Third POV
Six months after their first encounter, Helena sat at a dimly lit bar sowhere on the Croatian coast. The place reeked of cigarette smoke and cheap alcohol, but it catered to supernatural beings. It was a perfect place to blend in while she figured out her next move.
At eighteen, she had finally shifted for the first ti. Her wolf was beautiful and strong. However, for so reason, ever since that ti in the woods, rogues followed her wherever she went.
It didn’t matter which country she was in. As long as it was neutral territory, they would hunt her down.
Helena checked the clock on the wall. She had been here for almost an hour. If she stayed any longer, the rogues would surely find her again.
“Buy you a drink, beautiful?” a silky voice asked.
Helena turned to find three well-dressed n watching her. Their pale skin and too-perfect features gave them away imdiately. Vampires.
“Not interested,” she replied curtly, turning back to her glass of whiskey.
The tallest vampire slid onto the barstool beside her. “Don’t be like that. We just want to be friendly.”
“I said no,” Helena repeated more firmly.
“Playing hard to get?” another vampire purred, placing a cold hand on her shoulder. “I like that in a woman.”
Helena shrugged off his touch. “Touch again, and you’ll pull back a stump.”
The vampires exchanged amused glances. The third one leaned in closer, his breath unnaturally cool against her ear.
“Feisty little wolf. Maybe we should teach you so manners.”
That was it.
Helena spun around, fist connecting with the vampire’s jaw. He stumbled backward, shock registering on his face before it morphed into rage.
“You’ll regret that,” he hissed, fangs extending.
The vampires moved with supernatural speed, surrounding her. The tallest one grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back.
“Let’s take this sowhere private,” he snarled.
Before he could drag her away, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
“Now now. That’s no way to talk to a woman, is it, boys?”
Helena’s head snapped toward the voice. She hadn’t thought she would ever see him again, but there he stood. The man who’d saved her in the forest. Even in the dim lighting, she recognized his confident stance, the dark hair, and that infuriating smirk.
“Mind your own business,” the vampire holding Helena spat.
“See, that’s where we have a problem.” The man stepped closer, his eyes never leaving the vampires. “When you ss with her, it becos my business.”
The vampires exchanged glances. “You’re outnumbered, wolf. Walk away while you can.”
“Am I supposed to be scared?” He laughed, and the sound was both charming and dangerous. “Three bloodsuckers against one wolf? Seems almost unfair... for you.”
The vampire released Helena and turned to face him. “You’re going to regret this.”
“I doubt that,” ca the cocky reply.
The tallest vampire lunged first, moving with blinding speed. Helena’s savior dodged with surprising agility, grabbing the vampire’s arm and using his montum to slam him into the bar counter. Bottles shattered, patrons scattered, and chaos erupted.
The second vampire attacked from behind, but the wolf spun around, his fist connecting with the vampire’s face with bone-crushing force. The third vampire joined the fray, and soon the entire bar dissolved into mayhem.
Helena didn’t stand idle. When one of the vampires broke free and charged at her, she grabbed a broken bottle and drove it into his shoulder. He howled in pain.
More vampires from around the bar were standing up now, their eyes fixed on the fight. They were outnumbered.
Severely.
“Ti to go!” Helena yelled at the mysterious man, kicking away another attacker.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the back exit. They burst into the alley behind the bar and ran into the night, not stopping until they had put several blocks between themselves and the bar.
In a quiet side street, they finally paused to catch their breath. Helena leaned against a wall, her heart hamring in her chest.
“You know,” the man said between breaths, “I had that under control.”
Helena snorted. “Sure you did. There were at least ten vampires in there. You wouldn’t have made it out alive.”
“Have you always been this insufferable?” he asked, running a hand through his dark hair. “I did just save you, did I not?”
Helena paused, studying him. Under the streetlight, she could see him clearly now. He was handso in a rugged way, with sharp features and eyes that seed to see right through her.
Her expression softened. “Thank you. For saving . Again.”
“You actually rember,” he said, genuine surprise in his voice.
“How could I forget?” Helena pushed herself off the wall and extended her hand. “I’m Helena. Helena Bailey.”
He took her hand, and his palm was warm against hers. “Leo. Leo Sullivan.”
“Well, Leo Sullivan,” she said with a small smile, “why is it that you keep showing up when I’m in trouble?”
“Bad timing?” he suggested with a grin. “Or actually, if you think about it, it’s bad timing for , but great timing for you.”
Helena laughed, and for a mont, the weight of constantly running seed to lift from her shoulders.
“Or maybe you’re my guardian angel disguised as a cocky werewolf,” she said, grinning.
“Angel? Now that’s a first.” Leo’s eyes sparkled with amusent. “Most people call a pain in the ass.”
“I can see why,” Helena teased. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But seriously, twice now you’ve saved . Why?”
Leo shrugged, looking away. “Right place, right ti.”
“Hmm.” Helena tilted her head. “Or maybe you just have a weakness for pretty damsels in distress.”
“Is that what you are? A damsel?” Leo countered. “Because from where I’m standing, you were handling yourself pretty well back there.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Sullivan.”
Their eyes t, and sothing shifted in the air between them. A tension that wasn’t there before.
“So,” Helena said, breaking the mont, “what brings you to Croatia?”
Hazel’s POV
I leaned forward, completely caught up in Leo’s story. The way he described my sister—her courage, her quick wit—made my heart ache with loss for the twin I never knew.
“But that wasn’t the case, right?” I asked softly. “You didn’t save her just because she was a pretty face.”
Saying it out loud made cringe a little. It felt like I was complinting myself.
I continued, “You saved her because she was your mate?”
Leo’s expression changed, a shadow passing over his features. He rubbed the back of his neck where his mark was, avoiding my eyes.
“No,” he finally said, his voice low. “Helena and I weren’t... We weren’t fated mates.”
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