2. Twelve

I think werewolf alphas were as good as mafia bosses because they both seemed to know everything. How Sebastian came to know about my sister's address, I had no idea.

I had never visited her after she left for university but my parents had. Her boyfriend, mate actually, had moved in with her and her address was the same all through these years.

Her apartment building was exactly like I would expect a student would live in. Not too flashy but comfortable. At least, I hoped it would be comfortable, I would be living in this building for at least, the next few weeks.

We climbed two stories and stopped in front of a door with apartment number 206. I gulped nervously, not looking forward to meeting my sister at all. I nervously glanced at Sebastian who hadn't said a word since we got out of the car. If it was possible, he seemed more rigid and authoritative than he usually was.

His stance unnerved me. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had come to get me when I was on the road, crying my brains out.

He knocked on the door and we both waited for it to open. We heard some shuffling on the other side of the door and I took a deep breath when it finally swung open.

A tall but lean guy with shaggy blonde hair stood in the doorway, dressed in ripped jeans and a loose shirt. Even with the loose shirt, I could see he was well-built and had a lot of muscles going on for him. 

Now I understood why Sebastian was so tense. This must be Adam, Emily's mate. He was a rogue because any werewolf in this area was not part of any pack. Red Lake pack's borders didn't stretch to this town. And a white alpha facing a rogue wolf was always a recipe for disaster.

"You must be Zara." Adam looked at me and smiled. Well, he tried to smile but I can give him credit for that. His gaze then swings from me to the man standing beside me. He tilted his head in apprehension, but his expression gave nothing away and I mentally applauded him for his self-control. "And you, I think, are Sebastian."

Seb grunted and wordlessly handed my bag to Adam. "Just take care of her and we'll be fine."

"I will. She is my mate's sister." He said like it was obvious. Like me being Emily's sister warranted protection from him. Maybe it did for werewolves who were crazy about their mates. My experience with mates hadn't been good till this point.

Sebastian gave a terse nod to Adam and then turned to look at me. Before I could say anything, he engulfed me in his arms, and waves of gratitude washed over me.

"If you need anything, anything at all, let me know. And if you want to come back, call me. I will get you myself."

I nodded my head, afraid of the emotions raging inside me. With another hug, Seb was gone and I was standing alone outside my sister's apartment, with his mate standing there. Not the most comfortable position, I will admit.

"So, the tough guy has a heart, him?!" Adam whistled and chuckled to himself and then looked at me. I didn't know what to do. I had never come across this guy before and I was clueless as to how I should act.

"You can come inside, you know," Adam said slowly, regarding me and possibly wondering if I was a crackhead. I noticed that he had walked a couple of steps inside the apartment and was waiting for me to do the same.

I tentatively took a few steps and walked inside the apartment. It had a cozy and homey feel to it. It had Emily written all over it. Adam was a very adjusting man.

"You make yourself at home while I put away your bag." He walked down the corridor and disappeared into the hallway. My gaze traveled over the apartment, analyzing the little knock-knacks of it. The place was well-loved and shared by the (I hope) couple in love.

I seated myself on a comfortable-looking armchair that faced a TV set that had several cords and wires going in and out. An Xbox and a lot of games were piled up on the shelf which made it clear that Adam had a hobby. 

Adam came back after putting my stuff away and settled himself in the armchair beside me. "Your sister has a class and she won't be in for a few hours. You're stuck with me till then."

He smiled genuinely and I felt my muscles relax at his comforting and honest expression. Maybe Adam was a nice guy and I didn't need to be on my guard around me. It was just my survival instincts kicking in, being alone with an unfamiliar guy in an unfamiliar place.

"Are you hungry?" Adam asked and my stomach growled in response. I blushed instantly while Adam just chuckled in response. 

"Do you want pancakes?" He asked me and titled his head.

He tilts his head a lot.

"Pancakes? In the afternoon?" 

"You can eat pancakes any time of the day. I keep telling Emily that." He said, got up, and walked into the kitchen.

I followed him and sat down on one of the barstools in the kitchen. I watched him assemble the ingredients for pancakes while a smile broke on my face. 

"Oh my God! I used to say that to Emily all the time."

Adam chuckled and shook his head. "I knew I would get along with you."

A blush broke out on my cheeks and I laughed at his statement.

"So, how did you and Emily meet?"

He whisked the contents into the bowl and I watched a small smile playing on his lips. Was that how werewolves felt about their mates?

"We met at a party. A college party. I was there with my longtime girlfriend and she was there with her boyfriend. We were introduced by some mutual friends and when I caught her eye, I knew, I knew she was the one. That one glance was it for me."

I sighed dreamily. My sister's story sounded so romantic and straight out of a movie. Adam had only needed one glance to know Emily was his mate and I don't think he would have let her go, even after she pushed him away.

"That's some story."

"Sure, as hell is. It's been two years already. Never been happier." He snuck a glance at me and smiled. 

Was that how things between Harper and me would have been if the pregnancy disaster hadn't happened? Did Harper ever talk about me like Adam did about Emily? 

These questions made me depressed all of a sudden.

"What about you? Ever fell in love with some lucky guy?" He asked absentmindedly while pouring the batter on a frying pan.

My breath got stuck in my throat. I didn't know how to answer that question. The truth hurt too much.

"You don't have to answer that. Sorry, it's none of my business. Your sister did say you were coming here to get away from some things." He smiled in good spirit and I felt myself relax at his easy response.

I smiled halfheartedly and pointed at the frying pan. "You got to watch out for them." 

As if brought back to planet Earth by my words, Adam jumped and turned around to watch the pancakes. He flipped the pancake expertly and I briefly wondered how many times had he made the very same pancakes for breakfast in bed for my sister. She sure was a lucky girl!

"How did you become a rogue?" I asked without second guessing my question.

Adam stiffened and jerked around with the spatula still in his hand.

"You know about werewolves?"

Shit! I guess he didn't know that!

"Is that why the big white wolf dropped you here?" He asked me and crossed his arms over his chest, all traces of humor gone from his face.

It was like whiplash. One minute we were joking and then bam! 

Was it something I said? Oops!