Thirty.

"Well, it is a good question. Did you freak out or stay calm like you said you would?" Rebecca asked Colt, as they finished off their meal and sat back enjoying a glass of bubbly champagne each from the bottle in the ice bucket.

"It was a, fair question," Colt said hesitantly, putting emphasis on the word 'fair'. "I will concede to that, and no I didn't freak out. I actually told him the truth. It was later that he freaked out on me. Bloody possessive bastard that he is." she sighed.

"You sound so much like your Mom when you speak like that. You know that right? 'bloody possessive bastard' that's hilarious." Rebecca laughed at her friend's vernacular. "Anyway, what is this 'truth' you told him?" she asked, having used air quotes twice in her reply.

Colt let out a big sigh, and responded "That it was less about him and more about me. I am so focused of fighting him off at every opportunity that I don't like the type of person I'm becoming. So although I am not ready and don't know if I ever will be, to be his mate, I am trying to slowly let him in. A little." she shrugged, downing her drink and scrunching her nose at the bubbles tickling her nose.

"That's really fair and reasonable. Not like you at all I might add." Rebecca joked, "he must be even prettier in person."

"You cut me deep there Becks, you cut me deep." Colt feigned hurt, joking light heartedly. "and unfortunately for me, he is, but that may just be our bond, I don't know." she sighed, reaching to top up her drink.

"But seriously, if he freaked at that then I know some people. They can get you out of the country, no questions asked. Just sign over the resort and I will take care of everything babes." Rebecca winked.

"Well luckily for the resort, he didn't freak at that no. So, you will have to find another way to try and con me out of the resort." she laughed. "He was actually a perfect gentleman, and acted very understanding towards it all. But, now I get the feeling it was all lip service." she shrugged, taking another sip.

"How so?" Rebecca asked, concerned at her friend's dejected demeanour, while topping up her own empty glass.

"He asked me to go to dinner, after I explained and he agreed to taking it slow. But, when I said I had plans, he turned into an asshole just because I wouldn't alter them at the last minute for him. Ranting on about two steps forward and three back. How I wasn't willing to even try and meet him half way. I am beginning to think Elijah Lupus wouldn't know what meeting someone half way was if it bit him on the ass." Colt rolled her eyes, and let out a puff of air in frustration. "This conversation topic totally sucks though, tell me have your parents met Ashley yet?" she changed the subject, not wanting to dedicate any more time to her tempestuous mate.

"What? My non shifter, non male girlfriend, are you kidding me? They would have a fit!" Rebecca said shaking her head at what she believed to be a ludicrous idea.

"You aren't giving them enough credit Becks." Colt jumped in. "They just want you to be happy." She was trying to be reassuring even though she didn't entirely believe what she was saying.

"So, long as I am happy with a bull elephant, who will support me financially and I can sit at home with no job, no life, no alcohol, and pop out elephant calves for them to smother. Trust me we have had the 'when are you going to stop with all this career nonsense, and settle down like a good girl' chat far too many times." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I know you want to think the best of them, but not all parents are as great, or as understanding as yours. I would kill for even one of mine to be like Isla or Kalvin."

Colt tilted her head examining her friend thoughtfully for a moment, Rebecca's big brown eyes, set into a beautiful, kind face were glowing with with emotion. Her thick black hair was chopped into a straight bob, and her caramel skin was slightly flushed from her rant. She had always envied how exotic Rebecca looked, but right now she looked slightly pained.

"Okay, I will leave it alone, and yes they are fantastic, I couldn't agree more. But, I suppose when you face the challenges they have that comes with the territory, luckily for Mark, when he came out, and brought Paul home he was welcomed into the family with open arms. I guess I just want that for you too, they are so happy. Tell me anyway, where is Ashley tonight, will she join us?" Colt answered, finishing off her glass.

"I would love that too. Hey, maybe I should introduce her to your folks instead, what do you think?" Rebecca only half joked. "And shes on a night shift at the hospital, so no Ashley tonight." her shoulders sagged slightly, obviously missing her girlfriend.

"Knowing my Mother, she would jump at the chance to 'adopt' another child into the family, and you're already like a sister to me. Go for it." Colt laughed.

"Careful, with your Mom's cooking I might just take you up on that offer." Rebecca laughed, "And my hips do not need that kind of encouragement." she said finishing the last of the champagne off and rubbing her curves as she spoke.

"You are beautiful, and you know it Girl. Behave yourself." Colt laughed, then she suddenly stiffened.

The hairs on the back of Colt's neck started to rise, and her shoulders tensed as she took a deep inhale of the scents in the room, confirming her suspicions as she did so. Elijah had arrived.

"He's behind you, at the bar." Rebecca winked, knowingly. "This is another reason why I like girls by the way, and human ones at that. Less fighting off male animalistic territorial crap. He's talking to Felix at the bar, no he must just be ordering a drink. Now he's watching you." Rebecca informed her best friend helpfully.

"If he attempts to gate crash our night, I believe I might just lose it altogether and break his whole face, and not just his nose again." Colt said through gritted teeth, visibly bubbling with anger. "And this is why I don't want to be at odds with him." she groaned, flapping her arms for good measure.

"You broke his nose? What? Oh honey, that's not right." Rebecca sighed, shaking her head. "I bet it was satisfying though, right?"

Colt released a sigh, "For a split second, till I realised what I'd done, now I just feel shit about it."

"It certainly isn't like you." Rebecca agreed. "I don't think I have ever really seen you lose your cool."

"Which is why I'm trying, like I said. But he keeps pushing me too fast, and I feel like I'm going to snap." she said rubbing her face, her annoyance at Elijah clearly seeping through.

"Hmm, on the plus side, you have always liked pretty things. Even I can see he falls into that category. But why are you resisting him? He is your other half right? Soul mate etcetera." Rebecca paused, thinking. "Colt, is this related to your shifting ability?"

Colt looked like a deer in the headlights at that moment. Frozen, only with a pained expression written all over her face. It caused Rebecca to reach her hand across the table in concern, in an attempt at offering some physical support.

"Maybe it's the reason behind all that anger babe. Most of us shift, when we are too upset, but if you can't where you should, it could be festering under the surface." Rebecca suggested, wishing she could somehow take away her friend's pain, while silently judging Elijah for making it worse.

A tear slid down Colt's face as her friend hit the nail square on the head. She took a deep breath and dabbled it away with her spare hand, not wanting her make up to run.

"You always were too intuitive, you know that right?" she forced a smile, determined to get back to enjoying their night.

"It's a gift. Now, if I slide round to hug you, will he bite me?" she asked nodding in the direction of the male watching her from the bar, with eyes that seemed more hawk like than anything else.

Colt laughed. "No, because one, he doesn't know your preferences and two, I will smack his nose with a rolled up newspaper if he even tries."

Elijah heard them both laugh loudly, before the Asian woman slid round to hold his mate in her embrace. His instincts were right, Colt was upset about something. He thought he could smell it in the slight change of her scent, but with so many conflicting odours in the bar he wasn't one hundred percent certain. The current display of affection in front of him however, only confirmed his suspicions and nothing could stop him from the beeline track he made to go and comfort his female.

"Why are you upset? What's going on?" he gruffly demanded, upon arriving at their table.

"Okay, I changed my mind. I totally think he deserved the broken nose now." Rebrcca chimed in.

"What the fuck did you just say" Elijah growled in outrage.

"Oh Sugar, I'm not afraid of you. Quit growling like a rabid dog, we like people to conduct themselves with dignity here." Rebecca rolled her eyes at Elijah's predictable behaviour.

Elijah flicked his eyes to Colt angrily, "Are you going to let this continue?" he asked accusingly, clenching and unclenching his fists in anger.

"No, I suppose I'm not." Colt sighed, annoyed.

Elijah gave a smug grin at Rebecca, but he was crowing too soon and very quickly realised he was not going to get the response he had hoped for.

"Elijah, will you just go away. I told you this is a girl's night, and you are far too over endowed to qualify for this party. Now stop acting like as ass to my closest friend and get lost." She said shooing him away with her hand like he was an annoying stray cat.

Rebecca burst out laughing. "Oh, the look on your face Alpha is priceless. What did you think would happen? You need to start showing Colt, and everyone else around here too, for that matter, some basic levels of respect, especially if you harbour any hope in getting some back. Your title means nothing here, Mr. Lupus."

"I am your mate! You cant be serious." Elijah asked in shock. "How can you behave like this, I thought you promised to try." He said bitterly.

Colt rubbed her face in frustration biting on her fist momentarily before looking at Elijah's condescending face. "As you're my mate, why don't you try fucking acting like it Elijah, don't go off on my best friend, for having my back, when you clearly don't! I did agree to try and I meant it, but obviously when you agreed to take it slow, you did not! I told you I had other pre-arranged plans tonight, and you randomly show up here and crash them. I mean what the fuck? Get lost Elijah. I will call you tomorrow."

Rebecca sat silently watching what Elijah would do next, before saying under her breath, "This is why I like girls."

"You what?" Elijah snarled, all of a sudden feeling even more threatended by Colt's friend, and finding an outlet to direct his anger.

"I'm a lesbian Mr. Lupus. Oh and Colt and I met in college." she said with a wink, earning roll of the eyes from Colt, for deliberately baiting the wolf.

"Colt, we're leaving." Elijah snarled.

"No, Elijah. We are leaving." Colt responded, while grabbing Rebecca's hand and adding, "Was that really necessary Becks?"

"Let her go, now." Elijah barked.

"Elijah, save your overbearing commands for members of your pack. Leave me alone." Colt shot back as they made their way out from the booth.

"I mean it Colt, you are not going anywhere with that woman." he snarled, trying block their path.

"Elijah, go find a rabbit to rub up against will you? Oh, and as we have previously discussed, several times in fact. You do not get to make orders and demands of me! See if that rabbit will clean your ears out. Maybe then something I say will sink into your thick skull." Colt snapped at him.

Then she dropped some bills on the table, waved to Felix behind the bar and pushed past Elijah, walking out with Rebecca, as the latter was shaking her head at Elijah's stupidity.

Felix came over to collect the cash and looked at Elijah with pity. "Poor show, man." he said collecting the glasses as well.

"What am I supposed to think?" Elijah asked frustratedly. He was desperate to follow her, but for now his good sense had kicked in enough to know they both needed to cool off.

"No idea, but if it helps. Becks is in a serious relationship with a doctor named Ashley, she and Colt were only ever friends." Felix shrugged, diffusing the Alpha's temper with the practiced ease of a bartender.

"Fuck! I'm a fool." Elijah groaned, rubbing his face, completely disappointed in himself.