I trail Tamara as she leads me through the camp. I have not come this way before. It’s on the other side of the central road towards the eastern camp boundary. The area is unfamiliar this way. I see a convenience store, a couple of dress shops and a little hair salon. Tantalizing aromas of freshly-baked bread wafts from a bakery as we pass by. Next to it is a stall selling fresh burgers, ice creams, and milkshakes.

It does not feel like a camp, but a small town. It makes sense, as the nearest proper town is more than a hundred miles away.

“Where are we going?” I ask Tamara as she passes the shops to turn into a small alleyway.

“You’ll see.” She replies in a mysterious tone.

I chew my lips and follow her obediently, still unable to decide whether this is a good idea. Tamara is in fact the last person on the planet I’d open up to and I cannot understand why she has suddenly decided to be nicer.

Maybe people change. A little voice in my head tells me. Maybe she thinks it’s not a bad idea to be friends after all.

Maybe. I shrug.

We reach a neatly-kept wooden cottage called ‘Amelie’s Haven’ and Tamara walks up the stairs. I follow her hurriedly. It is some kind of public establishment. A prim, middle-aged woman with blond hair and a perfectly made-up face stands behind a dark reception desk.

Her eyes are the lightest shade of blue I have seen. She wears a dove grey skirt-suit that seems like a uniform.

“Amelie. Morning. Everything ready for my appointment?” Tamara asks as we walk in. The woman gives her a bright smile.

“Of course, Tamara. You are well in time.”

“And as I requested, can you accommodate my guest?”

The woman gives me an appraising look. “Ah. It was a little difficult as we are very full in the mornings, but I have been able to manage it for you.”

“Splendid. Thanks Amelie. And as you know, I should like my regular ones.”

“Of course.” The woman gives a wide smile. “We are all too aware of your tastes, Tamara. And the same for your guest?”

“Nah. She is not yet broken.” Tamara gives me a look. “I need to take her through the steps.”

“Very well dear.” The lady grins and punches a bell. I watch confused, not understanding what this is all about when another uniformed woman appears to usher us in.

“This way please, ladies.” She says with an elegant smile and leads us inside. I step in through the inner door and a cool dark envelopes us.

We are taken down a flight of stairs. Darkness ripples, creeping onto us from all directions as the stone steps wind downwards. I realize we are descending below the ground level. The thumps of our shoes echo on the flagstone, reverberating over the smooth walls. Scented candles flicker with a dim yellow glow, giving the place a hazy feel.

As we near the bottom, a whiff of hot steam clouds my vision.

“Welcome to Amelie’s Haven!” Tamara says. “The best spa in the entire Appalachian Mountains, and even Maine.”

Spa? This place is a spa? My eyes pop out.

It’s a vast cave with sparkling granite floors, marble figurines and sculptures of breathtaking beauty. Brass lanterns of varying lengths hang suspended from a low ceiling, lighting the place in an ethereal glow. The air steams with exotic scents of sandalwood and moringa. A beautiful pond glimmers in the centre with blooming white lotuses. A marble sculpture of a young woman stands in the middle, glorious in her nudity, smiling softly and proudly.

“This is a spa?” I ask in astonishment. Tamara raises an eyebrow.

“Why, did you think we are savages?”

“Umm…No. Of course not.” I close my gaping mouth. At this moment, it’s me who feels like a savage. Coming from LA and having visited some of the poshest salons curtsey Granny and Olly, I can certify that this is by far the most beautiful place.

“Your booth is the last on the left. The executive one as you requested, Tamara, complete with your own private sauna and rainforest.”

Private Sauna and rainforest? I do not think I heard right, but Tamara walks on as if it’s utterly normal. I trail her like a lost puppy. Whiffs of hot steam rising from the pond fog my brain. The air is infused with some heady incense, something that enters my lungs and percolates into my blood like an intoxicating drink. I feel my body relaxing with each breath.

We come in front of the booth and stop. I stare as a dark mahogany door opens into an actual tropical rainforest. Tall trees hang low on a steaming, frothy pond. Their bushes are laden with fragrant summer flowers. Colourful macaws flutter around as if in their natural habitat.

“Unbelievable!” I exclaim.

“It’s Amelie’s magic. She can create illusions, whatever the customers feel like at that moment. Today I ordered an Amazonian rainforest for our special meeting.” Tamara smirks. “By the way, you are allowed to be proud. This place was built by one of your great-great-great ancestor hundreds of years ago. We all owe him big time, all the ladies of this pack.”

Right. I feel surreal. My great-great-great ancestor must be a remarkable wolf if he thought of all these details. But to me, it looks more like a hideout, some place safe to be in case of an attack. Even without all this magic, the place is a haven. There is fresh water to drink, being continuously replenished by underground streams. And despite being so deep in the ground, the air isn’t muggy. Which means…

We enter the booth and the door shuts behind us. I stand staring when… two burly young men appear out of nowhere and grab Tamara.

“Aaarghhh!! Stop, stop! What are you doing? Let her go!” I scream. I do not know how I missed them earlier. It’s as if they appeared out of thin air. Their slick bodies shine with oil and sweat. It dawns on me that they are also exceptionally handsome.

“Cool, Danny. Rick and Eric are my men.” Tamara smirks and I watch wide-eyed. They come forward and start undressing Tamara, one piece of clothing after another.

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“Your men?”

“I mean my regular masseuses. This is a spa after all.” She rolls her eyes. “This one is Rick.” She leans into the young man who holds her from behind in a lover’s embrace, caressing her slender shoulders. “And that one,” she wriggles her left foot as the other young man pulls her trousers off her, “is Eric.”

Rick smiles, effortlessly relieving her of her blouse, then undoes her bra as if it’s his day job (which I suspect it is). Eric caresses her feet, then slides up his arm to pull off her lacy undies. They take a few moments to savour her as she stands stark naked in front of a shimmery mirror. Then the one called Eric moves ahead, to slide a pink silk chemise over her neck.

“Anything else, my darling? Would you like your usual…?” Rick smooths the folds of her chemise, his fingers deliberately sliding on Tamara’s waist.

“Not today sweetheart,” Tamara sighs, caressing his cheek. “Today I have company.”

The two men continue their ministrations, massaging each of her shoulders with gentle caresses. In turn, her hands slither on each of their muscled pecs, the right one climbing up Rick’s sculpted chest to his shoulders. The left one climbing down Eric’s tight abs to his…

Mortified, I turn my eyes away. Tamara takes her time to enjoy ‘her men‘.

“And what service would you like, sweetheart?” I snap my head back to find Rick turning his attention to me. His silver eyes train on me, taking me in from head to toe. “I must say I have never seen anyone like you. Where have you been hiding?”

He comes closer, his fingers tugging at my top. I shrink.

“N…nowhere. And I don’t need any service, thank you.”

“Are you sure?” He looks disappointed as his eyes roam over my body. “I am very good, you know. You can ask Tamara…”

“Leave her, Rick.” Tamara says lazily as she lets Eric go. “Maybe some other day. She is still unbroken.”

Luckily the two men leave without further ado. I let out a relieved breath. Tamara gets into the foaming water, gliding to the other end, to sit under an overhanging orange blossom. I dip a tentative toe in the water and realize it’s nicely warm. In a corner of the booth I find a stack of more flimsy garments. I choose one of the least scandalous and get into the water.

“Not bad.” Tamara gives me a head-to-toe, reminding me of Rick. I blush furiously when she crashes me to the earth.

"But if you dare to fall in love with one of my brothers, you must be ready to shed your clothes at a moment's notice."

Huh? I flame furiously. "Well then, it’s good I am not in love with any of your brothers." And I will not shed my clothes for a man at a moment's notice. Period.

She raises an eyebrow. "Didn't I ask you to be honest?"

"I am being honest."

“Liar.” She scoots forward and the next moment she is nearly upon me. Her face scrunches as she sniffs at me. “You are lying. I can smell Adam on you. And Gabe too. One on your lips, other in your heart. What’s going on, Danny? Who do you prefer?”

“Funny you should ask that, Tammy,” I shoot back, raising my brow. “Your mate too asked me the same question just two days ago.”

Her face fades for a moment, and I watch curiously. I too want to question her. Having a vampire as a mate is not an easy thing. How does she cope? But my chance slides by as she recovers quickly.

“We are not discussing me, Danny. We are discussing you. And I can answer my own question. You prefer Adam. I smell Adam on you.”

She smiles, giving me a challenging look. I flare.

"Of course I smell like Adam." I am irritated. "He carried me all the way from the forest. It must be that."

"No dear." Tamara smirks and pokes her index finger into my heart, again reminding me of Damien. "I smell him...here. How did he get here?"

Right. I don’t know what to say. It seems like the wolf's paw has left it's imprint, branding me as a slave. Anyone passing me can see the mark and find my owner.

I slap her hand away. “He just saved me that day, okay? That does not mean I smell like him and that certainly does not mean I love him.” Irritated, I flick my wet hair to slide into the water. This is so annoying. I give her a finger and she grabs my arm. I feel exposed, as if I am standing naked in stark daylight.

She slides back, still watching me hawk eyed.

“Adam saved you? How?”

I close my eyes, not wanting to continue. This is a mistake. I should never have come here. I should never have started this conversation.

“How did he save you, Danny?”

I slink back, trying to disappear into the water. Tamara signs.

“That’s enough of hide and seek, Danny. You need to come clean.”

“Come clean of what? I have said it all before. There is nothing between Adam and me.”

“Rick!” Tamara calls loudly and my eyes snap open. “Rick, come fast! Danny needs you urgently!!”

I shoot out of the water like a fish caught on a bait.

“No no no. Stay outside, please. I don’t need you! Tammy, please!!” I shout to the door, then beg her fervently. She smirks.

“Alright, kiddo. You may start now. And start at the very beginning, so I can understand what’s going on between you and my brothers.”

I sigh and close my eyes. Tamara’s dark eyes glint mischievously as the steam rises up.

*****

It’s been ten minutes I finished my story. There is no reaction from Tamara. She has closed her eyes and the still water is above her chin. Any lower and I’ll have to rescue her from drowning. I wasn’t aware my story was so boring as to make her fall asleep in the middle of it.

“Tammy… are you awake..?”

I ask gently as she opens her eyes.

“Oh Danny. I don’t know what to say. This all seems a little far-fetched.”

“Far-fetched?”

“Don’t take me wrong, Danny. I mean…let me first assure you that you are not rejected.” She wets her lips, weighing her words. “There is no rejection here…as there is no mate bond.”

I listen in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I understand what Gabe told you. It’s true that mates can heal each other, and Adam healed you. So it’s natural for you to think Adam is your mate. But…you have got it all wrong, Danny. Adam healed you because he is a healer. He is born with many abilities and healing is one of them.”

I stare, my face slowly heating up. Have I finally made an ultimate fool of myself?

“Adam is a healer?”

“Yes. He is not a proper healer, not like Arome with formal training and all. Adam’s ability is more of a raw power. He heals by transferring his own life force into others. It’s an unmatched advantage in the fighting fields where healers are not available, and a wolf is too severely wounded to heal himself. Sometimes it even weakens him, and it takes him time to replenish, but as you can see, it’s an invaluable ability as a Beta.”

So that was the answer to my earlier rant to John. Adam is a Beta because he is no ordinary wolf. He has powers, strengths, abilities that are beyond my meagre comprehension and that is the reason he has risen to the Beta post, not because he is John’s son.

My eyes drop from Tamara's curious gaze. Something raw prickles my throat. My nostrils flare and lips quiver. I want to say something, something clever that will show me as unaffected and carefree and help me save my face but nothing comes to my mind. My brain is just too fogged to think straight.

The steam of the water swirls around my neck making my already damp face even hotter. I am grateful for it. It’s some excuse to explain my wet tears.

“There’s another reason, Danny, why Adam cannot be your mate.”

I raise my eyes.

“Gabe may not have mentioned it to you, but it’s one more thing about mate bonds that you need to understand. You can only ever have one fated mate, and that too, if the moon goddess wishes to grant you. You can take any number of chosen mates, but fated mates happen only once.”

My chest feels heavy, like a premonition of what she was about to say next. And sure enough, here it comes.

“Adam has already had his fated mate, Danny.” She purses her lips. “Ellaine was his mate, granted by the moon goddess. After her, he has never shown any inclination to choose another. So, you see, it’s unlikely he is your mate. Now if you have a soft corner for him, which I see you do, I can understand it as it’s just your human heart. He healed you, and it’s your natural reaction. You just need some time, Danny. Give it some time and it will all be over soon.”

Two hours later, we walk back towards home. Tamara tries to make some small talk. I answer her in monosyllables. My voice comes low, cracked as I try to sound normal. Every moment feels a burden. Every breath cumbersome, as if I have run a thousand miles.

It will be over soon...the chant goes in my head as if on rewind. It will be over soon, and I will be free.

We come near the house, and I see Adam. He has returned from the forest and is on the steps talking to one of his officers. His gaze turns to me and my feet halt on their own accord.

It will be over soon. My brain tells me. My heart listens quietly, too feeble to speculate, wish, or even hope.

“I need a walk, Tammy. You please carry on. I’ll come home later.” I turn on my heels and leave before Tamara has a chance to react.

***** *****