nearly blushed at the connotation of us. Though Rome didn't seem to notice the slip.

Rome took a seat next to her. "My guess is he found her. He has cops, lawyers, all kinds of people who can gather him information. He found her to use against us is my bets." Alison wrung her hands together, wishing that if she just squeezed tight enough all of this would go away. These people didn't deserve to be cleaning up her problem.

"The bigger problem is Conlin. If he actually said that he's going to take her back then he's going to try and find a way to do it," Vane said looking everything the military commander with his knees spread and elbows resting on them.

"There's no way he's coming back on Kategan lands, and we have extra guards lined up and watching the perimeter," Sarina said, shaking her head.

The human was shaking his head no. "If he wants her, he'll find a way and he'll get her. The best you can do is have a personal guard on her at all times and have some kind of alarm planned that can be triggered when he finally attempts."

"How can you be so certain?" Vera's voice was no longer soft but cutting and cold. She stared at the human like she wanted to see his insides.

He stared right back at her. "Because it's my job to find people like this."

"Lay off, Vera. He's the best, that's why I brought him here." Rome turned to his friend. "I want you on Conlin. We need eyes on him at all times, can you do that for me."

"Done," the human said.

Alison spoke up with a question that had been nagging her. "Can't we just go to the Justicar's now that we have evidence?"

"The only thing they're going to do is tell him to back off. The Justicar's restraint orders are as useless as human's restraining orders. They're bullshit." Alison had never seen Rome speak so violently, like he was having a hard time suppressing his anger.

Vera pointed a long-nailed finger into the air. "No, no, no. She definitely needs to make a report with the Justicars. We need to keep building evidence against the bastard."

"She's right," Darien said, speaking up for the first time. His body shadowed the corner like a statue. "Rome should stay with her."

Alison protested immediately. She had enough problems on her hands and some of them were due to the handsome lykaen. The last thing she needed was to have him permanently at her side. Hell, she'd already slept with him way too much.

"I think after today's warning that's our best option right now," Rome agreed.

"I can stick around too," Vera offered. "I have some vacay time I can use from work. I can even bunker down in the spare cabin so I'm close."

"It would be better if Darien occupied the guest cabin instead," Jacks said, his arms crossing across his big chest.

Alison's mouth fell open at Vera's thunderous expression. She leaned forward from her slacked position, her hands straddling her thighs. "Are you saying I'm not as strong or capable as my brother, human?"

The man didn't flinch at her icy tone. "That's exactly what I'm saying." She growled, a loud vibrating sound in the cabin.

"Vera can take the cabin, Darien will stay near just in case," Vane ordered, all alpha in his voice.

Alison watched the human tense but then his shoulders relaxed. He cut his eyes away from Vera.

"Don't worry, we're going to make sure he never gets his hands on you again," Rome said.

Alison's gut tightened. A throbbing pain was beating at her temples like it was trying to get out. She just wanted to be alone. She didn't want to think about Conlin or Sandra or her life or anything at all.

Sarina caught her gaze from across the room and gave her a soft nod. "Baby, are we done here? I'm feeling tired." Instantly the male looked concerned. Vane grabbed her hand and practically hauled her to the door.

Rome laughed and Vera snorted and rolled her eyes; Darien just stared at Vane and his mate, a peculiar look in his eye.

Rome hollered before everyone was out of earshot. "If anyone gets news of any kind you pick up the phone and call me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Roman. We know the drill." Vera lifted off from the chair, the move fluid and graceful. She swooped down and gave Alison a quick, startling hug before heading to the front door. The male Jacks didn't move as she stared at him. They stayed in that staring contest for a few more seconds before she finally puffed out a sigh and sauntered out of the cabin. Jacks gave a nod to Rome and left after the fuming female.

Alison breathed a deep sigh when everyone was gone. Rome came up and leaned down over her, his hands braced on the arms of the seat. Her heart beat faster. Only he could do that to her. It scared the shit out of her.

He cocked his head at her, studying her, taking everything in. From the frown of her mouth to the stressed furrow of her brow and her now rapid pulse beating against the thin skin of her neck. Yup, she was definitely stupid.

She'd been hurt so bad once. It wasn't the physical pain of the beating that Conlin gave her that scarred her. It ran much deeper than that. It festered and bled inside her. She'd actually loved him. The sickness in her gut permeated throughout her body making her body feel heavy and sick. Who could love someone like that? Why couldn’t she see it then?

"Hey, stop it." His voice wasn't gentle. It was hard and heated. He cupped her chin in his hand and gave her a bruising, punishing kiss. "Don't think about it, don't think about him. He doesn't deserve to be in your thoughts." His words surprised her and brought her back from the sick feeling. It was still there but it was only simmering inside her.

Stupid, stupid, that's what she was. She'd made the mistake of loving someone like him before and look where that had ended up.

Life had a cruel way of circling in on her.

"Tell me what's wrong." It was a command spoken from an Alpha. She was helpless to answer it. He gave her another punishing kiss before she could breathe again.

"I'm afraid of trusting you. Even though I know you're different, you're not him. I can't help it. The fear is there, no matter how irrational it is. I'm terrified that one of these days I'll make you mad and then..." her quick words trembled unevenly until finally she tore her face free of his hands and brushed past him. He moved out of the way, letting her escape. Only after she was in the kitchen could she breathe freely again.

He followed her, his intoxicating scent filling the room. She wanted to roll around in it, lick his naked body everywhere. He'd let her too, but then when she came out of her sexual haze the fear would be back. The fucking insecurities. She hated it. She hated herself. So fucking weak. Somehow those angry thoughts fueled her, had her turning towards him, and saying something she'd never expected to say.

"More than anything else I'm scared that after all this is over, I'll be just like Sandra. Bitter and angry...sad that you're gone from my life. That I was temporary to you. Just the girl you spent two months with. "