CARMEN:

"Shit!"

The sound of a bullet piercing the air accompanied by screams instantly filled me up with regrets. No one needed to tell me that I just made a mess of my job.

I shot the wrong guy, damn it! What was I thinking? Why would I let my emotions get the better of me during an operation? How the hell did I even miss the target?

There was no room for redemption at this point as the crowd below already went on a rampage. My vision gave me the knowledge that they were trying to scurry for safety. If only I had shot the right target, I wouldn't care what was going on below.

"Abort! Abort!" I tried to reach out to Ryan but I was reminded that I already put off my comm. Instantly, I switched it back on repeating the same words that I just said.

"What happened?"

"Wrong guy." That was what I simply said before standing up to exit the location.

That turned out to be a big mistake because the piercing gaze that ran through me almost immediately could not be explained. And to my shock, I found myself staring directly at my supposed target that I just missed.

The distance between us was a lot. A whole lot. But why the hell does it seem like he could see me directly?

I shook off the feeling, put my tool back in the box, and jumped off the building.

The alpha was going to get a report of what happened and it was going to be from me.

GUSTAVO:

My bodyguard was dead. Humans? Pfft. They had such fragile lives.

The commotion going around was gravely disturbing to me as the rest of my bodyguards tried to keep me safe. I hated the commotion as well as the horrible screams. Did they really think anyone would attempt to kill them?

My bodyguards were trying to figure out where the lethal shot came from, which was something I already knew without checking through. And when I finally did check through, my eyes came in contact with the most shocking being I have seen in a long time.

"Aren't you going to find a way to leave here?" Ollie, my assistant who just joined me, asked in a rather confusing manner. Confusing for him, not me.

My gaze was still transfixed to the top of the state building when I responded: "There's something interesting I'm trying to deduce..."

"You've had three attempts made on you in the past two weeks... What could be interesting about this one other than the fact that some people out there want you dead?"

"Method of killing. None of the last two made use of a silver coated bullet to try to end me despite their accuracy. That's the difference."

"A silver coated bullet?"

"Look behind you. Tell me what you can observe from that human lying on the ground."

As Ollie did what I asked him to do, I was sure the first thing he was going to notice was the sharp piercing of the bullet through the skull of the lifeless man. The next thing would be the splatter of brain matter across.

"Indeed," he finally said after observing behind me for a while. By that time, I noticed the assassin jumping down from the state building in a technical manner.

"She's really good," I muttered much more to myself than to Ollie.

"Who?"

"Her."

"This one's a woman?"

"Not just any woman, Ollie. She's the best they have," I said before giving my bodyguards the cue that I was about to leave.

And as I turn around, I leave one last instruction for Ollie:

"Bring her to me."

CARMEN:

The strong scent of bane still lingered in my nostrils as I struggled to open my eyes. My body felt weaker than usual and it didn't take me too long to know that something was wrong with me.

Bane? Bloody hell I was attacked in my own apartment!

That feeling immediately snapped me out of the struggle and I opened my eyes fully to see that I was in an unfamiliar environment. The biggest unfamiliarity was the man seated right in front of me with his entire gaze fixated on me.

He wasn't actually someone I had no idea about. It was him. The one I should have killed but couldn't because I didn't get the job done right.

I tried to get up immediately but felt restrained.

"Don't bother. You'll only hurt yourself," he told me as I attempted to release myself from what was used to tie me down to the chair. The ropes were spiked but that didn't stop me from continuing.

Eventually, my breath became uncontrollable. My arms were hurting and I could feel a throb around my temple.

"How did you find me?" I asked through intense pants.

He shook his head. "I do the questioning," he said in a calm tone as if to exude that he was in charge. Then he pointed a finger at me. "The only thing you'll be doing is answering my questions unless I give you a chance to do otherwise."

I scoffed at that. Who does he think he is?

"Who is your Alpha?"

"Since you found me out, I think you should be able to figure that out yourself," I responded with spite laced in my tongue.

The man folded his arms as he leaned back on the chair across me. "I do have an idea. But I'm more interested in hearing it from your mouth. The mouth of the one who thought trying to snipe at me would work. Didn't your alpha brief you about who I am?"

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I had him. He was right on my radar before the bullet hit another.

I never miss. Never. I guess he was just too fast for me.

"I know who you are, Gustavo Rollins. And more importantly, I know how you betrayed the pack again by handing over the deal to our sworn rival. It was time to put you away since you have made it clear that you want nothing to do with the pack that birthed you."

I let all that out in one breath while he stared at me as if to scrutinize me. Maybe I shouldn't have held his gaze for too long because that stupid feeling from the last time was back.

Moon goddess, this betrayer cannot be my mate. He just can't.

"So you just follow orders without doing your own research?" he asked. I could almost sense the disappointment that lingered in his voice.

"As long as it benefits the pack. That's the difference between me and you."

He stood up instantly. "No, Carmen. The difference between me and you is that I make use of this before acting." When he said that, he pointed to his head to emphasize what he meant.

He continued, "I don't just jump into something without finding out the full extent of what it's about. Eugene definitely saw this as a weakness to his control, which was why he wanted to go against me and why he keeps sending the likes of you to me."

"How do you know my name?"

A wry smile made its way to his lips. "I do my research, Carmen. I said that before. Looks like you just don't listen."

I was sure he could sense my discomfort. I was mostly pissed that I was this vulnerable with no idea how to set myself free. Fuck.

"What do you want with me?" I hated asking that question, but I was left with no choice at this point.

"Good. Looks like you're thinking in my direction already."

"Just speak and save me some goddamn dignity."

"I'll brief you on what I need you to do for me in the morning. Until then, you'll be spending the night here," he said. "I'll send someone to attend to you soon."

He turned around to leave but then looked back at me one last time to say something.

"And don't get any ideas. I know you're my mate, but there's nothing that will possibly make me accept the bond. When this is over, I'll reject you."

As he stepped out, I couldn't tell why that last statement hurt me.