Laiela? is that you?

Yes, it's me. I've never seen anyone outside the family do that before . . .

You saw that? And what do you mean challenged his dominance?

We're connected, James. I can look into your thoughts and experience what you experience. With practice, you'll be able to as well. 

Really? I'm not sure how I feel about that. . .

Don't worry, later I'll teach you how to shield your thoughts so no one can enter your mind. Until then I'll stay out of your head as much as possible. It's just sometimes when your emotions are really strong it's like I'm experiencing them myself. I get worried and have the urge to check if you're ok.

Just then I noticed the man was looking at me expectantly and I realised I'd been quiet too long.

Laiela what should I say? This guy wants to know what happened but I don't know what I did and I don't think saying I challenged Joel's dominance is gonna go down very well.

You have a point, Dillan wouldn't react well to knowing you beat Joel. Just tell him you don't know what you did and that you were just asking Joel to show you around.

"I don't know. I just asked him if he'd show me around the place and he suddenly started getting up in my face." I tell him. looking away so he won't see the lie.

"Let me guess, you didn't like him in your space so you shoved him or something right?" he asks sighing and relaxing a little.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" I state more than asking. 

This guys' starting to annoy me.

"Back down is what you should have done. Someone like you shoving him would obviously cause him to be violent. You shouldn't challenge people you can't beat in a fight." He answers plainly like he's telling off a naughty kid.

Did he seriously just say that!? I definitely don't like this guy. He's almost worse than the other one. He's so casual about it. It's almost like he doesn't realise what he's saying.

He doesn't. Dillan's an ok guy, he's just an idiot.

"Sure dude. Whatever. Just tell me where I should wait for Laiela and Travis."

"I don't know. You shouldn't wander around by yourself." He replies.

Just how old does this guy think I am. He's treating me like a little kid.

"Really, I'm fine. If I get lost I can just ask Laiela." I told him pointing at my head.

"What do you mean ask Laiela? She's still at the school with your brother." He asks confused.

"I can hear her speaking to me in my head."

Saying it out loud I can hear how crazy it sounds. A feeling of unreality stole over me and I started to doubt whether or not this was really happening and wondering about my level of sanity. 

But I shouldn't have worried his reaction told me I wasn't crazy. 

He looked shocked and confused but it was obvious he believed me. He wasn't surprised Laiela could send telepathic messages, he was surprised I could hear her, especially from this distance. He thought I was human and humans aren't supposed to be able to hear them communicating. But that was strange, I smelled human so why could I hear her. Was his sense of smell wrong?

Wait a minute where did all that come from? Am I reading his mind?!

Sure enough, Dillan's nostrils were flaring as he scented the air.

This is getting weird. I'm outta here.

"Well I'm gonna go look around a little. I promise I won't touch anything." I say as I hurry past him and towards the hallway leading away from the front of the house.

I practically run down the hall till I come to an intersection of sorts. The main hall continues in a straight line with its many nondescript doors leading off it into other rooms but to the right another hallway branches off. I turn and go down this way until I come to a set of large ornate double doors. They are carved with pictures of mountains and wolves howling up at a large book which covered both doors. I quickly opened the left door and slipped inside and what I saw had me stopping in my tracks. 

This must be the library. It's bigger than the one at school!

There were shelves overflowing with books reaching all the way up to the ceiling with smaller shelves scattered around the room along with a selection of couched armchairs and desks. A large fireplace blazed along one wall and sitting by the fire surrounded by books was a man with flaming red hair and thick rimmed glasses. He was wearing a grey and charcoal-colored suit and expensive-looking brown leather shoes. He didn't look up from his book but instead motioned for me to go over to him.

"Um, hi there. Sorry for barging in here. I'm . . ." I was about to say more but he stuck a finger in the air, effectively silencing me from my rambling.

He sat there with his finger in the air and continued to read his book in silence.

"I'm sorry. I can go if you want me to. I'll just leave you alone." I say turning to go but before I can take a single step his hand shoots out and grabs my wrist.

"Ow man Whats your problem," I demand, trying to wrench my arm back, but even though I must have had like 20 pounds on the guy he still wouldn't let go. His grip is like steel. His skinny appearance is deceiving.

"I can't let you do that." He says finally speaking for the first time. His voice is cold and hard. It sent a chill running up my spine. There was no warmth in it at all.

"What? Why?! I was just gonna look around a bit." I reply my voice starting to go up in register.

"That's exactly why you can't leave. I don't want you snooping around. Might see something you shouldn't. You already know too much." He says his grip increasing and causing me to grunt in pain.

"Let me go," I growl. 

His grip releases a little and I realise I'm doing the same thing I did back in the entryway when I made Joel look away.

This will be easier if I look him in the eye and talk calmly. I need to put more authority into my command.

I don't know where that thought came from but I found myself turning around to face him anyway.

I looked down straight into his frosty blue eyes - which were just as cold as his voice though they held mild confusion right then - and straightened up to my full height.

"Let. Me. Go." I said pronouncing each word with authority and command, putting my all my anger and annoyance into my stair.

He suddenly released his hand and pulled it back to his chest like it had been burned. He looked from his hand back to me before staring straight into my eyes with hate, confusion and almost fear.

"What are you?" He almost spat.

James get out of there! Laiela suddenly screamed over our bond. She had gone quiet there for a while. . . It had started to feel like she wasn't there at all. . .

I turned and sprinted from the library and down the hall. I looked back over my shoulder to check I wasn't being followed and ran smack into someone's back. 

We both went down, me sprawling on top of the person beneath me. Thinking it might be Dillan or Joel I sat up quickly and was about to get up and run off in the other direction when I noticed that this person had long white hair that was fanned out over the floor and covering their face. At first, I thought I'd knocked over a woman, maybe Laiela's mum, but then I noticed that they were obviously built like a guy with broad shoulders and small hips and they were covered in muscle. They were wearing a plain T-shirt and baggy sweats. For some reason even though they were obviously male, I couldn't shake the impression that they were a woman. 

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you ok?" I ask rushing to help them up.

I bent down and put my hand on their shoulder to try and help them but as soon as we touched it felt like electricity passed between us and I started feeling hot. That voice in my head which was mine but not mine began to stir again.

Alpha. It repeated over and over. Alpha. Alpha. Alpha!

His head suddenly snapped up, his hair flying out around him and temporarily shielding his face from view. For some reason, I desperately wanted to see his face. I didn't have to wait long, his hair fell down and settled over his shoulder revealing his face in all its beauty.

He looked just like Laiela.

The only major difference was his eyes, where hers were green, his were a deep blue, like the sky. His features were slightly sharper and his jaw was more defined which gave him a slightly more masculine touch, but if they had been the same gender they would've been identical. I again got the sense that he should have been a girl but that was stupid, it was just the similarities to Laiela, but I still felt that wasn't quite it.

The chanting in my head increased, still just that one word. Alpha. Over and over and over, getting louder and more frantic.

And then something amazing happened . . .

I heard the voice in his head answer back . . .

Beta.

We both froze. We looked into each other's eyes to confirm what just happened and stayed there staring at each other, neither knowing what to do or how to react, each questioning the other and neither coming up with any answers. I suddenly heard footsteps approaching. My eyes darted in the direction of the sound before coming back to him then lowering to the ground and bowing my head. The guy stood up and I followed soon after. We looked at each other once more before turning to face my mother and the man who let us in before

"James! There you are. We lost you back there." Says mum, a worried look on her face.

"Yeah sorry about that." I apologise swiftly.

"Sir is everything alright?" The older British man asks the guy. "What are you doing here? You should be upstairs in your room in bed."

"Everything is fine Bruno. I was just going to get something to eat when I ran into . . . James, was it?" he says directing that last question at me.

I incline my head in a half nod half bow to the guy.

"I'm Alex, Laiela's twin." he replies, smiling kindly.

Alex. Alpha's name is Alex. That voice in my head says with almost awe.

"Nice to meet you Alex. I'm Emily Grey, James and Travis', mum." Says mum sticking out her hand to be shaken.

After a mere moment's hesitation, Alex took her hand and shook it warmly, if not a little awkwardly. He then stood back by my side and that's when I realised I was flanking him, standing back and to the side of him to show that he had more authority but so I could jump in front if any danger presented itself. I was protecting him.

What the hell am I doing?

I noticed Alex glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and realised he heard that thought.

Like Laiela.

No. Not like Laiela. The bond between you two is a Mate Bond. That is singular and therefore different from the Alpha/Beta Bond we share. Do not think of them as the same thing. Alex replied telepathically.

Ok. Not the same thing. . . But what does all of this mean? I ask.

We'll explain later. In person and somewhere we won't be overheard. That was Laiela.

I then sensed Alex and Laiela having a conversation I couldn't hear.

"So should we go sit down somewhere and wait for the others to get here. I'm feeling a little peckish and wouldn't mind some refreshments." Said mum, breaking the silence that had settled over the group during my conversation with Alex.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Bruno would you mind getting the staff to make us up some afternoon tea and I'll show James and Ms Grey to the sitting room by the back garden." Piped up Alex having finished talking to Laiela.

"Of course sir." Said Bruno bowing at the waist be for heading back in the direction he and mum came from.

"Let's go then." says Alex before turning and motioning for us to follow.

I turn and follow after him still at his flank and feeling as if something amazing has just begun.